Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) announced in a video released Dec. 31 that she is launching a presidential exploratory committee for the 2020 election.
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — The 2020 Democratic campaign to defeat President Trump launched in earnest on New Year’s Eve when Sen. Elizabeth Warren finally made her ambitions clear: She is running for president.
The Massachusetts Democrat’s long-expected announcement that she had filed legal paperwork to open a campaign did not reshape the race so much as mark an official start to a presidential nominating contest expected to feature one of the largest and most diverse fields of candidates in the history of either major party.
There will be older women, younger women, women of color. There will be
men of multiple shapes and ethnicities. The field will probably include billionaires, millionaires and candidates who still have college debt.
All will compete for attention not only with one another but also with the ongoing hourly drama from the White House, from which Trump already chews through news cycles at an astounding pace. The Democrats also will be in races for money, for staff, for viral moments that garner widespread publicity, and ultimately for votes in a radically altered political and media environment.
“This is a multilevel chess game with more candidates than anyone has seen,” said Joe Trippi, a Democratic strategist. “I’m not sure anyone knows what the rules are, much less how to get through the marathon that started today.”
This collection of candidates will be emerging as the Democratic Party tries to determine how to define itself in the era of Donald Trump. Questions abound: Should the party fight for the white working-class voters who flocked to Trump? Or should it look to younger, nonwhite voters whose numbers are growing faster than their voting habits? Should they tangle with Trump? Should they rise above him? Is a fresh face needed, or an experienced hand?
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) kicked the 2020 race into gear by announcing her presidential exploratory committee on Dec. 31.
“This is an important time for Democrats to discuss what we’re all about. Where do we stand as a party?” said Andrea Steele, the founder of Emerge America, an organization that encourages women to run for office. “We’re in this defining moment. We have this president in there. And everything is at stake. Everything.”
Political observers are used to thinking about presidential candidates as occupying defined lanes. But the 2020 race will include multiple candidates for some lanes, creating mini-primaries among the more crowded sections of the party. The challenge for candidates will be to win in their lanes, while also expanding beyond that niche to forge alliances with other groups.
A slew of additional candidates are expected to make their intentions known in the next few weeks, turning the opening days of 2019 into a drumbeat of potential challengers to President Trump.
Warren’s opening salvo, broadcast via an emailed announcement video, defined her as an economic populist ready to stand up to Trump. Her slogan made her attitude clear: “Join the Fight.”
“She is a very strong advocate — an edgy advocate — and is that what people are going to be looking for in the era of Trump? Do you fight edgy with edgy?” asked David Axelrod, the chief strategist for Barack Obama’s presidential campaigns.
“She has a very distinctive point of view that is very much born out of her life’s work,” he added. “And she was well known before she was in politics.”
Warren also has a structural advantage over other candidates, Axelrod said. “She was the most rigorous about being in touch with and supporting primary candidates around the country [during the midterm campaigns]. She’s clearly been very methodical.”
And though she tripped up with a poorly received release of a DNA test intended to prove that her family stories about Native American ancestry were accurate, Axelrod said the controversy has been overstated.
“Presidential campaigns are filled with high moments and low moments, and moments where people are second-guessing you,” he said.
Trump revived his criticism of Warren’s claimed ancestry in a New Year’s Eve interview with Fox News, adding that “I hope she does well; I’d love to run against her.”
Tribune columnists Rex Zuppke, Eric Zorn, Heidi Stevens and Steve Chapman are all cheering wildly about this. They must all be part Native American as well.
ReplyDeleteBoth Chicago papers are loaded with columnists, not journalists. These are no longer newspapers, they are opinion collections composed by media personalities. Reporting news is a thing of the past. They now compete with social media for whatever length of fame and exposure they can. Ever witness a newsworthy event and see it later in printed form? How often does what's printed accurately match what you've seen?
DeleteTrain Wreck waiting to happen. Yes, she is another member of the Progressive Alt Left bent on destroying America and creating a ruling elite class.
ReplyDeleteI can see Donald salivating.
ReplyDelete