Buttigieg's popularity in the irrelevant early primary states of Iowa and New Hampshire gave his campaign a veneer of success, prompting these adoring journalists and out-of-touch white Democrats to anoint him (without evidence) as a "rising star" of American politics who will definitely be president someday. (Fact check: He won't.)
Despite the former mayor's conspicuous lack of qualifications, President Joe Biden made Buttigieg the U.S. secretary of transportation in order to boost the whippersnapper's meager résumé and add some "diversity" to an administration stacked with Ivy League nerds.
Buttigieg has since presided over a number of transportation-related scandals that reflect rather poorly on his leadership skills. Nevertheless, the alleged wunderkind continues to be lovingly profiled by journalists who rave about his "star power," his humble weekend strolls among the "artisanal stalls at Eastern Market," and his ability to recite talking points on television.
