Vice-President Klobuchar

After Friday's debate in New Hampshire and before he transitioned into a rant against socialism, Chris Matthews gushed about Amy Klobuchar

I'm with the people here so far. I thought Klobuchar was wonderful. I'd never seen her this good. I think she's shown in this last week audacity. What you want to see in a politician is audacity, spontaneity.

You don't have it on a damn script. Be someone home with the lights on, somebody who's there, a human being and that's how she came across tonight. She never raised her voice. She was confident. She looked- I'm sorry it's weird to say this- she seemed like a President tonight. She seemed like the President I would like to have as President.

It was weird, Chris- but only because Amy Klobuchar is not running for President.

Oh, she'd take the nomination if it were handed to her. It is her goal- but has not been, and still is not, her intention. In Westerville, Ohio in the fourth Democratic debate of this presidential cycle, the Minnesota senator slammed her colleague from Massachusetts, the "capitalist to the bone," with "I want to give a reality check here to Elizabeth, because no one on this stage wants to protect billionaires. Not even the billionaire wants to protect billionaires."

A few minutes earlier, after Warren had made the (strategic) error of vouching for Medicare for All, Klobuchar had stated

At least Bernie's being honest here and saying how he's going to pay for this and that taxes are going to go up. And I'm sorry, Elizabeth, but you have not said that, and I think we owe it to the American people to tell them where we're going to send the invoice.

Responding to the bait from Klobuchar, a couple of weeks later Warren did explain how she would finance her health care plan.

We still don't know the details of Bernard Sanders' health care plan and partly as a result, Sanders now leads the Democratic field. His main rival currently is Pete Buttigieg, like Klobuchar a center-left candidate whose health care notion is closer to that of the Minnesota senator than to that of either Sanders or Warren.

When Warren was Sanders' main challenger, Klobuchar took on Warren rather than condemning Sanders, with whom she also has major disagreements. While Warren and Sanders have avoided criticizing each other, Klobuchar has charged after Buttigieg

At the debate in Manchester on Friday, Klobuchar took a quick shot at Sanders and Warren for their health care plans, then argued

And Pete, while you have a different plan now you sent out a tweet just a few years ago that said, henceforth, forewith, indubitably, affirmatively, you are for Medicare for All for the ages. And so I would like to point out that what leadership is about is taking a position, looking at things and sticking with them.

Later in that debate, she commented

Okay, there you go. Meeting the moment, meeting the moment, we had a moment the last few weeks, mayor, and that moment was these impeachment hearings. And there was a lot of courage that you saw from only a few people. There was courage from Doug Jones, our friend of Alabama, who took that tough vote. There was courage from Mitt Romney, who took it very, very difficult vote. There was courage, as I read today, about Lieutenant Colonel Vindman being escorted out of the White House, what he did took courage. But what you said, Pete, as you were campaigning through Iowa, as three of us were jurors in that impeachment hearing, you said it was exhausting to watch, and that you wanted to turn the channel and watch cartoons.

It is easy to go after Washington, because that’s a popular thing to do. It is much harder, as I see Senator Shaheen in the front row, such a leader, it is much harder to lead, and much harder to take those difficult positions. Because I think this going after every single thing that people do, because it’s popular to say, and makes you look like a cool newcomer. I just, I don’t think that’s what people want right now. We have a newcomer in the White House, and look where it got us. I think having some experience is a good thing.

At a party dinner on Saturday

Sanders' supporters were quiet or applauding during most other candidates' remarks. Amy Klobuchar even played along during her remarks, turning to the Sanders section and saying, “Hi, Bernie people!”

Amy Klobuchar may look like a President to Chris Matthews, and she wouldn't mind reaching that office. However, playing second fiddle to an elderly president from Vermont is not a bad gig and her audition has been going quite well lately.

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