Color me mistaken: contrary to my summer musing that no Democratic Presidential candidate would waste any time campaigning in South Dakota this year, Minnesota’s senior Senator Amy Klobuchar swing through Sioux Falls to make a speech and collect some big checks from her friend Brendan Johnson and a couple hundred of his closest friends in Sioux Falls yesterday.
Klobuchar has been riding a burst of energy and positive media coverage since last week’s debate, where she stood out with a combination of humor and feisty attitude. Both were on display in Sioux Falls.
“We are pretty excited since the debate in Los Angeles,” she said.
She said Democrats can win in 2020 and do so by gaining ground in the center of the country.
The Democrats are going to build “a beautiful blue wall across the Midwest,” Klobuchar said. “And we’re going to make Donald Trump pay for it!” [Tom Lawrence, “Dem Presidential Aspirant Amy Klobuchar Was in Sioux Falls This Morning, Tom Lawrence Was There and Reports,” South Dakota Standard, 2019.12.23]
Could South Dakota be part of that blue wall? Could farmers and evangelicals wake up to their abuse and exploitation at the hands of Manhattan/Maralago billionaire grifter Donald Trump?
Here’s Bruce Danielson’s video of Klobuchar’s speech in Sioux Falls yesterday. South Dakota’s Democratic U.S. Senate candidates Dan Ahlers and Clara Hart both get brief cameos at the end and are greeted with warm applause.
Brendan Johnson for Congress! We should start a draft movement!
Thoughts Cory?
South Dakotans opportunity to influence the primaries is by donating, canvassing, text and phone banking in Iowa (Feb 3 caucus) and Minnesota (super Tuesday). The late SD primary (June) makes SD irrelevant in the primary. Klobuchar “used” Sioux Falls to leverage its media market in western/southwestern Minnesota and northwest Iowa. It’s beyond naive thinking she was campaigning for SD primary votes.
Fair point, John2: Klobuchar’s visit here wasn’t really about South Dakota; it was about focusing South Dakota resources on helping her win elsewhere.
John1, we have two Democratic candidates for Congress already. Do we need a third… and one who would set up an epic “Johnson vs. Johnson” battle? Does Brendan Johnson have any interest in running for Congress? Perhaps he’s happy with his role and a fundraiser and lawyer?
John², that happens all the time regarding western Wisconsin and the Minnesota metro.