Bret Stephens says Elizabeth Warren is losing because she’s running as Pepsi to Sanders’ Coke. Is he right?
Yes. It’s important to note that it didn’t need to be this way. She could have promoted a more middle-of-the-road health care plan instead of embracing M4A. She could have put more effort into creating a more traditional capitalist context for her reform proposals. She could have suggested raising money through income and estate tax increases for the wealthy rather than an unworkable and unconstitutional wealth tax. She could have shown more compassion for people with traditional values. Those were choices on her part, and she will live to regret them.
It’s too late for her to position herself as a unity candidate; there are too many images of her arm-in-arm with Bernie. We probably should be grateful; as I’ve noted many times, due to identity concerns, she’s the weakest candidate the Democrats could run in the general election.