For Pete Buttigieg, the very traits that usually impress are being greeted with skepticism and even derision. Notably, this is coming from his peers.
. “Swing Voter Really Relates to Buttigieg’s Complete Lack of Conviction,” said a headline in The Onion. For months, the satirical site has been vicious toward him in ways that evoke the wisecracking cool kids at the back of the class mocking the preening overachiever in the front row.
These Buttigieg skeptics, in my experience, typically overlook another possibility: His admirers aren’t oblivious to the fact that he’s partly B.S.-ing. It just doesn’t much bother them. I’ll go a step further: Viewed in the right light, his teacher’s-pet glibness and implacable careerism are desirable traits.
“The words are great, but he has no soul,” said one senior Democrat whose name would be familiar to any POLITICO reader. “All head and no heart,” said an operative who helped make Bill Clinton—another young man in a hurry, for whom smoothness sometimes came off as slickness—president a generation ago.
There’s a big difference, of course, between whether the emphasis is more on “semi” or on “fraud.” The point is that most people in the political arena are wearing an impressive uniform of some sort—senator, White House aide, news anchor—that from a distance disguises infirmities and insecurities. Up close these are plainly visible.
Activists on the left are surely correct that Buttigieg does not represent the disruptive spirit of the age and that he is not an especially plausible vessel for the kind of foundation-shaking change they seek. Looked at through the prism of temperament and character, as distinct from his policy positions, he may be the most conservative candidate in the 2020 race, Trump included.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Confusion over a new law could threaten young voter turnout in New HampshireA new voting law in New Hampshire is causing confusion among college students, threatening to dampen turnout among a key Democratic voting bloc in a state where the margins of victory in 2020 could be razor-thin.
Read more »
Tiffany Young Is A Pop Star A Decade in The Making'K-pop artists are coming into their own and expanding. I hope that what I’m doing is going to inspire younger K-pop artists to experience growing into their own.'
Read more »
Why I got life insurance, even though I'm young, single, and healthy - Business InsiderRealizing that my own death could create a financial burden for my family members made it clear to me that life insurance is a no-brainer.
Read more »
15 Rare Photos Of Betty White When She Was YoungGolden Girls actress Betty White turns 98 on January 17, and with over 80 years in the industry, the American icon officially has the longest career of any entertainer. Here are some photos to highlight milestone events in her life.
Read more »
These Throwback Photos of Young Alex Trebek Remind Fans He Was a Total StudWe don’t know which we like more: his mustache, ‘fro, or barely buttoned shirt.
Read more »
Prince Harry Looks Exactly Like a Young Prince Charles & Fans Are Going WildThese photos of Prince Charles with a beard are insane.
Read more »