The elephant in the room regarding Buttigieg...

[Amimnoch]

50. I hate that I feel that way, but I worry about the same.

Some responses are around most of America supports gay right now, but where are those people located? I don't want another "we won the popular vote, but lost the election" situation at all.

I've donated to Buttigieg. It makes me so happy I could cry that a gay man is a real contender in our primary, and is being taken seriously and supported. If you'd told me 20 years ago that this would be happening this soon, or even in my lifetime, I'd have laughed.

If it was just about anyone other that orange Pissolini in the Whitehouse, and just normal level Republican deplorableness.. I'd say let's go for it. I just think there's too much on the line. If we can get him impeached, and Pence in, alright, let's do it. We are barreling down a fascist road, and I'm not willing to risk it.

I'm sooooo willing to change my mind if someone can convince me that he has as good or better chance of flipping enough EC votes to hit 270, but based on the best information I've researched, I'm not confident at all.

My right to marry didn't come from the will of the people, it came from the Supreme court.. one that's now changed. The sole swing voter that help gain the right to marry is gone. Court challenges to gay marriage are already making their way up the circuits.

Looking at the map, and the main states that have to, in some combination, be flipped to get to 270:

Ohio - On December 10, 2003, the Ohio House of Representatives, by a 73–23 vote, passed Ohio's Defense of Marriage Act. On January 21, 2004, the Ohio State Senate passed the act, by an 18–15 vote. On February 6, 2004, Governor Bob Taft signed the bill into law. It wasn't until 2016 when Obergefell v. Hodges was decided by the SCOTUS that this was overturned. There was a PRRI poll done in 2017 that found that 61% of Ohioans supported same-sex marriage, while 33% opposed it and 6% were unsure. Does that mean they are willing to come out and vote in support of a great candidate that happens to be gay? A lifetime of experience doesn't leave me convinced.

Florida - In 2008 the voters themselves voted against gay marriage. The Florida Amendment 2, a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage and civil unions in the state. A 60% approval rate was required to adopt the amendment; 62% of voters voted in favor of discrimination. Now, Florida opinion polls have also evolved with the 2017 Public Religion Research Institute poll, sample size of 4,374 found 61% supported gay marriage, 30% opposed, 9% no opinion. Just as in Ohio, there's progress, but is it enough for Florida to elect an openly gay and married candidate?? I'm skeptical to say the least.

Pennsylvania - In 1996 the state house, senate, and governor signed Allan Egolf's amendment to ban the performance and recognition of same-sex marriage. In 2006 the state legislatures attempted a constitutional ban, but due to the difficulty in that states Constitutional procedures, (requires passing across 2 consecutive legislature terms) that one never made it. The law faced several failed court challenges. Gay marriage was likewise not legal until Obergefell v. Hodges was decided by the SCOTUS. The latest poll I was able to find for this state was a 2016 PRRI found 60% of Pennsylvania residents supported same sex marriage.

Really, when you drill down to it.. these states that are required in some combo to hit that 270 EC votes, were ready to elect the shitgibbon in the Whitehouse.. They proved that the electorate in those areas were willing to overlook every lie, and flaw of the shitgibbon while criticizing every relatively little thing about HRC (those emails were too much but "grab them by the pussy" is fiiiine..)

IMO.. too much is on the line to take this kind of chance on these required electorates making sensible, and rational decisions. None of these states are a "given" for any of our candidates, but there are candidates that will have a much more difficult road ahead to win over these states that are needed.