Ezra Klein makes the case for Warren much as I did–by talking up her competence as a policymaker and executive. He assumes that none of Warren’s grand plans will actually become law, but argues that her vast knowledge of government and her familiarity with personnel would make her a good president. It all makes perfect sense.
Here are the arguments on the other side, however:
- SHE CAN’T WIN THE ELECTION: As I’ve noted many times before, Warren is extremely vulnerable on identity and values issues. She is the weakest possible nominee–even weaker than Sanders. The polls bear that out.
- SHE IS UNIQUELY DIVISIVE: Of the five remaining serious candidates, she is the most committed culture warrior. When you add that to her determination to fight 24/7 for her plans, what you get is a president who not only divides red from blue, but Democratic moderates from progressives. The Democratic Party might well crack under the strain, to the obvious benefit of the GOP.
- HER IDEAS ON FOREIGN POLICY ARE, AT BEST, UNFORMED: With her enthusiasm for tariffs, her contempt for trade agreements, and her fear of military involvement anywhere on the globe, she sounds more like a left-wing version of Trump than a more pacific version of Obama. That’s not good.
To me, the negatives substantially outweigh the positives. Will the electorate agree? As of now, it appears the answer is yes.