So, strangely enough, guess who is currently leading in Iowa
according to a new poll?
For those who haven't been following the primary, Buttigieg started out his campaign out in the more progressive track but quickly switched tack to try and capture more centrist votes once Medicare for All became a divisive issue despite
previously supporting it - and seems to have managed to cement himself as the young darling of the Democratic elite, drawing significantly more donor support than Biden.
Why does this matter? Well, it matters because Biden now has an actual competitor in the centrist lane who is ideologically little different (as far as we know, Buttigieg doesn't actually have an ideology) but lacking in Biden's specific set of political baggage - Mayor Pete doesn't have his age, an anachronistic political tenure, nor conspiracy theories about Burisma impeding him. These are draws which have actually started to pull certain voters from Biden.
I say 'certain' voters, because while Buttigieg may be marketable in the Midwest or to coastal donors, he has an absolutely abysmal relationship with black voters due to his handling of law enforcement in South Bend. Barring some sort of unlikely turnaround, this alone is enough to ensure he won't get the nomination.
In terms of balancing the ledger, this may ultimately do more to hurt centrist chances.