>>> WHEN I CAME OUT IN 2015, IT WAS FOR THE SIMPLE REASON THAT I
WAS FINALLY READY.
I HAD BEEN WRESTLING WITH MY
SEXUALITY FOR YEARS.
AND IF I HAD NOT DEPLOYED TO
AFGHANISTAN, I MIGHT NEVER HAVE
FOUND THE COURAGE TO COME OUT.
THERE’S ANOTHER PART OF THE
STORY THAT FRANKLY EVEN NOW I
HAVE A HARDER TIME TALKING
ABOUT.
ABOUT. I THINK BECAUSE IT’S HARD TO
ADMIT.
ADMIT. I’M UNCOMFORTABLE ADMITTING IT
EVEN NOW.
EVEN NOW. EVEN THOUGH IT’S SOMETHING THAT
MAYBE WON’T BE SO SURPRISING.
AND IT’S THE FACT THAT WHEN I
WAS YOUNGER, I WOULD HAVE DONE
ANYTHING TO NOT BE GAY.
IF YOU HAD OFFERED ME A PILL TO
MAKE ME STRAIGHT, I WOULD HAVE
SWALLOWED IT BEFORE YOU HAD TIME
TO GIVE ME A SIP OF WATER.
IT IS A HARD THINK TO THINK
ABOUT NOW.
ABOUT NOW. IT’S HARD TO FACE THE TRUTH THAT
THERE WERE TIMES IN MY LIFE WHEN
IF YOU HAD SHOWN ME EXACTLY WHAT
IT WAS INSIDE ME THAT MADE ME
GAY, I WOULD HAVE CUT IT OUT
WITH A KNIFE.
THANK GOD THERE WAS NO PILL.
THANK GOD THERE WAS NO KNIFE.
>> A BIG, POWERFUL MOMENT FOR
PETE BUTTIGIEG SUNDAY IN
WASHINGTON.
WASHINGTON. THE MAYOR OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA
SPOKE IN A DEEPLY PERSONAL WAY
TO AN AUDIENCE OF LGBT RIGHTS
SUPPORTERS ABOUT HOW HE GRAPPLED
WITH HIS OWN SEXUAL
SEXUALITY AS A WAR.
HE SPOKE ABOUT HIS EARLY DATING
EXPERIENCES, MEETING HIS HUSBAND
AND THIS OP-ED IN THE SOUTH BEND
TRIBUNE IN A LEAD UP TO HIS
ELECTION.
ELECTION. AND HE CALLED OUT MIKE PENCE BY
NAME OVER HIS OPPOSITION TO GAY
RIGHTS.
RIGHTS. >> I CAN TELL YOU THAT IF HE
BEING GAY WAS A CHOICE, IT WAS A
CHOICE THAT WAS MADE FAR, FAR
ABOVE MY PAY GRADE.
AND THAT’S THE THING I WISHED
THE MIKE PENCES OF THE WORLD
WOULD UNDERSTAND.
WOULD UNDERSTAND. IF YOU HAVE A PROBLEM WITH WHO A
I AM.
I AM. YOUR PROBLEM IS NOT WITH ME.
YOUR QUARREL, SIR, IS WITH MY
CREATOR.
CREATOR. >> THIS GUY IS CHICKEN SOUP FOR
MY SOUL.
MY SOUL. >> THIS IS PETE BUTTIGIEG --
THIS IS OBAMA’S RIGHTS SPEECH
EARLY.
EARLY. THIS IS A VERY, VERY IMPRESSIVE
SPEECH.
SPEECH. I THINK BACK IT WAS JUST 12, 13
YEARS AGO WHEN McGRAVY HAD TO
STEP DOWN FOR SAYING HE WAS OUT,
IT IS A REFLECTION OF HOW MUCH
PROGRESS WE HAVE MADE IN THIS
COUNTRY.
COUNTRY. I’M NOT SOLD ON MAYOR PETE AS A
CANDIDATE.
CANDIDATE. I THINK HE IS A CENTRIST
MIDWESTERN DEMOCRAT I THINK HIS
STRATEGY ABOUT TRUMP VOTERS IS
WRONG.
WRONG. I THINK HIS HISTORY WITH FIRING
THAT BLACK POLICE CHIEF IN HIS
TOWN IS GOING TO BE A PROBLEM
AND WE NEED TO INVESTIGATE THAT
THAT MUCH MORE.
BUT IN THIS AREA, AS A CANDIDATE
WHO CAN SPEAK TO A NARJMARGINALI
COMMUNITY WITH FAITH AND
CONVICTION, THAT MADE ME THINK
OF OBAMA.
OF OBAMA. THAT’S THE ONLY CANDIDATE THAT’S
MADE ME THINK OF THE PREVIOUS
PRESIDENT.
PRESIDENT. >> HE’S DONE SOMETHING
IMPRESSIVE EARLY, HE’S BROKEN
OUT OF AA LEVEL, THE MAYOR OF
SOUTH BEND.
SOUTH BEND. HE’S NOW IN THE RACE.
HE’S RAISED ENOUGH MONEY, BROKEN
THROUGH NATIONALLY.
THROUGH NATIONALLY. HE HAS AN ACT -- I DON’T MEAN
THAT IN A PREJORIVE WAY, HE HAS
SOMETHING TO SAY, AND HE’S
COMPETING WITH BETO FOR THE
GOLDEN RETRIEVER VOTE, FINALLY A
NICE PERSON, WHICH IS A HUGE
CONTRAST TO TRUMP.
HE’S LIKE BETO’S SMARTER BROTHER
A LITTLE BIT.
SO THE TWO ARE SURFING A BIG
VOTER WAVE WHICH IS WORTH
SOMETHING.
SOMETHING. WILL IT GET THEM NOMINATED?
A LOT OF TURNS TO GO.
BUT UNFORTUNATELY JOE BIDEN HAS
STARTED TO WOBBLE A LITTLE BIT.
THE IDEA OF SOMEBODY NEW AND
FRESH IS OPEN, YOU HAVE TWO
STRONG CANDIDATES NOW WE’LL SEE
IF THEY CAN SURVIVE THE
WHIRLPOOL FOR A YEAR OF RUNNING
FOR PRESIDENT.
FOR PRESIDENT. SO FAR SO GOOD HE GOT HIMSELF IN
THE RACE.
THE RACE. THAT’S AN HE IS REMARKABLY COMP
HIS STORY IS TRAN SENSCENDENT.
HE WAS A VETERAN.
HE SEEMS TO HAVE AN ABILITY TO
CONNECT WITH PEOPLE IN A DEEP
WAY, VERY DIFFERENT.
AND HE COULD NOT CREATE A MORE
POLAR OPPOSITE THAN OUR CURRENT
PRESIDENT.
PRESIDENT. FAST FORWARD TO WHAT THAT
ELECTION WOULD BE LIKE.
WE’RE A LONG WAY FROM THERE.
HE HAS COME MUCH FURTHER THAN I
THINK ANYONE WOULD.
THERE’S A REAL BUZZ THERE.
THE MAYOR OF NEW YORK CITY, BILL
DE BLASIO IS CONSIDERING GETTING
IN THE RACE WITH LITTLE POLL
NUMBERS OR BUZZ.
NOT TO SAY HE CAN’T TURN IT
AROUND.
AROUND. A MAYOR OF A CITY AND HAS THAT
ENERGY BEHIND HIM IS A TESTAMENT
HOW HE IS CONNECTING WITH
PEOPLE.
PEOPLE. >> NICOLE, A TIME WE WATCH SO
MANY OF THE PRESIDENTIAL
CAMPAIGNS DEVOLVE INTO
DEHUMANIZING EACH OTHER, HE IN
KNOCK LATED HIMSELF.
IT WAS A HUMAN MOMENT INTO HIS
PAIN.
PAIN. HE WAS WILLING TO SHARE IT WITH
THE ENTIRE COUNTRY, REALLY SAYS
A LOT.
A LOT. WHAT HE IS DOING IS INTERESTING,
FRESH FRONTIER IN TERMS OF
CAMPAIGNING ON THE ISSUE OF
VALUES.
VALUES. FOR A LONG TIME IT HAS BEEN AN
ISSUE THAT THE REPUBLICAN PARTY
FELT WAS THEIR STRONG POINT,
THEIR EXCLUSIVE KIENND OF ARGUME
ON WHO HAS THE VALUES, WHO IS
THE VALUE PARTY.
HE REFRAMED IT IN TERMS OF
CHRISTIANITY, PRACTICING
CHRISTIANITY, PRACTICING CHRISTIANITY THAT APPRECIATES
ALL OF GOD’S CHILDREN AND TALKS
ABOUT CONTRASTING THAT, FOR
EXAMPLE, WITH MIKE PENCE.
WE HAVE SEEN HIM DO THAT ON A
NUMBER OF TIMES, NICOLE, WHEN HE
TALKED ABOUT MIKE PENCE
CHAMPIONING THE PORN STAR
PRESIDENCY, CONTRASTING IT WITH
HIS OWN MARRIAGE WHERE HE SHARED
WITH US HOW HIS HUSBAND WALKED
HIM THROUGH A DIFFICULT TIME
WITH THE DEATH OF HIS FATHER.
I THINK HE WILL BE REFRAMING
WHAT CHRISTIAN VALUES AND FAMILY
VALUES NOT JUST ON THIS BUT ON A
NUMBER OF TOPICS.
FOR INSTANCE, IS IT CHRISTIAN
VALUES TO OPPOSE ABORTION, BUT
ONCE THE CHILD IS BORN NOT GIVE
THE MOM MATERNITY LEAVE, TAKE
AWAY SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION
ASSISTANCE.
ASSISTANCE. >> BECAUSE I SPENT ALL OF MY
CAREER UNTIL TWO YEARS AGO AS A
POLITICAL OPERATIVE, LET ME SAY
THIS.
THIS. WE CAN’T SLICE UP CANDIDATES
LIKE WE USED TO, USED TO SLICE
OFF THE HEAD, ARE THEY SMART
ENOUGH, SLICE OFF THE HEART, AND
SLICE OFF THE LEGS AND SAY HOW
DO THEY MOVE AROUND THE IOWA
STATE FAIR.
STATE FAIR. THAT’S OVER.
THAT’S OVER. THIS PERSON WILL RUN AGAINST
SOMEONE WITH NO SHAME.
THERE ARE THREE THINGS YOU NEED
TO WIN IF YOU’RE A DEMOCRAT.
ONE, NO CAPACITY FOR SHAME.
THAT SPEECH IS A LOT MORE THAN
BEING GAY IN AMERICA.
IT IS SAYING I AM WHO I AM AND I
HAVE NO SHAME.
IN FACT, SHAME TAKE A HIKE.
THAT PERSON HAS TO BE ABLE TO
SPEAK TO BETTER ANGELS BUT NOT
IGNORE EVIL ONES.
HIS WORDS TO MIKE PENCE WERE
UNCOMMON FOR YOU.
IT IS NOT GOD’S WILL I FEEL
SHAME, IT IS ABOVE MY PAY GRADE
THAT I’M GAY AND ABOVE YOURS
TOO, MIKE PENCE.
PEOPLE WILL MAKE A DECISION
BASED ON HOW THE CANDIDATE MAKES
THEM FEEL.
THEM FEEL. THAT GUY THERE, THAT GUY MAKES
ME FEEL BETTER.
>> INTERESTING THOUGH, THE
POLITICAL WORLD, CONSULTANT
TYPES --
TYPES -- >> THE UNEMPLOYED CONSULTANT
TYPES.
TYPES. WHAT DO THEY DO.
>> THEY’RE EMPLOYED ON THE
DEMOCRATIC SIDE IN PARTICULAR
NOW.
NOW. HERE’S A SECRET CONVERSATION
ABOUT MAYOR PETE.
I THOUGHT HE DID A GOOD JOB
POINTING THE VOTE.
AFTER HE GETS OUT OF IOWA AND
NEW HAMPSHIRE IF HE DOES WELL
AND HEADS SOUTH, WHERE THE
DEMOCRATS ARE OLDER, MORE
SECULAR, MORE CULTURALLY
CONSERVATIVE.
CONSERVATIVE. >> HEIDI HIT ON THAT.
HE IS RUNNING A VALUES CAMPAIGN.
>> HE IS GOING TO FLIP THAT
COIN.
COIN. HE HAS TO PUT THAT PART OF IT
TOGETHER TO BE NOMINATED.
>> HERE’S THE THING.
WHEN I TALK ABOUT AGAIN THIS
ISSUE WITH THE FIRING OF THE
POLICE CHIEF, RACIAL
CONTROVERSIES OF THE CITY,
INCOME INEQUALITY, ALL THESE
THINGS ARE CUTE.
BUT YOU HAVE A CITY OF 100,000
PEOPLE.
PEOPLE. WHEN YOU HAVE A CITY THAT SMALL,
I EXPECT SOMETHING TO BE DONE.
THESE ARE CUTE SPEECHES.
BUT HE HAS TO TALK TO LATINOS
AND BLACK WOMEN AND TALK TO
AFRICAN-AMERICAN MEN, AND HE HAS
TO TALK TO ASIAN AMERICANS.
ONCE HE MOVES OUT OF THE NICE
BEAUTIFUL SPACE OF BEING THE
GOOD SUBURBAN GUY FROM COLLEGE
PARENTS, I HAVE TO SEE THAT HE
CAN --
CAN -- >> ALSO A WAR VETERAN, I DON’T
DISAGREE, BUT ALSO A VETERAN.
I DON’T TAKE ANY OF THAT FROM
YOU.
YOU. HE IS MORE THAN A COLLEGE
EDUCATED GUY FROM A SUBURBAN
FAMILY.
FAMILY. >> RIGHT.
>> RIGHT. BUT THE KIND OF DEMOCRATIC PARTY
HE HAS TO COMMUNICATE WITH.
>> NO DOUBT.
>> I DON’T THINK HE IS READY.