With cheers and wild applause the audience erupts as Pete Buttigieg takes the stage. Overspilling with excitement and hope, the crowd anticipates the phenomenon they have come from near and far to experience. “Thank you so much for being here!” he says with appreciation and warmth. And so it begins.

Our four grandchildren, all age five and under, are the reason we drove 200 miles to be here. My husband and I, concerned for the consequences our government’s decisions, actions, and inaction will have on their lives, recognize in Pete Buttigieg a rare mix of youth and enlightenment, brilliant eloquence and humility, impeccable character and lived experience, and a genuine calling to serve. We see in him, an opportunity to bring statesman-like virtues and qualities to the White House – the same virtues and qualities of statesmanship enlisted historically when our nation has faced existential threats.

The audience becomes pin-drop silent as Pete Buttigieg begins his opening remarks. There is intense attention given to every word he speaks. His message is unifying and uplifting, He inspires hope. He is talking about our lives – our freedom, our security, our democracy. There is spontaneous applause and explosive approval from the crowd throughout his speech, which transitions to Q&A with, “But… I want this to be a conversation.”

Members of the audience have written questions and dropped them into a fishbowl on the way into the town hall. The community member who introduced Pete earlier is welcomed back to the stage by Pete. She draws a folded index card from the fishbowl. “This question is from Andrea. How do you plan to...” Pete nods, “Ah, great question. Is Andrea here?” as he looks out to find a raised hand, and then makes direct eye contact. His response is compassionate. It is substantial, wise, and brilliantly framed. His delivery is calm, genuinely authentic, and stunningly eloquent. In his precision we sense a hearty love of and devotion to truth.

There is no topic he has not considered deeply in order to fully understand the impact on Americans now and into the future. For the next 60 minutes, he provides detailed responses explaining complex issues in digestible but edifying terms, laying out logical rationale, bold solutions, and pragmatic pathways forward. We see how his policy plans intersect with one another to dismantle systemic racism, tackle climate change, and help a divided America become whole. On health care, the economy, education, and more, his ideas are bold and innovative. We see a model of dignity, discipline, and excellence on the stage – a pragmatic, progressive change-maker committed to service, guided by tenets of his faith and American values.

Our grandchildren will want to know what actions we took when we were called upon to set our country’s course into the future. We will tell them about our efforts in support of Pete Buttigieg for President.

To learn more about Pete Buttigieg and to sign up to volunteer, visit www.PeteForAmerica.com


Diane Rodriguez
East Longmeadow