Elizabeth Warren's national profile makes her a target for local Republicans
By Victoria McGrane GLOBE STAFF MARCH 05, 2018
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Not one but three main Republican challengers say they can topple this daunting Democrat, largely because of her national profile, not in spite of it.
“I would not run against a normal Democrat in this state for senator,” said John Kingston, a businessman and one of the three GOP contenders vying to be David to Warren’s Goliath in November. “The advantages of being an incumbent Democrat are enormous. But she’s not a normal Democrat.”
His two main primary competitors — state Representative Geoff Diehl of Whitman and Beth Lindstrom, a longtime Massachusetts GOP insider from Groton — are similarly seeking to take advantage of what they say are the vulnerabilities that Warren’s national profile expose.
Their talking points differ, but the trio are hitting many of the same themes: Warren is a divisive voice, and Massachusetts voters want politicians who work across the aisle; she votes against legislation that would help her home state — including the major tax bill that Congress passed, with zero Democratic support, last year — just to oppose the president; she’s more interested in positioning herself for a possible run for the White House than delivering for her constituents.
“She may be the darling of the progressive left and the face of the resistance right now down in D.C., but Massachusetts is actually a pretty pragmatic state that I think expects their legislators to be serious when they go to Washington to deliver for the state,” Diehl said.
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