WaPo:Elizabeth Warren still isn’t going to be Hillary Clinton’s vice presidential pick.
Which brings me to Warren and Clinton. Warren got lots of attention on Thursday night for endorsing Clinton. Part of that is because she is a national figure who is regarded as one of the leading voices of liberals. But, another big part is that she was the only Democratic women senator who hadn't endorsed Clinton long ago. And, it's not only that: When asked about the race for the past six months, Warren painted it as essentially a toss-up between Clinton and Bernie Sanders. For all of that time, it wasn't.
Trust me when I tell you that Warren withholding her support — and making sure that people knew she was still withholding her support — did not and does not sit well in Clintonworld. Warren was already regarded by many within the Democratic establishment — including a decent-sized chunk of the Obamans — as a bit of a grandstanding, holier-than-thou figure. (Her relationship with Clinton has been very up and down through the years as well.) Warren's decision to keep on the sidelines throughout the primary process only reinforced that sense for many people.
If Clinton doesn't have a problem on her left to solve, then adding Warren to the ticket only brings potential problems. She is an unapologetic liberal and someone who is directly in line with Sanders on the dim view that she takes toward Wall Street as well as the wealthiest Americans. Warren is loathed by conservatives, and a Clinton-Warren ticket might be the one thing that could convince lots of Republicans who are uncertain about Donald Trump to make a lesser-of-two-evils vote for the real estate mogul.
It would also allow Trump to paint the ticket as "the most liberal in the history of America" or some such, a potentially potent attack for him as he tries to turn the spotlight away from his shaky candidacy. Trump may say that of the Democratic ticket no matter who Clinton picks. But, you don't want to make it easy for him if you are a Democrat.
Vice presidential picks are the most personal and closely guarded of all decisions within a presidential campaign. That makes them inherently hard to handicap. So, it's possible Clinton has an amazing meeting with Warren today and winds up putting her on the ticket. But, I sincerely doubt it.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2016/06/10/why-i-still-dont-think-elizabeth-warren-makes-hillary-clintons-vice-presidential-shortlist/
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And one day, maybe sooner, she'll be called Senate Majority Leader.
