前总统巴拉克·奥巴马领导下的外交政策和国家安全专家周一支持印第安纳州南本德市市长皮特·巴蒂吉格竞选总统。
这份由200多人签名的支持信称，巴蒂吉格的智慧、稳健、风度和对世界的理解是总统必备的特征。与共享今日美国,报告称，巴蒂吉可以带领美国超越唐纳德·特朗普总统，而不会回到特朗普之前的生活，并称他们对奥巴马政府“非常尊重”，但仍有新的挑战和问题需要解决。
作者在信中说:“我们相信美国的国际领导力，相信支撑其实现集体安全和繁荣的能力的价值观，以及为更大利益而改变的价值观。”。“因此，我们不能袖手旁观，继续关注我们一直站在推特上努力争取的一切。”
为了实施一致而有效的国家和外交政策，签署者表示，一个领导人必须能够看到大局，玩长游戏，这是巴蒂吉持有的两个“基本特征”。签名者包括前陆军部长埃里克·范宁、前中情局副局长大卫·科恩和前助理国务卿菲利普·戈登，他们都在奥巴马手下工作。
但是6月份在印第安纳大学的一次演讲中，迪吉格概述了他的一些外交政策计划。他的总统计划包括重新致力于奥巴马时代的伊朗核协议，重新加入巴黎气候协议，以及打击美国境内的右翼极端分子。
在他的竞选中网站阿富汗战争老兵巴蒂吉格宣布，现在是“结束无休止战争”的时候了，这需要重塑国际参与机构。作为实现这一目标的一部分，巴蒂格在他6月份的演讲中说，他正在废除并取代2001年授权对基地组织和“附属组织”采取军事行动的法律
2019年12月8日，印第安纳州南本德的民主党总统候选人、市长皮特·巴蒂吉格在爱荷华州华盛顿的华盛顿中学的竞选活动中发表讲话。周一，前总统巴拉克·奥巴马手下的几位外交政策官员支持巴蒂吉当选总统
他6月份的演讲赢得了周一信件的签名者，他们写下了这封信，表明他已经掌握了“理想主义和实用主义的结合”，这是美国外交政策成功的关键。
作者写道:“这位中西部土著人对美国全球参与未来的愿景——基于这些价值观和他在美国各地社区的美国同胞的利益——定义了恢复我国在海外领导地位的必要框架。”。
这封信支持了巴蒂吉，同时也抨击了特朗普在国内外领导美国的方式。作者写道，美国曾经是移民贡献的全球灯塔，现在已经成为特朗普用墙取代自由女神像的地方。他们说，特朗普没有将各国团结在一起，阻止核武器扩散和应对气候变化，而是退出了条约，斥责盟友，称赞威权领导人。
“我们自豪地代表了一个长期以来支持
他们写道:“全世界许多人都渴望的价值观、机遇和承诺。”...这就是为什么在过去三年里，我们都惊恐地、不可置信地看着美国在世界各地失去信誉和领导地位。"
相比之下，巴蒂吉格是一个移民父亲的儿子，“深深地投入”去了解他自己之外的文化，并理解变革不能“伤害我们中的一些人，而是为我们所有人服务”
但是在爱荷华州和新罕布什尔州这两个关键的州，民意调查显示吉格的支持率有所上升，这使得他成为其他竞选民主党提名的候选人的目标。据《希尔》报道，被认为是民主党舞台上的温和派，但迪吉格在50岁以上的选民中领先。
在全国范围内，巴蒂吉仍然落后于前副总统乔·拜登，他得到了奥巴马官方的支持，也落后于参议员伯尼·桑德斯和伊丽莎白·沃伦。周日，演员凯文·科斯特纳在一次集会上支持印第安纳市长竞选总统。
FORMER OBAMA ADMIN FOREIGN POLICY OFFICIALS ENDORSE PETE BUTTIGIEG IN LETTER
Foreign policy and national security professionals who worked under former President Barack Obama endorsed South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg for president Monday.
The endorsement letter, signed by more than 200 people, said Buttigieg's intelligence, steadiness, demeanor and understanding of the world were characteristics that were necessary for a president to possess. Shared with USA Today, it said Buttigieg could lead America past President Donald Trump without returning to life before Trump, claiming they had "great respect" for Obama's administration but there are new challenges and issues that need to be addressed.
"We believe in America's international leadership, and in the values that underpin its capability to bring about collective security and prosperity, as well as change for the greater good," the authors said in the letter. "So we cannot stand by and continue to watch all that we have stood and worked for tweeted away."
To implement consistent and effective national and foreign policy, the signatories said a leader must be able to see the big picture and play the long game, two "essential traits" Buttigieg holds. The signatories included former Secretary of the Army Eric Fanning, former Deputy CIA director David Cohen and former Assistant Secretary of the State Philip Gordon, who all worked under Obama.
Buttigieg outlined some of his foreign policy plans at a speech in June at Indiana University. Among his presidential plans are to recommit to the Obama-era Iran nuclear deal, rejoin the Paris climate accord and combat right-wing extremists within America's borders.
On his campaign website,Buttigieg, an Afghanistan War veteran, declared it was time to "put an end to endless war," requiring the reinvention of institutions of international engagement. Part of achieving this goal, Buttigieg said in his June speech was repealing and replacing a 2001 law that authorizes military action against Al Qaeda and "affiliated groups."
Democratic presidential candidate South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg speaks at a campaign event on December 8, 2019, at Washington Middle School in Washington, Iowa. On Monday, several foreign policy officials who worked under former President Barack Obama endorsed Buttigieg for president.
His June speech won over the signatories of Monday's letter and they wrote it demonstrated he had a grasp of the "integrated idealism and pragmatism" that's key to American foreign policy success.
"This Midwestern native's vision for the future of American global engagement–grounded in these values and in the interests of his fellow Americans in communities throughout the country–defines the framework necessary to restore our country's leadership abroad," the authors wrote.
As the letter propped up Buttigieg, it also lobbed criticism at Trump for his approach to leading America at home and abroad. Once a country that was a global beacon for the contribution of immigrants, the United States has become a place where Trump has replaced the Statue of Liberty with a wall, the authors wrote. Instead of bringing nations together, preventing nuclear weapons from spreading and fighting climate change, Trump has withdrawn from treaties, berated allies and praised authoritarian leaders, they said.
"We have proudly represented a nation that has long stood for the
values, opportunities and promise to which so many around the world have aspired," they wrote. "...That is why we have all watched with alarm and disbelief at the loss of American credibility and leadership around the world over the past three years."
In contrast, Buttigieg is the son of an immigrant father, "engaged deeply" to learn about cultures outside of his own and understands that change can not "victimize some among us but works for all of us."
Buttigieg's risen in polls in Iowa and New Hampshire, two key states, making him a target of the other candidates vying for the Democratic nomination. Considered a moderate on the Democratic stage, Buttigieg leads with voters over the age of 50, according to The Hill.
Nationally, Buttigieg still trails behind former Vice President Joe Biden, who received his own share of Obama official endorsements, and as well as behind Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren. On Sunday, actor Kevin Costner endorsed the Indiana mayor for president at a rally.
