Pete Buttigieg has been one of the most popular Democratic presidential candidates, soaring quickly in the polls without many missteps. But now he is facing his first big challenge since jumping in the race, and it’s happening in his hometown, South Bend, Indiana. Mayor Buttigieg is dealing with a racially charged crisis after a police shooting. NBC writes:
The recent unrest in South Bend — triggered by the fatal shooting of Eric Logan, a black man, by a white police officer a week ago — has become the most profound hurdle for Buttigieg’s candidacy to date. It has also tested his readiness to confront an issue that seems to call for a visceral, emotional response, rather than the cerebral, levelheaded comportment that has made the 37-year-old mayor seem so unflappable on the campaign trail.
Sunday night Buttigieg addressed concerns at a town hall where he acknowledged, “We’ve got a lot to talk about as a city.”
Presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg faced angry residents at a town hall in South Bend, Indiana, on Sunday as the mayor attempted to soothe the pain caused by the recent killing of a black man by a police officer. https://t.co/Le3MRHZIPP pic.twitter.com/V3I0N7HIj6
— CNN (@CNN) June 24, 2019
Watching this Town Hall on the police shooting in SB reminds that presidential races are a series of tests. Some, like debates, you can anticipate Others you cannot. @PeteButtigieg faces one of those unanticipated tests now. Thru it, we will learn more about him.
— David Axelrod (@davidaxelrod) June 23, 2019
The reviews on how Buttigieg is handling the criticism are mixed. The Los Angeles Times says:
Buttigieg’s introduction drew a mix of applause and vigorous boos. Michael Patton, NAACP South Bend Chapter president, was onstage with Buttigieg and lobbed gentle questions at the mayor, which drew loud complaints from the crowd. But audience members sometimes scolded one another for being disrespectful to Buttigieg and the other speakers.
Michael Patton, President of @NAACP South Bend Chapter: "I believe [Mayor Pete Buttigieg] gets it. He's got some good people at the table that have joined him and it is a diverse group of people who bring different perspectives." pic.twitter.com/oxhp71VxNm
— The Hill (@thehill) June 24, 2019
Updated story from South Bend. Today, Pete Buttigieg looked a lot like a lot of other white politicians who have been in his position after a police shooting: struggling to connect with black residents who are fed up with the violence. https://t.co/qseWQrj2kp
— Matt Pearce ? (@mattdpearce) June 24, 2019
The Daily Beast points to a conversation with a prominent black leader that shows Buttigieg’s problem with race may go beyond the recent police shooting:
That leader, who requested anonymity to speak openly about a private meeting, was not only referring to young supporters but expressing a sentiment that was apparent in talks with several African-American lawmakers: that Buttigieg’s interactions with the black community in recent weeks were “naïve” and that the national perception of him as “genuine and authentic” was not always translating when it came to their concerns.
“Pete has a black problem,” Rep. Marcia Fudge (D-OH), the former chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus, told The Daily Beast. “I don’t know of one black person out of Indiana that supports him.”
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