As they gear up for a White House bid, Hillary Rodham Clinton and other Democratic presidential hopefuls may be looking over their left shoulder for a key stamp of approval from the party’s new progressive standard-bearer.
Political analysts say Sen. Elizabeth Warren holds considerable sway among the party’s liberal base, and an endorsement from the Massachusetts Democrat could go a long way toward energizing the core bloc of voters needed to secure the Democratic nomination in 2016.
Thus far, Ms. Warren — who has vowed she will not run for president in the next cycle — has remained coy about whether she’ll push her passionate progressive supporters toward Mrs. Clinton or any other candidate with a formal endorsement.
During a recent interview with Salon, she had sharp words for President Obama and Vice President Joseph R. Biden, charging that the administration has “protected Wall Street” at the expense of middle-class families. Those comments would seem to indicate Ms. Warren isn’t eager to lend her support to Mr. Biden, at least not during the primary process.
If Ms. Warren wades into the primary battle, specialists say an endorsement could be especially valuable in the weeks leading up to the Iowa caucuses, where progressive Democrats make up a significant part of the electorate.
“The one place I think it matters the most is in the Iowa caucuses,” said Lee Miringoff, a political science professor at New York’s Marist College and director of the school’s Institute for Public Opinion. “And that’s also probably the one place Hillary [Clinton] worries about because of her prior difficulties with Iowa caucus voters. That’s the one place where some kind of stamp of approval would really matter.”
SEE ALSO: Elizabeth Warren slams Obama: He ‘picked Wall Street,’ not Main Street
In 2008, Mrs. Clinton finished second in the Iowa caucuses behind then-Sen. Barack Obama, who was able to energize progressive Democrats despite starting the race as a significant underdog.
Six years later, that same kind of energy now surrounds Ms. Warren, who has crafted a populist economic message that has struck a chord with many on the left.
Underscoring her popularity in the party, Ms. Warren will visit Iowa on Sunday to campaign for Democratic Senate candidate Bruce Braley, according to The Associated Press. Mr. Braley is locked in a tight race with Republican state Sen. Joni Ernst to fill the seat of retiring Democratic Sen. Tom Harkin.
The freshman senator also published a new memoir earlier this year that one reviewer said “reads a lot like a campaign autobiography.”
Her office did not respond to a request for comment from The Washington Times.
Even though she insists she won’t run for president in 2016, Ms. Warren continues to promote her vision for both the nation and the Democratic party and isn’t shy about criticizing the Obama administration.
SEE ALSO: Hillary Clinton heckled mid-speech by bullhorn-wielding man
“They protected Wall Street. Not families who were losing their homes. Not people who lost their jobs. Not young people who were struggling to get an education. And it happened over and over and over,” she said over the weekend in an interview with Salon, charging that the White House hasn’t done enough to rein in Wall Street in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis.
While it’s not yet clear if the progressive wing of the party will rally around one left-wing figure who could serve as the anti-Hillary candidate, liberal leaders believe a successful Democratic candidate must embrace Ms. Warren’s message.
“An economic populist tide is sweeping the country, and by 2016 every presidential candidate will need to say whether they agree with Warren on key issues like taking on Wall Street, expanding Social Security benefits, and reducing student loan debt,” said Laura Friedenbach, spokesperson for the increasingly powerful Progressive Change Campaign Committee.
A recent Marist College poll found that Mrs. Clinton enjoys the support of 64 percent of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents. Mr. Biden came in second with 15 percent, while Ms. Warren garnered 8 percent, the poll shows.
Independent Sen. Bernard Sanders of Vermont and Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley captured 4 percent and 2 percent, respectively.
• Ben Wolfgang can be reached at bwolfgang@washingtontimes.com.
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