Liz Warren’s progressive cred takes hit
PHILADELPHIA — Massachusetts U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s populist cry to unify fractured Democrats in support of Hillary Clinton drew protests last night in a flat performance that could tarnish her image as a darling of the party’s progressive wing.
“I’m here today because our choice is Hillary Clinton. I’m with her,” Warren told the rowdy group of Bernie Sanders backers, who defiantly chanted, “We trusted you! We trusted you!” and “Goldman Sachs” — a dig at Clinton’s past speaking fees.
The liberal darling was once seen as the next progressive standard bearer, but disillusioned Sanders supporters bristled at as she repeated Clinton’s slogan, “We’re with her.”
“I think she lost her credibility within the progressive movement,” David Berg, 43, a Sanders backer and delegate from Salt Lake City, Utah, said. “She’s just kind of second row back now after endorsing Hillary long before she had to. She never really had to.”
Warren, who has become Clinton’ s top attack dog against Donald Trump, focused her firepower on the Republican nominee despite ongoing chaos on the convention floor and protests outside the arena on the first night of the Democratic National Convention.
“Trump thinks he can win votes by fanning the flames of fear and hatred. By turning neighbor against neighbor,” said Warren, to applause. “Well, I’ve got news for Donald Trump. The American people are not falling for it!”
The discord comes after an explosive DNC email leak showed key party officials tried to tip the scales toward Clinton during her hotly contested Democratic primary with the Vermont senator.
The Bay State’s senior senator’s key message — to fight for the people against a “rigged system” — took on an unintended irony for Sanders backers in light of the email scandal.
Matt Killen, a Sanders supporter and Florida delegate, said progressives might hold a grudge against Warren.
“I expect there’s going to be some anger,” Killen said. “Obviously it hurt her credibility, but you know you can’t always get what you want.”
Warren endorsed Clinton early last month in an effort to bring the progressive wing of the party into the fold. But Clinton loyalists said yesterday that the Cambridge Democrat will have to step up her efforts in the wake of the email scandal.
“I think she could really help Hillary Clinton close that gap with some of the unhappy Bernie Sanders people,” said South Boston U.S. Rep. Stephen Lynch, a longtime Clinton supporter. “I still think there’s work to be done on that end.”
Mayor Marty J. Walsh, who also spoke last night, said he believes Warren will help woo and eventually win over Sanders supporters. “I think her value will be extremely important moving forward, particularly if we don’t come out completely united,” he said.
But rowdy Bernie backers could be a hard sell even as speakers implored the delegates to unite.
“I support the progressive ideas,” Berg said, “but when they mention their support of a stolen election, we can’t get behind it.”