Sen. Amy Klobuchar is attempting to broaden her support by inviting anti-abortion Democrats to join her campaign instead of “shutting them out.”
Her embrace of a centrist position on abortion signals her disinterest in appealing to the liberal Left that has advocated for loosening abortion restrictions.
“First, I say this: I’m strongly pro-choice. I have always been pro-choice, but I believe we are a big-tent party, and there are pro-life Democrats, and they are part of our party,” the Minnesota senator said on The View on Tuesday. “And I think we need to build a big tent. I think we need to bring people in instead of shutting them out, and that also includes independents right here in New Hampshire — as well as moderate Republicans.”
Klobuchar welcoming pro-life Dems after Sanders and Buttigieg distance themselves from pro-life voters:
“There are pro-life Democrats, and they are part of our party. We need to build a big tent. We need to bring people in instead of shutting them out.” pic.twitter.com/cQYFWsl1Yz
— Mary Margaret Olohan (@MaryMargOlohan) February 12, 2020
Klobuchar raised $2.5 million hours after the polls closed for the New Hampshire primary, where she got a strong third-place finish.
Several days before the New Hampshire contest, a Twitter user shared his story of asking Klobuchar whether there was “room in her coalition for pro-life people.” Klobuchar responded “yes” and spoke to the voter about her work in the Senate adoption caucus.
A Politico ranking of the presidential candidate’s positions on abortion shows that only Klobuchar and former Vice President Joe Biden, who finished in fifth in New Hampshire, embrace a centrist position on abortion. All of the other major candidates, including front-runners Sen. Bernie Sanders and former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg, believe there should be “few limits if any” on abortion.
House Democrats are promoting the Women’s Health Protection Act, which would outlaw states from banning abortion based on a woman’s gestation period, countering President Trump’s call on Congress to ban abortions at the 20-week mark.
Today I asked @amyklobuchar if there is room in her coalition for pro-life people. She said yes of course. I asked if she’d try to find common ground on bringing down the number of abortions.
She said “Yes. Yes.” And told me about her work in the adoption caucus in the Senate. pic.twitter.com/CIvfMSulEE
— Chris Crawford (@CrawfordStuff) February 10, 2020
