# Who is Pete Buttigieg? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [March 12, 2019, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-pete-buttigieg/831032 "2019-03-12T21:59:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 34
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2020, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-pete-buttigieg/831032/661 "2020-12-19T01:41:34Z")
Following up, I know that Biden really had to find a place for Buttigieg in his administration on two counts: to have an openly LGBT person in his Administration, and as payback for Pete’s dropping out when he did. And I agree that VA really wasn’t a suitable place for him. So why not Commerce? Commerce has always been thought of as a nothingburger the way Transportation has, because it’s really a grab-bag of more or less unrelated agencies, and you can be Secretary of Commerce, pick some good people to run those agencies, and take all the credit. Also, Census is under Commerce’s umbrella, and it’s kinda important and newsworthy this year. So that would give Buttigieg some opportunities to grandstand a bit and be in the public eye, which is really what he wants, after all. ---
**Author:** ![FigNorton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fignorton/32/5619_2.png) [@FigNorton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FigNorton)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2020, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-pete-buttigieg/831032/662 "2020-12-19T05:41:10Z")
Yoiks. I think you seriously overestimate the position’s power to effect climate change policy. That covers a lot of departments. What would be good and I bet he could get into, is the nation’s crumbling transportation infrastructure. That’s a good thing for the Sec of Transportation to worry about, imho. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2020, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-pete-buttigieg/831032/663 "2020-12-21T01:36:40Z")
No, the whole point of my post was that the **power** the next Transportation Secretary will have is going to be quite limited. That’s why you need a fucking **wonk** - to know what seemingly minor changes might actually make a difference, because you AREN’T going to be able to build a high-speed rail network. Best case is, you might be able to figure out what regulatory obstacles to remove so that if the _next_ Administration has money for that, they can just **do** it, rather than having to clear out that underbrush themselves. Climate change policy **does** cover a lot of departments. But if transportation policy isn’t part of it, really you’re not doing climate change policy, you’re just pretending. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2020, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-pete-buttigieg/831032/664 "2020-12-21T19:08:48Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > So that would give Buttigieg some opportunities to grandstand a bit and be in the public eye, which is really what he wants, after all. Bitter? Bernie lost, BTW. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2020, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-pete-buttigieg/831032/665 "2020-12-21T19:39:12Z")
> [@dalej42](#): > > Bitter? > > Bernie lost, BTW. **Modnote** : Don’t attack the poster, just the post. Avoid this for now on in P&E. This is just a guidance, not a warning. Nothing on your permanent record. ---
**Author:** ![Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulf_the_Unwashed)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2020, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-pete-buttigieg/831032/666 "2020-12-21T20:19:49Z")
never mind–misread post ---
**Author:** ![DWMarch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dwmarch/32/1010_2.png) [@DWMarch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DWMarch)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2020, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-pete-buttigieg/831032/667 "2020-12-28T15:50:34Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > No, the whole point of my post was that the **power** the next Transportation Secretary will have is going to be quite limited. That’s why you need a fucking **wonk** - to know what seemingly minor changes might actually make a difference, because you AREN’T going to be able to build a high-speed rail network. Is Buttigieg not a wonk? Just looking over his Wiki article it seems to me like he is mad smart and he’ll be able to put in the work, assuming SecTrans has some involvement in the day-to-day stuff beyond administration. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2021, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-pete-buttigieg/831032/668 "2021-02-09T04:30:44Z")
> **[United States Secretary of Transportation](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Secretary_of_Transportation)** > > Pages for logged out editors learn more > > > The United States secretary of transportation is the head of the United States Department of Transportation. The secretary serves as the principal advisor to the president of the United States on all matters relating to transportation. The secretary is a statutory member of the Cabinet of the United States, and is fourteenth in the presidential line of succession. > The secretary of transportation oversees the U.S. Department of Transportation, w... And see: AP: [Buttigieg to quarantine after security agent gets COVID-19](https://www.aol.com/news/buttigieg-quarantine-security-agent-gets-004437202-021658627.html) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-pete-buttigieg/831032.md?page=33)