There's something about Pete Buttigieg

He seems so very implausible as a candidate.

He is too young, too gay, too under-credentialed. Plus, he is a white guy in a Party eager to elect a woman or person of color.

He is Midwestern wunderkind.

Tony Farrell has offered guest posts in the past, writing from his perspective as an expert on branding. In this guest post he uses the word "Midwestern."  Farrell is summarizing a suite of behaviors--tone of voice, style, choice of words, manner, and policies. It positions Buttigieg as someone special.

Buttigieg, in New Hampshire

Politically, Buttigieg is positioned to the right of the "woke" semi-socialist activists who are are defining the new leftist Democratic Party. He isn't the point of the policy spear. He projects liberal reform, not populist resentment. 

In vehicle terms, he would be a "crossover." He is gay and comfortable with it, which makes him, presumably, woke to prejudice and therefore plausible as a change agent, but he is also a white guy, who could get elected in Indiana. 

His electability may be part mirage. He is mayor of South Bend, home of Notre Dame, and cities with large research universities are fertile ground for liberal Democratic politics. He is not as credentialed for electability as is Bullock of Montana, Bennet and Hickenlooper Colorado, or Tim Ryan in Ohio, but Buttigieg can sell midwest electability, because of his manner. He has a white picket fence sense about him. We are sure he would be a good neighbor.

Mayor Pete did something else they didn't do. He got attention. Buttigieg has a mental hook. The first things we learned about him made him seem special. Married to a guy. Seven languages. Learned Norwegian to read a book. Rhodes Scholar. Military. 

Inquiring minds want to know: who is this guy? 

Then, having our attention for being special, he then comes across as extraordinarily sensible and normal. It is that crossover quality.

He is calming. He has the audacious ambition needed to run for president, but he seems mentally well adjusted, mature, healthy. He isn't anti-Trump. He is un-Trump. He is as interesting as Trump, but low drama. Trump is exhausting. 

Tony Farrell attended college with me. He then attended the Harvard Business School, and made his way to a career in brand positioning and strategy at The Sharper Image, The Nature Company, and infamously, for Trump Steaks. I consider Farrell's comments to be both experienced judgement, and first person primary source data. He is a voter as well as a brand analyst. Farrell sees something he likes. 

Farrell

Guest Post by Tony Farrell

"Mayor Pete actually speaks intelligently, in a plain way, understandable, empathetic, appealing."

How to choose among the 24 announced Democratic candidates for president? Compared to Trump, all seem (to this former Reagan Republican) appealing, sane, balanced, smart and thoughtful. With admittedly superficial input (I know none of the candidates personally), my enthusiastic first choice is Mayor Pete Buttigieg.

This surprises me because he’s the punch-line of a joke I made a couple of years ago, remarking that “Democrats seem to have a death wish. First, they nominate a black guy; then a woman; next, they’ll nominate a gay guy!” And so they might, I hope. Lame joke for which I apologize. 

What’s more, Mayor Pete is now “my guy” despite the fact that he didn’t know “Alfred E. Neuman” when so tagged by Trump. Look, I still have every Mad Magazine issue I devoured from age nine to 13 (1958 to 1962). (Note: All my marketing classmates at Harvard Business School confessed to such devotion to Mad as youngsters.) I can overlook many things, even Mayor Pete’s cultural gaps.

Every Democratic candidate is an anti-Trump; that’s not a differentiating factor. Mayor Pete’s differentiating factors include his Midwestern roots and story—Indiana; military service; religious; patriotic; devoted to his marriage (however non-traditional)—and his speaking manner, which is also Midwestern—meaning down-to-earth; real; nonpolitical; approachable; a listener; not condescending.

This combination of roots and manner was best on display with his appearance on Fox News. Mayor Pete is smart enough to understand the Democratic candidate needs to reach Trump supporters, and many watch only Fox News. In contrast, Elizabeth Warren made it clear she is unwilling to present herself and her ideas to that group; to me, that reveals her serious lack of judgment and an insulting condescension toward people who, one has to admit, have been dealt somewhat of a shit sandwich over the past couple of decades. Warren’s error is the same as Hilary’s; the same as cost the election. So far, Mayor Pete’s judgment seems impeccable.

I also believe Mayor Pete is intellectually brilliant; his outstanding credentials speak to that: Harvard College; Rhodes Scholar; McKinsey consultant; speaker of five languages (apparently without pretension). Admittedly, the candidate pool includes other Rhodes Scholars, Harvard people, plenty of brain power. But Mayor Pete actually speaks intelligently when answering questions about practically anything; he speaks in a plain way that is understandable as well; and in a way that signals that he has listened respectfully. He is empathetic in the most appealing way. 

Of course, when touting a candidates’ smarts, I’m reminded of Adlai Stevenson when he was running against Eisenhower: A supporter shouted, “Mr. Stevenson, you have the vote of every thinking American!” To which Adlai responded, “Oh, I’m going to need more than that….”