Buttigieg versed in faith-based appeal to Democratic voters
Posted Aug 24, 2019 01:27:37 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
KEOKUK, Iowa — Republicans for a half century have built a loyal following among white evangelical Christians. But presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg (BOO’-tuh-juhj) is trying to demonstrate that there’s a strong religiosity among Democrats, too.
President Donald Trump’s reelection fortunes are rooted deeply in the unshakable support among religious conservatives.
But Buttigieg’s regular references to his own Christian faith offer a counterweight that could be an influential asset in Iowa and beyond as Democrats parry the secular labels that Republicans have tried to apply to them.
Not since Bill Clinton has a Democratic presidential candidate leaned so heavily on religious references in everyday campaign events, though the South Bend, Indiana, mayor says he’s wary of coming off as overly pious.
Thomas Beaumont, The Associated Press
