“Nevertheless, she persisted” — a rallying cry for the feminist movement, a slogan emblazoned on mugs and T-shirts everywhere and a phrase first inspired by Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s protest against Jeff Sessions’ nomination as Attorney General.
Warren has been criticized for her resolution in getting things done — for her inability to give up when people want her to. She continued to protest against Sessions’ nomination outside the Senate chamber even after she was restricted from further debate, livestreaming her speech.
That’s the kind of senator Warren was during her first term, and that’s why The Daily Free Press is endorsing her for a second.
A senator is someone who speaks for the state on a federal level. Massachusetts needs a senator who’s willing to stand up to President Donald Trump, not one who mirrors his beliefs on everything from gun laws to abortion rights.
Geoff Diehl, who worked as Massachusetts campaign co-chair of Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign, is, at least to some extent, personally accountable for the agenda Trump has pushed since his election. Warren, on the other hand, has spent the past two years fighting to reverse the damage the Trump administration has wrought.
She’s not only been outspoken verbally, she’s taken real action to address the Trump administration’s worst ideas — when Trump proposed last February to cut funding for opioid treatment, she introduced a bill providing $100 billion in funding to help those suffering from opioid addiction.
Women are a large portion of Warren’s supporters, which is unsurprising given that after Hillary Clinton lost the presidential election, Warren stepped up to fill her shoes as a rallying force for women. But, despite a demographic similarity between Clinton and Warren, they are two very different candidates. Warren is someone who isn’t afraid to truly be progressive.
She joined ranks with Bernie Sanders on the “College for All Act” to help make college entirely free — about as bold a move as a politician could have made in terms of reducing student loan debt, which is one of her main goals.
Warren’s future has been less certain lately after she released a DNA test revealing Native American ancestry, proving some validity to a claim to the heritage she made long ago. People who previously saw her as an infallible supporter of human rights are now questioning, understandably, whether or not she truly relates to minorities.
Warren made a mistake that can’t be excused and shouldn’t be ignored simply because we’re in the midst of an election. Voters shouldn’t give her a free pass for claiming minority status, but they shouldn’t assume this defines who she is.
In a race against Diehl, Warren is more than the lesser of two evils. She misstepped, but on a fundamental level, she understands that her job as senator is to show up for her constituency. She has a proven history of doing just that, and unlike many Democratic politicians, she isn’t afraid to push a progressive agenda.
Warren’s potential presidential ambitions — whether they do or don’t come to fruition — shouldn’t dissuade voters from electing her to the Senate. These future ambitions show a deep passion for affecting change on a broad scope. As long as she focuses on Massachusetts for the time being, the state will be far better off.
Diehl is a completely incorrect fit for Massachusetts voters. It makes sense that he would tout his Trump ties because he has no name recognition, and the best way for him to do well is to tie himself to Trump. But at the core, a senator represents the people. We need a senator whose voice will echo those of the people of Massachusetts.
Warren has been serving that role for years, long before she came into the spotlight speaking out against Trump. She’s been working to create an America where everyone has a shot at success, and she hasn’t been afraid of making anyone mad in the process.
“Voters shouldn’t give her a free pass for claiming minority status…” Folks, Elizabeth Warren never claimed “minority status”. During her first run for Senate her Republican opponent, Scott Brown, accused her of lying on a document where she acknowledged an indigenous ancestor. More recently, Donald Trump revived the attacks on her honesty and the racist sophomoric “Pocahontus” taunt. Warren took the DNA test not to assert any claim to minority status. She never said, ‘I’m native American’. She’s saying – Scott… Donald… I’m not the one being dishonest and here’s the DNA to prove it. If she’s made a misstep it was in holding any hope that truth would dissuade anyone who’s fallen under the influence of the Trump Cool Aid, including many in the media.