Warren Has Endorsed Hillary For Reasons That Have Nothing To Do With Selling Out.
Over the past days since Massachusetts Senator, and progressive matriarch Elizabeth Warren made her announcement that she was endorsing Hillary Clinton for president, there has been a steady stream of rage from die hard Sanders supporters on social media against her. Disavowing her, calling her a sell out, BLAMING HER for the FACT their candidate lost the election.
Its really been quite interesting to watch unfold, and quite baffling to be totally honest. I mean, WHY is it that Elizabeth Warren should leverage HER OWN power in the Senate, to back a candidate who would lose or damage the relationships she has been able to form to advance the progressive agenda within the Democratic Party? (Which, by the way, all the Bernie or Bust fans used to LOVE until she didn’t endorse Bernie.) It’s the apex of arrogance to assume that Senator Warren is obliged to do such a thing and in fact shows an incredible sense of entitlement as to what some of Bernie’s supporters think is theirs by right, and a rigid political dogma that’s absolute. (Sound familiar?) It’s like asking someone to co-sign a risky loan, which has the very real potential of going south, very quickly and ruin two people, then, call them horrible for choosing not to do it.
Then the next obvious thought is, that Senator Warren has been able to build relationships that Senator Sanders has been unable to, and under the Democratic tent. SHE almost single handedly has been able to gain tremendous support in the Dem party and push to the left. Senator Sanders, has all but made it impossible for her to endorse him, with his and his most rabid followers’ (which I feel are well in the minority) anti-democrat rhetoric. Remember “Democratic whores?” Or how about harassing and threatening calls to super delegates and party leaders?? Need more proof of why as a Dem it would have been almost impossible for her to endorse Sanders without damaging her own career her OWN inroads? See HERE post on pro Sanders “The People’s Revolution” site.
This is a group that plans to convene in Philadelphia to help Bernie “influence” the DNC platform. Which I guess means burn it down if you read the above linked essay??? You see where this is going, and anyone with above average intelligence can put it together! This would NOT be a good career move for Elizabeth Warren, who quite possibly is one of the best left influencers in the Dem party and has busted her ass, and put herself out there. She’s opened herself to horrendous attacks in order to serve the people. To suggest she’s a sellout is not only insulting, but patently FALSE. Look at her Senate floor speeches, look at the legislation she sponsors!
This is NOT a woman who is a sell out. She’s a very skilled politician, and uses that skill to push this country forward by pushing agendas that would protect the system from abuse. She can’t do it alone. And she’s not the reason Bernie lost.
Even Sanders supporters themselves have said that rather than be a candidate for VP, Elizabeth is NEEDED in the Senate, to keep advancing the progressive agenda! She’s in a heavy Democrat state, and indeed it was the contributions and endorsement of other DEMOCRATS, including myself a Dem from TN who donated, that helped get her elected, and allow her message to be brought to the Senate floor.
But yeah, she should endanger her own ability to continue to fight there, by joining a campaign that has very quickly railed against the party that helped her get elected?? That not only doesn’t make sense. It’s monumentally stupid.
Outrage At Warren Is Just Projection
I know how bad it sucks when you put your hopes and effort into a candidate and the voters say no. I honestly don’t think anyone yelling about Warren right now has an ounce of understanding or maybe they just conveniently forgot or have no respect for what she has been able to do in the Senate, do for the Democratic party and then nationally to bring attention to the issues Bernie has been stumping exclusively on. It was ELIZABETH WARREN everyone thought of when they think of politicians who were working to end Citizens United, and income inequality, or reign in Wall Street and it’s been HER whipping Dems to the cause BECAUSE she is one of them and exemplifies the courage that encourages Dems. It wasn’t Bern you thought of first on that, it was Liz. Had Elizabeth run for POTUS I think she would have won. She has something Bernie doesn’t. Support of Senate and congressional Dems, which NO ONE criticized her for…. until now. (Can you hear my eyes rolling back in my skull??)
Elizabeth understands how to operate within the Senate. She uses that bully pulpit, she’s passionate, she has respect among her peers. She’s tough but not obstinate, and not driven by ego. She understands that progress requires all sides get a say, and that compromise and assurances are a necessity to legitimize that change. So is it her fault, if she sees flaws in Bernie’s candidacy and campaign that gives her pause to leverage her own hard won support and progress within the Democratic party that make it a danger to her own ability to remain serving the people, to back him?? HELL NO. And she’s got good reason to suspect it. See here possible problems with a Sanders General Election. That’s called being a very smart politician, and that’s what she is.
Here’s the icky part, to all you ‘hate the establishment’ types. She’s a politician that’s doing what she is supposed to, and that is representing the people who voted for her in our establishment, which would indeed work, of we had more like her in office. She would like to STAY there to keep doing exactly that...you know, what the #BernieOrBust crowd has been praising her for and LOVED her for right up to the point where she didn’t agree 100% with them on how to obtain it? That’s less the behavior of people of interested in change and more like behavior of ideologues who’s all or nothing dogma is more important than the change itself. Left or right, it’s creepy and almost NEVER succeeds. Extreme anything reeks, and it almost NEVER takes in to account other people who might NOT AGREE with them, even if they are the majority. It’s not selling out to respect the results of elections. Remember that meeting McConnell & crones had after PBO inauguration, planning on stopping the will of the people by obstructing???? Yeah, that..
To be honest, I’m quite relieved she didn’t leverage her own standing, and all she’s been able to do to move the Dem party left. She’s a Dem. She’s one of us, leading us, and WE WANT MORE OF HER. We’ve ALL heard Elizabeth’s blistering indictment of Trump and that his only path is if Dems split. It’s OBVIOUS she KNOWS he must be stopped. See part of that speech below.
Myopic Revolution
There’s also one GLARING inconsistency within the “revolution” movement, and that is it’s myopic targeting of the party that most closely represents their own beliefs, the party that gave them a national voice that would have otherwise left them out of the national conversation or at least with a much much smaller megaphone. Oh yes….I’m going to say it, and shrieks and accusations of shill be damned. Being called on bullshit hurts some people. I wanna know why it’s the DNC that is the singular target?? Why no calls to shut down the GOP? Why is ALL the criticism, and attack reserved for the only side that gives your revoloution a seat at their table?? Protesting outside of rallies and conventions is a far cry from attempting to blow up a party from the inside. If you fail to recognize that difference, then I must question your ability to think rationally. The democrats gave the revolution a voice and an opportunity. When you not only don’t break through on your first shot at doing so, but threaten to burn down those who gave you a place at the table, it doesn’t bode well for being invited back. How does that help the cause?
The ‘establishment’ argument won’t wash here. Bernie Sanders made the decision to run under the Democratic tent and as a Democrat in their establishment. The GOP is a party of racists, and they have elevated a FASCIST to run for the presidency of this nation. Any calls to burn down that party? Any threats to shut down their convention from the inside? Rip that party apart from the inside out?? That’s right. NO. The ONLY path that their candidate has to being president, is if Dems, split. Where is the outrage over this path leading to a conservative stacked SCOTUS that will lead to and END to womens’ repro rights, civil rights, no environmental laws upheld, and kicking 20 million people off of healthcare and MANY that have it for the first time. See, Elizabeth Warren gets all of this, and her endorsement of HRC is her saying IT’S WORTH PROTECTING FROM A MAN THAT WOULD BURN THE COUNTRY DOWN and unity is the only path to that end. It’s people who have differences of opinions on many things, like Liz does with Hillary, coming together to protect the greater good. Not that she’s a sell out. On the contrary. She refuses to sell out the progress that has taken decades for us to achieve. Progress people have bled for. Progress people have died for. Progress that, if it goes away, will harm the very fabric of this country and set it back 150 years. She’s going to figure out a way to work with people. She knew she would be attacked for doing so, but she’s doing what she feels is right. That too takes integrity.
PS. From ME : Risking Repro Rights for Your Greater Good Argument?? Ummm...NO. Questions?
BTW this is my aside, and what I have been accused of for not being willing to risk my own rights. If one more asshole tells me how I’m supposed to think my repro rights are a fringe issue used to distract me from the “real issues” I’ll tell you now, it’s a big effin deal to me and MILLIONS of women, because it’s a BASIC FREEDOM we should have just like a right to vote. The LGBT community will understand not going back. So no, we’re not gonna take one for the team. You need to figure out a way to have your revolution that doesn’t leverage the rights of others in it’s risk of failure. Work on that. My government being able to force me or any woman to birth is a huge deal, and not one we’ll give up. Not for any reason. Not even to keep you from having hurt feelings over our unwillingness to risk that for a revolution this country is obviously not ready to get behind. Not in the way the Bernie or Bust crowd would like. Sorry. Disagree if you like. But you’re wrong for asking. So DON’T.