Source: Scott Olson / Getty
Elizabeth Warren has officially suspended her presidential campaign and now many people are wondering if she will endorse Bernie Sanders in his bid for president. Such a move won’t necessarily guarantee a vote from the many Black women who backed Warren during her run.
Warren announced the end of her campaign via remarks she shared with her campaign staff, which was shared on Medium. “We have shown that it is possible to build a grassroots movement that is accountable to supporters and activists and not to wealthy donors,” she said. “And to do it fast enough for a first-time candidate to build a viable campaign. Never again can anyone say that the only way that a newcomer can get a chance to be a plausible candidate is to take money from corporate executives and billionaires. That’s done.”
She continued, “We have also shown that race and justice — economic justice, social justice, environmental justice, criminal justice — are not an afterthought, but are at the heart of everything that we do.” Warren finished by saying, “Our work continues, the fight goes on, and big dreams never die. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.”
In November of last year, a group of organizers, activists, artists, writers and political strategists known as Black Womxn for Warren, fully endorsed her candidacy, writing in a statement, “Our endorsement comes not after lip service or political pandering, but from the hundreds of conversations with Black women GNC/NB folks across the country, substantive discussions about policy and the power of grassroots organizing, and the opportunities and limitations of election politics….Our endorsement is not a blanket approval of all of her acts, both past, present, and future but rather a firm and calculated understanding that should she fall short of her commitments to us and our communities she will be held to account.”
Since then, various Black women leaders have come out in support of Warren including Rep. Ayanna Pressley and actress Yvette Nicole Brown.
Now that Warren has announced the end of her presidential run, many hashtags began circling on social media, including #WarrentToBiden or #WarrenToSanders, making folks question who Warren will endorse — if she endorses anyone at all. Despite both Warren and Sanders’ progressive stance on issues like universal healthcare, the two still differ in various ways.
https://twitter.com/KimberlyNFoster/status/1235604125494251520
Many Black women made it clear that with Warren out of the race, a Sanders vote from them is not guaranteed. As a matter of fact, many on social media automatically announced their vote for Sanders’ main contender, former Vice President Joe Biden.
“Sad to see Warren go,” wrote one Twitter user. “Welp looks like Biden it is. Everything in my intuition tells me Bernie is just not it. #WarrenToBiden.“
Even actress Yvette Nicole Brown made it clear that Bernie wouldn’t receive a vote from her, citing reports that Russians are aiding in Sanders’ campaign (a report that Sanders’ team denounced).
“With respect, Bernie is NOTHING like Liz when it comes to decency and temperament,” Brown tweeted. “He’s a narcissist supported by Putin. We already have one of those. I said what I said, I’m supporting Biden.”
There were also Black women who vocalized that Biden was not it for them.
“Warren as a candidate had major issues & her [sic] canpaign was riddled w/ problems, but the fact that biden remains in this race, despite presenting nothing but incoherency & total lack of policies, is depressing af+,” wrote Twitter user Wendi Muse.
https://twitter.com/MuseWendi/status/1235629248561524736
Some people even blasted Biden’s acknowledgement of Warren after she stepped out the race. In a tweet he wrote, “Senator @EWarren is the fiercest of fighters for middle class families. Her work in Washington, in Massachusetts, and on the campaign trail has made a real difference in people’s lives. We needed her voice in this race, and we need her continued work in the Senate.”
Jezebel writer Ashley Reese replied, “Biden really said that Warren can keep her ass in the Senate. Not even suggesting a position in his hypothetical administration (which is what Bernie floated during his Maddow interview last night). Incredible.”
Clearly, Democratic candidates will still have to work for Black women’s votes.
The race continues.
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