Amy Klobuchar Is Being Cautious, But Half Loaves Won't Motivate [View all]

[Stare Decisis]

Senator Klobuchar took a decidedly moderate approach in her town hall, angering some, disappointing others, and confusing even more. She is a pragmatic progressive it seems, but wanted to spend a good amount of time telling us what we can and can't actually have.

For the general election, she clearly believes this is a winning strategy. Her advisers would be wrong. What is more curious is what reason does she have for running to the middle as if she already has the nomination sewn up?

Well for one, there is more chunk of the vote. Rather than running in a crowded left wing, she is trying to dominate the "midwestern middle" of her party. This might work but will inspire no one, a Kerry redux. A large percentage of Democrats in the midwest do not connect with the so called coastals. This is a fine line. Sort of the same territory Tim Ryan tries to navigate but does so clumsily. The danger is middle turns into mediocre, and so much of our precious base of African American women are underwhelmed. Can't have that. There are issues that must be addressed, systemic supremacy, education, crime, economic opportunity, and none of these will be answered with words like aspirations. Don't tell an aggrieved Mom that you will get to it someday. The time is now.

Similarly with healthcare the base of our party is ready for radical intervention, and statistics show a good percentage of the rest of the country as well. Of course the electorate is still vulnerable to messaging manipulation, and maybe she sees that. Maybe she sees this as a 1992 election where the comfortable centrism of the past will sway that much needed 43 percent of whites to vote for her.

Except she is making the same mistake so many do-83 percent of the electorate is not going to be white. About 68 percent will be. Thus, instead of appealing to people scared of losing the status quo, she needs to motivate her more progressive base should the nomination go to her, which she clearly thinks it will.

Because if she won't, that number rises to 72 percent white and the downward spiral of mediocrity continues. Make no mistake she is smart and capable and I believe would be a fantastic President. But telling us "vote for me, and I'll increase your crumb allowance" isn't going to work in a general. Paradoxically, because of the leftward tilt of the participants it might help her now, but we might have entered an era where rather than running to the middle to win an election, the respective nominees run to their wings. This is us vs. them politics. The era of statesmanship and mutual respect, and aisle crossing, that is done.

And we want college. We want economic fairness. We want healthcare. And we are not apt as a whole to be motivated by being told, "someday." For people waiting on the American Dream Express to pull into their dormant station, the time is TODAY. Running strategically is logical but in no way inspirational. Whatever people are telling this enormously bright, talented woman to carve a piece of the base out, rather than outshining the rest is doing her, and us, no favors. It undermines her ability to legislate and reduces our motivation to participate.

It is like a singing competition where people base their songs on the demographics of the audience rather than just going out there and unleashing the full capacity of their talent.

Politically this woman is a songbird. Don't encourage her to run as a lounge act.