Pete Buttigieg’s US Presidential Odds Are Fading After Spectacular Debut

• After an initial buzz, euphoria surrounding Mayor Pete Buttigieg has faded a bit
• We need to know more about what Mayor Pete’s plans are for the country
• Remember that Joe Biden really struggled both times he ran for President, dropping out both in 1987 and 2008

Pete Buttigieg burst onto the scene for the 2020 race for the White House, immediately endearing himself to progressives and appealing to moderates. However, the Mayor of South Bend, Indiana has faded a little bit. His 2020 US Presidential odds have dropped from +1200 to +1500, so is it a good time to bet on him or is it best to stay away?

2020 US Presidential Election Odds

*Odds taken 05/27/19

Buttigieg Losing Momentum

There’s no question that Mayor Pete is losing some momentum, but one has to wonder if that’s something to be concerned about or if it’s just natural. He seemingly came out of nowhere, did a slew of talk shows and mainstream media, and he even did a town hall of rival network Fox News.

Now it seems like the glitz is wearing off a little bit. The initial euphoria has faded and people are having some second thoughts. The good news is that – for the most part – this is quite natural. New arrivals excite and then the novelty wears off. Also, there’s plenty of time remaining.

Buttigieg Lacks National Name

One of the biggest concerns for Democrats who are hoping to take the White House from Donald Trump is the fact that the candidate must have a national presence. Trying to unseat an incumbent who has a strong economy and a well-known brand will be tough as it is.

It becomes much harder if American voters don’t know who a candidate is, what his track record is, and what he’s proposing. Mayor Pete has lots of time to change that, but as of right now, voters are realizing that the best brand name with national recognition out there on the Democratic side is Joe Biden.

What Does Buttigieg Stand For?

Again, it’s still quite early in the process, but in the next month or two we really have to start hammering out what all of these candidates stand for. That is what is really going to separate the contenders from the pretenders.

At least with Biden, Bernie Sanders, and Elizabeth Warren, the majority of people know what they’ll get. With Mayor Pete, it’s a question mark.

What are his plans for healthcare? Is he going to change the tax brackets? What is he going to do – or not do – in terms of the military? What are his thoughts on foreign policy, including ongoing tensions with Iran, North Korea, and China?

That’s a big challenge and we’ve seen how candidates can either grow or slip up once the plans are put to paper. A lot of people love Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez – the young congresswoman from New York – but when she put her Green New Deal on paper, it generated a lot of scrutiny.

We need to know what Mayor Pete’s plans are for the country and we need to see him go out and stump on those plans. Then he needs to get in the debates, face the criticisms, and prove that he’s got the right methods. Unless he does that, he won’t raise money and he won’t be in the race next year.

What’s The Best Bet?

I would personally hold with Mayor Pete. He’s still one of the best options in terms of appealing to both moderates and progressives. History has shown that Biden struggles as a Presidential candidate, so while he’s way ahead of the race right now, expect him to stumble once he starts getting into debates and speeches.

For Mayor Pete, he’s got to get everything in order so he can capitalize at that point. For now, I would take a wait-and-see approach. If he’s still just speaking in generalities with no concrete plans in a month or two, then he’s in trouble. I expect him to have more substance by that time and then we’ll be able to properly evaluate later on.