Elizabeth Warren dropped out of the Democratic primary following a major loss on Super Tuesday when she failed to gain a meaningful number of delegates and finished in third place in her home state of Massachusetts. Since then, Biden and Sanders supporters have been waiting to see which direction her endorsement will go, but she is in no rush to throw her name behind either candidate. Warren has been sharing both praise and criticism toward both candidates and their supporters since dropping, making it harder to predict what she will do as the primary season nears its end.
Warren’s endorsement means a million things to a million different people. For Sanders, her endorsement could unify the progressive arm of the party into one consistent voter bloc, and for Biden, it would give him more reach into Sanders’ domain. However, for many feminists, the Biden endorsement would be a betrayal. Joseph “Roe-v.-Wade-went-too-far” Biden is far from the strong feminist candidate many Warren supporters are looking for now that she’s left the race, and his treatment of Anita Hill during the 1991 Senate confirmation hearings of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas is viewed by many as downright unforgivable. Sanders lacks a lot of the feminist clout that Warren had as well, so her endorsement would not be met without criticism, but Sanders’ record is certainly more consistent than Biden’s. His endorsements from Ilhan Omar, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Stonewall veteran Miss Major Griffin-Gracy help.
Sanders comes with risks of his own though. In his ongoing war against “the establishment,” Sanders has made enemies within the Democratic Party. A victory for Bernie Sanders would mean a permanent change to the party and a victory for progressives everywhere, but a loss could cause irreparable damage to the progressive wing. It hurts the argument he’s been making that people are ready for radical change, and for people who support his movement, it risks the ire of the establishment Sanders is challenging. Warren’s endorsement is not just a gain for Sanders, but it is also a direct attack on the centrist Democrats she has been able to rub elbows with before.
Warren has been playing the middle ground between Bernie on the left and the moderates in the center for the entire primary season, and her decision now solidifies what she is. She can no longer have it both ways, and if she chooses the losing side, the other one will condemn her for it. A few vocal progressives have already called for someone to challenge her in the primary for her Senate seat after she cost Sanders critical delegates on Super Tuesday, and the centrists are already treating her demand of “big structural change” with the same contempt they treat Bernie’s “Medicare for all.”
Warren’s endorsement is one of the most sought-after prizes of this primary, and the decision she makes here will be remembered for the rest of her career. This is the point where she decides if she’s more aligned with the slow and steady progress and return to normal promised by the Biden camp, or if she is on board with the radical transformations promised by Sanders and his allies. It seems unlikely that she will rush this decision, but both camps will continue trying to get her on their side until she eventually decides.
Robert Kinnaird is a junior majoring in global studies and journalism.
