I would like to see a discussion here of Senator Warren’s surprising announcement, at a Holyoke town hall meeting, that after Nov. 6th she will take a “hard look” at the 2020 presidential race. Not so much the fact that she is thinking about running in 2020, which is widely known, but why she has chosen to highlight her plans right now, and in this way.
I was an early and passionate supporter of Elizabeth Warren, a volunteer organizer for her 2012 campaign, and my support for her hasn’t diminished. I think she’s been a terrific senator. Like many other supporters, I have mixed feelings about her prospects as a presidential candidate. But my question here isn’t whether she should run for president, but why she would choose to focus on her 2020 plans in such a pointed way, five weeks before the midterm election.
She raised the subject in the context of the Kavanaugh hearings, citing the need, as a woman who is already a political leader, to “own” her anger and to say, “Time’s up!” I share the anger and the sense of urgency, but I know I’m not alone among Elizabeth Warren’s supporters in questioning her timing.
What’s her strategy here? Is there an upside that I’m not seeing? I’m interested to hear from others in this group who may have more insight than I do.
It is likely to get a jump on the competition before they make their post-midterm announcements and so she can start shifting campaign funds into a presidential account earlier. I would agree that the timing hurts her in her race with Geoff Diehl by giving him a strong talking point, that it continues to help overshadow the gov
I certainly hope that Ms. Warren is not going to run.
She is already far more effective in her current role than she could ever be in even the most optimistic scenarios for a presidential run — a presidential run is risky and might do lasting harm to her currently untarnished image.
She has an enormous store of political capital, and I think a presidential run would be a poor use of that political wealth.
I’m with you on this. I have full faith in her and believe that she would be a president, the likes of which we have not seen since FDR, but in today’s toxic political environment, Democrats would be better to run with a candidate from a central or western state.
Why is it a negative to have presidential ambitions? I for one like it when one of the home team reaches for the brass ring.
Agreed that she might have waited, in that it gives Diehl a talking point, but not sure that matters. He’s toxic, and I sure can’t imagine people voting for him *simply* because she *might* be running for POTUS.
Diehl will be using that talking point anyway…and one could argue it makes the attack less effective because she’s owned up to what ever voter knew anyway. We don’t have to wince,as she says something like, “I’m not focused on that, I’m just focusing on being the best US Senator for MA…blab, blah, blah”
Ms. Warren is already being mentioned as a candidate in 2020.
My speculation (and it is only that) is that she and her staff seek to put off those questions so that she can keep the focus of this campaign on this election.
My assumption has been that she is using her national reputation, and the press’s fascination with the presidential elections, to push our issues and our movement.
And, good.
That doesn’t mean she’s always going to get it right. I don’t see the upside either, unless it is calculated to energize and support us in general and women in particular.
I have trouble seeing it as a problem, though. And I hope she stays in the Senate.
Oh she’s definitely running for President. She made an appearance at Union Church the Sunday my wife and I attended that struck me as a dry run for a campaign. She also is hiring a team according to my friend on Capital Hill. You don’t raise $16 million to beat Geoff Diehl. She is 100% running for President and that is something we will have to talk about here after the midterms.
She could start by helping Jay get elected governor. Right now she and Baker are beating their opponents by similar margins. This means 20-30% of the electorate next month will ticket split between her and Baker. A more direct and deliberate attack, maybe even some ad buys and a joint ad appearance on Jay’s behalf, could go a long way to closing that gap.
Not saying you are wrong, but there are other possible explanations for her fund-raising & gearing up for a national campaign.
On the other hand if she is running it make make sense for her to be stoking the fires right now—for fund raising etc.
It’s not going to do her any harm in the Senate race with anyone who might vote for her.
Just my speculation.
There may be some legal issues surrounding spending federal money to benefit state campaigns.