Warren lovefest ending as 2020 competitors fear her rise

[LincolnRossiter]

[link:https://www.politico.com/story/2019/08/30/elizabeth-warren-2020-competitors-1477953|

Rival campaigns say she's gotten a free ride, but her allies warn that attacks will only backfire.

...with the Massachusetts senator now drawing massive crowds and surging in national polls, competing campaigns are starting to refocus on Warren, looking to blunt her momentum.

Aides to three rival candidates confirmed in interviews they’re revving up opposition research on Warren in preparation for the next debate on Sept. 12. Still others privately complained she’s gotten fawning treatment in the media as she unveiled a litany of ambitious plans without being pressed on where the money would come from to pay for them.

Warren’s supporters said the gripes amount to sour grapes from campaigns who didn’t take her seriously until she shot up in the polls, and are now watching with envy the organization she’s amassed while they were busy attacking each other.

Her opponents so far are treading carefully, wary of alienating Warren supporters whom they hope to win over eventually. Fellow liberal icon Bernie Sanders and Warren have long had a nonaggression pact, and various polls have shown overlap between backers of Kamala Harris and Warren. Biden, sitting atop the field, has been busy trying to deflect the brunt of attacks.

But surrogates for those top-tier candidates are starting to speak up.

The actress Susan Sarandon, while in Iowa supporting Sanders, threw shade at Warren last week. “[Sanders] is not someone who used to be Republican. He is not someone who used to take money, or still takes money, from Wall Street. He is the real deal,” she said.

An adviser to a competing campaign, who spoke on condition of anonymity, echoed some of that sentiment. If Warren attacks someone else’s record on the debate stage, the person said, she will get it back in return.

“Elizabeth Warren has gotten a pass in both debates,” Sellers said. He said he believes Warren has run the best campaign of the 2020 race, but added: “I think that at the end of the day, the biggest criticism of Elizabeth Warren is her inability to make her plans actual reality. There are a lot of voters — especially black voters — who will say, ‘A lot of this is pie in the sky and we want pie on the table.’”

Former Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell, who is backing Biden, said Warren has avoided the kind of scrutiny that’s dogging Biden because she’s run a “mistake-free campaign” and has yet to be deemed a front-runner.

But Rendell said Warren won’t get a pass in the next presidential debate. He predicted, for one, that she’ll be pressed on how she would pay for Medicare for All.

“Elizabeth skillfully avoided answering the question: ‘Would your health care proposal cause taxes to rise?’” Rendell said. “She never answered the question … She’s done a great job avoiding it. She has to answer it now.”

I want to clearly state that this isn’t a knock against Warren, whom I feel has been an outstanding candidate who’s run an excellent campaign. But this speaks to some of the challenges that come with being a frontrunner and some of the gripes we Biden supporters have that seemingly all the focus and negative scrutiny (of mainly the press, but also other candidates) seems to be directed his way. I think a little extra light being shone on other candidates will do the process some good.

[KPN]

3. Really?! And you only became a DU member today?

Gotta wonder about that ... I.e, your linking HRC to Elizabeth Warren here st DU in your very first post? Painting Warren as Hillary for the Hillary haters are we?

EDIT: Kudos and thank you to whoever is responsible for that post being removed.

[BeyondGeography]

5. Well said

[LincolnRossiter]

7. Took a minute away to order some pizza for my nieces and looks like I missed some action...

[Thekaspervote]

4. Agree!

[PatSeg]

6. I've been tuning out the pundits and MSM lately

Whenever anyone looks promising or popular, they go out of their way to tear them down. I've seen this movie before and it helped put an asshole in the White House. Whenever they start talking, it sounds like, "blah, blah, blah," to me. They get paid to talk, so they talk even when they really have nothing to say.

[pecosbob]

8. She is an exemplary team player

Her opponents better bring their A-game...she comes prepared. Attacks will likely make her a stronger candidate in the long run.

[bluedovepdx]

9. It's a primary

All candidate's remarks, plans, history deserve scrutiny. As long as the
questions are pertinent and honest, this is the process and I think a
fair process. No candidate should get a free ride from scrutiny. The
use of the word 'atrack' is over used. Simply questioning/criticizing
a candidate's record is not an attack. It's what we should expect
from the process. We want the best person to be the nominee.

[LisaM]

10. They should be wary of alienating Warren supporters. n/t

[sheshe2]

11. Agreed.

I have already voted for her twice for the Senate.

[LisaM]

12. Hey, SheShe!

How are you doing, my political sister?

[sheshe2]

13. Hey Lisa!

I am doing okay, sorta.

I am loving Warrens class act on the campaign trail. Dayum she is good.

I had my doubts at first, not any more.

[highplainsdem]

14. Those attacking Biden haven't been wary of alienating his supporters, and there are

a lot more of them.

Unfortunately, being the front-runner, or even close to the front-runner, sets a candidate up for attacks as others become more desperate.