The average American doesn’t care about Russian collusion, presidential obstruction, or many of the other issues that Washingtonians find all-consuming.
Mental illness and addiction, however, affect millions of Americans each day.
So when Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., spoke in Iowa over the weekend about her mental health initiative, her explanation of what voters care about was representative of the broader population.
Sen. Amy Klobuchar speaks in Des Moines, Iowa: “I have gotten more questions about addiction and mental illness than I have about the Mueller report. True story.” pic.twitter.com/kxyGMwylfs
— The Hill (@thehill) May 5, 2019
The 2020 presidential candidate said at a roundtable discussion in Des Moines that the subject of mental illness comes up more frequently than you’d expect:
Nearly one in five American adults struggles with some form of mental illness, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. And nearly 20 million adults had a substance use disorder in 2017, according to American Addiction Centers. The group also reports that 8.5 million American adults “suffered from both a mental health disorder and a substance use disorder” in 2017.
Klobuchar’s $100 billion plan to address these issues may not be fiscally responsible, but at least she’s willing to pivot from other 2020 candidates’ calls for impeachment and abolishing the Electoral College. By zeroing in on mental health and addiction, Klobuchar addresses a pressing issue for millions of Americans while sidelining the political drama that has exhausted many of them.
Riveting reads such as Michael Cohen’s House Testimony may be available in bookstores, but a presidential candidate shouldn’t rely on the Capitol Hill circus to gain votes. Klobuchar has said “you have to work across the aisle,” and her relatively moderate positions could be her advantage.
When it comes to her recent comments, then, other 2020 Democrats should take note. Many Americans don’t care about Robert Mueller or his report. They live hundreds or thousands of miles from Washington, and they care about making sure they and their family members struggling with mental health have pathways to prevention, treatment, and recovery.
[Also read: Klobuchar on getting Republican support: ‘I know where the bodies are buried’]
