Former South Bend mayor steps up attacks on rivals as crucial first vote approaches

Pete Buttigieg has claimed Iowa will make him the nations next president, as he sharpened his attacks on his Democratic rivals, accusing them of being too extreme or too establishment.
In an attempt to nail down support in a state that could determine whether his campaign lives or dies, the 38-year-old sought to draw a distinction between two other frontrunners, Bernie Sanders and Joe Biden.
These were not Donald Trump-style attacks, by any stretch. The former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, has based much of his pitch to voters by largely declining to go negative on fellow Democrats.
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But with voters in Iowa holding their caucuses on Monday evening and Mr Buttigieg claiming it was set to make history once again, his comments about the two septuagenarians carried a little barb nevertheless.
I saw Joe Biden made the comment that this is not the time run with an inexperienced nominee. I think its a danger to fall on the familiar playback of the party, he said on Friday night, speaking in the basketball court at Davenports St Ambrose University in eastern Iowa.
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1/25 Bernie Sanders
The Vermont senator has launched a second bid for president after losing out to Hilary Clinton in the 2016 Democratic primaries. He is running on a similar platform of democratic socialist reform
2/25 Joe Biden
The former vice president recently faced scrutiny for inappropriate touching of women, but was thought to deal with the criticism well and has since maintained a front runner status in national polling
3/25 Elizabeth Warren
The Massachusetts senator is a progressive Democrat, and a major supporter of regulating Wall Street
4/25 DROPPED OUT: Bill De Blasio
The New York mayor announced his bid on 16 May 2019. He emerged in 2013 as a leading voice in the left wing of his party but struggled to build a national profile and has suffered a number of political setbacks in his time as mayor
5/25 Pete Buttigieg
The centrist Indiana mayor and war veteran would be the first openly LGBT+ president in American history
6/25 Michael Bloomberg
Michael Bloomberg, a late addition to the 2020 race, announced his candidacy after months of speculation in November. He has launched a massive ad-buying campaign and issued an apology for the controversial “stop and frisk” programme that adversely impacted minority communities in New York City when he was mayor
7/25 DROPPED OUT: Beto O’Rourke
The former Texas congressman formally launched his bid for the presidency in March. He ran on a progressive platform, stating that the US is driven by “gross differences in opportunity and outcome”
8/25 Steve Bullock
The Montana governor announced his bid on 14 May. He stated “We need to defeat Donald Trump in 2020 and defeat the corrupt system that lets campaign money drown out the people’s voice, so we can finally make good on the promise of a fair shot for everyone.” He also highlighted the fact that he won the governor’s seat in a red [Republican] state
9/25 DROPPED OUT: Cory Booker
The New Jersey Senator has focused on restoring kindness and civility in American politics throughout his campaign, though he has failed to secure the same level of support and fundraising as several other senators running for the White House in 2020
10/25 DROPPED OUT: Wayne Messam
Mayor of the city of Miramar in the Miami metropolitan area, Wayne Messam said he intended to run on a progressive platform against the “broken” federal government. He favours gun regulations and was a signatory to a letter from some 400 mayors condemning President Trump’s withdrawal from the Paris Climate Accord
11/25 DROPPED OUT: Kirsten Gillibrand
The New York Senator formally announced her presidential bid in January, saying that healthcare should be a right, not a privilege
12/25 DROPPED OUT: Kamala Harris
The former California attorney general was introduced to the national stage during Jeff Sessions testimony. She has endorsed Medicare-for-all and proposed a major tax-credit for the middle class
13/25 John Delaney
The Maryland congressman was the first to launch his bid for presidency, making the announcement in 2017
14/25 Tulsi Gabbard
The Hawaii congresswoman announced her candidacy in January, but has faced tough questions on her past comments on LGBT+ rights and her stance on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad
15/25 Andrew Yang
The entrepreneur announced his presidential candidacy by pledging that he would introduce a universal basic income of $1,000 a month to every American over the age of 18
16/25 DROPPED OUT: Julian Castro
The former San Antonio mayor announced his candidacy in January and said that his running has a special meaning for the Latino community in the US
17/25 DROPPED OUT: Marianne Williamson
The author and spiritual adviser has announced her intention to run for president. She had previously run for congress as an independent in 2014 but was unsuccessful
18/25 DROPPED OUT: Eric Swalwell
One of the younger candidates, Swalwell has served on multiple committees in the House of Representatives. He intended to make gun control central to his campaign but dropped out after his team said it was clear there was no path to victory
19/25 DROPPED OUT: Seth Moulton
A Massachusetts congressman, Moulton is a former US soldier who is best known for trying to stop Nancy Pelosi from becoming speaker of the house. He dropped out of the race after not polling well in key states
20/25 Amy Klobuchar
Klobuchar is a Minnesota senator who earned praise for her contribution to the Brett Kavanaugh hearings
21/25 DROPPED OUT: Jay Inslee
Inslee has been governor of Washington since 2013. His bid was centred around climate change
22/25 DROPPED OUT: John Hickenlooper
The former governor of Colorado aimed to sell himself as an effective leader who was open to compromise, but failed to make a splash on the national stage
23/25 DROPPED OUT: Tim Ryan
Ohio representative Tim Ryan ran on a campaign that hinged on his working class roots, though his messaging did not appear to resonate with voters
24/25 Deval Patrick
The former Massachusetts governor launched a late 2020 candidacy and received very little reception. With just a few short months until the first voters flock to the polls, the former governor is running as a centrist and believes he can unite the party’s various voting blocs
25/25 Tom Steyer
Democratic presidential hopeful billionaire and philanthropist Tom Steyer is a longtime Democratic donor
1/25 Bernie Sanders
The Vermont senator has launched a second bid for president after losing out to Hilary Clinton in the 2016 Democratic primaries. He is running on a similar platform of democratic socialist reform
2/25 Joe Biden
The former vice president recently faced scrutiny for inappropriate touching of women, but was thought to deal with the criticism well and has since maintained a front runner status in national polling
3/25 Elizabeth Warren
The Massachusetts senator is a progressive Democrat, and a major supporter of regulating Wall Street
4/25 DROPPED OUT: Bill De Blasio
The New York mayor announced his bid on 16 May 2019. He emerged in 2013 as a leading voice in the left wing of his party but struggled to build a national profile and has suffered a number of political setbacks in his time as mayor
5/25 Pete Buttigieg
The centrist Indiana mayor and war veteran would be the first openly LGBT+ president in American history
6/25 Michael Bloomberg
Michael Bloomberg, a late addition to the 2020 race, announced his candidacy after months of speculation in November. He has launched a massive ad-buying campaign and issued an apology for the controversial “stop and frisk” programme that adversely impacted minority communities in New York City when he was mayor
7/25 DROPPED OUT: Beto O’Rourke
The former Texas congressman formally launched his bid for the presidency in March. He ran on a progressive platform, stating that the US is driven by “gross differences in opportunity and outcome”
8/25 Steve Bullock
The Montana governor announced his bid on 14 May. He stated “We need to defeat Donald Trump in 2020 and defeat the corrupt system that lets campaign money drown out the people’s voice, so we can finally make good on the promise of a fair shot for everyone.” He also highlighted the fact that he won the governor’s seat in a red [Republican] state
9/25 DROPPED OUT: Cory Booker
The New Jersey Senator has focused on restoring kindness and civility in American politics throughout his campaign, though he has failed to secure the same level of support and fundraising as several other senators running for the White House in 2020
10/25 DROPPED OUT: Wayne Messam
Mayor of the city of Miramar in the Miami metropolitan area, Wayne Messam said he intended to run on a progressive platform against the “broken” federal government. He favours gun regulations and was a signatory to a letter from some 400 mayors condemning President Trump’s withdrawal from the Paris Climate Accord
11/25 DROPPED OUT: Kirsten Gillibrand
The New York Senator formally announced her presidential bid in January, saying that healthcare should be a right, not a privilege
12/25 DROPPED OUT: Kamala Harris
The former California attorney general was introduced to the national stage during Jeff Sessions testimony. She has endorsed Medicare-for-all and proposed a major tax-credit for the middle class
13/25 John Delaney
The Maryland congressman was the first to launch his bid for presidency, making the announcement in 2017
14/25 Tulsi Gabbard
The Hawaii congresswoman announced her candidacy in January, but has faced tough questions on her past comments on LGBT+ rights and her stance on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad
15/25 Andrew Yang
The entrepreneur announced his presidential candidacy by pledging that he would introduce a universal basic income of $1,000 a month to every American over the age of 18
16/25 DROPPED OUT: Julian Castro
The former San Antonio mayor announced his candidacy in January and said that his running has a special meaning for the Latino community in the US
17/25 DROPPED OUT: Marianne Williamson
The author and spiritual adviser has announced her intention to run for president. She had previously run for congress as an independent in 2014 but was unsuccessful
18/25 DROPPED OUT: Eric Swalwell
One of the younger candidates, Swalwell has served on multiple committees in the House of Representatives. He intended to make gun control central to his campaign but dropped out after his team said it was clear there was no path to victory
19/25 DROPPED OUT: Seth Moulton
A Massachusetts congressman, Moulton is a former US soldier who is best known for trying to stop Nancy Pelosi from becoming speaker of the house. He dropped out of the race after not polling well in key states
20/25 Amy Klobuchar
Klobuchar is a Minnesota senator who earned praise for her contribution to the Brett Kavanaugh hearings
21/25 DROPPED OUT: Jay Inslee
Inslee has been governor of Washington since 2013. His bid was centred around climate change
22/25 DROPPED OUT: John Hickenlooper
The former governor of Colorado aimed to sell himself as an effective leader who was open to compromise, but failed to make a splash on the national stage
23/25 DROPPED OUT: Tim Ryan
Ohio representative Tim Ryan ran on a campaign that hinged on his working class roots, though his messaging did not appear to resonate with voters
24/25 Deval Patrick
The former Massachusetts governor launched a late 2020 candidacy and received very little reception. With just a few short months until the first voters flock to the polls, the former governor is running as a centrist and believes he can unite the party’s various voting blocs
25/25 Tom Steyer
Democratic presidential hopeful billionaire and philanthropist Tom Steyer is a longtime Democratic donor
Meanwhile, senator Sanders says there is no alternative between either revolution and the status quo.
By any measure Mr Buttigieg has already performed better than most may have anticipated. Nationally, he sits in 5th place according to a recent New York Times poll, which put him on 7 points, behind Mr Biden, 27, Mr Sanders, 24, Elizabath Warren, 14, and Michael Bloomberg on 8 points.
But in Iowa, the largely white and predominantly rural state in the midwest, he is second between Mr Biden and Mr Sanders, tied for first place.
Mr Buttigieg reflected on the amount of time he had spent in the state and how he had steadily established name recognition and support. He also reminded the audience of how he came here to knock on doors for Barack Obama in the caucuses of 2008.
Yet, it all counts for very little if people do not come out for him on Monday. While he is competitive in New Hampshire, the next state to vote, he is doing less well in South Carolina, and Nevada, highlighting a persistent challenge for him to secure support from people of colour.
At St Ambrose, plenty of people said they had not yet made their minds up on who to vote for, but wanted to hear what Mr Buttigieg had to say. Some said they were leaning towards the former mayor.
The most important thing is that we have to beat Donald Trump. I want to back the candidate who has the best chance, said 61-year-old Sue Elsom, from Davenport.
Kristine Long, had come to see Mr Buttigieg from Moline, a few miles away across the Mississippi River in Illinois. Her state does not hold its primary until 17 March, but she was taking the opportunity to see as many as possible of the candidates pouring into Iowa in recent weeks and months.
Ms Long, 56, said she liked many of those she had listened to, including Ms Warren, but she was concerned none of the Democrats had what it took to take on and defeat Mr Trump in November.
Penny Forster, 64, voiced similar concerns. I am worried we dont have a candidate stand up to Trump, she said. I wish Michelle Obama was running, or else Oprah.
Mr Buttigieg won over at least one new supporter on Friday. Kevin Orval said he had not seen the candidate before, but was won over by his honesty and integrity.
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We have to beat Trump, he added. We cant have four more years of this.
At the heart of Mr Buttigiegs stump speech is a challenge to voters to imagine the day after Mr Trump leaves office  something that invariably earns applause but which he uses to have them consider the challenges facing whomever enters the Oval Office.
He finished his appeal by saying people ought not to be forced to choose between their heads and their hearts.
Here we go. Everybody knows remember what Iowa does in three days, he said. 
Iowa has the power to change the idea of what is possible in politics. Iowa, I think youre gong to make me the next president of the United States and I promise I will work for you, every single day.