Pete Buttigieg tried to draw a fine line Wednesday night on opposing Trump’s subsidies for agriculture but supporting the pre-Trump subsidies for agriculture. It turned into an embarrassing display of pandering.
Buttigieg started off strong, pointing out that it is degrading for farmers to have to rely on federal handouts while losing legitimate business. Who would like it if your willing customers were cut off from you and so it was made up by the government giving you handouts?
Then Buttigieg made it clear that he actually had no trouble with handouts to farmers. He immediately attacked “so-called small-refinery exemption.” That is, some small refineries get exemptions from the ethanol mandate. In other words, Buttigieg is worried that some refineries might have a choice as to whether or not to buy ethanol.
Buttigieg believes that in order to win the Iowa caucuses, he needs to pander by promising subsidies.
Moderator Rachel Maddow followed up by asking Buttigieg if he would continue Trump’s subsidies to farmers. Buttigieg answered, “Yes.”
