Funviralpark The Christmas travel nightmare involving Southwest Airlines has left widespread destruction with long-lasting consequences. It’s been a tough week for everyone involved, from frustrated travelers over nearly 16,000 canceled flights to the reputation of a once-favorite airline to the political future of Pete Buttigieg.
Americans tend to have short memories, but this debacle left deep scars. Passengers who missed the family reunion will always remember this episode, especially after the past two years of the holiday season were cut short by the pandemic.
Southwest and its management will face a difficult problem with outdated technology and misplaced priorities. At the top of that list is our obsession with going green and pouring millions of dollars toward “carbon neutrality” to appease the waking crowd. No word yet on how much emissions have been cut amid the massive grounding of flights this week.
For Secretary of Transportation Buttigieg, the headaches are just beginning. Critics have questioned the city’s 100,000 inhabitants entitlement for the 40-year-old former mayor to oversee a government agency with nearly 60,000 employees.
Buttigieg comes under attack from both parties during Southwest trip debacle
Already, he’s become a piñata within his own party. For ambitious and talented politicians looking to higher ground, this poses a problem. The Democratic Bernie Sanders campaign is particularly noisy. Nina Turner, who co-chaired Sanders’ 2020 campaign, accused Buttigieg of “failing.”
Another co-chair, Rep. Ro Khanna (D-California), accused Buttigieg of ignoring the warning, tweeting that “this mess with the Southwest could have been avoided.”
Some Republicans have had their own critiques — mostly focused on the $7 billion the Southwest received from taxpayers in COVID-aid — but sharper criticism came from Buttigieg’s left. Yes, it makes sense.
Having exceeded all expectations in 2020, Buttigieg is considered a rising star to watch in the years to come. His move from bright red Indiana, where Democrats are dying out, to neighboring blue Michigan only fueled that speculation.
Republican lawmakers blast Biden, Buttigieg after kids stranded in Baltimore amid airline chaos
Initially, Mr. Buttigieg’s cabinet position was seen as a stepping stone to higher office. Like Vice President Kamala Harris, it has become a political lead balloon.
The Southwest debacle wasn’t the first blemish on his resume. It was the latest episode in a growing pattern of events. In 2021, the term “supply chain” has turned from a textbook arcane term to a real pain for frustrated consumers waiting for what was once readily available. Earlier this year, it emerged that Buttigieg had been vacationing in Portugal, and rail contract negotiations upon his return headed for a strike.
Click here to get the opinion newsletter
Meanwhile, the Democratic Party’s current bannerman, 80-year-old Joe Biden, faces ongoing questions about his ability to run another national campaign. A USA TODAY/Suffolk University poll found that just 8% of respondents called his 66-80 years old the ideal age for a president.
The Southwest debacle wasn’t the first blemish on Buttigieg’s resume. It was the latest episode in a growing pattern of events.
Yes, Biden’s Democrats enjoyed a much more successful midterm election than anyone expected, but his approval ratings remain closer to 40 than 50.
To be sure, Buttigieg remains a competent politician, with very few seats and a desperate need for young faces. It’s not out of the question that he can turn this entire episode into net positive.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
But one thing is clear: he needs to tackle it head-on. For nearly all Democrats (and, sadly, too many Republicans), the federal government is the direct scapegoat for any problem under the sun. The free market days are over and consumers could punish Southwest Airlines for choosing other airlines.
For the Democrats, who will soon be looking for their next leader, Christmas 2022 could be a defining moment for one of their leading candidates.
Click here to read more about Colin Reed
