Run, Elizabeth, Run! - Slate [View all]

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Run, Elizabeth, Run!
Why an Elizabeth Warren presidential bid would be good for all Americans.
By John Dickerson - Slate
7/17/14

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Imagine there were a political movement that was against pablum in the public square, that promoted tough debates on pressing issues, that was suspicious of coronations, and cared about a presidential candidate’s qualities as much as the ideas she would bring to office? This proud movement would engage all the right-thinking members of the citizenry, liberal and conservative. It would enliven the daily discourse and it would push Sen. Elizabeth Warren to run for president.

At the moment, the Democratic contest looks like it will be a foggy, repetitive march toward Hillary Clinton. It will have all the safety, risk aversion, and lack of impact of Clinton’s recent book, Hard Choices.

The latest polling from NBC and Marist shows just how dominant Clinton appears. She beats Vice President Biden among Democratic voters in Iowa 70 percent to 20 percent and in New Hampshire 74 percent to 18 percent. Eighty-nine percent of Iowa Democrats view Clinton positively. In New Hampshire, she is more popular than flannel: Ninety-four percent view her warmly, which may set some kind of record for humankind.

If Warren joined the race, she would not win, but she would till the ground, putting grit and the smell of earth in the contest. She would energize the Democratic Party’s liberal base, which would then stir up other Democrats who seek to moderate or contain that group. Warren would challenge the Democratic Party on issues like corporate power, income inequality, and entitlements. She would be a long shot and she would have nothing to lose—which means she could keep talking about those ideas out loud. Because Clinton is close to Wall Street and finance executives and Warren is gunning for them, she has the potential to put campaign pressure on Clinton that other candidates can’t. Clinton and other candidates would be forced to explain where they stood more than if Warren weren’t in the race.

Whether you agree with Warren’s ideas or whether she would even make a good president is immaterial to the benefits of her candidacy. She would keep the campaign lively and focused on ideas...

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More: http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/politics/2014/07/elizabeth_warren_should_run_for_president_it_would_be_good_for_hillary_clinton.html