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SAYS HIS EXPERIENCE MAKES HIM UNIQUELY QUALIFIED. POLITICAL DIRECTOR ADAM SEXTON HAS MORE >> IN CONVERSATION WITH THE CANDIDATE NEW HAMPSHIRE VOTERS ASKED PETE BUTTIGIEG HOW HE’D MATCH UP WITH PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP ON A DEBATE STAGE. >> WE NEED TO MAKE SURE TH DEBATE ISN’T ABOUT HI BUT IN MANY WAYS WE HAVE TO TALK ABOUT A WORLD. PROFOUND PROBLEMS DEMOCRATIC SYSTEM THAT MADE PEOPLE WHERE I LIVE ANGRY ENOU TO VOTE TO BURN THE HOUSE DOWN. >> BUTTIGIEG IS THE MAYOR OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA, THE TOWN WHERE HE GREW UP. HE GREW EMOTIONAL DESCRIBING THE RECENT LOSS OF HIS FATHE >> ONE THING I LEARNED ABOUT WAS THE CLOSEST OF OUR FAMILY. THE IMPORTANCE OF MY MARRIAGE. MY HUSBAND ACROSS OUR FAMILY OF. HELPED MY FATHER IN HIS LAST DAYS AND HE HELPS ME. >> BUTTIGIEG WANTS TO TAKE DRAMATIC ACTION TO ADDRESS CLIMATE CHANGE. HE ALSO FAVORS A PUBLIC OPTION ON HEALTH CARE, AND ABOLISHING THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE IN FAVOR OF A NATIONAL POPULAR VOTE FOR PRESIDENT. >> I BELIEVE THERE’S A LOT OF VOTER APATHY AS A CONSEQUENCE OF THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE. THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF AMERICANS WHO GET THE MESSAGE THAT THEIR VOTE DOESN’T MATTER. >> NEW HAMPSHIRE VOTERS GETTING THEIR FIRST LOOK AT BUTTIGIEG THINK HE COULD STAND OUT IN THE PRIMARY FIELD. >> I FELT HE WAS TRULY GENUINE . I ASKED HIM A PERSON QUESTION IN HE RESPONDED WITH TEARS IN HIS EYES. THIS IS

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As he tries to go from mayor of a midsized American city to president of the United States, South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg answered questions Friday from New Hampshire voters.Buttigieg visited New Hampshire as he explores a run for the White House. During a taping of WMUR's "Conversation with the Candidate," he said his experience makes him uniquely qualified for the job.Voters asked Buttigieg how he would match up with President Donald Trump on a debate stage."We need to make sure this debate isn't about him," Buttigieg said. "One of the things I've noticed is that all the critical attention that goes his way, he has a way of just kind of devouring it and absorbing it and growing even bigger from it."Buttigieg said it's important to keep in mind the conditions that led to Trump's election."But in many ways, we have to talk about a world where he's going to come and go," Buttigieg said. "Because, in my view, a presidency like this doesn't just happen. Somebody like him would not even have come within cheating distance of the presidency unless there were profound problems in our economy, in our democratic system that made people where I live, for example, angry enough to vote to burn the house down."Buttigieg grew up in South Bend, and he grew emotional when he described the recent loss of his father after a voter asked about a personal challenge he has faced."One thing I learned about it was the closeness of our family, the importance of my marriage," he said. "My husband absolutely propped our family up, helped my father in his last days, helps my mother right now, helps me."He said he wants to take dramatic action to address climate change. He also favors a public option on health care and abolishing the Electoral College in favor of a national popular vote for president."I believe there's a lot of voter apathy as a consequence of the Electoral College," Buttigieg said. "There are tens of millions, maybe hundreds of millions, of Americans who get the message most years that their vote doesn't matter."New Hampshire voters who got their first look at Buttigieg said they think he could stand out in the primary field. "I felt he was truly genuine," said Susan Cover, of Contoocook. "I asked him a personal question, and he responded with tears in his eyes. This is, like, a real person, and I was sort of actually kind of beyond impressed."The full episode of "Conversation with the Candidate" airs at 7 p.m. Thursday on WMUR-TV. An additional half-hour will premiere on WMUR.com at 7:30 p.m.