Sen. Klobuchar the One to Watch in 2020
Having left the comfort of Orange County to help produce a televised presidential debate from Des Moines in 1984, I know first-hand the significance of the Iowa caucus. This is why I say Sen. Amy Klobuchar, from neighboring Minnesota, is the one to watch in 2020.
For those who don’t know my background, I have predicted my party’s presidential picks since 1976. From Jimmy Carter to Gary Hart, and from Bill Clinton, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, I have publicly spoken out early and often in favor of, or opposed to, a number of presidential hopefuls. This year is no exception.
If you believe the pundits, Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, former Vice President Joe Biden, and Sen. Kamala Harris of California are the early front-runners. As of this writing, Warren and Harris have announced their presidential bids.
Several others also have launched their campaigns. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii, Mayor Pete Buttigieg of Indiana, and former San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro are running now.
Waiting in the wings are former Gov. Terry McAuliffe of Virginia, Sen. Sharrod Brown of Ohio, Starbucks founder Howard Schultz, Beto O’Rourke of Texas, and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
Because I have been a student of politics since the late 1960s, I know most of these wannabe candidates will come and go long before the Iowa caucus in 2020. In my opinion, the one person who has staying power is Sen. Klobuchar.
She has all the credentials necessary to win the presidency next year. First, the senator already has a 12-year track in Congress; second, she is from the all-important Midwest; and third, she is a moderate running against a host of progressives.
Klobuchar’s impressive win Nov. 6 proved she not only could do well in urban areas of Minnesota, she also knew how to rack up votes in typically conservative, rural, parts of the state as well. This is a quality many, if not most, of her Democratic rivals would envy during the primaries and/or will have a problem duplicating in the 2020 general election.
As mentioned, I have watched Carter, Clinton and Obama capture the presidency. No pundit I know gave any of them much of a chance of winning a year or two before the general election.
The thing I like most about Amy Klobuchar is she’s been hiding in plain sight. According to Business Insider, she could “bury” Donald Trump. On top of that, The Hill and CNN report her poll numbers have been steadily rising for the past eight weeks.
With these thoughts in mind, senator, count me in. My political radar says you are the one to watch.
Denny Freidenrich writes from Laguna Beach. Freidenrich served as a congressional staff assistant on Capitol Hill in 1972. He often writes about both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue.
