Should Elizabeth Warren Run for President in 2016?

Wednesday, July 30, 2014
Nicholas Handy, GoLocalWorcester Contributor

There has been much speculation as of late in regards to Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren and whether or not she will decide to run for president in 2016, with many looking at her public appearances throughout the United States as a potential reasoning as to why she might be gearing up for a run.

Many political analysts are quick to point out that she would make a great candidate if she were to run for president, but admit that there is one person standing in her way of even beginning to put together a campaign.

“I think that Elizabeth Warren would make a great candidate,” said Paul Giorgio, a longtime Democratic Party activist in Worcester. “I think that she would be a formidable candidate but having said that, I think there is only room for one woman so whether or not she runs will all come down to Hillary Clinton.”

Although not announcing a run at the Presidency, it is widely speculated that Hillary Clinton will be one of the Democratic candidates, potentially one that could win the primary. In the past, Warren has shown support for Clinton and her presidential run.

Supporting Clinton

When asked if she is planning on running for president in 2016, Warren has been steadfast in admitting that she will not be running, something that Mary Anne Marsh - a seasoned political operative with the Dewey Square Group in Boston – believes should be taken as truth.

Although admitting than Warren would make a fearless and effective leader – she has already shown in a relatively short period of time in the Senate that she can hold people’s feet to the fire – Marsh doesn’t believe that Warren would run against Clinton because she has supported a potential presidential run in the past.

“Everyone seems to forget that she signed a letter in support of Hillary Clinton,” said Marsh. “In my perspective, there is no reason to doubt what she is saying; you really have to take her at her word.”

Smart Politics

Regardless of whether she makes a run for President in 2016, Erin O’Brien – an Associate Professor of Political Science at UMass Boston – says that Warren’s nationwide outreach is “smart politics.”

By getting her feet wet during a soft period, Warren is benefitting greatly. She is able to achieve greater exposure on a national level as well as open herself up to criticism without any sort of large-scale attack from Republicans or other groups.

“Warren has taken some steps toward a national stage and to get her feelers out to see if a potential presidential run could be appealing to her,” said O’Brien. “Barring some unexpected issue pulling Clinton from the race, I don’t see Warren running. With that being said, taking steps toward a national stage are incredibly smart for her, both in the short and the long term.”

A Strong Candidate

Tad Devine, a veteran Democratic political consultant, believes that Elizabeth Warren would make a strong candidate is she was to decide to run for president because she has a good message and a great ability to raise funds, something that would be critical in the early stages of a campaign.

With that being said, because Clinton has long been viewed as one of the next Democrats to run for President in 2016 and because Warren has shown support for Clinton in the past, Devine doesn’t think it would be a good move for Warren to run in 2016.

“I don’t think it would be a great move for Warren to run if Clinton is running,” said Devine. “Warren could be a very serious candidate, but I believe that if Clinton is running, it could be a very serious step back for Warren. A lot of people would potentially see her as someone who is trying to get in the way.”