Sorry, you're right: he was the mayor of South Bend, not Gary. Both are in the same region, and both are a mess, but South Bend is a bit less of a mess than Gary is. South Bend has the advantage of being a college town, which helped it limp along when the region's steel industry started going overseas.
But in any case, you're absolutely right about something else: Poor performance--or no performance--won't stop a politician who's good at being a politician. You're also right about Sanders: He's not only a radical, but people are finally figuring out he's a radical. Add that to the number of young voters who are seeing him as just another old white guy, and he's in trouble.
Your comment about the name made me look it up:
Buttigieg. Buttiġieġ is a Maltese surname, derived from the Arabic kunya أبو الدجاج ('Abū d-dajāj), meaning chicken owner or poulterer.
His father was born in Malta ... so today we know more than yesterday, which is one of the things I aim for!
Yes, for american standards Sanders is certainly a radical. However, I think the USA really need some radical changes, even before Trump came to power, but even more after that.
But I do agree that Sanders is too old to start that. And from the other candidates I don't expect more than "business as usual". No matter what party they are from.
So Buttigieg is a maltese name? Well, that explains a lot. You don't see many of them around anywhere. I think there are not many of them - even in Malta. :)
Many--maybe most--people here think America needs some radical changes--the problem is agreeing what those changes will be! That's the biggest reason why Trump was elected, and if Sanders gets any traction at all, that'll be why with him, too. But as always, what they say during the campaign often doesn't equal what happens afterward.
I read a novel set in Malta, and that's the extent of what I know about the place. Time to do more nonfiction reading!