Daily Archives: December 6, 2019

December 6 – In Praise of Having Done Nothing


The headline, well, actually the subhead, caught my eye.  The headline read “Pete Buttigieg, Progressive Saint,” and I need not comment on that.  The subhead added, “He hasn’t done a lot, but then neither has your minister.” I think I need to comment on that.

The writer of the column, a guy named Kyle Smith, wanted to make the point that the 37-year old candidate’s rise in recent polls has more to do with his way with words, which can be impressive, than with his accomplishments as mayor of South Bend. The saint part of the headline has to do with the fact that Mayor Buttigieg often refers to his Episcopalian understanding of Christian faith, sometimes irritating his conservative critics. I’ll let the critics have it out on that one.

But why drag me into the argument? And, yeah, I want to take issue with the comparison. Do-nothing politicians are a lot like ministers; do-nothings if there ever were do-nothings. Continue reading