An opinion writer for the New York Times floated a fantasy 2020 presidential ticket of Elizabeth Warren and Pete Buttigieg in a Thursday article.
“It would be ridiculous to imagine running-mate pairings this early for Democrats in the 2020 presidential race,” said Nicholas Kristof. “So let’s be ridiculous.”
Kristof, a self-proclaimed progressive Democrat who often writes on topics such as human rights and women’s rights, further speculated what a 2020 race featuring Warren and Buttigieg, in either order, could look like. “While they are quite different on policy — Warren is far to the left of Buttigieg in worldview,” Kristof ventured. “They each are outsiders with silver tongues and massive intellects, and each would embody the change that the electorate seems to yearn for.”
Citing recent polling that shines a positive light on some aspects of the Massachusetts senator and South Bend, Indiana mayor, Kristof notes that the identity politics of Warren and Buttigieg could further work in their favor. “Warren would be the first woman president or vice president,” he noted. “Buttigieg would be the first openly gay person in either office, as well as the youngest president.”
Kristof, 60, who once penned a New York Times article titled, “A confession of liberal intolerance,” further espoused the perceived worldliness and well-spoken nature of his dream ticket. “Buttigieg is also a masterful speaker, injecting nuance and thoughtfulness even into sound bites. He speaks not only Maltese and Norwegian, but also religion,” Kristof praised, further commending Buttigieg for his scolding of Christian lawmakers who don’t support an increased minimum wage.
“So-called conservative Christian senators right now in the Senate are blocking a bill to raise the minimum wage,” Buttigieg said earlier this week. “When Scripture says that ‘whoever oppresses the poor taunts their maker.'” Kristof states in his biography on the New York Times website that he, too, is fluent in several languages and has lived in several countries.
Buttigieg and Warren, who both debated in Detroit on Tuesday night, are polling at 5.6% and 14.5%, respectively, according to RealClearPolitics. Buttigieg has raised the most money of any candidate in the last quarter but still trails front-runner Joe Biden by nearly 30 points.
“Both Warren and Buttigieg are unproven among national voters, and there’s a risk that their cerebral qualities will antagonize some voters,” Kristof said in his only entry of skepticism.
“This entire reverie is, of course, ridiculous,” the author concludes, “and Buttigieg and Warren still must demonstrate an ability to win over actual voters. But for brilliance, eloquence and the ability to embody change, they would constitute a historic partnership.”
