There's more than a little irony in the fact that in today's weekly print column I made a pitch for a more civil public conversation.
That would certainly include the political arena, which is in dire need of the kind of self-examination that many of us perform during the season of Lent.
Unfortunately, our politics just got a little less civil.
That's because Pete Buttigieg, the former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, last night announced he was suspending his quest for the Democratic nomination.
A more decent, upstanding politician you will be hard-pressed to find.
I'm not sure what the future holds for Pete Buttigieg. He will not be the Democratic standard bearer.
But I am willing to bet this.
At some point, Pete Buttigieg will be president of the United States.
There's an old saying that you want the president to be the brightest guy in the room.
That was never a question when it comes to the man referred to simply as 'Mayor Pete.'
But it's more than that. Our politics needs a huge transfusion of Buttigieg's demeanor.
You don't see him screaming at his opponents. You don't see him take part in heated Twitter wars. You don't see him slapping mocking nicknames on those he happens to disagree with.
He always took the high road. Exactly where you would like the president to be.
This was not Buttigieg's time. He made a valuable contribution to the race.
If only to show us, once again, what our better angels can aspire to be.
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