On Sunday, the editorial board of the Boston Globe published a four-part argument urging Senator Elizabeth Warren to run against Hillary Clinton for the Democratic nomination for president. The editorial, which touted Warren’s commitment to reducing income inequality, warned Democrats that allowing “Clinton [to] coast to the presidential nomination without real opposition” would be a big mistake.
“Unlike Clinton, or any of the prospective Republican candidates, Warren has made closing the economic gaps in America her main political priority, in a career that has included standing up for homeowners facing illegal foreclosures and calling for more bankruptcy protections,” the Globe‘s editorial board argued. “If she runs, it’ll ensure that those issues take their rightful place at the center of the national political debate.”
The paper went onto argue that even on issues, such as strengthening financial regulations, on which Clinton and Warren agree, it was difficult to imagine a “President Clinton enforcing the Dodd-Frank legislation with as much vigor as a President Warren” at a time when income inequality remains a high priority for many Americans.
Although Warren has repeatedly said she is not interested in running for president, Sunday’s editorial comes at somewhat of a vulnerable moment for Clinton, who’s still dealing with the controversy surrounding her exclusive use of a personal email account while serving as secretary of state. Although the controversy doesn’t appear to have damaged Clinton’s popularity with top Democratic donors, it has further underscored the serious lack of viable challengers to her nomination.
“Fairly or not, many Americans already view Clinton skeptically, and waltzing to the nomination may actually hurt her in the November election against the Republican nominee,” the Globe argued.
If Warren were to remain uninterested in a run, the editorial board said she should continue her efforts to reduce income inequality and “help recruit candidates” to advance her signature cause.
To read the editorial in its entirety, visit the Boston Globe.