Warren

I'm a left-wing independent, but like many independents I often vote for Democrats, even for centrist Democrats and Wall Streeters when the Republicans nominate a slob who sits on a gold toilet. Last year I saw the Democratic Party, with people like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, take a big turn toward my positions, toward the New Deal, a step driven by women, the young, unions and by people of color. The party of 2020 will not be the party of Clinton triangulation.

My early, provisional choices for the next Presidential race are Warren and Castro, if they run on Bernie Sanders' issues. (If Hillary had done that and picked a VP with a purpose, she would be President today.)

Elizabeth Warren was a working-class kid who became a professor. That's my kind of person. The central argument against her is that maybe people won’t go for her, because she is unusually intelligent and female. I don't buy that, but time and primary campaigns will tell.

For two years I've been saying that it makes no sense to nominate someone with high negatives. I want to see how well Warren campaigns and if voters are drawn to her. The Democrats should nominate someone popular with women, people of color, young voters and gays. That's the test. We'll see how Warren does.

Warren will be under attack from the Fox machine and from Democrats allied with other candidates. My hope is that she ignores the bullshit and keeps focused on what she believes the country needs.

I noticed that Hillary Clinton ran up a lot of votes in 2016.. That proves to me that an intelligent woman can win. Warren--with her New Deal agenda--may be able to bring extra votes to the polls. 

We have a year and a half to find out if Warren and Castro are the strongest candidates or if someone else might run better.