Pete Buttigieg seems to be making an impression on voters and the Democratic Party, and not just because of the entertaining attempts to pronounce his last name. A poll of likely Democratic caucus voters in Iowa released Sunday put the mayor of South Bend, Indiana, in third place, behind Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders, reports the Hill. And the AP reports that Buttigieg, the only gay candidate either in the race or exploring a run, is raising more money than ever and doubling the size of his staff because of growing turnouts at campaign stops. Related coverage:
- The name: His name confuses people. But it doesn't have to. The Washington Post compiled a video of anchors butchering "Buttigieg." There's a right way, an almost right way, and many wrong ways, per a guide at The Cut. "Boot-a-judge" and "Buddha-judge" work. A Colbert producer even suggests a musical way to remember it. When in doubt, the candidate himself suggests calling him "Mayor Pete," which is how South Bend knows him. Listen to Buttigieg himself say it in this video.
- His age: His candidacy faces plenty of challenges. FiveThirtyEight assesses them, along with potential counterarguments, and lays out the possibilities. Young people are one place he could start. Even if he fails to become the nation's youngest president ever—he's 37—he could become well-known enough to be a future possibility.