Speakeasy With John Harwood

In some ways, Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota boasts an ideal profile to compete for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination. She won her third term last November with 60% in a state President Trump nearly captured in 2016. Blending mainstream liberal views, a prosecutor’s experience and a plain-folks common touch, she has built a formidable reputation as the “senator next door.” Yet the crowded, chaotic Democratic race presents challenges that Klobuchar, 58, has never faced before. Former Vice President Joe Biden commands strong early support with the moderate primary voters she covets. Other rivals – including two other Midwesterners, five other senators, five other women, and six non-whites – threaten her ability to make inroads with key Democratic constituencies. Her answer: “I’m running this campaign on grit” - as demonstrated by her February campaign announcement outside in a snowstorm. Klobuchar sat down to discuss the battle over calamari and risotto balls at Casa di Amore, an Italian restaurant i