Deep Cuts from Pete Buttigieg's Rhodie Resume

[babylonsister]

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/05/13/deep-cuts-from-pete-buttigiegs-rhodie-resume

On the Campaign Trail
Deep Cuts from Pete Buttigieg’s Rhodie Résumé
At Oxford, the Presidential candidate kept a library of exotic whiskeys and studied everywhere, from a freighter to the shared rest room.
By Charles Bethea
5:00 A.M.


snip//

Buttigieg immediately stood out among the standouts. Katharine Wilkinson, an author and an environmentalist, remembered a debate Buttigieg participated in, on the subject of “democratic policy, or the future of the Democratic Party, or something.” She said, “I thought, Holy shit, I’m out of my depth. This guy’s, like, really freaking impressive.”

Marissa Doran, a lawyer in New York, said Buttigieg was “a good egg” who, when he wasn’t leading a politics-themed discussion group, liked to “hole up and play Risk or Settlers of Catan.” At Pembroke, one of Oxford’s residential colleges, Buttigieg oversaw the common-room bar. “He curated this great collection of whiskey from around the world,” Wilkinson said. “When students took trips, he’d get them to bring something back for his ‘whiskey library.’ ”

During their first winter there, Buttigieg and some friends visited the Czech Republic. “People were photographing cathedrals or whatever,” Doran said, “and Peter took these wonderful photos of a stunning reflection in the mirror of a car. He notices small things.” Though conversant in eight languages—including French, which he used in a viral message of condolence after the fire at Notre Dame—Buttigieg doesn’t speak Czech. “But,” Doran said, “he’d learned a lot about the city before we went. He took us to every bookstore.”

snip//

When it came time to conclude his studies, Buttigieg chose what Farris calls his “North Sea-cargo-ship exam preparation.” Wilkinson said, “It’s one of those mythic Oxford tales that’s actually true. Pete boarded a cargo ship—shipping goods across the ocean—to isolate himself before the multiple days of tests. I just remember thinking, like, What? Who does that?” Soon after, Buttigieg earned a “first,” the highest grade. Then it was on to a job at McKinsey.

In Spy, Sullivan predicted that a Rhodie would never become President, “because,” he wrote, “if you were president, you could never hope to put anything better on your résumé, and because that, to a Rhodes scholar, is tantamount to death.” Five years later, a notebook-carrying Rhodie from Arkansas was sworn in. With Booker and Buttigieg in the running, might Sullivan be proven wrong once more? ♦

This article appears in the print edition of the May 13, 2019, issue, with the headline “Rhodes Runner.”

[George II]

1. "Sullivan predicted that a Rhodie would never become President" - has he ever heard of Bill Clinton?

[Mr.Bill]

4. I think the article says

that prediction was made five years before Clinton was elected.

[George II]

6. I see that now, it was the second to last sentence. Thanks.

[mobeau69]

5. It was a prediction.

[BigOleDummy]

2. Mr. Buttigieg

Is impressive and seems to get more so everyday. Much respect to this outstanding young man and veteran.

[Mr.Bill]

3. I know the headline was not written by the OP,

but it's an odd one. After reading the article, I understand it in the context of "deep cuts" on a record album. But it could be easily misunderstood as things being "cut" from his resume. A headline is not supposed to mislead or be clever, it's supposed to be representative of the article.

Something like "Details from Pete Buttigieg's Rhodes Resume" would have been more apt.

Interesting story nonetheless.

[mobeau69]

7. Journalism ain't what it used to be.

[LisaM]

18. I agree. I thought it meant he'd lied on his resume!

Terrible headline.

[Honeycombe8]

8. He is unique and remarkable. But totally inexperienced for the job & nat'l campaign.

What should I think of him? Can he stand up to the pressure, the hatred, Trumpism? Can he stand the grueling national campaign, as he's forced to travel the country, shaking the hands of people who won't vote for him? Begging for money?

I like him. But he's an unknown. In another time, but now, with an election that could mean tragedy for the nation forever? But can we really know about any of them?

I just don't know. But my eyes keep turning toward him. He is unique and the kind of person that I think should be President. Still, ....


(just thinking out loud)

[Cosmocat]

9. Time will tell

I wasn't paying attention to him, watched a few videos a few weekends ago, was struck hard, and found myself fighting declaring for him because there are so many great options, but just got tired of fighting it and staked my flag.

He is going DIRECTLY at Rs, but does so in such a disarming manner.

We CANNOT survive as a county unless we (collectively) grasp the fact they are fucking insane, and repudiate them until such time as some kind of non-toxic version of the republican party arises.

I think he is special.

But, the questions you posit are the questions because he has to prove out.

[Honeycombe8]

15. +1. nt

[Mr.Bill]

10. I agree the national campaign is somewhat of a test.

I'm sure he will rise in the standings if he handles it well.

[SuprstitionAintthWay]

11. I can't tell anyone what to think of him, but from all I've heard and seen

from the campaign itself so far, the answers to your questions 2, 3, and 4 are looking a lot like they're going to turn out to be "yes."

Fortunately we have time to learn a lot more about him. But initially I'm thinking he may not get the nomination, but what an incredible 39-47(?) yo VP he'd make in, oh, say, a Warren-Buttigieg Administration, maybe?

[Honeycombe8]

14. Hmmmm. Lots to think about. The debates should help. nt

[DoctorJoJo]

12. And Does He Have the Required Energy for Campaign Rigors Like Our Oldest Candidates Do

[Honeycombe8]

13. I'm gonna guess DrJoJo is jokin'. lol. nt

[bluescribbler]

16. He's a whiskey afficianado?

One more reason to like him.

[pnwmom]

17. He will be just as interesting and brilliant 10 years from now,

when he will also have a lot more experience than just as mayor of South Bend, Indiana, population 100K.

After what we've been through the last couple years, I'd really like to see a new President with more experience in government.

How about running for Senator or Governor, first?

[JudyM]

21. Agreed.

[marylandblue]

22. He decided to run now because this is a pivotal election and the time is ripe for a message like his

He knows this, so it's not a vanity project for him. It's his sincere belief that 2020 is his both his best shot at the job and the time when he can do the most good as a candidate at least and then perhaps as President.

[pnwmom]

23. I think he's sincere but I don't think his experience has prepared him as well as he thinks

it has. Yes, he is very smart. Warren and Klobuchar are just as smart, and they're also from the middle of the country ( Warren grew up in Oklahoma).

But the media always loves its boy-geniuses more than it loves brilliant women who have worked hard all their lives.

[marylandblue]

24. Yes, he does have that male privilege thing going for him

Warren may be just as smart as he is, I don't think Klobuchar matches either of them.

What I think Buttigieg really has is strategic thinking. Strategically, he really picked his best moment to run, when the nation would be most receptive to a message like his.

Warren's most strategic moment was 2016. Though I do see that has she has a good strategy for 2020 and it does appear to be working, so she could still make it.

I've given up on experience as a Presidential qualification. It makes total sense, yet there is only one case since 1976 where the more experienced candidate won. It seems to help people win primaries and lose general elections.

Maybe this makes sense. Ninety per cent of the people won't vote for the other party no matter how experienced they are. Everybody is fighting for the remaining 10% who seem to be terminal fence sitters. Good luck figuring them out. They're the same people holding up the line at Starbucks trying to decide if they want a cappucino or a frappacino.

[pnwmom]

25. Amy just doesn't brag about her credentials, but she has them.

She was a magna cum laude graduate of Yale, with a degree in political science; and she was an associate editor of the University of Chicago Law Review.

Once you're in that top 1%, as Pete and all three women are, it's splitting hairs to decide who is smarter. And it doesn't matter. We don't pick Presidents based on IQ, either.

[IndianaDave]

19. Pete's Experience with IEDs in Afghanistan is a pretty good sign that he can function under pressure

He is obviously a deep thinker, and reads enthusiastically. I'm an old guy - 77 - and I believe Pete's youth, energy and willingness to learn from every experience make him an EXCELLENT candidate for the Presidency. Every decent president we've had surrounded himself with qualified, knowledgeable people who helped them achieve success. It's very hard to imagine that Pete Buttigieg would diverge from that pattern

I have no problem with letting the primary process sort through our candidates, but it is very early in that process, and it's important to assess every candidate over the long haul. We all have some valid questions and concerns about various candidates, and the primary is the mechanism by which we carefully draw our conclusions about our ultimate nominee.

At this early stage, it would be reckless to dismiss any candidate, or to assume that we already know everything we need to know, and the race is over. Far from it. It's only just begun. Obviously, one of these women or men will be our nominee, but none of us is able to state with certainty who that person will be. Hell, we haven't even had the first debate yet.

So, best wishes to all the candidates, wherever they may be on one poll or another. This race is just starting to get interesting!

And please forgive my rambling. Sometimes, we old folks do that.

[femmedem]

20. This paragraph was absurd and wonderful:

"There was a book on the shared toilet,” Farris, who is now the general counsel at New Mexico’s Department of Finance & Administration, said, “called ‘Teach Yourself Norwegian.’ ” One day, as the flatmates were walking along the Thames, a young man wearing a soldier’s coat with a Norwegian flag appeared. “Peter stopped him,” Farris said, “and they had a conversation while we politely waited. I realized that Peter had taught himself Norwegian on the toilet.”

That's some serious time management skills.

[keithbvadu2]

26. Many, many candidates are not really running for election. They are running for name recognition a

Many, many candidates are not really running for election.

They are running for name recognition and the possibility of a real run later.