For a man only 43 years old, Pete Buttigieg has a staggeringly impressive CV. A graduate of Harvard College and the University of Oxford. Naval Intelligence Officer. Mayor of his hometown of South Bend, Indiana. Presidential candidate. Secretary of Transportation for the Biden administration. Father of two. Openly gay. Buttigieg is also a rarity among Democratic politicians in that he has appeared regularly on Fox News and more than held his own in that hyper-partisan and often fact-free environment.
UCSB Arts and Lectures (A&L) is bringing “Mayor Pete” to the Arlington Theatre on Tuesday, April 22, with an overflow simulcast screening, for students only, at Campbell Hall. Making sense of the 2020s is the subject of his presentation. Buttigieg is uniquely positioned to speak about the leadership challenges the near future poses and the skills and attributes needed to address them. As articulate as he is thoughtful, Buttigieg projects genuine sincerity and belief in the values of inclusion, equity, and accountability along with Midwestern pragmatism and common sense.
Buttigieg is also refreshingly humble, perhaps due in part to his eight years as mayor of South Bend, a rust-belt city of around 100,000 people. Once a manufacturing hub and home to the Studebaker automobile company, South Bend’s best-known institution is Notre Dame University. During Buttigieg’s tenure, the city made investments to revitalize and diversify its economic base. Mayors are close to their constituents, often the most visible representative of government, the person responsible for ensuring that roads and sidewalks are kept in repair, water is free from contamination, trash is collected, and public safety maintained. Not very glamorous, perhaps, but it’s the nuts and bolts of local government and the arena where Buttigieg honed his political skills. Not only is he intimately familiar with how policies intersect with people and their everyday lives, he’s effective at explaining these connections.
When the Democratic Party searches for its next presidential nominee a few years from now, Buttigieg is likely to be on the short list. Along with senator Chris Murphy and representative Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez, he represents the next generation of leadership, reared in the Reagan era rather than the New Deal. In this politically dark and uncertain time, when so many American ideals seem to be falling by the wayside and our identity as a nation is in flux, our community is fortunate to have this opportunity to hear directly from a seasoned and principled leader who not only appeals to our better angels, but still believes in the possibility of a more perfect union for all Americans.
The conversation on April 22 promises to be fascinating. Very limited tickets are now available. For more information, call the A&L ticket office at (805) 893-3535. See bit.ly/3G775fZ.
