Tuesday, December 9, 2014

Should Elizabeth Warren run for president?

It was a grassroots, people-driven "draft Warren" movement that convinced Elizabeth Warren to run in 2012.

Dear MoveOn member,

Should MoveOn encourage Senator Elizabeth Warren to run for president?

Launching an effort like this is a decision so important that it can only be made by MoveOn members like you. This email is your ballot. Voting starts now.

Here's why this idea is on the table: This moment was made for Elizabeth Warren. We're at a crossroads in American history, with inequality soaring to levels not seen since the 1920s and an economic playing field rigged to favor Wall Street and corporate interests. Inequality, and the corrupting political power of big money, threatens to undermine every issue we hold dear—from climate change to racial justice, from student debt to the fate of Social Security.

And in the midst of all that, we hear the voice of Elizabeth Warren—rallying the nation with her transformative vision of giving everyone a fighting chance.

After listening closely to MoveOn members for the last several months, we've come to believe that Warren's powerful voice is needed right now on the nation's biggest stage—the 2016 race for president.

Warren's not in the race yet. But there's a precedent here: She was inspired to run for Senate in 2012 by a people-powered "Draft Warren" campaign. This fall, when asked by People magazine whether she might be on board for a run at the presidency, she answered, "If there's any lesson I've learned in the last five years, it's don't be so sure about what lies ahead. There are amazing doors that could open."1

It's up to us to help open that door. If we join our voices together, if we show her a groundswell of support, if our millions-strong community can make clear to Warren that if she runs, she'll have the grassroots army she needs to not only win a primary, to not only win the White House, but to create real change for middle-class Americans who urgently need help—then we believe she can be persuaded to run.

We think she can win. And even if she doesn't, we believe that a contested primary is best for everyone—for the eventual nominee, for the progressive movement, and for the country.

MoveOn is its members. This decision rests in your hands. As we have with all of our biggest decisions, we're putting this question to a vote.

Voting starts now, and closes at 9 a.m. ET/6 PT on Wednesday, December 10. Cast your official ballot by clicking below: Should MoveOn launch a major effort calling on Elizabeth Warren to run for president?

Yes, MoveOn should encourage Sen. Elizabeth Warren to run for president.

No, MoveOn should not do this.

If MoveOn members do vote to move forward, we'll go to bat to demonstrate to Senator Warren that if she runs, we'll be right there with her. We'll show her that Americans are hungry for a leader who is unafraid to stand up to the megabanks and corporate interests, and who will never stop fighting for families on the ragged edge of the middle class.

Our campaign would be called "Run Warren Run," and it would be 100% positive: lifting up the case for a Warren candidacy, not pulling anyone down.

Above all, it would be based on the belief that we need all our best candidates in the race. The 2008 primary ensured that President Obama was battle-tested by the time he reached the general election. And if it weren't for Hillary Clinton and John Edwards calling for health care reform in the primary, we may never have gotten the Affordable Care Act that millions of Americans rely on today. A contested primary means that progressives have a voice, the best ideas get an airing, and the eventual nominee is ready to face the best (or worst) that the Republicans and the Koch brothers have to offer.

That's what we've heard from countless MoveOn members. And it's why MoveOn's staff believes it's so important for Elizabeth Warren to enter the race. But now it's up to you.

Do you agree? Should MoveOn launch a "Run Warren Run" campaign encouraging her to enter the race?

Yes, MoveOn should launch a campaign encouraging Sen. Elizabeth Warren to run for president.

No, MoveOn should not do this.

Again, voting will remain open until 9 a.m. ET/6 PT on Wednesday, December 10. All MoveOn members are eligible to vote. Only your first click will be recorded, so please take care in making your choice. 

Thanks for all you do.

–Ilya, Anna, Ben, Mark, and the rest of the team

Source:

1. "An Early Halloween Fright for Wall St.: Elizabeth Warren for Treasury Secretary?" People, October 22, 2014 
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=301987&id=105671-10220574-PRDUy5x&t=3

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PAID FOR BY MOVEON.ORG POLITICAL ACTION, http://pol.moveon.org/. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee. This email was sent to eddie alfaro on December 9, 2014. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.

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