At Wednesday’s Democratic debate in Las Vegas, the battle that got the most attention was Elizabeth Warren vs. Michael Bloomberg, followed closely by Everyone Else vs. Bloomberg. In general, it was a fiery night for everyone.
It’s fun to finally be in the part of the race where they openly hate each other
— Addy Baird (@addysbaird) February 20, 2020
The Democratic candidates took turns criticizing each other’s policies and political records with varying degrees of brutality. But when it came to Amy Klobuchar’s obvious contempt for Pete Buttigieg, things seemed almost personal.
Amy Klobuchar’s exchanges with Pete Buttigieg remind me of every experienced, professional woman who is fed up with a less experienced man being up for the same promotion. #DemDebate
— Rubina Madan Fillion (@rubinafillion) February 20, 2020
Klobuchar has previously noted the double standard Buttigieg embodies, saying at a debate in November, “Of the women on the stage, do I think we would be standing on that stage if we had the experience he had? No, I don’t.”
Klobuchar and Buttigieg are both moderates angling to brand themselves as a Midwest-friendly, accessible alternative to the more progressive Democrats in the race so it makes sense that there would be a rivalry there. But what we saw on stage last night went far beyond a regular political spat.
Things came to a head when Buttigieg laid into Klobuchar for not being able to name the President of Mexico during an earlier interview. Klobuchar said she just blanked on Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s (AMLO) name, but Buttigieg wasn’t going to let that go.
“You’re staking your candidacy on your Washington experience. You’re on the committee that oversees border security. You’re on the committee that does trade,” he said. “You’re literally in part of the committee that’s overseeing these things and were not able to speak to literally the first thing about the politics of the country to our south.”
Klobuchar responded: “Are you trying to say that I’m dumb? Or are you mocking me here, Pete?”
Buttigieg also attacked Klobuchar’s voting record, calling out her support of Donald Trump’s U.S. Customs and Border Protection commissioner and her vote to make English the official national language of the U.S.
“I wish everyone was as perfect as you, Pete,” Klobuchar said, dripping with sarcasm, adding that she’s opposed two-thirds of Trump’s judges so he should “get [his] numbers right.”
These jabs came out in between long stretches of the two talking over each other. Just look at the unbridled disdain on her face as he interrupts her:
It did not go unnoticed.
Klobuchar appears to hate Buttigieg more than I’ve ever hated anything?
— Rosie Gray (@RosieGray) February 20, 2020
frankly, we’re wasting our time investing in renewable energy because there is no fuel source purer or more plentiful than amy klobuchar’s visceral hatred for pete
— Ashley Feinberg (@ashleyfeinberg) February 20, 2020
Harness the white hot hatred between Mayor Pete and Klobuchar and use it to end the country’s dependence on fossil fuels.
— Maggie Serota (@maggieserota) February 20, 2020
It’s extremely funny how badly Amy hates Pete
— Laura June (@laura_june) February 20, 2020
Pete’s going to find his tires slashed tomorrow morning with a comb sticking out
— Jess Dweck (@TheDweck) February 20, 2020
Pete/Amy is the best feud in the primary — no policy content, purely personal animosity.
— Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias) February 20, 2020
“I wish everyone was as perfect as you are, Pete” is some super passive aggressive and fucking yikes
— Bekka (@valhallabckgirl) February 20, 2020
I have never hated anything as much as Amy Klobuchar hates Pete Buttigieg and I once accidentally went on a date with a confederate Civil War re-enactor.
— Chloe Angyal (@ChloeAngyal) February 20, 2020
Klobuchar and Buttigiegpic.twitter.com/0myYCrKIos
— Isabel Garcia (@igarcia127) February 20, 2020
What a night.
And Klobuchar blows right by Buttigieg. #DemDebate #NotFriends pic.twitter.com/tBdQq5K2am
— Lance Ulanoff (@LanceUlanoff) February 20, 2020
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Published: Feb 20, 2020 03:47 pm