KALAMAZOO, MI (WKZO AM/FM) — Monday, former Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg made multiple stops in Western Michigan to promote the Joe Biden campaign, including one in Kalamazoo.
The former Mayor of South Bend, IN made visits to the areas of Grand Rapids, Stockbridge and Kalamazoo to promote Biden and his running mate Kamala Harris, while also discussing issues of concern.
Live from Stockbridge, Michigan, with 15 days to go. Tune in! https://t.co/TijKxdNhss
— Pete Buttigieg (@PeteButtigieg) October 19, 2020
Around 6 p.m., Buttigieg was in Kalamazoo. One issue he touched on was the importance of full party voting for the purposes of having Democratic lawmakers in offices across the board.
“I’m here by way of a presidential campaign, but let us never get caught treating the presidency like the only office that matters,” Buttigieg said in Kalamazoo. “We’ve got to elect great democrats up and down the ticket. That local office is so important. That state house, it is so close to being within our grasp, it is so important.”
He also expressed support for Democratic politicians like Gary Peters and Jon Hoadley.
“This is the election of our lifetimes, and I know you wouldn’t be here if you didn’t already understand that,” Buttigieg said. “This is our only shot at bringing the change that this country needs. We can’t have four more years of this kind of chaos and this kind of division.”
Touching on the Trump administration, Buttigieg also criticized President Trump’s reactions to certain topics, like COVID-19 and the foiled plot to kidnap Governor Gretchen Whitmer.
“We can’t have four more years of a president who used the word ‘fine’ to describe the worst mass-casualty event that we’ve experienced in a generation of the United States,” Buttigieg said. “We can’t go on with a president who sees nothing wrong with a terrorist plot against a Midwestern governor, who by the way is acting to protect the lives of Michiganders, which is why we have Gretchen Whitmer’s back.”
Speaking on Joe Biden and Harris, Buttigieg said that these candidates have the interests of American voters in mind.
“I want you to know that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, people that I got to know during the process of competing against them, are leaders I absolutely believe in to guide us into the next chapter of American history,” Buttigieg said. “They are the right president and vice president for the United States.”
He also said that the Republican party is not the same as it used to be, and that the values are not being represented.
“A president like this, the way he talks about veterans, that is no one fit for either party to support,” Buttigieg said. “And so, like the two former chairs of the Republican National Committee now saying to vote Joe Biden, you are ready to put party aside, but it’s a little hard, so we gotta welcome what I like to call those Future Former Republicans to stand right next to independents and Democrats, Centrists and Progressives in a broad coalition to deliver change. You can do that. You can let people know it’s okay to change your mind this time around, because we’re all in this together.”
Overall, Buttigieg stressed the importance of voting, and encouraged those in attendance to talk to friends and family about doing so. He said that one category of voter that concerns him are the people that are considering whether or not to vote at all.
“Make sure you tell them how much it matters to you,” Buttigieg said. “Whatever your deepest reason is, talk to those loved ones in your life. If they’re feeling frustrated or powerless, remind them that as a citizen, your moment of maximum power is the moment you fill in that ballot, because that’s when the system has to listen to you.”
Buttigieg’s visit comes as Ivanka Trump made a stop in Kent County to speak with supporters around 4 p.m. Monday.
Additionally, on Tuesday, Eric Trump will make two stops in Michigan. The first will take place at Schlegel Sand & Gravel in Lansing at 1:30 p.m. and another “Make America Great Again!” event will be at Darling Farms in Willis at 6:30 p.m. More information can be found here.
Meanwhile, WWMT streamed a video of Buttigieg’s visit. That video can be seen at this link.
