Nevertheless, She Persisted.
Does Elizabeth Warren have what it takes?
By Hanna Johnson
The Progressive Teen Contributor
NEVERTHELESS, SHE PERSISTED. Those words are the first that come to mind when individuals across America hear the name “Elizabeth Warren.” The phrase has been tattooed, chanted, and written everywhere. The feminist movement, in particular, has embraced the words. Her actions have already caused her name to be spread across the United States. With that national coverage already, spectators wonder if she will have what it takes to unite the country, and potentially claim the Democratic nomination, or even the title of President of the United States herself.
Elizabeth Warren’s path to fame has followed her throughout her campaign, from the morning she announced it, to her most recent events. She was born in Oklahoma as the daughter of a janitor and a Sears employee. Her brothers joined the military. Coming from a modest family environment, she represents and embodies the American Dream: to rise from the ashes and become one of the nation’s most admired politicians.
Her experiences as a public school teacher, law professor, and most recently, a United States Senator from Massachusetts, have provided her with the experience and understanding that she needs to become a successful candidate. Her zeal and enthusiasm frequently get the crowd on their feet, and her excitement is contagious. At her rallies, there is rarely a moment of silence. A cacophony of cheering can usually be heard. Her supporters are certainly very passionate ones. On her social media, she features people across the United States pledging their support to her, and why. This creates an authentic connection with her supporters and Senator Warren herself, as well as those who are still undecided. She has also been calling people that donate to her campaign to thank them for donating and asking them to detail a few of the reasons they felt prompted to help her race. She has already succeeded in uniting so many. The coming months will reveal who else she can unite, and what else she will achieve both in the Senate and during her campaign for President of the United States.
Prior to her candidacy, she was proud to be “The Best Senator Money Can’t Buy,” and it seems that she is reaching for the same angle once again. Her campaign focuses primarily on equal access. This has been most recently shown in her pledge not to accept money from any PACs or federally registered lobbyists. Hence, her campaign will be a grassroots campaign. This is part of her continual effort to fight against big banks and wealthy donors interfering in elections. In fact, she will not accept any donation above $2,800 per election. This is a risky but fitting plan; after all, her fight against Wall Street was what brought her to Washington D.C in the first place.
To date, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and her book, “This Fight is Our Fight” are some of her biggest accomplishments as she advocates for families, the middle class, and the environment. She just recently introduced another plan to her proposal, the Universal Childcare Act, which is “a comprehensive plan to provide millions of families with free, high-quality child care and early learning options and to ensure that every family in the country can affordably access these services.”
One of the biggest shadows surrounding Elizabeth Warren’s name is her exploitation of Native Americans. It was revealed that at one point, she even identified as a Native American while at Harvard and the University of Pennsylvania. When completing her registration card for the State Bar of Texas, she also identified as American Indian. She apologized for this, and also to the Cherokee Tribe for taking a DNA test to prove her Native American Ancestry. Her genuine apology, and effort to fix the mistakes of her past and ensure that it does not happen again in the future is inspiring. Having the courage to own up to her errors and admit that they were wrong shows that she is a courageous leader who will do the right thing, even if it does not benefit her personally. These are the traits of someone who could be an excellent President of the United States.
Elizabeth Warren’s dedication to the middle class and experience within it make her a highly regarded candidate to speak for the largest class in the United States. Her modest upbringing, awareness of the country’s inequalities, and experience as a mother and grandmother herself put her in a position to advocate for marginalized populations, whether she is a part of them or not. Her history in the Senate and her involvement in politics have already proven that she is an effective leader with high aspirations, but an even higher reputation of accomplishing these goals.
As one of the biggest names in the race, the nation quite literally has its eyes on her. There are many months before the 2020 Primaries, but this will not be the last we hear of Elizabeth Warren. And as the race for the Democratic nomination grows closer, speculation continues to grow. The nation has seen her persist before, will she manage to do it again?
