It’s less than a week until California holds its presidential primary. I’m excited to be casting my vote for Pete Buttigieg.
Sometimes, I find it hard to reclaim the enthusiasm I once had for the possibilities of the America ahead. Instead, cynicism, indifference and disgust too often fuel my political outlook.
But guess what? Intelligence still excites me. Compassion engages me. Realism is reassuring. Integrity counts. And I want a leader I can be proud of.
A year ago, I never thought that I would find those qualities in the young mayor of a small Midwestern city. When a friend first mentioned Mayor Pete, I had no idea who he was. After googling the candidate, I thought my friend was only intrigued by Pete because he was gay.
A few months later, I heard about this amazing interaction between a Norwegian journalist and Pete at last year’s South by Southwest festival. He started talking to her in Norwegian (with a Midwest accent, according to her). That’s when I learned he speaks 8 languages, including English. A Harvard grad, a Rhodes scholar, a former military intelligence officer . . . Imagine! Someone who might actually be able to think and reason.
The next time I was in our local Barnes & Noble, I picked up his campaign book, Shortest Way Home: One Mayor’s Challenge and a Model for America’s Future. It was a good read, and it gave me a sense of how he approached problems and worked with people. As a liberal arts grad, I believe strongly that people’s approach to learning and solving problems is a key indicator of their potential. Still, South Bend isn’t America. I remained skeptical
Nevertheless, I wanted to hear more. I started paying attention when he appeared on talk shows and town halls—even when it was on Fox. In those early days, I was impressed by how he really listened to questions and actually answered them.
Maybe it helped that I worked my whole life in technology. I know people can be the catalyst to lead change and transform the world without requiring decades of achievements. Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg are names everyone knows. People may not know the names of two people I actually encountered in my early days of Xerox who died this past year: Larry Tessler who in his ‘30s helped invent the modern graphical user interface at Xerox Palo Alto Research Center, and Gary Starkweather who at 31 invented laser printing at the Xerox Webster Research Center. They, too, changed the world at a young age.
In short, I want to be open to vision and genius when it appears.
I know I’m not alone. I am often surprised by the number and variety of people who admire Pete Buttigieg, even as they worry that he may be too young or too unlikely a candidate. I overcame that concern months ago. I have to vote for someone that I not only am willing to support but who I also want to follow.
So, yes, I’m going to vote for Mayor Pete. Wherever the primary season takes him, I feel this vote is one way I can fight back to restore a world where truth matters, where decency counts, and where the rule of law will once again be respected.
I still have hope for America’s future.
Please check out all my novels in paperback or Kindle format, including: Tales from the Loon Town Cafe, The Finnish Girl, The Devil’s Analyst—and my latest, The Long Table Dinner.
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