Pete Buttigieg doesn’t want to just lead America — he wants to lead a united America

Somewhere on the path of putting together a resume that includes graduating from Harvard, winning a Rhodes Scholarship and serving as a military intelligence officer in Afghanistan, Pete Buttigieg became fluent in eight languages.

But when the Democratic Party presidential contender recently made a visit to The State, there was one simple English word that repeatedly came to mind during his interview with several reporters and editors:

Gravitas.

Granted, “gravitas” might be a surprising word to use for a 38-year-old candidate whose political experience is limited to eight years as the mayor of South Bend, Ind. But just try to keep that word from popping into your head while reading this observation by Buttigieg during his session at The State:

“This is a moment when we should not have to choose between winning and governing, between our head and our heart, between boldness and unity,” Buttigieg said. “We can have all of those things, and that’s what I’m offering as a (presidential candidate).”

Those comments were typical of the reflective yet straightforward tone that Buttigieg struck throughout the interview — and they were symbolic of the “pragmatism over polarization” path that Buttigieg clearly sees as his road to the White House.

That was evident in how Buttigieg:

▪ Repeatedly touched on his desire to be a president who serves as a moderate and unifying presence in an America that badly needs one.

“I always ask voters to begin by picturing the first day when the sun comes up and (President) Donald Trump is no longer in the White House,” he said “We will be a divided country on that day, needing to be unified.”

▪ Noted how his background as a two-term mayor of a diverse Midwestern city makes him perfectly equipped to “build bridges” to the disaffected voters who fueled Trump’s election in 2016.

“That exactly the perspective we need to bring to Washington,” Buttigieg said. “I come from the exact kind of industrial Midwestern community where this president picked off so many Democratic voters. I can speak to the needs of voters in those kind of communities.”

▪ Declared that while many Democrats long for someone who will fiercely attack Trump during a general election, that won’t be the approach he’ll take if he’s the party’s nominee.

“I won’t hesitate to take on this president,” Buttigieg said of Trump. “But (a general election campaign) can’t all be about him. He wants it to be about him. … So the discipline that will be required is denying him his famous power to change the subject. My approach will be to confront him and then to move on. We’ve got to change the energy.”

▪ Pointed out that while he’s extremely proud of the prospect of becoming the first openly gay presidential nominee of a major party — Buttigieg’s husband, Chasten Buttigieg, is a popular figure on the campaign trail — his overriding message to voters is that “this election is not about my life, it’s about (their lives).”

“If I have the right answers to how I can make your life better,” Buttigieg said, “all of the other stuff fades away.”

▪ Acknowledged that increasing his levels of support among African American voters, both in South Carolina and across the nation, isn’t merely about being more visible in black communities — it’s also about showing how a Buttigieg presidency would benefit black Americans.

Along those lines, Buttigieg has unveiled proposals laying out how a Buttigieg administration would provide more resources to black colleges and universities, implement wide-ranging criminal justice reforms and take other steps to address racial and economic inequality.

“It’s very important to us to connect with (African American) voters,” Buttigieg said. “It’s going to be different for me than it is for somebody who has had literally decades to earn that sense of familiarity and trust. But I don’t think that will prevent me from engaging and earning black support.”

In short the 50-minute session with Buttigieg was a remarkably vivid snapshot of a thoughtful and weighty candidate who doesn’t simply want to be the president of the United States — he wants to be the president of a united America.

That’s a daunting challenge. And given Buttigieg’s zest in openly embracing it, there may be another simple English word that describes the candidate best of all:

Impressive.