Pete Buttigieg Was Asked to Hire a Secular Outreach Director. (He Didn’t Bite.)

Atheist activist Justin Scott, the Iowa State Director for American Atheists, wasn’t picked to ask Pete Buttigieg a question during a town hall in Iowa.

But while waiting to shake hands with the Democratic presidential candidate, Justin asked if he’d consider hiring a Secular Outreach Director now that he’s already hired a person to connect with people of faith.

Buttigieg didn’t offer a straight answer. But it’s hard to blame him. It was one of those “I don’t know who you are, guy with a camera, so I’m hesitant to answer a potentially controversial question” moments… I can understand why he’d avoid it.

SCOTT: Pete! I’m an atheist voter. We would like you to create a Secular Outreach Director. You were the first that did a religious one. We felt left out. We thought… you’ve laid the blueprint of how to do that. Would you be willing…

BUTTIGIEG: Well, as you know, our view is that we make sure that we speak to people of every religion and no religion…

SCOTT: Right. I talked to Elizabeth Warren. She’s considering it.

BUTTIGIEG: Interesting.

SCOTT: This could be a huge opportunity!

I think I heard Buttigieg say “I’ll give it some thought” at the end, but if that’s the case, he said it with the attitude that most people use to end a conversation.

Justin told me he hopes to ask the question in a more formal setting soon. It certainly flustered Joe Biden.