The selling of Elizabeth Warren: What’s behind progressives’ debilitating fantasy: Salon

[Vic Tree]

Not just Salon, but Joan Walsh herself!

Link

I’m a huge admirer of Sen. Elizabeth Warren. She’s the best new leader to emerge in the Democratic Party in decades. If she wants to run for president, I hope she does so.

But I don’t think she wants to run for president. She’s told us that in many different ways and places. I was particularly struck by her no-nonsense answer when asked by colleague Sheila Bair, but she’s basically given no-nonsense negative answers since the effort to “draft” her began.

So I’m coming to find the “draft Warren” juggernaut a little bit perplexing. I know the participants have wonderful motives and genuinely would welcome a Warren candidacy. But with every email I receive, I get a tiny bit more cynical. It doesn’t feel so much like groups are using their organizational strength to help Warren, but enlisting Warren to help build their organizational strength.

Don’t get me wrong, I think MoveOn and Democracy for America have done important infrastructure and leadership building on the left of the Democratic Party. But I’m not really sure that the “Draft Warren “effort does much more for progressives than encourage a cult of personality – and risk member disillusionment when Warren all but certainly declines to make the race.

[question everything]

1. It will be a long time, if ever, when either party will nominate a freshman senator

with no executive experience. This is one reason why so many Republican wannabes are current or former governors.

This is why Democrats who are looking beyond Hillary are eying Martin O'Malley, the former governor of Maryland. I don't know the first thing about him but, of course, if he is the nominee I will vote for him.

[dmosh42]

2. I don't see any problem with an "inexperienced" Elizabeth Warren, who just happens to have the .....

expertise in finances, and the vision of what to do with it. Abe Lincoln was the most extreme case I can think of, where he was selected to be the nominee, who lacked any real experience, but had a viewpoint of what he wanted. The modern president goes in with a full team of experts that can provide the necessary answers or options to execute. What's most important is his, or her viewpoint on how his policies will be carried out and the effect it will have on the future of the nation. I think Warren's fascination to many people is how she actually comes out with specifics on how a problem can be solved. One example was the college debts for so many young people, where she proposed that the US gov't make low interest loans available 'directly' to the students! All the fucking crooks in the Senate were aghast that she would bypass the big banks, thus denying them a chance to suck up more money! My biggest fear with a Warren nomination would be if she could handle the huge attack from the billionaires and the media which is theirs to use. But if she decides to give it a try, I'm quite sure she will garner the backing of the progressive wing of the Dem party, along with the many who will be converted by her ideas and vision.

[Cal33]

4. And she is highly intelligent and courageos. One of the qualities of very intelligent people is

that they learn fast. She will become "experienced" quicker than most.

[Cal33]

3. I am no longer fooled by the word "experience" as far as the US presidency is concerned.

Look at GW Bush with his five years of experience as governor of Texas -- the worst president in
US history of all time. I look for what the candidate stands for (it's not that hard to check and
find out), what does s/he intend to achieve, and personal qualities like intelligence, honesty,
courage, integrity, reliability........etc........ not some superficial thing like "A person I'd like to
have a beer with."

The job of the president is unique. There's no other job like it. Each individual goes into that
position unprepared -- no matter what the experience s/he's had. I'd rather go by the qualities
listed in the paragraph above. I think they are far more reliable and less error-prone than
"experience" -- bearing in mind that perfection is not one of the qualities of human beings, of
course.

[Beacool]

5. It'll be election day next year and some on the Left will still be hoping

that Warren changes her mind about running for president. They can't seem to accept the fact that she has expressed repeatedly that she has no intention of running in 2016. After a while the constant harping becomes a bit pathetic, if not funny.