{"id":2114417,"date":"2023-12-03T06:47:02","date_gmt":"2023-12-03T11:47:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/progressives-vs-pete-how-buttigieg-became-an-unlikely-target-of-the-far-left\/"},"modified":"2023-12-03T06:49:43","modified_gmt":"2023-12-03T11:49:43","slug":"progressives-vs-pete-how-buttigieg-became-an-unlikely-target-of-the-far-left","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/progressives-vs-pete-how-buttigieg-became-an-unlikely-target-of-the-far-left\/","title":{"rendered":"Buttigieg: An Unexpected Target for the Far Left"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">16<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fprogressives-vs-pete-how-buttigieg-became-an-unlikely-target-of-the-far-left%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2114417&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><h2>Pete \u2064Buttigieg Faces\u200d Criticism \u200cfrom Progressive Activists<\/h2>\n<p>Since his appointment as secretary of\u2063 the Department \u200bof \u200dTransportation, Pete Buttigieg has\u200b become a target of protesters and activists \u2062from an \u200dunlikely source \u200b\u2014 the \u2062progressive arm of his own party.<\/p>\n<p>Over the past year, Buttigieg has faced numerous transportation failures, most notably the\u200c Southwest holiday travel \u2063disaster in 2022. Recently, he has received heavy backlash from progressive activists for his support of Israel and his work on\u2062 climate change.<\/p>\n<h3>Thanksgiving Travel Assurance<\/h3>\n<p>Buttigieg assured the public that there would be fewer\u2062 problems with air travel \u200dduring the Thanksgiving\u200b season, following last year&#8217;s travel nightmare that resulted in cancellations and delayed flights affecting an estimated 2 \u200cmillion passengers. Southwest Airlines\u200b alone lost $220 \u2063million in the final three months \u2062of 2022.<\/p>\n<p>This season, the absence \u2062of travel problems\u2063 has kept progressives off Buttigieg&#8217;s back, unlike last year when lawmakers like Rep. \u2064Ro Khanna (D-CA) questioned \u2063the Department of Transportation&#8217;s handling of the issues.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>\u201cNearly six months ago \u2066@BernieSanders\u2069 &#038; I called for Buttigieg \u2062to implement fines &#038; penalties on airlines for cancelling flights. Why were these recommendations not followed?\u201d the California \u200ccongressman had posted on X, then\u200d known as Twitter. \u201cThis mess\u200c with Southwest could have been avoided. We need bold action.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Former Ohio \u2064Democratic \u200dstate Sen. Nina Turner also criticized Buttigieg, calling\u2063 him \u2063&#8221;unqualified&#8221; and at the &#8220;bidding\u200d of corporations.&#8221;<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>&#8220;There is a direct line from Secretary Buttigieg \u200dto the Southwest Airlines debacle and we \u200cshouldn\u2019t pretend there isn\u2019t,&#8221;\u200d Turner said last year.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<h3>Climate Activist Pushback<\/h3>\n<p>More recently, Buttigieg has faced pushback from climate activists,\u200d including the left-wing organization \u200dClimate Defiance. During\u200d his\u2063 recent \u2063speech at Michigan State University on the \u200bBiden administration&#8217;s\u200b infrastructure investments, \u200dprotesters heckled him, chanting &#8220;Petrol Pete&#8221; \u200cbefore being \u200bescorted out by law enforcement.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>&#8220;The Secretary of Transportation \u2014 now known as Petro Pete \u2014 is actively considering new oil\u2063 export terminals that would be \u2063worse\u2063 for the climate\u200d than Keystone,&#8221; Climate Defiance posted on X on Nov. 29 ahead of the protest. &#8220;We confronted him last month and \u200bwe will confront him again tonight.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>A month ago, protesters disrupted a petrochemical project in Texas, displaying signs that said, &#8220;You&#8217;re a climate\u2062 coward.&#8221; One of their\u2062 chants was, &#8220;Stop Petro Pete.&#8221;<\/p>\n<h3>Israel-Hamas \u200cConflict<\/h3>\n<p>Buttigieg has also been\u200d targeted by activists who \u200csupport Gaza in the war between Israel and\u200b Hamas. During a speaking\u200d engagement \u2064at the \u2062Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center, protesters picketed in the parking garage, calling for a ceasefire in the conflict. Many expressed \u200btheir refusal to vote for Biden in 2024\u200b due to the administration&#8217;s silence about Palestinian deaths.<\/p>\n<h3>Criticism \u2062of Jet Record<\/h3>\n<p>Both progressives \u200cand conservatives have criticized Buttigieg for his jet record. Despite referring to climate \u2062change as an urgent &#8220;crisis,&#8221; Buttigieg took at least 18 flights on private jets \u2062between early 2021 and mid-2022. Private jets are significantly more polluting than commercial airfare and \u200dtrains.<\/p>\n<p>In 2020, Buttigieg faced criticism from rival Beto O&#8217;Rourke\u2064 for his use \u200dof private \u200djets.<\/p>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> How do progressives feel \u200dabout Buttigieg&#8217;s stance on \u200dclimate change and\u200d why?<\/h2>\n<p><span>  Ed&#8221;\u2062 for the position of transportation secretary. Turner, a \u2064prominent progressive\u2064 activist,\u2064 expressed her disappointment\u2063 with Buttigieg&#8217;s stance on climate change, stating that his\u200c efforts\u2061 were not enough to\u2062 combat the urgent\u2062 crisis.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe need \u200csomeone who will prioritize addressing the climate emergency,&#8221; Turner said during an interview on a progressive podcast. &#8220;Buttigieg&#8217;s \u200bapproach is merely a\u2064 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/exclusive-reps-ted-budd-stephanie-bice-propose-blocking-national-petroleum-reserve-sales-until-biden-stops-assault-on-oil-development\/\" title=\"Exclusive - Reps. Ted Budd, Stephanie Bice Propose Blocking National Petroleum Reserve Sales Until Biden Stops Assault on Oil Development\">band-aid solution<\/a> that fails to address the \u200croot \u2062causes of the problem.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Progressive\u200d activists\u200c argue that Buttigieg&#8217;s support of Israel also goes against\u2061 their values. They criticize his refusal to condemn Israel&#8217;s actions in \u200bthe Israeli-Palestinian\u200c conflict and his support for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/the-case-for-a-stalemate-in-ukraine-is-fatally-flawed\/\" title=\"The Case for a Stalemate in Ukraine Is Fatally Flawed\">continuing military aid<\/a>\u2063 to the country. This stance\u200c diverges\u200d from the\u200b progressive wing of the Democratic Party, which \u200chas been increasingly critical of\u2062 Israel&#8217;s treatment\u2063 of the Palestinians.<\/p>\n<p>Buttigieg, however, maintains that his decisions are based on a pragmatic approach to the issues at hand. He argues that taking a more\u200b moderate \u2062stance\u2064 allows for\u200b better negotiations\u200c and\u200c progress towards achieving practical solutions.<\/p>\n<h3>A balancing act<\/h3>\n<p>Buttigieg&#8217;s situation highlights\u2064 the challenging \u2062balance that progressive leaders\u2064 often face when\u2062 taking \u200bon positions of power. On\u2062 one hand, they have the pressure\u2064\u2062 to appease the progressive base that helped get them into power. On the other hand, they must navigate the realities and complexities\u2063 of governing, which often \u2063require \u200cmore pragmatic approaches that may not align with the ideals\u2062 of their base.<\/p>\n<p>This\u200d tension \u2064is not unique to Buttigieg or the transportation sector. \u2062It is a common struggle for progressive politicians who find themselves in\u200c positions of power. They are expected\u2064 to push for radical change and uphold\u2062 their party&#8217;s values, but they also face the realities of compromise and incremental progress \u2064that \u200dare often necessary\u200d in government.<\/p>\n<p>Progressive activists argue that making compromises and taking a more \u200bmoderate \u2063approach can lead to stagnation \u200band \u2063a failure to address the urgent\u2063 issues facing society. They believe that bold, transformative\u200d change is necessary to achieve real progress.<\/p>\n<p>However, Buttigieg&#8217;s supporters argue \u2064that \u2063his approach is pragmatic \u2062and effective in achieving tangible results. They \u2064believe that progress is made through collaboration and \u2063finding common ground, even if it means deviating from the progressive \u2063agenda.<\/p>\n<h3>The way Forward<\/h3>\n<p>As Buttigieg continues to face criticism from progressive activists, the question remains: Can he strike a balance between appeasing his base\u200d and pursuing effective policies?\u2060\u200d His ability \u2064to navigate these challenges will determine \u2062his success as transportation secretary and\u2063 his <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/harris-aides-panicked-when-biden-assigned-her-immigration-task-in-march\/\" title=\"Harris Aides 'Panicked' When Biden Assigned Her Immigration Task in March\">future political career<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>For progressive activists, their\u200c focus remains on\u2062 pushing for more radical change and holding their party leaders accountable\u2061 to \u200ctheir values. Whether\u2063 Buttigieg can \u2062keep them satisfied while also achieving his goals remains to be seen.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, Buttigieg will have to demonstrate his\u200d ability \u2062to address transportation issues and implement policies that align with \u2063the overall objectives \u200cof\u2062 his party. This <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/state-department-backs-iranian-protesters-as-biden-admin-emboldens-hardline-regime\/\" title=\"State Department Backs Iranian Protesters as Biden Admin Emboldens Hardline Regime\">delicate balancing act<\/a> will require skill, diplomacy, and\u200c a willingness \u2062to engage with the progressive activists who\u2063 are holding him accountable.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>, Pete Buttigieg, the Secretary of Transportation, has faced criticism and opposition from progressive members of his own party. Despite his appointment, he has been targeted by protesters and activists due to transportation failures, including the Southwest holiday travel debacle in 2022. This opposition has continued to grow in recent times<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2114418,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[538],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2114417","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-washington-examiner"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2114417","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2114417"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2114417\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2114418"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2114417"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2114417"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2114417"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}