Presidential hopeful Pete Buttigieg dropped out of the race just two nights before Super Tuesday in a way that reminded the country that he’s not just a quixotic candidate, but one with raw political talent and a crucial understanding of how to beat an incumbent president. The former South Bend, Indiana, mayor earned a historic delegate victory in the Iowa caucuses and a strong showing in the New Hampshire primary, showing vast potential and political savvy.
Although President Trump may not attract many crossover voters nationally, there’s no question that “swing voters” in Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania delivered him the margin of victory for the White House in 2016 and that higher base turnout has kept his intraparty ratings up. So, if any candidate hopes to unseat an incumbent, however unpopular, in a time of relative international bliss and domestic prosperity, that person must do so with the entire Democratic Party rallying, as Buttigieg outlined on Sunday night during his concession speech.
Buttigieg highlighted as a key virtue of his campaign not “liberalism” or “socialism,” but “responsibility.”
“The best way to keep faith with those goals and ideals is to step aside,” a seemingly optimistic Buttigieg said in his Indiana hometown. Contributing to the theory that he bowed out to help Joe Biden were his subtle nods to “future former Republicans,” presumably those who would go for a former beloved vice president over a socialist, and to the notion that one job ought to sustain adults “whether you went to college or not.”
Although it’s possible that Bernie Sanders beats Trump, it’s far from likely. Despite his personal foibles, Trump has every advantage of incumbency. The only candidate who has an obvious pathway to beat Trump in the Electoral College is one who has obvious demographic advantages and one who can unify the potential Democratic constituency. Buttigieg is wise enough to know that against Trump, that candidate is Joe Biden. Buttigieg’s ability to determine so before Super Tuesday stands as a testament to his smarts.
