To the editor: Like op-ed article writer Rich Benjamin, I too fell head over heels for South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg when he first announced his presidential candidacy.

I found the Democrat to be bright and articulate (in every one of the several languages he is said to speak fluently), and he seemed personable and knowledgeable.

I began to have some second thoughts as I listened to him during the debates and in interviews. He came across to me as a little too holier-than-thou and smug. My love totally soured and my concerns were verified when, during the second debate, he lashed out at Beto O’Rourke with an insulting remark: “I don’t need lessons from you on courage, political or personal.”

Buttigieg has a big ego. Do we need another four years with a self-centered president in the White House who thinks only he is right and has all the answers?


Marcia Kahan Rosenthal, Santa Monica