South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg announces that he will seek the Democratic presidential nomination during a rally, Sunday, April 14, 2019, in South Bend, Ind. MANCHESTER, N.H. -- There are no policy positions on his website. He has virtually no paid presence in the states that matter most. And his campaign manager is a high school friend with no experience in presidential politics.
"This is what it's like when you're having your moment," Buckley said. "Whether he can capitalize -- that's his challenge." "We need to make sure we have the organizational strengths to sustain this wave of support that we've been getting for the last almost month and a half now," he said. "It's created some challenges to rise this far this fast, but I would put those in the category of a good problem to have."
Still, don't expect the Democratic mayor to create a giant campaign apparatus in line with Warren, Sanders or even New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker.
There are clearly organizational challenges as the campaign ramps up, Schmuhl continued, but there is also "tremendous opportunity."As was the case in former Texas Rep. Beto O'Rourke's early campaign appearances, the lack of formal organization has allowed for a certain level of authenticity on the campaign trail as Buttigieg introduces himself to voters. It's also created challenges.
New Hampshire Democrat Lauren O'Sullivan, a 35-year-old who attended a house party for Buttigieg over the weekend, said she was initially unsure about the Midwestern mayor after going on his website. She felt she "didn't know where he stood on any positions.""It was good to see that there is some platform," O'Sullivan said.