Member-only story
How do you solve a problem like Mayor Pete?
Last night, Axios reported that President-elect Joe Biden is considering Pete Buttigieg for the position of US ambassador to China. As a supporter of Pete Buttigieg during the Democratic Primary — and someone who was bitterly disappointed when he dropped out and supported Biden, effectively clearing the path to the nomination for the former Vice President — I feel conflicted. The Beijing posting might be a smart move for Buttigieg and the country, but it also feels painfully inadequate for a rising player in the Democratic Party.
Joe Biden promised that he, and by proxy his administration, would be transitional. That is, Biden was a bridge from the Democratic Party’s past to its future, and his administration could be seen as a symbolic passing of the baton from one generation of leaders to the next. So far, that has not happened. With Antony Blinken at State, Janet Yellen at Treasury, Tom Vilsack back at Agriculture (reprising the role he played in Obama’s cabinet), the Biden cabinet is beginning to feel like the third term of Barack Obama’s presidency.
There are many reasons I find this troubling, but the one I am focused on here is that Biden isn’t keeping his promise. So far, the future of the Democratic Party has been shunted in favour of Obama-era operatives. None of this is to say these folks aren’t qualified or won’t do a good job, but rather that they are not the future. They are, quite literally, the recent past.
Pete Buttigieg, however, is the future of the Democratic Party — or at least part of it. He has his detractors — who never shy away from telling me all the reasons they hate him — but no serious political commentator or operative can deny that he has proven himself throughout the campaign. He has a bright future, whether his haters like it or not.
There are many rising stars within the party, though, any of whom you could argue deserve a shot at leading. Pete, however, is unique in many respects. He is a relatively young man, from a part of the country where Democrats struggle to win, with a proven track record of economic revitalisation and incredibly effective communication in even the most hostile environments (Indiana, or Fox News). He is also an openly gay combat veteran.
What Pete doesn’t have is foreign policy experience. A posting to Beijing would certainly correct that. What’s more, with his background in military intelligence…
