Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) refuses to endorse her “friend” Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and continues to stay in the presidential race despite having won fewer delegates than either Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) or Mayor Pete Buttigieg (both of whom dropped out). The supposedly progressive candidate, however, is now blasting the spate of “Washington insiders” endorsing former Vice President Joe Biden over the last 48 hours.
During an appearance in Los Angeles on Monday night, Warren said she will nevertheless persist in the Democratic primary through Super Tuesday while blasting Joe Biden’s string of endorsements.
“I also want to congratulate Joe Biden on his win in South Carolina. I respect his years of service. But no matter how many Washington insiders tell you to support him, nominating their fellow Washington insider will not meet this moment,” said Warren, as reported by HuffPost. “Nominating a man who says we do not need any fundamental change in this country will not meet this moment. Nominating someone who wants to restore the world before Donald Trump, when the status quo has been leaving more and more people behind for decades, is a big risk for our party and our country.”
Warren criticized the narrative that “only two lanes” exist in the path to earn the nomination: the insider lane (Joe Biden) and the outsider lane (Bernie Sanders). She pitched herself as a third alternative: “Someone with unshakeable values who can also get things done and bring all kinds of Democrats along with her.”
“Voters deserve a choice of someone who can both do the work to transform our government from the inside and who can bring pressure to bear on government by leading a grassroots movement from the outside,” she said.
Supporters of Elizabeth Warren have encouraged her to stay in the race, arguing that it allows voters to choose an option other than straight, old, white men.
“Sanders and Biden are good men, but they want you to believe this election is a two-man race. It’s not. It’s a race between ELIZABETH WARREN and 3 old white guys—2 of them good men—who look just like every president (except one) we’ve ever had. It’s time for a change,” tweeted Seth Abramson of Newsweek on Monday.
“There’s an alternative for the two polar extremes of white men who are still running. There’s an alternative who carries the best of what both have to offer, and leaves what they don’t behind. Someone who can truly unite moderates and progressives. Her name is Elizabeth Warren,” tweeted actress Amber Tamblyn.
Elizabeth Warren has no pathway to the nomination, and by refusing to exit the Democratic primary, she’s angered a number of progressive luminaries in the Democratic Party. On Monday, Alexandra Rojas, Executive Director of Justice Democrats, a hardline progressive advocacy group, said Warren should pledge to give her delegates to Bernie Sanders if she loses.
“Senator Warren has been an ally of the progressive movement throughout her entire career. But I hope she stops attacking Senator Sanders and publicly commits to give her delegates to him if he has more votes to ensure a progressive wins the nomination,” Rojas said. “I’d say the same to Bernie. Pursuing the nomination through a contested convention without accumulating the most delegates would be harmful for our movement, our party and the policies she’s spent her life fighting for.”
Warren’s campaign, The Daily Wire reported Sunday, told supporters that Warren will keep her delegates, giving her the ability to compete in a possible brokered convention. She is not predicted to do well on Super Tuesday.