Candidate Profile: Pete Buttigieg
Image Source: New York Times
Note:
This article was written before Pete Buttigieg dropped out on Sunday, March 1st, 2020 and endorsed Joe Biden.
Upon initial reading, Pete Buttigieg’s résumé reads like an aged politician of the old guard; he’s decorated with Harvard and Oxford (where he was a Rhodes Scholar) diplomas, was a naval intelligence officer, and is an outspoken follower of the Christian faith. In fact, that is how many voters, especially young progressives, are interpreting him. However, upon closer look he is also: a millennial (if elected he would be the youngest President), speaks seven foreign languages, and is the first openly gay candidate to earn presidential primary delegates from a major American political party.
In terms of policies, Buttigieg considers himself to be a progressive and a democratic capitalist. Given his moderate-left status, his stance on issues are rather par for the course. Here is a brief rundown on the most hot-button issues facing our nation now:
Abortion: Buttigieg supports abortion rights, and would repeal the Hyde Ammendment (which blocks federal funding for abortion services in all but the most extreme circumstances).
Climate Change: Plans to spend $1.5 - 2 trillion on climate policies. His proposal sets benchmarks to gradually lowering emissions. It has a three part plan to tackle climate change: 1) build a clean economy through the creation of clean energy jobs, 2) improve resilience by investing in disaster relief and prevention, and 3) heightening the United States' role in the international fight against climate change. Buttigieg would restore US commitment to the Paris Climate Agreement. He also supports the Green New Deal, solar panel subsidies, and a carbon tax and dividend to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Criminal Justice: Supports: eliminating the death penalty, reversing criminal sentences for minor drug-related offenses, and eliminating incarceration for drug possession offenses.
Economy, Commerce, and Workers’ Rights: Self-proclaimed democratic capitalist. Rejects “crony capitalism” (economic system based on mutually advantageous relationships between executives and politicians) and supports a constitutional amendment to protect democracy from the undue and corrupting influence of money in politics. In July 2019, Buttigieg released a plan to strengthen union bargaining power, to raise the minimum wage to $15, and to offer national paid family leave.
Healthcare: He has promoted “Medicare for All Who Want It” (a public option health insurance) and sees this system as more efficient and inclusive than the current system. “Medicare for All Who Want It” would be a potential precursor to single-payer health insurance. In August 2019, Buttigieg released a $300 billion plan to expand mental health care services and fight addiction.
A recent poll conducted after the New Hampshire primary found Buttigieg with 8 percent support among Democratic-leaning registered voters nationally. Currently, his supporter base is primarily composed of predominantly white, college-educated voters (often labeled as the “elite”). While his support base finds his résumé impressive, according to an Atlantic article entitled “The Candidate Dividing Iowa Progressives,” his adversaries have called him a “corporate puppet,” or even “socially liberal but basically a conservative.” Additionally, while Buttigieg is continuing to reach out to Black voters, he still only polls at between two to four percent with this demographic. This isn’t a newfound obstacle, but something his campaign has struggled with since he started his run for Presidency. The well-known phenomenon has even garnered jokes such as the nickname “Mayo Pete” which pokes fun at his perceived “blandness” and whiteness.
Like any person who has made a serious run for presidency, Buttigieg has encountered several controversies during his campaign. First, as recently stated, he has a less than perfect track record with the Black community. Last fall, there was a shooting of a 54 year old Black man by a White South Bend police officer. When questioned on why there is a lack of diversity in South Bend’s police force, Buttigieg responded, “Because I couldn’t get it done.” This incident served to make Black people feel that Buttigieg isn’t attuned enough to the plights of their community. Second, he is dreaded by the young, progressive left for several reasons. If this population favors Bernie Sanders, they see Buttigieg as a direct foil to their candidate. Instead of seeing an agenda of provocative revolution, they instead see a young, privileged white man who believes in working within the confines of the status quo regardless of the fact that many of his policies are actually aligned, or close to, those of Sanders’. In this same thread, many have also considered him to be a “traitor” to his generation due to the fact that he seems to speak more to middle-aged voters than people within his own demographic (millennials). However, some pundits have pointed out that Buttigieg’s own seemingly privileged existance may be disfavored by the younger generation due to the fact that it reminds them of their own elite credentials. With the current political climate being what it is, and with young people vying to be as “woke” as possible, it is certainly plausible that Buttigieg’s own advantages serve as a hypocritical reminder that they too attended elite institutions with the intention to succeed in a capitalist economy. Lastly, Buttigieg has come under fire multiple times on the debate stage for accepting donations from “big-money” figures. The most well-documented incident of this was during the January Democratic Primary debate where Warren attacked Buttigieg for hosting a fundraiser in a “wine cave,” characterizing the event as grotesquely opulent. However, Buttigieg retorted with a quick-witted remark about his lack of wealth in comparison to the other five candidates on the stage, and how he won’t refuse to turn down money that will contribute to defeating Donald Trump. In fact, when this issue was brought up once again during the debate in South Carolina, Buttigieg took a firmer stance stating, “If you’re watching right now, and you’re a billionaire, I will raise your taxes.”
Buttigieg may not be the most radical candidate on the stage, nor the richest, but his ability to go from an unknown name to the winner of the Iowa primary marks an undeniable fact: Buttigieg can win.
Sources:
Zhang, Jenny G. “A Napa Valley Wine Cave Was the Hot-Button Issue of the Democratic Debate.” Eater. Eater, December 20, 2019. https://www.eater.com/2019/12/20/21031491/wine-cave-democratic-debate-elizabeth-warren-pete-buttigieg.
Mystal, Elie. “They Rocked New Hampshire-but Pete and Amy Still Can't Win Over Black Voters.” The Nation, 12 Feb. 2020, www.thenation.com/article/politics/buttigieg-klobuchar-privilege/.
Rocha, Veronica, et al. “Pete Buttigieg Speaks 8 Languages. He Used His Spanish Tonight.” CNN, Cable News Network, 28 June 2019, www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/democratic-debate-june-27-2019/h_e6ee3ea000f2c2f29b8612437b32ecab.
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Higgins, Tucker. “Pete Buttigieg Met with Black Lives Matter after a Police Shooting. It Didn't Go Well.” CNBC, CNBC, 19 Sept. 2019, www.cnbc.com/2019/09/18/pete-buttigieg-met-with-black-lives-matter-after-eric-logan-shooting.html.
Scott, Eugene. “Analysis | Pete Buttigieg's Struggles and Stumbles with Black Voters, Explained.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 18 Dec. 2019, www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/12/18/pete-buttigiegs-biggest-campaign-struggle-earning-support-black-voters/.
Matthews, Dylan. “Pete Buttigieg Is More Electable than Bernie Sanders - and More Progressive than You Think.” Vox, Vox, 5 Feb. 2020, www.vox.com/2020/2/4/21121636/pete-buttigieg-beat-trump-win-2020-election-primaries.
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