It’s not the size of the crowd in the fight. It’s the size of the fight in the crowd.
Amy Klobuchar, a Democratic senator from Minnesota, announced her candidacy for US president in 2020 today (Feb. 10) in Minneapolis, becoming the fifth woman to officially enter the race after Massachusetts senator Elizabeth Warren made her bid official yesterday. In the midst of a snowstorm, Klobuchar made her pitch to working-class Americans before a crowd of a few hundred dedicated supporters.
“I don’t come from money,” Klobuchar said as snow began accumulating on her head. “But what I do have is this: I have grit. I have family. I have friends. I have neighbors. I have all of you who are willing to come out in the middle of the winter, all of you who took the time to watch us today from home, all of you who are willing to stand up and say people matter.”
Klobuchar has dominated every election she’s been in, carving out a niche in the Democratic party as a common-sense legislator who prioritizes the interests of middle-class Americans. She joins Warren, California senator Kamala Harris, New Jersey senator Cory Booker, and New York senator Kirsten Gillibrand as part of the group of rivals looking to win the 2020 Democratic primary and unseat Republican Donald Trump as president.
Former vice president Joe Biden, Vermont senator Bernie Sanders, and others (including, perhaps, former Texas congressman Beto O’Rourke) are expected to announce their candidacies in the crowded Democratic primary soon.
A few days before Klobuchar’s announcement, the Huffington Post published a report citing anonymous former colleagues that Klobuchar mistreated her staff. In response to the story, Klobuchar said, “Yes, I can be tough, and yes I can push people. I have high expectations for myself, I have high expectations for the people that work for me, but I have high expectations for this country.”
None of that was of concern to those who enthusiastically cheered throughout Klobuchar’s speech today, despite sub-freezing temperatures, low visibility, and an onslaught of thick snow.
