Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1122280
13 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 26 MAY 2019 NEWS mittee, and had the New York Times's Frank Bruni gushing about him as potentially the 'First Gay President'— all by age 37." "It goes without saying that Pete's fan base has grown in Malta due to his Maltese con- nections," University of Malta public policy expert George Vital Zammit says. "We always take pride in Maltese people who have made it abroad, and having a presidential candi- date with a Maltese surname is certainly not common. "Mayor Pete, as he likes to be called, is a viable candidate who is presenting an alterna- tive narrative to the current Trump administration. At on- ly 37, he has made age an as- set rather than a liability, hav- ing had army experience and been a mayor of South Bend for seven years." Zammit says Buttigieg does not only come with a story, but also with his style. "He rarely flips and unlike most of the other candidates, comes with a clean sheet." Janet Barthet, who crossed over the Atlantic to campaign for Hillary Clinton in her race against Donald Trump, and who is now Opposition leader Adrian Delia's assistant, says Pete's success since announc- ing his exploratory committee for the presidential race, has been quite substantial. "I do believe we're inflating Mayor Pete's success locally because he's Maltese. How- ever, he really is polling well following a couple of high- profile TV interviews. His support shot up from 0 to 11% in just three months, which I think is significant given that the only public office he's oc- cupied so far, is mayor of a relatively small city in Indi- ana." In fact, Barthet believes that he actually stands a chance of clinching the presidency in 2020. "If we've learnt anything from recent elections and ref- erenda, from Obama's perfor- mance in 2008 to the Brexit referendum in 2016, and Trump's even bigger surprise election in 2016, despite most major media and polls pre- dicting otherwise, we should know by now that a lot can happen, even in 24 hours." Buttigieg's late father Joseph translated Antonio Gram- sci's Prison Notebooks into English and maintained close contact with academic and political circles in Malta. Vice Rector and Professor in the Department of Interna- tional Relations at the Univer- sity of Malta, Carmen Sam- mut told MaltaToday that she remembers colleagues speak- ing to Pete Buttigieg on one occasion. "A young colleague who happens to be acquainted with him once confided that it was through Pete that he had first heard of Barack Obama. He remembers asking who would elect someone who goes by the name of Barack Obama," Sammut said. "It now seems that Obama has expressed support for Pe- te just when many Americans are asking about who would vote for someone whose sur- name we cannot even pro- nounce. For a microstate like Malta, the fact that a Maltese- American has made it this far is in itself historic and the in- terest is obvious. "There is a proximity that engages us. Until recently, Malta was a land of emigra- tion and we love to bask in the success of Maltese descend- ants," she said. But George Vital Zammit is more circumspect about Butt- igieg's prospects. For one, he sees Buttigieg's strong politi- cal deliveries are not enough to improve his odds. "Campaigning for the Presi- dency takes almost two years. Following initial announce- ment and endorsements, each candidate goes through the Primaries and Caucuses to win delegates' approval. Un- like fellow democrats, Bernie Sanders, Joe Biden and Eliza- beth Warren, Pete is a long shot. "What will be crucial is his ability to raise funding and connect with the American people. Strong political argu- ments are not enough." Zammit adds that Buttigieg has been shining in a crowded contest like the Democrat- ic Party, mainly because he speaks of changing the way Washington works, which resonates on the mainland. But he warns against allow- ing Pete's homosexuality to dictate his rhetoric. "He is championing freedom and liberty as the essential pil- lars of democracy, but he will be making a huge mistake if he lets his sexuality dominate what he is about – his stance on civil rights will not be wel- come in some of the Repub- lican states. I also see him standing a very good chance on being a ticket with older candidates," he said. That could mean seeing Mayor Pete as vice-presiden- tial nominee with big ticket names such as Bernie Sand- ers perhaps – a progressive dream team? Prof. Sammut says that al- though it is still early days for Buttigieg, the young candi- date is appealing to discerning democrats. "These include the way in which he con- trasts with Trump in terms of preparation. He is refreshing in that he is not divisive. He sounds more sober and less angry… he is clever and clear in the way he articulates his arguments. "There is also his appeal to the millennials such as when he stated that he looks at the world through the windshield not from the rear-view mir- ror, which is what the world needs if important issues like climate change are to be tack- led." Barthet adds that despite her own reservations on Butti- gieg, the media seems to love him, "even though this might be a cynical fondness based on viewership and clicks…. "Whilst a conversation start- er may have been his diffi- cult-to-pronounce surname, I think well-established and respectable media houses are pleased that an openly gay new kid on the block could give the political elite on both sides a run for all of their money." As Zammit notes, talk show hosts take a genuine interest in his story and have enabled him to grow his popularity. "He comes across as smart and articulate, and has a taken on some of the most pressing issues, from healthcare to the economy, from foreign policy to civil rights. His trademark, rolled up sleeves, tie and no blazer, are now emblematic of youthfulness, change and renewal. The media has given him a pass up to now, but that might change at the first blun- der or slip up," he said. dhudson@mediatoday.com.mt Below left, with husband Chasten at his announcement for Democratic nominee, and with his late father Prof. Joseph Buttigieg and mother Jennifer