Who among us has not, at one point or another, set out to enjoy a nice afternoon on the links, our polo shirts tucked securely into our khakis, only to misfire on a swing, and accidentally take an animal’s life?
Oh, no one? Just Minnesota senator and 2020 presidential hopeful Amy Klobuchar? All right.
Klobuchar shared this highly specific, supposedly humanizing anecdote at a United Food and Commercial Workers forum in Detroit on Sunday.
“I did one time try to play golf … I misfired on the first try, and the ball hit a duck in the head, and it appeared to perish,” Klobuchar said, to groans from the audience. “So I don’t think it’s a good idea for the bird population of America if I play golf.”
This is not the first time Klobuchar has hurled a projectile to disastrous effects. In February, HuffPost and BuzzFeed reported that Klobuchar had allegedly mistreated her staff, berating them, and occasionally throwing objects at them, including a binder. (Over 60 former staffers later wrote an open letter defending the senator, saying she was a caring “mentor and friend” to them.)
Klobuchar has struggled to gain footing in the crowded Democratic primary race. Currently, she’s polling at about 2 percent, positioning herself as a moderate candidate, emphasizing bipartisanship.
Going forward, ducks and other waterfowl — hot or otherwise — will presumably watch the primary race with renewed interest for their own safety. If they’re lucky, maybe they’ll catch a break like the groundhogs.