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Sunday, February 10, 2019

In a speech standing out in the falling snow Klobuchar spoke as expected, saying she's seeking the Democratic Party nomination for president. A day earlier Elizabeth Warren made official that she is doing the same. Warren's and Klobucher's announcements were both expected, Warren's being the more important.

Klobuchar covered by Reuters. As of the timestamp of this post, the Klobuchar Wikipedia page only gives a sidebar link to the Senate page; hence, it appears she has not yet set up a campaign website or has not publicized it. Facebook, who cares.

Strib and Reuters both said Klobuchar said she was for "universal healthcare." Someone should tell her the operative words to inspire trust are "single payer." She's not signed onto Bernie's senate bill. Earlier she cosponsored a pharma bill with Bernie.

Whisper the words "single payer" to her. They're less equivocal than other wording. They have impact.

_____________UPDATE_____________
The Klobuchar Wikipedia page text did carry an early link to the Klobucher campaign website, via this intermediate Wikipedia page. The link:

https://www.amyklobuchar.com/

She has an ActBlue page for any who'd want to contribute to the Klobuchar effort.

I accessed the page with script blocking on, and did not see if ISSUES was highlighted. "Single Payer" or ho-hum.

I did give name and email to see if Single Payer shows up in emailing along with "give money" messaging. I tried, but even with softening the scrip blocking, it hung up. Gee, that means I will not be getting cash solicitations. Sad.

_________FURTHER UPDATE___________
With Bernie and Warren favored here, in that order, Klobuchar is in the pack. Meaning viewed here more favorably than Biden, Booker, Beto, Gillibrand, and probably ahead of Harris although the jury is still out on the pair of prosecutors. Tilting well toward Klobuchar over Harris, but we'll see. Who else declares, or is declared, might weigh into things, but time resolves much, and much time remains before Nov. 2020. In a heartbeat, Klobuchar over Biden. Ditto, Gillibrand. We'll see. VP as well as the top of the ticket remains open and viable in terms of ticket-balance, etc., so . . .

___________FURTHER UPDATE____________
Putting your campaign platform on Wikipedia is a novel approach, and seems at cross purposes to what the intention behind the site has been. And then, a platform so tepid.

Not a Wellstone, not close.

Public option, not single payer. Nothing about cutting the war budget for domestic needs, as Wellstone championed.

Featured endorsement: Tina Smith! Atop the Klobuchar endorsement list at the foot of that Wikipedia page. An endorsement list absent anyone of stature outside of Minnesota Democratic politicians. Not even one from Iowa. As if to imply Democratic office holders in State either are onboard for Amy, and better not back anyone else unless or until the Klobuchar effort runs aground. A shot across the bow of Bernie or Warren backers, in state. The one key Minnesota statewide office holder most respected here, the new (and also most recent) Attorney General has not gotten in line. Or has not been asked to endorse. The one with past courage and good judgment to have backed Bernie in 2016; speaking of which, the Tina who also backed Bernie in 2016 is not on the list; Tina Liebling. Progressives need to look to other candidates from other venues, apparently. But that is already a known fact. Sanders and Warren, each a progressive well beyond anything listed as policy on that Wikipedia campaigning page.

LAST: Politicians crowding up Wikipedia that way seems a questionable trend, should others be as bold toward the the site and its purposes. Linking over to it from the more traditional Wikipedia page on Klobuchar might have been thought a keen idea by the candidate or some campaign aide, but, really . . .

_____________FURTHER UPDATE____________
Jennifer Rubin in a WaPo tout piece dated Feb. 6 wrote [links omitted] --

If she enters the race, she’d be the first candidate in the so-called moderate lane. She favors expanded health-care coverage but declined to sign onto Sen. Bernie Sanders’s Medicare-for-all bill. She won’t pound the table to eliminate Immigration and Customs Enforcement nor to slash the defense budget.

Aside from ideology, it’s her disposition that most separates her from the field of high-wattage, inspirational voices that are populating the presidential field.

One link within that quote was to here.

____________FURTHER UPDATE___________
Rubin ended her tout piece with these three paragraphs --

If one thinks that the country is ready for a sober, calm and self-contained figure, someone in control of her emotions and in command of her facts, Klobuchar might be the right candidate. Her biggest problem might arise if former vice president Joe Biden, cast in the role of Democratic centrist, enters the race.

She’ll need to use Iowa as a springboard to propel her to the top echelon of candidates, a tough but not impossible task. She has at least as good a chance as the half dozen or so U.S. senators who conceivably could run. And if she doesn’t make the top of the ticket, she might provide the right balance as a running mate for a more progressive presidential candidate.

The Democratic race is getting predictably crowded — and we all know that we haven’t seen the last candidate to enter the fray.

Already stated, Klobuchar is viewed more favorably here than Biden. Favoring her that way, "in a heartbeat" subsumes in an eye blink, whichever takes the least time. Biden, of all names in consideration, offers Trump/Pence the greatest chance at four more years. At least that is the judgment here. Opinions can differ. Anita Hill likely has an opinion, Clarence Thomas too, perhaps. I remain respectful of the legacy of Thurgood Marshall.

______________FURTHER UPDATE______________
This is an uninspiring continued embrace of welfare for insurance firms; a/k/a the ACA. This says not only keep rattling the sabre, but fatten it. Neither flavor rings my bell. Neither is Wellstonian. Wellstone was a visionary. This is pedestrian vanilla Biden-stuff. If serious about wanting first spot on a presidential ticket and not VP, Amy's main challenge is to form the narrative that she's not Biden, and better. Iowa - will Biden skip it, or not? If Klobuchar can out-draw Biden in wherever Biden first enters, she will have earned accolades from many. Her and Beto seem closest to Biden in policy, with Gillibrand there too but I refuse to acknowledge Gillibrand other than as disqualified for pushing her ambition at Al Franken's expense, (where Klobuchar provided not cold comfort, but no comfort at all). Greasing the skids for Tina Smith is not a presidential thing to me as much as inner party politics distastefully dressed. It fails as motivation to me, for support, attention, or contribution.

This probably will be the last post making any mention of Klobuchar unless she derails Biden. More likely, she's running for second spot on Biden's ticket. Others can beat that drum. Not me.