Pete Buttigieg will take the stage at the fifth presidential democratic debate as the front-runner in the Iowa polls. His rise, while surprising for some, can’t simply be explained as luck. So, how did Buttigieg go from being the mayor of South Bend with a name nobody could pronounce to the Democratic front-runner for president in Iowa? Plus, how might competitors try to knock Mayor Pete off his game at the debate?

Guest: Adam Wren, contributing editor at Politico Magazine and Indianapolis Monthly.

Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices