Klobuchar’s coming out party: the CNN health care debate

[Mr. Morden]

Tonight at 9pm ET, Klobuchar and Sanders will go up against Cassidy and Graham in a “town hall debate” over health care on CNN, with Jake Tapper and Dana Bash hosting.  The event is in DC, and is expected to last 90 minutes.:

http://www.cnn.com/2017/09/21/politics/graham-cassidy-town-hall-sanders-kobuchar/index.html

While both Klobuchar and Sanders are potential 2020 presidential candidates, let’s be honest here.  Sanders gets national media attention frequently, owing to his presidential campaign last year, while Klobuchar typically gets very little coverage.  So this is potentially Klobuchar’s opportunity to introduce herself to a national audience that might not have ever heard of her before.  Will anyone remember this in two and half years, when people are voting in the primaries?  Probably not.  But hey, we’ll still get a chance to see how she performs in a live national debate-esque event, so that’s something.

I have other plans tonight, so won’t watch it live, but feel free to post any live reaction you have here that’s relevant to the performances of Klobuchar and Sanders and their possible 2020 presidential candidacies.

https://www.bustle.com/p/how-to-stream-bernie-sanders-graham-cassidy-health-care-debate-online-2438983

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[Mr. Morden]

Looks like she actually hasn't cosponsored it.

Yeah, I am legit curious to see what she has to say when asked about single payer tonight since I haven't really seen her take a position on it one way or the other, at least this year.  Most of the other likely 2020 Dem. presidential candidates in the Senate are co-sponsoring Sanders's bill, but she's held out on it so far.

[Mr. Morden]

Seems like Klobuchar may be the Dem Kasich who tries to play the moderate hero and wins only 1 state.

My guess is that she wins zero states, but one or more victories is not out of the question.  I can imagine a Dick Gephardt 2004-esque scenario where she bets everything on Iowa but only comes in 4th place there, and then drops out.

[Mr. Morden]

Depending on who is running in 2020 dem primary, she will probably get the same states as Sanders.

I doubt it.She's a long way away from being progressive. Doesn't support single payer etc. She's more or less a self declared centrist. Her voting record is fairly conservative compared to the rest of the 2020 field.

I'd say it's not just a matter of ideology, but also partisanship.  Klobuchar spends a lot of time working on bipartisan legislation on topics that are not high profile targets of partisan division.  E.g.:

https://www.klobuchar.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2017/9/klobuchar-tillis-bipartisan-legislation-to-help-veterans-exposed-to-toxic-burn-pits-passes-senate
https://www.klobuchar.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2017/6/klobuchar-bipartisan-legislation-to-fight-online-exploitation-of-children-passes-senate-judiciary-committee
https://www.klobuchar.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2017/8/klobuchar-fischer-bipartisan-legislation-to-make-contacting-emergency-personnel-simpler-and-easier-passes-senate
https://www.klobuchar.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2017/8/klobuchar-collins-bipartisan-legislation-to-crack-down-on-fraud-targeted-at-seniors-passes-senate

She's also (unlike the other 2020 Dems) not playing to partisan Dems by voting no on most of Trump's appointments.  This is a very different approach from that of Gillibrand, who is playing the role of uber-partisan culture warrior.  Gillibrand's approach seems more likely to play well among Democratic primary voters, who largely hate Trump and the GOP with a burning passion.

OTOH, Gillibrand's approach also links her more to "the establishment", as it identifies her more closely to the Democratic Party as an institution, as someone who is working towards partisan ends.  Sanders in 2016 was ideologically left but also less partisan, and so attracted some vote that was purely "anti-establishment".

That said, maybe Klobuchar is just trying to be bipartisan in order to get the largest reelection margin possible next year, and will then shift into partisan mode once the midterms are over.  That's what people accused HRC of doing in 2006.