That would be Mayor Pete, and coming from me, it’s not an insult. Like Macron, Mayor Pete is a supremely logical technocrat. He processes information quickly and gives clear and thoughtful answers to questions. His appeal to pundits and wonks makes perfect sense.
That said, I have three major concerns about him as a presidential candidate, none of which has anything to do with his sexual orientation, which is likely to be a factor only for people who would never vote for him, anyway:
- He’s minimally qualified for the job, at best, based on his age and work experience;
- I’m not sure America is really ready for a technocrat as president. This is the country that elected Trump, after all; and
- Most importantly, he doesn’t project strength and authority on stage. This is partly, but not completely, due to his height; Harris manages to do it, and she is shorter than he is.
The best American analogy in recent history, in my opinion, is Michael Dukakis. How did that turn out?
His candidacy won’t survive Super Tuesday.