Democratic Primaries

question everything

(47,538 posts) Mon Dec 9, 2019, 05:20 PM Dec 2019

Klobuchar Approaches Her Now-or-Never Iowa Moment - Seib

(As I've posted before, Seib is the political non-rabid commentator of the WSJ)

DAVENPORT, Iowa—With eight weeks to go before the Iowa caucuses, Pete Buttigieg, Elizabeth Warren, Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders have the main doors to Iowa covered. If there is anyone with a chance to sneak in a side door, it appears to be Amy Klobuchar.

Minnesota Sen. Klobuchar is one of the mystery figures of the campaign—the one of whom readers of this column most frequently say: “I like her. Why isn’t she doing better?” She seems to have the perfect 2020 profile: Moderate woman from the upper Midwest, precisely the area Democrats need to reclaim from President Trump. In fact, she has shown she can win Republican and working-class voters from the Trump coalition. Hillary Clinton won 46% of the vote in Minnesota in 2016 and beat Mr. Trump by just 1.5 percentage points in the state. Two years later, Ms. Klobuchar won re-election with 60% of the vote, and beat her Republican challenger by 24 percentage points.

(snip)

Quietly, though, some breaks have started to go Ms. Klobuchar’s way. Mr. Buttigieg is suffering the fate of all newly arrived front-runners: He is being attacked, principally by Massachusetts Sen. Warren and her campaign, who portray his previous business consulting work as a sign of nefarious corporate loyalties.

Meanwhile, last week’s surprise departure of California Sen. Kamala Harris from the race leaves Ms. Klobuchar as the most viable woman besides Ms. Warren, and the only one with distinctly moderate appeal. That advantage becomes clear in a conversation with Cindy Winckler, an Iowa state representative and self-described moderate who recently endorsed Ms. Klobuchar. Asked why she has signed on with Ms. Klobuchar rather than former Vice President Biden, Ms. Winckler replies simply: “I am a woman.”

(snip)

In sum, Ms. Klobuchar doesn’t have to win Iowa to carry on, but she does have to do well. For her, this may well represent a now-or-never moment.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/klobuchar-approaches-her-now-or-never-iowa-moment-11575908291 (paid subscription)

If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden

3 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

Klobuchar Approaches Her Now-or-Never Iowa Moment - Seib (Original Post) question everything Dec 2019 OP

The question is when in the primary schedule will she find a state primary TexasTowelie Dec 2019 #1

I'm keeping my fingers crossed 🤞she takes off and starts moving up Raine Dec 2019 #2

Iowa was always judeling Dec 2019 #3

TexasTowelie

(112,456 posts)

1. The question is when in the primary schedule will she find a state primary

Reply to question everything (Original post)

Mon Dec 9, 2019, 05:57 PM

Dec 2019

where she will finish among the top three candidates. If she can't do it by Super Tuesday, then her campaign is over.

If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden

Raine

(30,541 posts)

2. I'm keeping my fingers crossed 🤞she takes off and starts moving up

Reply to question everything (Original post)

Mon Dec 9, 2019, 10:32 PM

Dec 2019

I think she's the most electable.

If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided

judeling

(1,086 posts)

3. Iowa was always

Reply to question everything (Original post)

Mon Dec 9, 2019, 11:49 PM

Dec 2019

Going to be the key for her.

However I'm getting more and more convinced that she is going to do very well.

The polls aren't showing it yet but there is a real buzz underlying her campaign right now. The campaign itself seems to be moving with confidence and continues to expand.

Making the Debate stage and having sized her campaign so money is less of a problem has put her in a pretty good position just as people are firming up support. A good Debate could really shake up the race.

She has worked New Hampshire very hard also. She is the Daughter of a Union Household and a bit of a Harry Reid protégé. That bodes well to keep any momentum going in Nevada.

With Warren and Buttigieg likely to get into it a bit. She actually has a better chance then I expected she would have thought even two weeks ago.

Her shot has moved up from Long to Outside.

If I were to vote in a presidential
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided

Reply to this discussion