On Monday, Massachusetts Democrat Senator Elizabeth Warren launched an exploratory committee for a prospective run in the 2020 presidential election.
As Warren was the first potential major candidate to take the major step, the announcement has consumed media attention and carried it away from another Democrat prospect who said he was “obviously looking” into a run for the presidency.
During a Sunday interview on CNN’s “State of the Union,” former Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe said he was not only looking but said his platform would push “Medicare for all.”
From the Washington Examiner:
McAuliffe, who also served as Democratic National Committee chair in the early 2000s, said Sunday he was “obviously looking” at contesting the party’s nomination to challenge President Trump, whom he described as being “too emotional” and “unstable” for the White House.
McAuliffe, a staunch ally of the Clintons, shrugged off concerns he was too much of an establishment figure to be a viable candidate in the Trump era, saying he would run on his gubernatorial record from 2014 to 2018 of economic, healthcare, education, and social justice accomplishments. He was also a proponent of an affordable, sustainable version of “Medicare for all,” he said.
During the interview, McAuliffe said he already has a lot of support across the country and bashed Trump as an “angry liar.”
“I’ve 40 years of working for this party. I’ve plenty of friends in many states. So I don’t have to rush into this,” McAuliffe told CNN. “Here’s the message for Democrats. They don’t want an angry liar in the White House. They want someone who is compulsively optimistic and realistic. And the Democrats have to lay out an agenda of success of what we plan to do.”
“Am I for healthcare for all individuals, affordable, quality care? You bet I am. The key is — and this is why I say governors are very important because when we make promises we have to deliver — we have to actually pay for what we’re actually promising,” the former governor continued. “So, as we get into this debate, let’s have an honest, realistic discussion of where we need to go as a nation.”
Due to Virginia’s term limits, McAuliffe was unable to run again for the governorship. His position was filled by fellow Democrat Ralph Northam. Despite having seven Republican House Representatives and only four Democrats, the state was won by Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election.
The morning after McAuliffe’s interview, Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren announced she was launching an exploratory committee for a potential presidential run. Like McAuliffe, Warren is an advocate for “Medicare for all.”
From USA Today:
The former law professor has long been expected to join a large field of Democrats vying for the 2020 presidential nomination. Sen. Bernie Sanders, the runner-up in the 2016 Democratic primary; former Vice President Joe Biden and Texas Rep. Beto O’Rourke are among the Democrats who may seek to challenge President Donald Trump.
Warren, 69, came into the national spotlight for her passionate criticism of Wall Street, the banking industry and large corporations after the 2008 financial crisis hit. Then-Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid appointed her the chair on a panel to oversee the federal bailout in response to the crisis.
Warren won her Senate seat in 2012, defeating incumbent Republican Scott Brown and handily won re-election in 2018. A leader of her party’s liberal wing, she has advocated for progressive policies such as “Medicare for all.”
Neither candidate received over 5 percent support in a December poll conducted by CNN.
