MSNBC City Hall: "I would not have applied so much pressure" on Franken for that he resigns

Pete Buttigieg leads a presidential campaign hostile to conflict. But the conflict is topical.

The biggest moment of his visit to the MSNBC town hall Monday night in Fresno, California, was his unfeeling defense of former Senator Al Franken (D-MN), who resigned in 2017 after several women accused him of having fumbled them.

Franken's calls for resignation were led by Democratic women in the Senate – including Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), who is running for president.

Buttigieg has not named Gillibrand nor any other Democrat presidential candidate who has called for Franken's resignation a few days ago, including the Sense. Kamala Harris (D-CA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Cory Booker (D -NEW JERSEY). But when facilitator Chris Matthews asked him if he would have "expelled (Franken)" if he had been to the Senate, Buttigieg replied, "I would not have applied so much pressure at that time before find out more ».

This could not help but be compared to – and implicitly criticized – Buttigieg's rivals in the Senate, particularly Gillibrand.

Franken's resignation has already absorbed a surprising amount of oxygen in the Democratic primary. It has been proposed as an explanation for Gillibrand's slow departure as a candidate; it seems that some party donors are reluctant to support it because they blame Franken for leaving.

The lingering bitterness about the departure of 2017 conceals a larger split within the party: between those who strongly believe that Democrats must conform to progressive norms and those who fear that Democrats will weaken politically if they are too excused or awake.

Buttigieg fell into the category of skeptics of the waking spirit, saying that he would not have put that kind of pressure on Franken so quickly. But he was not enthusiastic about it.

When Matthews asked him for the first time about Franken, Buttigieg first pointed out that it was Franken's decision to resign and that Democrats "stand to a higher standard" than Republicans to censor Franken. men accused of harassment.

But Matthews – who for much of the municipal session was almost degradingly degrading and flattering to Buttigieg – insisted that Franken was kicked out by Senate chief Chuck Schumer (D-NY). among other things, and forced Buttigieg to weigh all his weight. the pressure effort.

Here is the complete exchange:

CHRIS MATTHEWS: Al Franken, should he have been pushed to resign from the US Senate by the Democratic caucus, his caucus colleagues?

PETE BUTTIGIEG: I think that was his decision, but we think that the way we have kept him on a higher level than the GOP is that their people have been used against us.

CHRIS MATTHEWS: Do you think that he should have been pushed out?

PETE BUTTIGIEG: Again, that was his decision. I think that —

CHRIS MATTHEWS: But I'm not asking you for his decision. The other members of the Democratic caucus in the Senate – starting at the top, Chuck Schumer at the bottom – and the other people who pushed him to withdraw – did they put a lot of pressure on him for that? were they right or wrong?

PETE BUTTIGIEG: Well, it's not a bad thing that we set ourselves higher standards.

CHRIS MATTHEWS: Were they right to push it out of the Senate, because they did it?

PETE BUTTIGIEG: I would not have applied so much pressure at that time before to find out more.

Buttigieg leaned in general to avoid telling women what to do.

Buttigieg's initial reluctance to respond is not surprising. At other times at City Hall, he clearly realized that he, as a white man in a primary school, had to demonstrate that he deserved to be the face of a much larger party. diversified as the Republicans. worried about whether its elites reflect this diversity.

When a stakeholder asked him directly why women should vote for him rather than for competitors like Elizabeth Warren and Kamala Harris, who are "frankly more experienced than you," Buttigieg told the audience that he thought "that there should be a woman at the oval office at the moment". "- Hillary Clinton.

He concluded his response with a level of professed humility that would make him more attractive to Democratic women who fear not to support a man in the presidency: "Now, I would also like the women of America to know because I've met a lot of women who say, "I love you, I love your message, I think you have an attractive nomination, but I will not vote for a man this time", c & rsquo; As I understand it, and if you decide to be for me or not, I promise that I will be for you. "

His response to a question about the dismissal of President Trump showed a similar instinct. When a city council member said that he was frustrated by the caution of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), in initiating impeachment proceedings, Buttigieg voiced support for the impeachment but warned that he "would think twice before giving strategic advice to Nancy Pelosi". It was a clever way to take a stand on the issue, while refusing to criticize a beloved state party woman.

But these are not the moments that stand out. Instead, the moment that attracted attention on social media was the Franken exchange – one in which he did not demonstrate his willingness to hand over to the leaders from the Democratic Party and pretended to criticize the #MeToo movement by suggesting that censorship was the result of not knowing all the facts.

Pete Buttigieg's pleasant personality – call him "Mayor Pete", please – is supposed to be the key to his calling. But it can not please all members of the Democratic Party in 2019, because the Democrats do not agree on what their party should be – a unified team where being a Democrat is the most important feminist good faith of all. a politician, or a progressive stronghold in which, some politicians could sit in the background.