The Inevitable Defeat of Mister and Pete

Mayor Pete. That's what we all called him. That was because Buttegieg is too hard to pronounce. Even the spell check shrugs its shoulders at this candidate for President of the United States. Excuse me: former candidate for President of the United States. His honor the mayor has cashed in the few chips he had left and pushed away from the table. The headlines refer to his "historic run" as the first openly gay major party candidate for President of the United States.
Which only makes me pine for the day that will one day come when that isn't an asterisk.
And now, the tackiest of all possible interactions takes place: the wooing of Mayor Pete's delegates. If it all feels a little like hitting on the widow at her husband's funeral, then you have the right picture. It wasn't so very long ago that Mister Buttegieg was named the winner of the Iowa caucuses and he was sailing ahead on full steam. Suddenly he was a force to be reckoned with. That was February third. In early March, we are picking over his bones. Metaphorically speaking. I know that your hopes for the future of this country have just been dashed against the rocks of uncaring reality, but have you considered the advantages of hooking up with a guy who believes in Medicare for All? Take your time.
But not too much time.
As each candidate drops out, yes we are not forgetting Tom Steyer and his tie, the calls for unity become a little louder. And a little more desperate. Once all this hash is settled, there is still the main event: Who can beat the "president" and become President of the United States. That last bit may be more challenging than the office itself. The chore of pasting together all the tatters that our country has been torn and bringing all of us back to the table to talk about survival in the twenty-first century will be no easy feat. It would be simple enough to say that it is our responsibility to come together as one once the election has been held. Too easy. There will have to be reconciliation between the red and the blue, left and the right, left and far left, and so on.
Or we can surrender to the inevitable.
Mayor Pete joins a long list of the men and women who would be, well not King, but Chief Executive. And after I took all that time to learn how to spell Buttegieg.