Trump asks: "Who the hell is Buttigieg?"

Sometimes Donald Trump gets it kinda right? All the newspapers are enthusing about the rise and rise of Pete Buttigieg, the former mayor of a relatively small city in Indiana (South Bend, population 102,245) who came (just) first in the Iowa Democratic caucuses and looks headed for a decent showing in New Hampshire on Tuesday. But Trump? He made a speech and referred to the Democratic winner of the Iowa vote. "It turned out to be Pete Buttigieg whoever the hell that is. Mayor Pete, explain that one to me." His audience loved it and shouted "Four more years". Trump offered 12 or 16 more years! If Buttigieg does power on to win the Democratic nomination, Trump will have to get to know a bit more about his rival but I doubt it will lose him much sleep. All Trump has to say is: "Come on folks, do you really want someone as inexperienced as this ex-small-town-mayor trying to stand up to Kim Jong-un or the President of China or, for heaven's sake, Vladimir Putin?" In some ways, a fresh-faced, young president in the White House would be exciting, just as it was when Barack Obama arrived on the scene. But you do have to ask, Buttigieg versus Putin or Xi Zinping or "the Little Rocket Man" in Pyongyang? Would they give sufficient respect to him? We will probably never know the answer to that because between now and November, if Buttigieg stays the course, Trump is going to hammer away at the former mayor's lack of political weight and experience. It may become brutal. Trump knows how to be withering and brutal. It may be why eventually the Democrats will turn away from Buttigieg and play safe by nominating one of the old hands. Even Joe Biden, under those circumstances, might come back in favour and push the young man to one side.