Pete Buttigieg might not win the presidency, but he will always be an influential political figure. His bid for the presidency made sure of that. Now it’s time to make sure the Democratic Party will have a future, too.
“Our goal has always been to help unify Americans, to defeat Donald Trump, and to win the era for our values,” Buttigieg said Sunday night after announcing his exit from the 2020 Democratic primary. “And so, we must recognize that at this point in the race, the best way to keep faith with those goals is to step aside and help bring our party and country together. … I will no longer seek the 2020 Democratic nomination for the presidency, but I will do everything in my power to make sure we have a new Democratic president come January.”
Buttigieg’s exit was sudden and unexpected. Super Tuesday is only a few days away, and although he struggled to gain broad, national support, he was always a top-tier candidate. But make no mistake: Buttigieg’s timing is strategic and prudent. He knew there was little chance he would win the nomination, and instead of waiting for the results to catch up to him, Buttigieg chose to go out on a high note.
This means his endorsement will now carry the weight of a successful campaign that never fell way short. That’s good news for both Buttigieg and whomever he endorses (his exit speech suggests it will be one of the moderates, likely Joe Biden or Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar). Buttigieg can now use his endorsement as leverage to score a Cabinet position or running-mate spot — if he hasn’t already — and his chosen candidate will benefit from Buttigieg’s voter base and political momentum.
This also means that things are about to get ugly. Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders is entering Super Tuesday as the Democratic front-runner, but the moderates have made it clear they have no intention of letting him win the nomination. Buttigieg’s exit could create a more unified moderate front, especially if he endorses Biden.
Right now, Biden is the moderates’ best bet. He won South Carolina, and he’s polling well in the rest of the South, too. And Biden has what Buttigieg does not: experience. This has always been Biden’s best selling point, and that point will become even stronger if Buttigieg lends his youth and enthusiasm to Biden’s campaign.
The Biden-Buttigieg unity ticket is the best solution to the many problems a Sanders nomination would produce. Let’s hope Buttigieg realizes this, too.
