Pete Buttigieg will probably back Joe Biden now and his strategic retreat might unite centrist voters
Many in the foreign media struggled to even pronounce his surname. His political whereabouts were not too well known either. His homosexual identity was another reason why a lot of eyebrows were raised.
However, former South End mayor Pete Buttigieg had an impressive run in the 2020 presidential election despite being an underdog. The 38-year-old had a dream start to his primary campaign by clinching the controversial Iowa Caucuses, even though by a slim margin. He then finished a close second in the New Hampshire primary. But two disappointing outcomes in Nevada Caucuses (he got around 17 percent votes) and South Carolina Primary (around eight) meant Buttigieg’s campaign was not going as per the plans and on Sunday, March 1, he called off his run at a hastily organized event in South Bend.
He said: “Today is a moment of truth... the truth is the path has narrowed to a close, for our candidacy, if not for our cause. So we must recognize that at this point in the race the best way to keep faith with those goals and ideals is to step aside and help bring our party and our country together.”
“So tonight, I am making the difficult decision to suspend my campaign for the presidency,” Buttigieg added.
Buttigieg always objected to a left-versus-right fight
The suspension of Buttigieg’s presidential campaign would disappoint those who were looking towards an alternative to the gerontocracy which is at play in the Democratic fray. He was also constantly trying to create a centrist space in American politics between the likes of Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders and President Donald Trump, rejecting the idea of a left versus right fight in the general election of November. The Dems’ race for nomination was increasingly going left with Sanders cruising but now after former Vice President Joe Biden won South Carolina handsomely and Buttigieg bowed out subsequently, there could still be hope for the party’s centrist voices.
There was enough hint from Buttigieg that he was sacrificing his candidature to unite the Democratic Party. “Our goal has always been to help unify Americans, to defeat Donald Trump, and to win the era for our values,” he said in his parting speech.
The end of the promising campaign was sudden, especially with the Super Tuesday just two days away. But Buttigieg certainly suspended his own run after putting in a strategic thought. He is still the third-placed candidate with 26 delegates (Sanders has 58 and Biden 50) but he kept in mind the gain in the long run.
With poor shows in diverse states like Nevada and South Carolina, it became evident that Buttigieg had little capacity to build a coalition of voters and with his agenda offering little difference than those of the more experienced Biden and Amy Klobuchar, the inexperienced former mayor was certainly not destined to last long. He played it smart by pulling out at a good time and did not want to ruin the prospects of other centrist candidates like him by dividing the fray.
Sanders has already expressed his view that the candidate having the most number of delegates should automatically get nominated for the general election. The Democrats were apprehensive about it but Buttigieg’s stroke will now give them relief.
In fact, President Trump tweeted saying Buttigieg's exit will see "Sleepy Joe Biden" bagging the Super Tuesday votes and it was the beginning of the Dems' game to put Sanders out of play. It was evident that Trump was not happy. He has been targeting Biden for many months now and that even included him seeking foreign interference that led to his impeachment in the Democratic-controlled House.
Buttigieg's endorsement moves can benefit his political ambition
Buttigieg can still play a role in this primary race by endorsing either Biden or Klobuchar to corner extreme candidates like Sanders and Trump. It is likely that Biden is going to get Buttigieg’s backing more than Klobuchar, who is lagging behind and also did not have too great a time sharing the stage with Buttigieg in the recent debates.
Buttigieg also became less critical of Biden as the race progressed although he felt initially that the 77-year-old’s ideas were outdated. Later, he was more engaged in targeting Sanders whose socialist credentials turned off many in the party. Also, Buttigieg can use his endorsement move to claim a plum cabinet post or may even enter the reckoning as a running mate. The candidate who gets the blessing of Buttigieg will certainly make a big gain.
After a poor start in Iowa and New Hampshire, Biden’s big win in South Carolina and a favorable prediction in the South make his position stronger. Being the only candidate in the fray who has been in the White House administration, the septuagenarian has all the opportunity to become the face of the anti-Trump moderatism. Buttigieg, who has all the time to return to the high-profile race in the future, left a key impact on the 2020 race by pulling out.
It was indeed a strategic retreat.