Pete Buttigieg & Our First Priority

Priority one, for every decent, intelligent, and patriotic American is to rid the White House of Donald Trump. To that end, the Democratic Party kicked off the current election cycle with enough presidential candidates to choke a horse.  Mercifully, the winnowing process took effect, and no horses have been harmed.

In the interest of transparency, I’ll admit upfront that I’m 63 years old.  In most people’s minds, that has somehow come to mean that I must be supporting former Vice President Joe Biden.  Even though he’s fourteen years older than I am, they assume I must be generationally linked to him. Of course Bernie is even older at 78, Bloomberg is 77, and Warren the “spring chicken” of this particular group is 70.

Initially, I found myself pining for a Sherrod Brown-Kamala Harris ticket, but my personal “dream team” was not to be.

And, although I find myself supporting much of the Sanders agenda, I find it impossible to ignore the fact that his intransigence in 2016 proved to be a significant factor in ensuring Donald Trump’s Electoral College (not popular vote) victory.  When he talks about the need to support whichever candidate wins the Democratic nomination, I find myself cringing.

Furthermore, although I recognize the need to overturn every piece of legislation that Trump has signed into law, I don’t believe that the surest path to victory lies in promising to make a series of sweeping changes from day one.  That would have the effect of further traumatizing voters.  Extremism will not result in regaining control of the Senate, let alone bringing the curtain down on the Trump national nightmare.

As a result, I find myself supporting Pete Buttigieg.  There is no candidate (or human being, for that matter) who isn’t flawed to some extent, and I have my concerns about Pete.  I’m not comfortable with some of the donors he’s courted, or with the lavish fundraisers in wine caves.  On the other hand, I believe he handled the McKinsey consulting firm questions forthrightly.  Contrary to what the conspiracy theorists may have led us to suspect, there was nothing sinister in his list of clients.

I trust Pete...  He strikes me as a thoughtful, intelligent guy.  He won’t make rash decisions based on political calculations, and he won’t engage in deceitful and petty efforts to bring down his political opponents.  Pete is, genuinely, a very stable Rhodes Scholar.  The days of dealing with a paranoid narcissist (and his other personality disorders) will fade from sight in our rear view mirrors.

Does Pete’s “lack of experience” worry me?  Not really, because while he may not have a “traditional” background in foreign policy, for example, he’s gained at least comparable experience through serving our country abroad.  I am convinced that Pete will take his time, surround himself with the best people, and govern in a calm, deliberate fashion.

We don’t need another President who’s in his or her 70s.  It’s time to turn the page and hand over the keys to those who have a lifetime ahead of them.  At 38, Pete Buttigieg fits that bill perfectly, and I  plan to do whatever I can to insure that he becomes our next President.