NBC Today co-host Craig Melvin said on Wednesday that he doesn't predict South Bend mayor Pete Buttigieg's candidacy will go very far, calling him "kind of boring."

"You don't meet a lot of guys like Mayor Pete who last long on a national level, because, quite frankly, he's kind of boring," Melvin said during a panel discussion after playing a clip of his interview with Buttigieg in South Carolina.

"We've seen this from time to time in our politics, there's a man or a woman who manages to capture our attention for and then they fizzle, they fade, they peter out," Melvin said. "What's different this time?"

"We are very mindful that vaulting into the top three is nice, but it doesn't win you the election," Buttigieg said. "We've got a lot of work to do now that is the glamorous on-the-ground blocking and tackling and organizing, especially in the early states, that really carries you through to the nomination. And that's going to be our focus. I think we've established that this is not a flash in the pan."

Since gaining national prominence, Buttigieg's campaign has ramped up its efforts to stay relevant, adding staff in Iowa and New Hampshire. The Indiana mayor has also increased his efforts to court tech giants in Silicon Valley, holding a record five fundraisers there for his campaign.

Buttigieg has also sharpened his rhetoric against his fellow Democratic candidates, telling the New York Times that he doesn't believe popular candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders (I., Vt.) has a chance at winning the general election.

"I have a hard time seeing the coalition ultimately coming together there," he said in late April.