Democrats are "making a big mistake" if they allow Hillary Clinton to get the party's nomination without being opposed,
the editorial board of The Boston Globe said in a Sunday column that urges Sen. Elizabeth Warren to reconsider her decision and seek the White House.
"As a national leader, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren can make sure that doesn’t happen," the board wrote. "While Warren has repeatedly vowed that she won’t run for president herself, she ought to reconsider. And if Warren sticks to her refusal, she should make it her responsibility to help recruit candidates to provide voters with a vigorous debate on her signature cause, reducing income inequality, over the next year."
There are no other top-tier candidates in the race, said The Globe's editors, but Warren could be a viable alternative to Clinton.
The paper acknowledged that Clinton has a "deep reservoir of support" from her many public roles as first lady, New York senator, a 2008 presidential candidate, and as the secretary of state, all of which "no doubt poses a formidable obstacle."
But still, the paper pointed out, "Barack Obama overcame Clinton’s advantages in 2008, and Warren or another candidate still could in 2016. But even if they don't, Clinton still would benefit from a challenger.
And the party itself has some "serious divides" that the electorate should solve, including "clear-cut policy differences such as the Trans-Pacific Partnership, an enormous free-trade agreement with Pacific Rim nations that Warren opposes and Clinton backs."
Warren, who is adamant about not running for president, is trailing Clinton in the polls by more than 45 percentage points,
reports The Huffington Post.
And while some of Warren's backers say she might be more effective fighting for her champion causes while a senator, her being a member of the minority party imposes limits, the Globe points out.
"Democrats face an uphill challenge to reclaim the Senate in 2016 and face even slimmer prospects in the House," said the editors. "For the foreseeable future, the best pathway Warren and other Democrats have for implementing their agenda runs through the White House."
But still, the editors admitted that a presidential race would be a large challenge for Warren.
"Her views on foreign policy are not fully formed," the board said. "And on many other important issues — climate change, gun control, civil rights — Warren could struggle to articulate clear differences between herself and Clinton. That’s a risk she should be willing to take."
But even with the challenges, Warren has a dedication that is obvious, and "she should not shrink from the chance to set the course for the Democratic Party or cede that task to Hillary Clinton without a fight."
The nation's income gap has "grown too large," the board said, "and it deserves the kind of public debate and scrutiny that a national political campaign can spark. If she puts her causes and goals front and center, as Democrats gather their forces for the crucial 2016 campaign, Warren could enrich the political process for years to come."
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