Is Pete Buttigieg’s political future grounded forever after Southwest holiday travel disaster?
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg's position in the Biden administration was once seen as a stepping stone for the rising star
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Christmas travel nightmare involving Southwest Airlines left a wide wake of destruction with long-lasting implications. From frustrated travelers on the nearly 16,000 canceled flights to the reputation of the once-popular airline to the political future of Pete Buttigieg – it’s been a tough week for all involved.
Americans’ memories tend to be short, but this fiasco will leave behind serious scar tissue. Those passengers who missed family gatherings will always remember this episode, especially after the last two holiday seasons were curtailed by the pandemic.
Southwest and its leadership will face tough questions about their outdated technology and misplaced priorities. At the top of that list is their obsession with going green and shoveling millions of dollars toward "carbon neutrality" to appease the woke crowd. No word yet on how many emissions were saved this week amid the mass grounding of flights.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}For Transportation Secretary Buttigieg, the headaches are only just beginning. Critics are questioning the credentials of a 40-year-old former mayor of a city of 100,000 residents to oversee an agency with nearly 60,000 employees.
BUTTIGIEG UNDER FIRE FROM BOTH PARTIES AMID SOUTHWEST HOLIDAY TRAVEL FIASCO
Already, he has become a pinata within his own party. For an ambitious and talented politician with his eye on higher office, this spells trouble. The Bernie Sanders-aligned wing of the party has been especially noisy. Nina Turner, who co-chaired Sanders’ 2020 campaign, accused Buttigieg of "failing up."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., another co-chair, accused Buttigieg of ignoring his warnings, tweeting, "this mess with Southwest could have been avoided."
Some Republicans have piled on with their own criticism – largely focused on the $7 billion dollars Southwest received from taxpayers in COVID aid – but the more pointed critiques have come from Buttigieg’s left, which makes sense.
Having exceeded all expectations in 2020, Buttigieg is viewed as a rising star, a name to watch in the coming years. His move from deep red Indiana, where Democrats are going extinct, to neighboring blue Michigan only fueled that speculation.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}GOP LAWMAKER BLASTS BIDEN, BUTTIGIEG AFTER KIDS STRANDED IN BALTIMORE AMID AIRLINE CHAOS
Initially, Buttigieg’s cabinet position was seen as a stepping stone to higher office. Like Vice President Kamala Harris, it has become a political lead balloon.
The Southwest fiasco was not the first blemish on his resume. It was the latest episode in a growing pattern of events. In 2021, the term "supply chain" morphed from an esoteric term in a textbook to real life pain for frustrated consumers waiting for goods that used to be readily available. This year it was revealed Buttigieg was vacationing in Portugal while back home heated rail contract negotiations veered toward a strike.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}CLICK HERE TO GET THE OPINION NEWSLETTER
Meanwhile, the current standard bearer of the Democratic Party, an 80-year-old Joe Biden, faces ongoing questions about his ability to wage another national campaign. A USA TODAY/Suffolk University poll found that just 8% of respondents called 66-80 years old an ideal age for a president.
The Southwest fiasco was not the first blemish on Buttigieg's resume. It was the latest episode in a growing pattern of events.
Yes, Biden’s Democrats enjoyed a far more successful midterm election than anyone expected, but his approval rating remains stuck closer to 40 than 50. Should he run again, Biden won’t have the cover of COVID to keep him out of the spotlight.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}To be sure, Buttigieg remains a talented politician in a political party with an exceedingly shallow bench in desperate need of some younger faces. It’s not out of the question he could spin this entire episode into a net positive.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
But one thing is clear: he will need to take it head-on. For almost every Democrat (and sadly too many Republicans), the federal government is the immediate scapegoat to every problem under the sun – even in the private sector. Gone are the days of free markets and letting consumers punish Southwest by choosing other airlines.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}For a Democratic Party soon in search of its next leader, Christmas 2022 could be a make-or-break moment for one of the potential contenders.