The U.S. senator from Minnesota made a campaign stop at North Dakota State University on Sunday, Feb. 23, and was practical, reasonable, moderate, appealing and realistic.
This was one day after she received 5% support in the Nevada caucuses, far behind Democratic front-runner Sen. Bernie Sanders.
Reality is not a strength of those currently at the front of the pack in Democratic Party.
Pragmatism doesn't carry the appeal it once did, even in this era of crazy politics.
Klobuchar stopped in Fargo as part of a three-city swing Sunday meant to appeal to rural and moderate Democrats. After speaking to more than 500 supporters at NDSU's Memorial Union, she was off to Little Rock, Ark., and Oklahoma City, Okla.
North Dakota, Arkansas and Oklahoma. Odd stops for a Democratic candidate whose campaign is near life support and whose top rivals are focusing on places like critically important South Carolina and Texas.
Where Klobuchar's path to the nomination lies is anybody's guess, probably even hers, but that didn't stop her from sounding like a common-sense Midwesterner and a political pragmatist in Fargo.
She had two main targets: Sanders and President Donald Trump. Maybe even in that order.
Klobuchar painted Sanders, a socialist, as an ideologue who will cost Democrats in down-ballot races come November. Medicare for All and free college tuition are well-intentioned, she said, but not practical.
"If we're going to build a coalition and bring people with us, that's not going to do it," Klobuchar said.
That was a theme oft-repeated by Klobuchar, echoing concerns of the Democratic establishment: Sanders will not appeal to moderate and independent voters and will cost Democrats in U.S. House and U.S. Senate races. November's election is not just about the White House. Democrats like Klobuchar rightly fear a Sanders ticket will not only assure Trump's easy reelection, but will push the House back to Republican control and allow them to keep a Senate majority.
That's the Democratic nightmare: A Trump presidency with Republicans controlling the House and Senate.
"This election is a check on democracy," Klobuchar said.
She balanced her concerns about Sanders with attacks on Trump, illustrating the fine line Democratic presidential candidates must walk. They must keep an eye on trying to win Democratic delegates in the primary while remembering the ultimate goal of beating Trump in the fall. Klobuchar hammered Trump and his presidency as an assault on democracy, patriotism and decency.
"Our rule of law cannot tolerate four more years of someone who thinks he's above it," Klobuchar said.
Her message, finely honed to appeal to Democrats in North Dakota and rural Minnesota, was popular with the crowd, which got most fired up when Klobuchar talked about defeating Trump. They seemed to understand the most important goal of the Democrats.
The monster in the ballroom, though, was how much does Klobuchar's message of moderation and practicality resonate with Democrats nationwide? Klobuchar's issue since the day she announced she was running hasn't been mitigated. She is whip-smart, she is qualified to be president, she appeals to a broad swath of Americans, she can work across the aisle. But does she have a snowball's chance in Guatemala?
The results after three early states say a resounding "no." Klobuchar rebounded from a disappointing Iowa caucus to a surprising third-place finish in the New Hampshire primary. The boost of momentum — "Klo-mentum" — was short-lived. She finished fifth in Nevada behind Sanders, Joe Biden, Pete Buttigieg and Elizabeth Warren. Klobuchar's message Sunday was that nobody expected her to still be in the race, but here she was, still in the race. That's not exactly inspiring.
Adequate, maybe, but not inspiring.
Klobuchar and her top Minnesota surrogate, fellow U.S. Sen. Tina Smith, insisted she is focusing on Super Tuesday, March 3, and North Dakota's firehouse caucus, March 10. The talking point between them was consistent: Despite the media narrative that Sanders is the front-runner, only about 3% of the Democratic delegates have been decided.
"This is a long process," Smith said in a spin-room session after Klobuchar's speech.
It's tough to see how things get better for Klobuchar, given the devotion of Sanders' supporters and the number of candidates between him and her.
Klobuchar, as has always been the case, comes across as sensible and electable. And, as has always been the case, that doesn't count for much in the 2020 Democratic primary process. If you play in the middle of the street, it's been said, you get run over.
"middle" - Google News
February 24, 2020 at 06:00AM
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McFeely: Klobuchar takes middle lane in Fargo stop, but it's leading to nowhere - Duluth News Tribune
"middle" - Google News
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