Obama ran after only 2 years in the Senate. Why is this a tougher prospect for Warren? Here's why:

[zazen]

23. **this** +10,000

Miller didn't have the backing of the Democratic powers that be in North Carolina, though he had a much stronger track record than Price. He had criticized the banks far too effectively and was threatening to be a national leader on this topic when he hailed from a state with Charlotte in it. So when they double-bunked Price and Miller with redistricting, Miller was shut out and Price, who had previously given every indication he was going to retire up to that point, dug in and kept the seat.

However, I think there's a large progressive movement in this country (and a sizable group in NC) that could (and is desperate to be) mobilized around the right leadership, and that Warren could put up a hell of a primary and help move the mainstream party a little more to the left--at least we'd have a much more informed national conversation about what neoliberalism is, about how capitalism in fact rigs the system that most Americans think is so fair, etc., etc. Just to get that in the national discourse day and day out will help.

Now, whether she wants to spend all of that energy and money doing that is another matter. It's a helluva lot to ask of a person.