Carpetbagger Pete

Pete Buttigieg removed the pronouns from his X account. Political junkies had an inkling as to why. Pete wants a Senate seat. Off to the middle he goes! Polling is already out despite no official statement. Mayor Pete has an uphill climb ahead of him.

One of Buttigieg’s biggest weaknesses in a Michigan Senate race is the fact that he is not from Michigan and has no deep personal or political ties to the state. Buttigieg is originally from South Bend, Indiana, where he served as mayor before running for president in 2020. Mayor Pete is a clawing creature, grasping for power wherever he can. He cannot win statewide in Indiana, as the last time he tried, he was trounced by over 25% of the vote. He knew his future would have to be elsewhere. In 2021, after joining the Biden administration as Secretary of Transportation, he moved to Traverse City, Michigan, his husband’s hometown. This move appears to be one of convenience rather than genuine connection, as it happened only after he took the cabinet position. Jokes on Michigan; he lives in D.C.

This outsider status makes him vulnerable to the “carpetbagger” label, and this move is just as transparent as Clinton’s NY move. American voters have historically been skeptical of outsiders running for high office. Recent Michigan political history suggests that successful statewide candidates typically have deep, long-term ties to the state machine, such as Governor Gretchen Whitmer, Senator Debbie Stabenow, and Senator Gary Peters. Unlike these figures, Buttigieg does not have a longstanding record of involvement in Michigan politics, governance, or community service.

Republicans and even some Democrats in the primary could use this against him by arguing that he does not understand Michigan’s economic and cultural concerns in the same way a lifelong Michigander would. Ever the McKinsey product, he is parachuting in for personal gain. In a state that values authenticity and blue-collar roots, Buttigieg’s background as a Harvard-educated, McKinsey-trained technocrat could further alienate working-class voters. It is a double helping of ammunition for “out of touch” attacks.

Another problem for Buttigieg is his tenure as Secretary of Transportation. His time in office was marked by high-profile failures and controversies, particularly in areas that matter deeply to Michigan voters.

He cannot play to the inflation angle because of his actions in the Biden administration. During the early years of the Biden administration, the U.S. faced a severe supply chain crisis, leading to shipping bottlenecks, product shortages, and rising inflation. Critics accused Buttigieg of being absent and ineffective in addressing the crisis, particularly after taking an extended paternity leave during the peak of the problem, which comes with optics issues. Michigan’s manufacturing sector was hit hard by these delays. This reinforces the point that Buttigieg was out of his depth in handling national infrastructure issues. Mayor Pete could not level up into Secretary Pete.

Trump & Vance will not let anyone forget another out of touch moment. This one includes comically bad photo ops when he finally did address it. The train derailment and chemical spill in East Palestine, Ohio, became a major political flashpoint. Many criticized Buttigieg for delayed action and poor communication, waiting nearly three weeks before visiting the disaster site. Trump beat him to visiting the site. Since Michigan has a strong industrial and transportation sector, voters may be skeptical of a candidate whose response to a major infrastructure crisis was widely seen as slow and inadequate.

Completing the trifecta of bumbling secretary, no one forgets the weekly airline issues under Biden. Under Buttigieg’s watch, the U.S. experienced repeated airline travel meltdowns, particularly during holiday seasons, with mass cancellations and delays affecting travelers nationwide. His critics argue that he has failed to hold airlines accountable. Did he ever push on Boeing for safety issues? No, that was his job. There were no hearings or even performative angry media appearances.

These failures could make Buttigieg vulnerable in a general election, particularly if Republicans frame him as ineffective, out of touch and inexperienced when it comes to managing large-scale issues that directly affect Michigan families and businesses.

Pete’s biggest weakness may be that he is the polished product of the neoliberal era. There is something off about him. Buttigieg has to deal with the perception that his personality and political style do not fit Michigan’s electorate. Michigan is a state with a strong blue-collar, working-class identity, and successful politicians in the state often connect with voters by demonstrating authenticity, toughness, and a deep understanding of economic hardship. That was Trump’s secret to flipping Michigan versus Romney; he appealed to that voter bloc with his policies, messaging and style.

Michigan’s economy is heavily tied to manufacturing, auto production, and agriculture. This is the same as his native Indiana and he failed there. The state has a long history of electing Democrats who appeal to blue collar voters. Buttigieg has a background full of credential accummulating that is often seen as elite and technocratic. He is a textbook striver, who earns pats on the head but has not actually done anything. He went to Harvard, worked for McKinsey, and has spent much of his political career in academic and policy-oriented circles. He is a wonky, polished phony when speaking.

Michigan, particularly cities like Detroit and Flint, has a significant black voting bloc, which is crucial for any Democratic candidate. Buttigieg struggled with black voter support, a problem that first became evident during his 2020 presidential campaign. He sort of won Iowa. Ran poorly elsewhere. His tenure as mayor of South Bend was marked by racial tensions, particularly over his handling of police-community relations. If he cannot secure strong support from black voters in Michigan, it will hurt his chances in a Democratic primary, forget the general election. Will Trump’s flip of Muslims in Dearborn continue versus Mayor Pete? These votes add up at the margin.

While Buttigieg is from the Midwest, his political style often comes across as more coastal elite. Buttigieg often presents himself as a policy wonk rather than a grassroots fighter, which may not resonate with Michigan’s electorate. He has a smarmy look when in candidate forums. When Beto O’Rourke mentioned going after religious organizations in 2020, Buttigieg dismissed the specific tactic Beto suggested but affirmed attacking churches via their tax exempt status in a smug fashion. He sounded weasley compared to Beto, but the message was a bureaucrat finding a backdoor to attack churches.

He will run. He wants another shot at the presidency. There are paths to it via statewide elections, and Indiana offers no easy path. He does not have the guts for a hard fight back home. Pete shuffled across the state border and believes the Democrat machine will brush away the carpetbagger issues and carry him across the finish line. The problem is, the arrogance to assume that and the arrogance to believe he deserves that seat just paints a giant target on his back.