Barney Frank: Being gay helps Buttigieg get favorable coverage

[Exotiki]

Washington Post (April 6, 2019):
But for many older members of the LGBT community, the most welcome surprise is that his sexual identity has not been considered among the bigger questions.

“He’s a very young guy who’s been the mayor of a medium-sized city,” Frank said. “I think, frankly, he’s getting more favorable attention than he otherwise would have because he’s gay. Which I think is great.”

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/it-got-real-gay-real-quick-america-deals-with-a-new-kind-of-candidate/2019/04/05/76649c56-5191-11e9-a3f7-78b7525a8d5f_story.html

[Socal31]

1. Nah I don't think that's the case.

He recently broke from relatively unknown, to a credible force at the debates. The coverage I have seen so far has to do with his intelligence and accomplishments, not with him being a part of the LGBTQ community.

He won re-election in Indiana, the home of Mike Pence, with 80% of the vote - after coming out.

One thing he has benefited from is being young and not the subject of intense oppo research until now. If something in his past is discovered, you can bet it will be reported on like it would anyone else.

[Hortensis]

2. It's certainly a reason. Innovative mayors aren't a dime a dozen,

but they're far from rare. Gay and innovative made Buttigieg stand out from that crowd long before he started talking about running for president.

And there's the personal conceit factor. People who pride themselves on being socially advanced often rush to display it, and of course purist and downright silly types to attack. As do media catering to socially advanced readerships -- positive articles are rewarded by being published and with clicks, critical ones less likely to be published at all.

We see that syndrome here on DU, where Buttigieg immediately became a darling among people who had no idea why he was considered a standout mayor but did know he was gay, relatively unimportant as that should be. And where I was foolishly accused of being an anti-gay bigot because I said I felt this would not be a good time to run a gay nominee, that in this passionate culture-wars era -- with our nation currently in the throes of a major right-wing backlash against LGBTQ equality -- it would probably stimulate stronger turnout against our candidate than otherwise.

I miss Barney Frank.

"The opposite of pragmatism is not idealism. It’s wishful thinking. ~ B. Frank"

[dalton99a]

3. +1. Barney Frank is a national treasure and a great humanist.