Pete Buttigieg has started attacking Medicare for All and talking up Anthony Kennedy as a model Supreme Court Justice. I used to have him behind Warren and Sanders as a serviceable third choice. I'd still take him over Biden, and of course I'll vote for any Democrat against Trump, but this makes him a much worse option for the primary.
What explains his abrupt shift? The most obvious answer is that with Biden fading in the polls, fundraising poorly, and looking less electable, Pete is trying to become the top centrist option. It might be his best strategy for winning the nomination, even if the crass opportunism is obvious.
I see another reason. If Mayor Pete loses, his political future is in Indiana. All nine statewide offices in Indiana are controlled by Republicans, testifying to the state's conservatism and leaving Democrats with a weak candidate pool. I don't know if Pete would have time to jump into this year's Governor's race, but there's also a Senate race in 2022. Both are against undistinguished Republicans who won their last races with barely over 50% of the vote.
Those are races where we could use an ambitious, media-savvy small-town mayor with centrist credentials and a military record. If selling out in the primary improves his fundraising connections with corrupt interests, that may help too. And if he's a skilled opportunist, so much the better! So let's use our primary votes to send Mayor Pete where he'll be best for maximizing aggregate utility -- his home state of Indiana.
What explains his abrupt shift? The most obvious answer is that with Biden fading in the polls, fundraising poorly, and looking less electable, Pete is trying to become the top centrist option. It might be his best strategy for winning the nomination, even if the crass opportunism is obvious.
I see another reason. If Mayor Pete loses, his political future is in Indiana. All nine statewide offices in Indiana are controlled by Republicans, testifying to the state's conservatism and leaving Democrats with a weak candidate pool. I don't know if Pete would have time to jump into this year's Governor's race, but there's also a Senate race in 2022. Both are against undistinguished Republicans who won their last races with barely over 50% of the vote.
Those are races where we could use an ambitious, media-savvy small-town mayor with centrist credentials and a military record. If selling out in the primary improves his fundraising connections with corrupt interests, that may help too. And if he's a skilled opportunist, so much the better! So let's use our primary votes to send Mayor Pete where he'll be best for maximizing aggregate utility -- his home state of Indiana.
