Mayor Pete Buttigieg (South Bend, Ind.) is ready to rise to the top of the pack following his stellar debate performance last week Tuesday night in Ohio. He brought his values of freedom, security and democracy center stage along with Team Pete rules of the road. And rather than attacking his competitors personally, he focused on their differences in policy, elevating the debate by talking about the issues on a more substantive level.

Besides making a convincing argument for Medicare for all who want it, Buttigieg’s moral leadership on foreign policy issues was unmatched. International policy is tricky because it requires a compelling vision based on values, and often rests squarely on the shoulders of the commander in chief.

We are in sore need of leadership in America’s foreign policy. President Donald Trump has shattered America’s international relations by alienating allies and rejecting our commitments abroad. As a veteran with combat experience on foreign soil, Buttigieg understands that right now there is a window to build a new American Century. In a speech on foreign policy, he states, “The world needs America. But not just any America. … It has to be America at its best.”

We saw him take this bold and brave stand that echoed Presidents Eisenhower, Kennedy, Reagan and H.W. Bush when speaking about the betrayal of the Kurds. “The slaughter going on in Syria is not a consequence of the American presence. It’s a consequence of a withdrawal and betrayal by this president of American allies and American values.” Like those former presidents, Buttigieg believes that America is a force for good on the international stage, not just in war but also in peace.

But we, as citizens of America, know foreign policy does not happen in a vacuum. We see it in our abandoned factories, every day. In a speech in Dubuque, Iowa, Buttigieg speaks about growing up in the Midwest and seeing firsthand how decisions in Washington have impacted the lives of everyday Americans. Coming from a small city in the Midwest, Buttigieg has expressed many times how decisions made in D.C. need to first ask, how will this affect the middle of the country? Right now, our country could really use a trusted elected official from the local level and the Midwest to unify our country after the current presidency and bring forward better policies like his plan on unleashing the potential of rural America.

Buttigieg described our current situation in America well. He described it as a craving for salt and dying of thirst, a form of destructive lust. And we right now need to get up and change the channel. Right now, our channel is one where GDP continues to go up, while life expectancy goes down. One where the current president and most of Washington has the narrative and rules to the game.

We the people need to change the channel to one where freedom, democracy and security ring true again. One where we set up the right rules for fair play, while removing poor barriers. And where trust rests with the American people, as it has since our founding, and continues to be our policy framework. There is no my way or the highway with Buttigieg, only brave and bold leadership where, “A good idea, a bold idea should also have the capacity to unify the people.”

On a special note, we mourn the passing of Gov. Milliken. My favorite governor of Michigan. We extend our prayers to your family.

— Kyle Funk is resident of Grand Haven.