Pete Buttigieg is not nearly as smart as he thinks he is.  Yesterday, Senator Ted Cruz devastatingly humiliated him for shooting his mouth off when he doesn't know what he's talking about.

In case you missed it, Buttigieg recently instructed a group of youngsters, "The people who wrote the Constitution did not understand that slavery was a bad thing."

That sort of criticism and condescension is part of the larger progressive project to disparage and eventually reject the United States Constitution — because it limits the power of government and affirm that our rights come from God.

Here is Buttigieg pretending that he is morally and intellectually superior to the Founders before an audience of youngsters that does not know better (he'd never get away with this at Hillsdale College, where they study the Constitution and Founders in depth):

Similarly, the amendment process, they were wise enough to realize that they didn't have all the answers and that some things would change. A good example of this is something like slavery or civil rights. It's an embarrassing thing to admit, but the people who wrote the Constitution did not understand that slavery was a bad thing. They did not respect civil rights. And yet, they created a framework so that as the generations came to understand that that was important, they could write that into the Constitution, too, and ensure true equal protection for all.

Taking to Twitter, Senator Cruz unmasked Buttigieg's sophistry (hat tip: The Right Scoop):

“Slavery is an evil of Colossal magnitude & I am utterly averse to the admission of slavery into the Missouri Territories. It being among my first wishes to see some plan adopted by which slavery in this country may be abolished by law.” John Adams, founding father, 2nd POTUS https://t.co/ch9gCMFUn7

— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) December 31, 2019

2/x “Freedom is not a gift bestowed upon us by other men, but a right that belongs to us by the laws of God and nature.” Benjamin Franklin, founding father, abolitionist

— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) December 31, 2019

3/x “…Neither my tongue, nor my pen, nor purse shall be wanting to promote the abolition of what to me appears so inconsistent with humanity and Christianity.” Benjamin Franklin, founding father, abolitionist

— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) December 31, 2019

4/x “Who talks most about freedom and equality? Is it not those who hold a bill of Rights in one hand and a whip for affrighted slaves in the other?” Alexander Hamilton, founding father, first Secretary of the Treasury, abolitionist

— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) December 31, 2019

5/x “It is much to be wished that slavery may be abolished. The honor of the States as well as justice and humanity, in my opinion, loudly call upon them to emancipate these unhappy people....” John Jay, founding father, first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, abolitionist

— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) December 31, 2019

6/x “To contend for our own liberty, and to deny that blessing to others, involves an inconsistency not to be excused.” John Jay, founding father, first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, abolitionist

— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) December 31, 2019

Buttigieg is facile — articulate and fast on his feet, qualities that, combined with a boyish mien, can carry  a person far in the academic world, where words matter more than actions and results are measured by more words.  I am sure he's garnered praise his entire life for being so smart and well spoken.  Combined with his ability to appear sincere and humble, he's had a winning political combination among college-educated Democrats, especially now that he is able to leverage his homosexuality into vast fundraising abilities.

This sort of experience can be dangerously seductive, though, especially when expressing views that progressives find comforting.  Negative feedback, however unpleasant, is a career positive in the long run, enabling course correction.  In that sense, Buttigieg owes Ted Cruz, who is at least as smart, older, and wiser, and a conservative who does not enjoy the immunity from criticism that progs mouthing liberal shibboleths do, a debt of gratitude.

It may take quite some time before Buttigieg realizes this, for Cruz has humiliated him by exposing his ignorance and shamed him for spouting off on a topic he knows too little about.

Buttigieg is enjoying a boom in polling support right now, as Democrats in Iowa and New Hampshire cast about in desperation for someone who is not a socialist and not a doddering old fool.  He would be wise to study the example of Beto O'Rourke, who also enjoyed a boom and deflated it with foolish comments demonstrating he also is not as smart as people have always told him he is.

Photo credit: Grabien screen grab.