Buttigieg supporters unshaken by Biden's attack ad

NASHUA, N.H. ⁠— Former Vice President Joe Biden’ controversial ad belittling former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg’s accomplishments ⁠— compared to what he did while working for former President Barak Obama ⁠— apparently hasn’t changed anything for many of Buttigieg’s supporters.

“It’s a good ad if you’re not a supporter,” said Alex Marathas of Indianapolis, who was present at a rally Buttigieg held Sunday.

The Sunday crowd was the biggest turnout for one of Buttigieg's events so far, with more than 1,800 in attendance. He indirectly addressed the critiques made in Biden’s advertisement.

“Remember, mayors have to get this done. We just have to make sure that the water keeps flowing through your taps, so we figure it out,” Buttigieg said. “That’s why we need to start making Washington look more like our cities and towns.”

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While the ad has been widely talked about in the news and social media, a large amount of those who attended the rally had not seen it. Most that hadn’t watched it also said they were undecided. As of Sunday, the video had 120,000 views in more than 24 hours.

Committed Buttigieg supporters who had seen the ad said it made Biden look desperate while doing nothing to change their opinion of Buttigieg.

“I think it’s important that we keep the narrative positive,” said Holly Krafka, 63, a high school music teacher from Westford, Mass. “I think Joe Biden is going negative because he’s sinking in the polls.”

Donna Morin, 52, from Hooksett, N.H., was also present at the rally. She agreed with Krafka and added that Biden’s narrative was that he was ‘very electable’ but said the ad was disappointing.

“I didn’t think it was fair, it wasn’t a fair comparison,” Krafka said.

Editor's note: This story is provided through a partnership with Syracuse University focusing on coverage of Buttigieg's New Hampshire primary.

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