DownIsTheNewUp
Well-Known Member
I think there are two flaws to this argument, one of which @jaycee has already outlined. I do think Bernie's Bizarro-World logic takes over a bit, in the sense that after Warren said, when asked point-blank, that her memory was Bernie saying a woman couldn't win the election, the Bernie camp came out in force to assure us there was no way he said that, or that he meant it in the way Warren understood it. That has been followed by recent weeks of the Bernie camp telling us that Warren must drop out of the race because she can't win and her campaign is threatening the future of America (because she's hurting Bernie's chances).
The other part is this assumption that all voters are predictably rational actors who, given the withdrawal of one progressive candidate, will automatically revert to the other progressive candidate. But, and I think someone else had maybe pointed this out last night, there were polls showing that while Warren was a popular 2nd choice for Bernie voters, Bernie tended not to be the 2nd choice of many Warren voters.
The last element is that Warren deserves all the credit for ruining Bloomberg at the Las Vegas debate just *two weeks ago.* She's been a pivotal force in this primary, even if the net result wasn't more delegates in her column.
Somewhat tangentially, I thought this Vox writeup on Warren's popularity ceiling was a huge bummer for a few reasons:
Why Elizabeth Warren is losing even as white professionals love her
Many college grads are living in the Warren bubble.www.vox.com
We've previously had a conversation around how Bernie and his activists are cognizant of the fact that he will have to make compromises on his agenda if elected, because he won't have a cooperative legislative majority. Why is foreknowledge that Bernie will eventually bend on progressive ideals once he's in office not a problem when other candidates bending on progressive ideals to get into office, is?
Warren, no doubt, deserves all the credit in the world for beheading Bloomberg. I’m also not sure why @jaycee feels the need to bring up her gender. As I’ve said, I would have been calling for Sanders to drop out prior to Super Tuesday if he had been in that situation. (Of note, nobody from the center seems to be doing anything other than praising the protesters that sparked Amy’s canceling of her rally and prompt dropping out).
Warren is who I wanted to run against Clinton in 15’. I also donated to her campaign twice last fall. I’m bummed she didn’t get momentum and that this didn’t turn into Bernie vs. Warren vs one centrist which would have allowed for a nuanced discussion of the benefits of each candidate and, potentially, the formation of a united ticket.
Also, nobody in Bernie’s camp was calling on her to drop out until after South Carolina. And most people didn’t even think to bring it up until the centrists consolidated. Bernie himself, yesterday called such demands disgusting— an assessment I clearly disagree with, but that’s the stance he has chosen to take.
I’m also not sure what compromising on policy while in office has to do with boosting Biden (Beto endorsement) and an accusation that served no purpose but split the progressive base (Warren) and make each side less likely to support the other candidate. And by the way, I think you’re right— there I think Warren base will be a bit split on where to take their support. It should still be the majority going to Sanders but where as polling at the start of the year indicated that majority of Warren supporters had Bernie as their #2 choice (and most the rest Pete it Amy)— there was a sharp decline in that support post-accusation.
Which is sort of the point. Warren has every right to run her campaign how she sees fit. She is a damn smart woman with a long track record of accomplishments and I’m grateful for her service. But as somebody who has viewed beating Joe and ensuring that the progressive base game out of this process united as vital- a number of the choices she has made, including not dropping out after Pete and Amy did and taking super pac money from sources reportedly tied to big oil has been deeply disappointing.
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