As much as I love Michelle Obama, and I really do, the former First Lady has no possible chance of winning the White House in 2020. As much as I want Mrs. Obama to become the new face of the Democratic Party, which I believe she will in due time, the current political climate, and certainly the political climate in four years, will still not be over the horrendous 2016 election. The sitting president, Mr. Cheeto Puff, is still stuck in campaign mode, and he certainly won’t lose his 2016 rhetoric if he runs for reelection in 2020. Unfortunately, with Orange Blob Fish’s rhetoric comes a lot of empty, untruthfully hits at both former President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle. The American electorate, regardless of how many young people vote in 2020, will still not be willing to accept another Obama into the White House. Not yet at least.
In 2020, the Democratic Party will need to find a new candidate, one not from the political dynasty of the Clintons. The party, as it is trying to do with the DNC Chair elections, must find a candidate which can not only connect with regular Democratic voters, but who also can connect to swing voters in rural counties, the same voters which won Trump the election. But who can possibly satisfy Democrats, inspire young people, bring out rural America, and beat President Annoying Orange?
Oh! I know!
Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren!
Here’s some reasons why:
Reason #1: Senator Warren is the new face you’ve seen before.
If Democrats want to win back the White House in 2020, they need a new face. The GOP candidates in 2016 were all faces you’ve seen before: Ted Cruz, Jeb Bush, Rick Perry, Mike Huckabee. You know, your average “conservative” Republicans. The only candidate who wasn’t such was our current president. The Democratic candidates, aside from Bernie Sanders, were also faces well known to the establishment, especially former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
Elizabeth Warren is that new face. We’ve all heard of her: taking on Wall Street, taking hits from Trump and returning them, promoting equality for the middle class, supporting civil rights in all regards and yet, you really don’t know her. Aside from her home state, the rest of the country has no idea of who she really is as a candidate, sort of like Senator Sanders. If she can win the Democratic nomination, the Democrats have a whole new look which they desperately need.
Reason #2: Elizabeth Warren appeals to economic voters, even the moderate ones.
Mr. Trump did not win the 2016 election solely because of Russia or because he was able to tap into the divides that our nation has worked to close for the past century. Democrats, and Hillary Clinton, failed to understand the importance of moderate rural area swing voters, those which are needed for an electoral victory.
Although Elizabeth Warren is a big leftist when it comes to gay rights, abortion, etc., she has an economic vision of change which most can get behind. First, she’s against big business crushing smaller businesses and wants to strengthen the small industry of America. Second, she’s anti-Wall Street. Unlike Hillary Clinton, who has been part of Wall Street, Warren is truly tough on Wall Street and has no fear in showing it. Third, she’s big on lowering taxes for the middle class, raising taxes on the wealthy and getting people out of the working class into the middle or upper middle class. Will she appeal to hardcore capitalistic voters? No. But she certainly isn’t a socialist, or a self proclaimed “democratic socialist,” rather a firm believer in capitalism with equal opportunity.
Reason #3: She doesn’t have baggage.
When Senator Warren would called out Mr. Trump in regards to his taxes, business conflicts, racists or sexist remarks, etc., the only thing that Mr. Trump could hit her back with was “Pocahontas,” which isn’t even an insult if you think about it.
Unlike Hillary Clinton, which unfortunately had a wrongfully tainted image because of her emails, Wall Street, etc., Elizabeth Warren has none of that. She’s a “say it, do it” type politician and has yet to be inconsistent with her voting and her values. This lack of baggage can often be seen as her being anti-establishment or an outsider type candidate, which Trump certainly was. Only difference? She’s qualified.
Reason #4: Liberalism won’t hurt her, unlike Hillary.
Like Senator Bernie Sanders said, most of the values of the American people line up with the values that the Democratic Party stands for: gay rights, reproductive justice, etc. The problem that Hillary had in 2016 is that when she tried to move further to the left, because of Bernie, it seemed fake or forced. Elizabeth Warren is known for being a liberal, and a feisty one at that.
Is she too liberal? Maybe, but not really. American values continue to shift left, especially with the next voting generation.
Reason #5: She can motivate everyone. (Except Republicans, obviously.)
Democrats already love Elizabeth Warren, thus it will be easy for her to motivate life-long voting Democrats. Her ideas on immigration, race relations, and civil rights will certainly get minority groups excited like Latinos, LGTBQ+, African-Americans and others. She will also be able to bring out the older generation of voters, those nearing retirement or those who are retired. She retirement plans and her “Put Seniors First” platform will certainly mobilize older groups.
But, most importantly, Elizabeth Warren will be able to mobilize young people. Like Bernie Sanders, Senator Warren understands the need for real change, in sync with American values of acceptance, diversity, love, etc. Young people will flock to those ideas.
Reason #6: She’s a woman people can get behind.
Yes, this may seem a little bit sexist but it’s a fact that some voters didn’t want to vote for Hillary, not because she’s a woman, but because she’s that woman. Again, Hillary Clinton has certainly been painted in a crude and usually untrue light in her time as a public servant and the GOP certainly hasn’t held back. Elizabeth Warren, however, is someone who can motivate people, not because she’s a woman, but because she’s this woman.
Reason #7: She can beat Trump.
If any Democrat can beat Trump, it’s Elizabeth Warren. She certainly didn’t hesitate to call him out during the primary and campaign season and was quick to respond to his bigotry and ignorance. If Trump becomes the nominee once again, which he very well could, and Warren becomes the Democratic nominee, most voters may choose her simply because of how bad he is. As one of my teachers told me, “Many closed their eyes and held their noses and voted Trump simply because the other choice was Hillary.” Well, the Democratic candidate for president in 2020 will not be Hillary Clinton and if Elizabeth Warren is on the ticket she can win because she is Elizabeth Warren, not because of how bad Trump is.
If these next four years will teach us anything it’s that we truly are stronger together. If anyone can kick Trump out of the White House, it’s Elizabeth Warren’s. She certainly isn’t the candidate the American people deserve, rather the candidate we need. She can bring about real change that everyone can get excited about, except Republicans because nothing excites Republicans except tax breaks on the wealthy and guns. (Just saying.)
