Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
Editorials & Other Articles
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
Pete Buttigieg, From 'The Daily Show' to Fox News, Is Kamala Harris' Made-for-TV Surrogate
VarietyDaniel D'Addario
July 30, 2024
Much of Pete Buttigieg’s interview with Jon Stewart on “The Daily Show” Monday night was consumed with Stewart’s speculation that Buttigieg is being vetted as a potential vice-presidential candidate. Buttigieg did not deny the notion, but parried by saying that, generally, being vetted for a political post is like being vetted to become a parent through adoption, as he and his husband had.
It was yet another example of the very particular skill Buttigieg has; more than any of his peers, he’s effectively a made-for-TV politician. This isn’t to say he’s, necessarily, callow or slick, though he certainly has a preternatural smoothness. He simply has the debater’s skill of speaking in an unbroken and unbreakable rhythm, thereby allowing the terms of the conversation to shift to whatever is on his mind. Asked by Stewart, for instance, why he keeps going on Fox News, Buttigieg spoke about the value of meeting not-necessarily-like-minded voters where they are, slipping in “that’s how I won Iowa” so deftly it felt practically subliminal.
Buttigieg’s appearances on Fox News, as much as Minnesota Governor Tim Walz’s repetition of the idea that the members of the Republican ticket are “weird,” or Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear saying that vice-presidential candidate, and “Hillbilly Elegy” author, JD Vance is “not from here,” have become part of the fabric of this strange, fraught, potential-rich moment. For a vanishingly short window of time, thanks to the abbreviated nature of Kamala Harris’ run for the presidency, these individuals have the opportunity to campaign for her while campaigning for themselves — proving their value as surrogates while, of course (of course!), keeping the focus on the principal. (Buttigieg also showed an ability to get with the program, critiquing “how odd [Vance has] turned out to be,” in line with the “weird” talking point that the party has begun rolling out widely.)
Is Buttigieg appearing on Fox News an admirable attempt at trying to break through to potentially winnable moderates or conservatives? Why not! (His point, to Stewart, that while he doubts the network is operating in good faith, its viewers are watching in good faith, is well-taken.) Can it also be read as an attempt to prove his own mettle? It’s hard to watch his recent “Fox News Sunday” appearance, in which he managed to completely steer the conversation, peppering in so many ripostes against Donald Trump that Shannon Bream simply could not respond point-by-point, and not see a sort of merry ambition. And on Bill Maher’s “Real Time,” notionally a lighter-hearted setting, Buttigieg tailored his approach slightly, dismantling Vance’s self-presentation and the tech industry’s support of Trump with a grin on his face.
It was yet another example of the very particular skill Buttigieg has; more than any of his peers, he’s effectively a made-for-TV politician. This isn’t to say he’s, necessarily, callow or slick, though he certainly has a preternatural smoothness. He simply has the debater’s skill of speaking in an unbroken and unbreakable rhythm, thereby allowing the terms of the conversation to shift to whatever is on his mind. Asked by Stewart, for instance, why he keeps going on Fox News, Buttigieg spoke about the value of meeting not-necessarily-like-minded voters where they are, slipping in “that’s how I won Iowa” so deftly it felt practically subliminal.
Buttigieg’s appearances on Fox News, as much as Minnesota Governor Tim Walz’s repetition of the idea that the members of the Republican ticket are “weird,” or Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear saying that vice-presidential candidate, and “Hillbilly Elegy” author, JD Vance is “not from here,” have become part of the fabric of this strange, fraught, potential-rich moment. For a vanishingly short window of time, thanks to the abbreviated nature of Kamala Harris’ run for the presidency, these individuals have the opportunity to campaign for her while campaigning for themselves — proving their value as surrogates while, of course (of course!), keeping the focus on the principal. (Buttigieg also showed an ability to get with the program, critiquing “how odd [Vance has] turned out to be,” in line with the “weird” talking point that the party has begun rolling out widely.)
Is Buttigieg appearing on Fox News an admirable attempt at trying to break through to potentially winnable moderates or conservatives? Why not! (His point, to Stewart, that while he doubts the network is operating in good faith, its viewers are watching in good faith, is well-taken.) Can it also be read as an attempt to prove his own mettle? It’s hard to watch his recent “Fox News Sunday” appearance, in which he managed to completely steer the conversation, peppering in so many ripostes against Donald Trump that Shannon Bream simply could not respond point-by-point, and not see a sort of merry ambition. And on Bill Maher’s “Real Time,” notionally a lighter-hearted setting, Buttigieg tailored his approach slightly, dismantling Vance’s self-presentation and the tech industry’s support of Trump with a grin on his face.
https://variety.com/2024/tv/columns/pete-buttigieg-daily-show-impact-kamala-harris-1236090072/