I was once in a position to meet important national politicians, so I wasn't at all nervous to step up and talk to Pete Buttigieg. Once I spotted him, I was looking forward to it.
Senator Tammy Baldwin held her 12th annual barbecue just outside of Stoughton, which is a little bit southeast of Madison, last Sunday. The crowd was nearly overflowing and charged with enthusiasm--not only, I would guess, from the sudden and inspiring emergence of Kamala Harris as a real threat to stop ex- from the White House, but also because Baldwin's campaign opponent, Eric Hovde, a superficial and phony impostor with vague notions that remind me of Ron Johnson (who has never stopped being a bloviating phony), has run a slick, attractive media campaign with $14M in self-funding (so far) because he's a bored billionaire. It has made the race tight as a tick, which shouldn't be--Baldwin has been a hard-working, genuine legislator focused on what she can do for the state and not at all anything connected with ego.
Hovde is running on nothing but ego, with little demonstrable knowledge of Wisconsin's challenges, throwing whatever mud he can at Baldwin's connections with what was once a struggling Biden ticket. It remains to be seen whether Baldwin can refocus the state's attention to her genuine, lasting accomplishments for Wisconsin and the country in these last 75 days; I certainly hope so. If Harris keeps surging, she might grow coattails. Baldwin's reserved, humble manner should still fit well within Wisconsin, but plenty of money semi-legitimizes plenty of nonsense, sad to say.
This race looks to be cliff-hanger. I had to show my support. A 90-minute drive didn't seem excessive to do that. I arrived fashionably late and walked into a cabin teeming with energetic Democrats.
The buffet serving line at The Fields Reserve wasn't moving very fast, which was annoying until I took a closer look. Moving successively down the long row and pressing the flesh, as he was brought out to Wisconsin to do, was our Secretary of Transportation and his husband, Chasten. Of course, everyone took a few moments to say hello and kibitz. It owes to Buttigieg's natural, very real friendliness and down-home kind of charisma that it all took so long.
So I had a moment to prepare what I was going to say. It came simply, because I meant it: "I'm glad you're here."
Buttigieg looked me right in the eye: "So am I." He seemed to mean it, too. And his grin wins you over instantly.
He is disarmingly small. He can't be 5-9 (Take a good look at the holy picture I finagled on my Facebook site.). I thought of him as taller. But that made some sense: Buttigieg's public stature, earned by countless appearances, especially the daring ones of earned media on Fox News, which have no doubt helped keep Democrats and the Biden Administration real and grounded in fact, have already given him something of a larger-than-life presence.
But that disappeared instantly with me. I liked him immediately. He struck me as having few pretenses--an extremely valuable benefit for someone who might still be seeking more national attention.
I was also impressed that he brought Chasten. Pols don't normally do that unless they are also running for office. Then it struck me: Maybe he is, in 2028. He tried a presidential run in 2020 and came up short. But, as a well-spoken union pol was accustomed to pointing out, politics is the land of ten thousand tomorrows. Harris' election might result in his continuance as Transportation Secretary, but might also open more doors for juicier, more noticeable spots, like national security advisor, say. Right now, though, Buttigieg can utilize his Cabinet position to remain relevant to public conversations. Because his position is more publicly noticeable because he presents so well, he can have it both ways for another few months.
Regardless of how this presidential campaign turns out, four more years of seasoning will only help him. Perhaps it will put more grey hairs on him, which wouldn't hurt: His looks are still, dark beard notwithstanding, breathtakingly boyish. He's incredibly smart and quick on his feet--use You Tube and review the interview he did with Stephen Colbert Wednesday night--but he also looks like he might have just cut your lawn. It comes off as almost too modest. But his talents win out; he can't help it.
On the stump, Buttigieg doesn't bellow. He rarely raises his voice beyond a few decibels. He does that for emphasis, not intimidation and certainly not as a self-serving demagogue. He tries hard to be as matter-of-fact as possible. It is a clear, unwavering voice that is as reassuring as the facts he brings to you. That he stays in that lane, exaggerating almost nothing, establishes that one factor that people want and need in their politicians: trust. Say what you want about Mayor Pete, he won't fill your head with nonsense. He doesn't have to. He has his finger on enough simple truth to carry the day.
Will Buttigieg be president someday? It feels like he still wants to be and wants to try again. We know the hurdle he must climb, so he may never get there. A multi-racial woman overcoming a traditionally white male bastion, though--granted, an awful example of it--in November might edge that door open and leave accessibility available to those of other minorities. A Kamala Harris victory might do even more than save our democracy; it may also change the presidential paradigm.
I look forward to watching his progress through our often chaotic political system. That Buttigieg has gotten this far so soon indicates that others have noticed his obvious talents and are comfortable at the way he has handled the attention. Where all this goes from here is anyone's guess. But a disappearing act, at least not right now, is not in the cards.
Be well. Be careful. With some luck, I'll see you down the road.
Mister Mark
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