One of her operatives has even secretly met with the Progressive Change Campaign Committee to discuss the re-spinning and messaging we can all look forward to! (Because even "progressives" must be allowed to meet-and-leak to Politico in the Age of Obama and Transparent Opacity.)
And the New York Times -- which has maintained a throbbing full-time Hillary Desk even while getting rid of its environment and labor beats, and laying off at least a hundred news staffers -- is so totally covering New Improved Populist Hillary. Here is how she plans to reveal "a vulnerable, less scripted and entitled side":
“Inevitability is not a message,” said Terry Shumaker, a prominent New Hampshire Democrat and former United States ambassador. “It’s not something you can run on,” he added.
These topics are being quietly discussed at private dinners with donors, at strategy talks hosted by an outside “super PAC” and in casual conversation as Mrs. Clinton greets friends at holiday parties and a Clinton Foundation fund-raiser in New York.
What better way to learn to connect with working class voters than to casually canoodle with millionaires and billionaires in exclusive neighborhoods and at closed fund-raising dinners at five-star restaurants?“If she runs, it will be different,” said Mrs. Clinton’s spokesman, Nick Merrill.
Not getting enough belly-laughs yet? Then be sure to read David Brooks's New York Times column from earlier this week, in which he passive-aggressively urges Elizabeth Warren to challenge Hillary Clinton in a Democratic primary and thereby, the unspoken message goes, pave the way for Jebbie Bush. Brooks not-so-subtly gaslights Warren by counting the exact number of times she used the word "fight" in her memoir and gushing about how her "conspiracy theories" on the big banks are so endearing to progressives.
My published comment:
When a GOP pundit jumps on the Elizabeth Warren bandwagon, you can be sure it means that Wall Street in particular and the plutocracy in general are absolutely terrified of this woman remaining in the Senate. She stands to do them some heavy duty damage in the next year and more. Her entering the "race" too early would give both Clintonites and GOP dirty tricksters more time to pull a reprise of a Howard Dean "gotcha" moment long before any serious campaigning gets started in earnest.
Would I love to see Elizabeth run? Of course I would. But she's very wise, at this moment, to be throwing cold water on the horse-race frenzy crowd. Better that she, Bernie Sanders, Sherrod Brown and a whole army of progressives all get involved in the primaries. The more there are, the more the issues -- and not the personalities -- can be the focus.
The shallow media (Maureen Dowd comes to mind) would portray a Warren challenge to Hillary as a catfight, a spectacle sure to strike glee into the heartless hearts of the GOP and Fox News.
Brooks conveniently casts progressives as being simply "against" Wall Street corruption. Actually, progressives are also FOR a lot of things: a living wage, a tax on high speed trades, single payer health care paid for by a modest (for them) tax surcharge on multimillionaires and billionaires; expansion of the social safety net, student loan forgiveness and affordable college tuition, and most important of all.... a job for anybody who wants one.Can you imagine Elizabeth Warren's first day in the Oval Office, when the joint chiefs of staff and the CIA would confront her with their magical dossiers of fate, and various other offers she can't refuse?
To even aspire to be president of the United States, one absolutely must be a sociopath, a person willing to leave his or her soul at the door in order to become the brutal State in human form. And despite her votes for funding of arms for Israel in particular, and the war machine in general, I simply cannot imagine Elizabeth Warren personally presiding over Terror Tuesdays and ordering drone strikes against children. I simply cannot.
Even my cynicism has its limits.
"To even aspire to be president of the United States, one absolutely must be a sociopath, a person willing to leave his or her soul at the door in order to become the brutal State in human form." --Karen Garcia
ReplyDeleteWhich is why, in one succinct sentence, it is explained how nothing will change for the better in this country any time soon.
Whether one is a Progressive, Moderate or Conservative, the proffered candidates will be largely devoid of human decency and working on behalf of the interests of the rich and powerful who are hoping to put them in office, not the people who voted for them.
And that holds not only for the presidential candidates, but each and every politician who is seeking office.
Sadly, I believe collapse will will have to come before meaningful political change is possible.
Re.Elizabeth Warren's choice for president there are pros and cons. However, her background is working class, she moved from Republican to Democrat, she is capable and intelligent and has the ability to grow politically. Remember, FDR came from a patrician background but developed a much broader political outlook during his presidency.
ReplyDeleteIt is indeed a tossup but I think the plusses outweigh the minuses should she run. The only progressive with a clear political history, Russ Feingold, would be my choice but his ability to enter the presidential sweepstakes would never be permitted. If nothing else Ms.Warren would open up intelligent dialogue and hopefully her strengths will overcome the weaknesses and I hope we get a chance to vote for her. I think the recent crises that can no longer be swept under the rug will make contenders become more sleazy or more brave. It will be an interesting time until the next major election in the U.S. also depending on public reaction to events that we will have to endure.
Here in Canada, they are revving up for the election next year which is hopeful for change for the better. May be be a signal for the U.S. if it works out. Interesting that Obama relied on Canada for direction in handling the Cuba decisions for better or worse.