Elizabeth Warren is determined to make sweeping changes to “rigged” America. Would she succeed? Here’s what would happen, relative to Biden and Harris:
- POLITICAL CLIMATE: Warren’s ambitious plans crash into a coalition of Republicans and moderate Democrats, and mostly go nowhere. The Senate refuses to eliminate the filibuster. The left blames the moderates, and the Democratic Party splits wide open.
- TAXING AND SPENDING: The wealth tax doesn’t even pass the House, let alone survive a filibuster, as Democratic House members from swing districts oppose it. Warren has to settle for a tax bill rolling back the Trump tax cuts. The proceeds are spent on several of her proposed programs, including, but not limited to, reductions in student debt and day care.
- RUSSIA: Warren passes the Putin’s dog test. She firmly opposes Russian efforts to split NATO.
- MIDDLE EAST: Warren is tougher on Israel than Biden, but more accommodating than Harris. Her views on Iran and Saudi Arabia are not fundamentally different than Biden’s.
- IMMIGRATION: Warren puts relatively little effort into this issue, as it interests her less than sticking it to the wealthy. In the end, it doesn’t matter; GOP obstruction dooms any effort to find a bipartisan solution, and her bill dies in the Senate.