The vetting of Pete Buttigieg

NBC reports that Republicans and even other Democrats are seeking “dirt” on Pete Buttigieg. 

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2020-election/rivals-are-scrambling-dig-dirt-pete-buttigieg-n997031

That is as it should be. This is the vetting season. We need to assess how each candidate will stand up to the scrutiny we know is coming.

    So far, so good. 

Attacks on Pete’s 1,000 houses program turned out to be overwrought, as Washington Monthly recently demonstrated. See 

https://washingtonmonthly.com/2019/04/21/how-the-media-is-getting-mayor-petes-south-bend-gentrification-story-wrong/

At last night’s CNN Town Hall, Pete was asked about the demotion of South Bend’s African American police chief. He gave a forthright answer that I believe should satisfy those who fear that he is insufficiently concerned about matters involving race relations. See https://youtu.be/IAWVY7PXR0E. 

It was fascinating to watch Pete’s hour (

 https://youtu.be/ebgxZ3xfeM0) after watching the sessions with Amy Klobuchar, Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, and Kamala Harris.  I generally like them all.  Each of them had their moments, but each of them also had moments that led me to question how they would do in the general election Armageddon next year. 

Of course, it is unlikely that that we will find a “perfect” candidate. But so far, at least, I think the least likely candidate — the 37 year old mayor of South Bend — is far closer to perfection than the others, both in terms of electability and the potential to be the transformative president we need.