Amy Klobuchar and Sherrod Brown are frequently identified as the two most electable Democratic candidates, and with good reason. Both of them are from the Midwest, which figures to be the principal battleground in 2020; both of them have consistently outperformed the other national and statewide Democratic candidates in their previous election cycles; both appear to connect well with working people; and both of them are relative moderates on issues relating to federal spending and the welfare state. No democratic socialists, they.
They differ on one extremely important point: free trade. Brown was Tariff Man even before Trump appropriated the name. Klobuchar is a free trader. Who is likely to fare better in 2020?
The primary schedule favors Klobuchar. She has plenty of connections in Iowa, which is also a free trade state. Brown’s protectionist states don’t vote until late in the game. He is likely to be done long before then.
The bottom line is that I can see a path to victory for her, but not for him.