Dear Editor,

Pete Buttigieg may not be a well-known Democratic contender for the US presidency, but he is obviously the most interesting and serious contestant.

Despite his flaws, Donald Trump has proven himself to be a decisive leader. Under his watch, the unemployment rates for blacks and Hispanics are at record lows. Trump is even being praised for his actions on criminal justice reform and parental leave entitlements. Therefore, any candidate with a real chance of winning the presidency must have a track record of achievement. Denouncing Donald Trump as a racist or sexist will not win the White House.

American voters have no interest in the identity politics of the left; they want someone who will deliver on the economy and improve the country’s international standing. At present, the best Democrat to topple Trumpism is Pete Buttigieg. During his stint as mayor of South Bend he was credited with the revitalisation of the town and an upswing in the population that declined from 1970-2010. Further, being the former mayor of a working-class town greatly affected by automation will put Buttigieg in a better capacity to regain working-class constituencies that the Democrats lost to Trump in the last presidential election.

Pete Buttigieg may also appeal to veterans who normally lean Republican as he served in Afghanistan. His service in Afghanistan is also a plus in the foreign policy department, because he has first-hand experience of what is successful in American overseas operations.

Unlike other contenders, Buttigieg is not a career politician. He worked at the leading result-oriented consultancy McKinsey and Company for three years before entering the political arena. As a result, he will be keen on achieving stated deliverables.

In contrast to other hopefuls in the Democratic party, Buttigieg is a moderate who understands the importance of the free market economy; therefore, his bid for presidency is unlikely to isolate independents and Republicans who are critical of statism.

Furthermore Pete Buttigieg, as a Rhodes scholar, is articulate, brilliant and intellectually flexible to manage the demands of the presidency. If Democrats want to win, their only option is Pete Buttigieg; the other contestants and their brand of identity politics will not win an election.

Lipton Matthews

lo_matthews@yahoo.com