Feb. 7 � To the Editor:

When Pete Buttigieg spoke on Veterans Day at the Rochester City Hall, he did a remarkable thing. He left politics out of it.

He addressed the capacity audience as if we were all veterans. He never mentioned his political rivals once. He knowledgeably described the specific problems that military personnel and their families deal with on a daily basis. He especially focused on the problems of returning combat veterans. He offered solutions to every issue. I doubt there was a grizzled New Hampshire veteran in that room who would not have cast a vote for him, there and then.

The Buttigieg ground game is an awesome thing to watch in action. We just saw the results of its effectiveness in Iowa. It�s true that he has great hurdles ahead, especially in becoming visible to minorities. But who would have thought that a small-city mayor who is gay and married, religious, a Rhodes Scholar, and only 38 years old � could win the Iowa Caucuses? A year ago, no-one had even heard of him, never be able to pronounce his name.

I�m casting my vote for him on Tuesday. I hope you�ll consider doing the same.

Gerald Duffy

Portsmouth