The Senator Next Door
A Memoir from the Heartland
by Amy Klobuchar


(Click for Amazon book review)

BOOK REVIEW by OnTheIssues.org:

Klobuchar is "Minnesota Nice," a phrase popularized by her fellow Minnesotan and presidential contender, Tim Pawlenty. "Minnesota Nice" means personally friendly and mild-mannered; that translates politically to collaborative and centrist. In the crowded Democratic primary field of 2020, "Minnesota Nice" can either be the most important criteria for success, or a disqualifying characteristic.

This book is just filled with passing mentions of issues – no real detail, no harsh policy choices, no negative campaigning – just a little something to show policy awareness, then a focus on something that everyone can agree on. Personally, Klobuchar portrays herself as "the Senator Next Door" – just a regular person, who happens to have gotten elected to the world's most exclusive club.

I'm a northeasterner, born in New York City and a resident of Boston, where "Minnesota Nice" feels milquetoast and shows unwillingness to stand on principle. But I recognize that the Midwest is the battleground of 2020 – because the Midwestern states of Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin were the decisive battleground of 2016. In other words, being "Minnesota Nice" – a centrist collaborator instead of a hard-line progressive – may be just what the Democratic electorate needs in 2020.

That's the real choice for primary voters in 2020 – whether to choose a collaborator vs. a hard-liner, and whether to pick a centrist vs. a progressive ("centrist" in the Democratic primary still means "liberal," but without any libertarian/progressive leaning). The pundits discuss endlessly the "lanes" for candidates – which means categories of candidates, and one candidate will prevail over others in each "lane" – but we recommend thinking in a more multi-dimensional manner. In that vein, we categorize all of the Democratic primary contenders in the two dimensions described above:

To fully characterize the Democratic primary candidates, we'll add in their demographics and offices held (which pundits often include as "lanes" also – but here we fully describe multi-dimensional "lanes"):

-- Jesse Gordon, editor-in-chief, jesse@OnTheIssues.org, April 2019

OnTheIssues.org excerpts:  (click on issues for details)

Budget & Economy     Amy Klobuchar: Budget & Economy.

Civil Rights     Amy Klobuchar: Hired 30% lawyers of color in County Prosecutor's office.

Crime     Amy Klobuchar: Victims want convictions, but also want to trust courts.     Amy Klobuchar: People who break the law need to be held accountable.

Energy & Oil     Amy Klobuchar: 2007: increased gas-mileage standards.

Environment     Amy Klobuchar: I don't think manure is toxic waste.     Mark Kennedy: League of Conservation Voters considers manure a toxic waste.

Families & Children     Amy Klobuchar: 1996 AdWatch: my daughter endorses 48 hour stay for new moms.     Amy Klobuchar: Daughter's "drive-by birth" inspired 48-hour maternal stay.     Amy Klobuchar: Allow adoption of older kids to keep siblings together.

Foreign Policy     Amy Klobuchar: Internationalism should include humanitarian policies.     Amy Klobuchar: Tackle terrorist groups, and stand up for Israel.

Free Trade     Amy Klobuchar: Increase jobs by exporting, and enforcing against dumping.

Health Care     Amy Klobuchar: 1996: testified & passed 48-hr maternity hospital stay rule.

Homeland Security     Amy Klobuchar: Offer troops care for traumatic brain injury.

Jobs     Amy Klobuchar: Supported auto bailout to save local car dealerships.

Principles & Values     Amy Klobuchar: From Slovenian immigrants; "Klobuchar" means "hatmaker".

Tax Reform     Mark Kennedy: 2006: No changes in tax rates, not even for very wealthy.

Technology     Amy Klobuchar: $100M for I-35W Mississippi River Bridge collapse.

War & Peace     Amy Klobuchar: 2006: turn over governance of Iraq to the Iraqis.     Amy Klobuchar: 2007: Withdraw combat troops from Iraq on sensible timetable.     Mark Kennedy: 2006: We've made some mistakes in Iraq, but stay the course.

Click for quotations from other sources by: Amy Klobuchar Minnesota Democratic candidate for President; Minnesota Senator Mark Kennedy Republican challenger (2006), U.S. Rep Minnesota