If it suddenly feels like Sen. Elizabeth Warren is everywhere, it’s because she’s suddenly everywhere. Going from a media-induced blackout during her presidential campaign, her force of personality and endless ideas has catapulted her into a lead role in the Democratic response to the novel coronavirus.
She’s led on the Democrats’ plan to cancel $10,000 in student loan debt, bringing her caucus along. Donald Trump is echoing her warnings against stock buybacks, almost word-for-word. The economic consequences of the pandemic are playing out almost exactly as she predicted would happen. Not that a pandemic would precipitate a global depression, but that something would. “The country’s economic foundation is fragile,” she wrote. “A single shock could bring it all down. And the Trump Administration’s reckless behavior is increasing the odds of just such a shock.”
Could there be anything more prescient than this headline?
Throughout these last two weeks, Warren has been everywhere, while remaining cool, calm, and unflappable. “This is not my first rodeo,” Warren said on a progressive conference call, referring to her active role during the 2009 financial crisis. “We need a big enough stimulus package to support the economy. If we go small, giant corporations will recover but working families won’t.”
Throughout it all, she’s provided key guidance to not just her caucus, but to outside progressives lobbying for a bailout that helps people, not corporate executives—the very people who are fond of privatizing profits, but socializing losses.
Apple isn’t asking for a handout. Apple has $245 billion in the bank. It saved for a rainy day, there was nothing stopping airlines from doing the same, instead of buying back stock to prop up their stock prices.
Compare her profile to that of the rest of the presidential field. Sen. Bernie Sanders is still only talking to his 30% via livestreams, and certainly hasn’t had any hand in crafting any element of the response. Former mayor Pete Buttigieg? Who knows, and he doesn’t have much of a perch anyway. Sen. Amy Klobuchar? Her whole schtick was “I work with Republicans to get stuff done.” I’m not seeing her name anywhere. Are you?
Joe Biden?
Seriously, where is Joe? Presumably fundraising. He needs money and never had much luck raising it from small-dollar donors. He needs to replenish for the general election. But that means that he’s a total non-factor in the national debate over 1) what to do to rescue our country from economic catastrophe, and 2) how are we going to hold Trump accountable for his actions that got us here.
There were reports on Friday that his campaign was working on getting him more involved in offering shadow commentary—an antidote to Trump’s daily “news” conferences full of dangerous lies and bullshit. Given that the cable networks are 24-7 coronavirus these days, the hunger for content is huge. Heck, NY Gov. Andrew Cuomo is becoming a star given his press conferences, why aren’t we, uh, making a star out of our actual nominee?
“Finding a way...” Sheesh. This isn’t rocket science, but okay. They’re trying.
Just imagine how different things would’ve been if Warren was our presumptive nominee, with her depth of knowledge and expertise providing counter-programming to Trump’s lies. Instead, she’s back in the Senate, shaping legislation and Democratic demands. It’s something, I guess.
It really does bolster the Warren for VP argument, though.