Appearing on Fox News on Wednesday evening for a town hall event in Milwaukee, Klobuchar described herself as “Heartland Amy,” an experienced pragmatist who could win over independent voters and, if elected, work with Republicans to break the gridlock in Washington.
But when asked whether the Democratic Party’s liberal wing should support her candidacy, Klobuchar insisted it should — while offering, perhaps, a subtle dig at some of the more far-reaching policies being backed by her rivals on the left.
“Progressives should support me,” she said. “The last time I checked, if you want to be a progressive and support progressives then you’re supposed to make progress.”
While she is hardly a conservative, Klobuchar has distinguished herself in the campaign by breaking from the new liberal orthodoxy that has dominated the primary.
She does not favor a “Medicare for All” health care system, preferring a more graduated approach; she has called the Green New Deal “aspirational”; and she has said the country cannot afford to fund free tuition for students at public colleges and universities. During her Fox News appearance, Klobuchar said she backed legal marijuana but unlike many of her rivals would leave the decision to states rather than endorsing federal legalization.
When asked about Attorney General William Barr, Klobuchar backed the recommendation by the House Judiciary Committee to hold him in contempt of Congress for failing to turn over Robert Mueller’s unredacted report about whether the Trump campaign conspired with Russia to undermine the 2016 presidential election and whether President Donald Trump obstructed justice. She declined to answer whether Barr should face jail time.
“He should come before the House,” she said. “I think you’re going to see a lot of pushback and subpoenas, and I think that this administration has to take this seriously. They have to answer the people’s call.”
For Klobuchar, the event was an opportunity to reach a broader audience and build support beyond the Democratic base. Since she started her campaign in February, Klobuchar has struggled to break 5 percent in polling of early primary states. Former Vice President Joe Biden’s entrance into the race further complicates her path, as he travels the country offering a similar appeal — that he could win back the Rust Belt voters who cost Hillary Clinton the 2016 election.
Klobuchar said there was plenty of time for her to build support and dismissed concerns raised by some Democratic voters that electing a female nominee would be too risky in a general election.
“This is going to be a long campaign and we’re all going to be able to make our cases,” she said, adding, “May the best woman win, that’s what I think.”
Several Democratic candidates have agreed to appear on Fox News, even as the Democratic National Committee refused to allow the network to host an officially sanctioned debate.
Nearly 2.6 million viewers tuned in for a Fox News town hall last month with Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, making it the highest-rated television appearance of the election cycle. Mayor Pete Buttigieg of South Bend, Indiana, will appear on the network this month at a televised town hall in Claremont, New Hampshire. Former housing secretary Julián Castro and Reps. Eric Swalwell of California and Tim Ryan of Ohio have also indicated that they are open to working with Fox News.
This article originally appeared in The New York Times.