If you have been making the mistake of ignoring a very serious woman with a very serious and generally well ran bid for the presidency, please stop playing both Elizabeth Warren and my last nerve.
For all the hype about Mike Bloomberg among the well-connected and white people across cable news, Warren metaphorically slapped the taste out of his mouth. Liz came for everyone’s necks during Wednesday night’s Las Vegas Democratic debate. Warren reminded me of a pissed off reality show cast member who has been watching the show after filming and can’t wait to blow everything up at the reunion. And so Warren did, but Bloomberg rightfully drew most of her ire.
Why this man didn’t bother to prepare is beyond me, but I will say I take immense joy in knowing that after spending all of that money trying to hoodwink Black folks into thinking that dude has a group chat with Barack and Michelle, the day after the debate, “The Blacks” have made a meme of Warren chopping Bloomberg up to the beat of “Ether.” Not only that, it’s being posted on Baller Alert’s Instagram. (And The Daily Show, among others, are in.) Let’s celebrate moments of clarity. To that end, please tell your Black parents and elders to not vote for Mr. Stop and Frisk because he’s Richie Rich.
And while some appear to be warmed or at least amused by the fact that Warren apparently exchanged pleasantries during commercial breaks during the break, I’m more fixated on how she hasn’t let up on him.
Following the debate and Bloomberg’s pompous and poor performance, Warren told CNN: “I have no doubt that coming off that debate stage that Michael Bloomberg is reaching in his pocket and dropping another $100 million in advertising across this country just to try to erase the memory of what happened on that debate stage.”
I’m sure he will, but here’s hoping Warren, who has seen a huge surge in fundraising in response to her debate performance, keeps going so she can knock him down again at the next debate.
But, for as great a night as she had, whether it is too late is worth considering. I’m not completely clear on what to make of the decline of Warren’s candidacy in recent weeks. No one can credibly deny the role sexism has played. The overarching theme of most of the post-2016 election coverage has been that only an old white man can defeat Donald Trump, which whether many in the media will admit or not, has impacted the psyche of the electorate. Everyone is so terrified of four more years of Donald Trump that they’ve allowed themselves to be conditioned to believe that it is too risky to vote for the person they happen to like and whose approach they agree with most.
And yet, Warren herself should not have allowed the likes of Pete Buttigieg to misrepresent her health care plan at a previous debate last fall. Not to mention, she should have had clearer answers herself when posed. However, last night reminded everyone what many of Warren’s longtime followers have long known: she is amazing on television.
It is the very reason she is famous, and ultimately, a serious presidential contender even if she isn’t always taken seriously by some who should do better. Warren has one of the best political biographies in recent memory, has long been an effective communicator, and as she illustrated last night, speaks to the spirit of the Democratic base in terms of both policy and rhetoric more than many of the out of tune pundits on profit-driven media pretending otherwise.
I’ve been sick of Warren being ignored by the media, and it was shrewd of her to continuously attack Bloomberg in ways that would force the press to cover. Because Elizabeth Warren for president has always deserved our attention and consideration. Now it’s up to her to go on TV and fight for more airtime for the sake of her candidacy.