E-mail updates
Follow on Twitter
Subscribe to RSS
Elizabeth Warren's plum speaking slot at next month's Democratic National Convention has prompted misgivings among some centrist Democrats, who worry the Massachusetts Senate candidate could turn off independent voters.
Democrats announced this week that they had tapped Warren, the former consumer financial protection czar who's challenging Sen. Scott Brown (R-MA) this fall, to deliver a prime time address before a national television audience. A popular figure among progressive activists, Warren has built a reputation as an outspoken critic of the excesses of Wall Street — a kind of populism Democrats are hoping to showcase at their convention.
But some members of the party wonder if selecting a figure like Warren — whom Republicans have sought to characterize as an out-of-touch elitist and cloistered Harvard professor — might hurt the party on a national level. She will speak the evening of Weds., Sept. 5, before a famed centrist Democrat: former President Bill Clinton.
“Having someone from the more extreme wing of the party, being given the primetime slot sends the wrong message to people in the middle who are legitimately up for grabs in this race," said Pennsylvania Rep. Jason Altmire (D-PA).
Altmire is among the dwindling ranks of the Blue Dog Coalition, the group of moderate Democrats in the House. These lawmakers typically hail from rural or working class districts and favor more fiscally responsible policies and permissive gun rights.
They've seen their representation in Congress shrink, though. The caucus had 54 members before the 2010 midterm elections, which shrunk to 25 this Congress. At least seven of them — including Altmire, who lost a primary to a more liberal Democratic Rep. Mark Critz (PA) — won't be returning to Washington next year.
Altmire said that while Warren's progressivism might play well in Massachusetts, the party might be better-served by a different prime time speaker.
"If you’re trying to win over people from the center — moderates and centrists who could go either way — I would guess there are other faces you could put forward who would be better for that," he said.
Another retiring Blue Dog, Oklahoma Rep. Dan Boren, argued for better geographic representation in the convention's prime speaking slots.
“If we are going to become a big tent, we need language that speaks to fiscal responsibility, we need some speakers who are from the South, we are already winning in the coastal areas of the country,” Boren told NBC News. “if you’re going to speak to the 4 percent [of undecided swing state voters] you’re going to want somebody who can appeal to independents, I think it would be better to have somebody from more Middle America.”
But other Democratic moderates expressed a greater comfort level with Warren relative to some of their colleagues.
Virginia Rep. Gerry Connolly (D), who won re-election by only 981 votes last cycle, called Warren a "very engaging speaker" who has a "real ability to speak to the lay person about what the underlining dynamics are in the economy."
That's precisely what Democrats are hoping to project with Warren's speech. From a working class background in Oklahoma, Warren speaks often about themes of opportunity and strengthening the middle class. To that end, Connolly said he thought Warren would “highlight advocacy for the middle class.”
Ohio Rep. Tim Ryan (D) saw particular opportunity for Warren to appeal to women: "She will definitely speak to working class women, and I don’t think she’s going to turn anybody off. She comes across as pretty tough; I don’t see her coming off as a heady intellectual, it’s inner toughness about taking on the banks.”
Prime time speakers at party conventions are usually selected to help broaden the party's appeal to voters who don't adhere to strict political orthodoxies. The choice of San Antonio Mayor Julián Castro to keynote the Democratic convention is a good example of that.
One Democratic operative NBC News that Warren could do that, too, but, “she carries a risk."
"I’d say she’s high risk, high reward," said the operative. "People could relate to her down with the 'greedy guys' talk, or see her as polarizing and part of the problem.”
But another retiring Blue Dog, North Carolina Rep. Health Shuler, expressed concern that Democrats could risk seeming as though they're uninterested in moderates by putting Warren front-and-center.
“I hope in time, Democrats realize in order for us to appeal to more voters, we need to highlight more moderates, not show just the far left of the party but in fact give people an opportunity to see we are a big tent," he said, pointing to the GOP's struggles with the Tea Party as a cautionary tale. "That helps us with independents; we don’t want to be pushing out moderates just like the Republicans are doing.”
Leave a Comment:
Ahhh Yesss...!
Time for the DINO's to chime in with their unsolicited 0.02!
As they are not authentic Democrats to begin with, they need to sit down and STFU!
Or better yet, stay the hell home!
I would worry about Warren turning off any voter who has common sense regardless of what party they are with....
Feisty does it again,
They are the authentic Dems from the Kennedy era.
To quote MSNBC on this Fr "progressive activists" which to me translates to Liberal Progressing to become more Lefties.
Which means I will take your money, your freedom and the Government will be the beneficiaries.
Right after Warren speaks I would immediately have Nancy Pelosi speak. I would conclude the convention by having Julian Castro tell the country how affirmative action was able to get him into a top flight college with mediocre grades....
Every Party has its @!$%#-ups. With the Dems it is its right wing, with the Repubs it is its extreme right wing which of late is most of them.
Warren will be a perfect counter-voice to the republicans call to deregulate banking and financial institutions which brought us to the brink of financial collapse and cost the middle class a bundle while the wall street boys got bailed out and immediately paid themselves more bonuses. Have no fear it is a winning message, and Warren will be an asset at the convention.
Liz Warren is just so adorable, charming, and talented.
She is a winner
Hiya Forrest!
Old Feisty the Red Communist spewing her uneducated BS again. Answer my question feisty. WHY ARE YOU UNEMPLOYED. Get off your backside and get a job you miserable pathetic quenn DF. Now watch all of her little guppies get in an uproar. I love it. The Matriarch of MSNBS is unemployable. Living off the taxpayer. What a slug!
Wasn't it Warren who says that we need to be more like Communist China?
Yep, that is Elizabeth Warren, member of Communist Party USA.
Sometimes the difference between genious and crazy is a fine line - Albert Einstein
This Warren girl 'want to have fun.'
...and she does.
Elizabeth Warren comes across as a Leftist in today's world. Just a few year's ago, she would have been termed more conservative than Ted Kennedy or Dick Durbin.
She is a good contrast to the extremist positions taken by the GOP of today. Given his basic stance as a moderate, I'm surprised that Brown wasn't Tea Partied out of office, loosing all committee positions and all support from the GOP.
While I think either would do well in representing MA, I would want Warren to have the seat if just to prevent the GOP nuts from taking over the asylum that DC has truly become.
Hi Ya NewDay!
Elizabeth Warren speaks for liberals like me. Not even President Obama or Bill Clinton are as good as she is at sending the right progressive message. Blue dogs are a dying breed much like moderate Republicans. No need to cater to a dying breed. I'm glad she is front and center in this convention. There is a big difference between Democrats and Republicans. I'm a liberal independent and want that difference between the two parties to be very distinct. I became an Independent because Clinton was a disappointment to me as a Democrat and Reagan became a joke as a Republican. I voted for both.
Elizabeth Warren is a bat sh-t crazy left wing nut job who escaped from a mental institution named academia, plain & simple!!
If she is the new face of the democrat party you may never win another election!!
AnaBanana, Iv’ve read your comments for a long time… never thought you were bat sh-t crazy...
" Elizabeth Warren speaks for liberals like me" but if you say so… my condolences!!
Warren is the symbol of challenging the "Big Casino" on Wall Street. Given the ongoing and recent scandals of the big banks running amuck in the derivative world of credit default swaps, structured CMO's and 40x leveraging of their dice rolls, somebody has to stand up and say enough-is-enough.
The GOP vows to delete the limited regulation enacted by the Democratic Administration. This issue needs to be front and center.
Maxx - Your avator pretty much says it all. I suspect you have no idea what is in the Dodd-Frank financial regulation bill.
I like having moderates in the party but as the Republicans lurch ever farther to the right, the moderates seem to go right as well in their efforts to seem "bipartisan." I like the idea of a big tent but the Democrats need to stand for what they believe in, not try to come across as watered down teabaggers. I also can't think of a better spokesperson for Wall Street reform and who can draw a better contrast to Willard, who sold his soul to Wall Street.
Sooo the left is worried about the left???? I guess they are OK as long as they dominate the right of their party.
The Native American actress Sacheen Littlefeather should fill in for her the way she did for Brando at the Academy Awards.
Whoo whoo whho whoo....whoo whoo whoo whoo.
Sqaw Warren = cannon fodder...ROTFLMAO
In this Political Tug of War, Democrats(Real Americans) are interested in pulling America, back toward the Center. We've been pulled so far to the Right, that the Fiscal Cliff is Upon Us!
Jason Altmire's just Pissed Off that he Lost Reelection to a Real Democrat, "Plain & Simple"!
Lets Hope GOP Rep. Geoff Davis's seat(Louisville surroundings) goes to a Real Democrat also here in KY, now that he's retireing due to Family Reasons.
Conservative Democrat is just an EXCUSE NOT to be Called REPUBLICAN!
You Betcha!
Occupy "Vegas Baby" !
Any Democrat who thinks Warren is their savior is deluding themselves. This election is all about a small group of independents and moderates who will NOT be turned on by a rank partisan. There are not enough progressive liberal Democrats to win the election and merely "appealing to the base" will swing the election to Romney. Republicans win by appealing to their base, because it's so much bigger than the Democrats'.
Really? Or will the far right wing tilt of the Republican party turn off more mainstream Republicans? (I used to be one, no longer.)
I remind you that the Republicans have systematically offended women, students and various ethnic groups. Other than rich, white old men, they are running out of constituents.
No. The danger is to the Republicans, not the Democrats.
Oh newday, excuse me while I yawn.
Why is it that people assume Independents are centrists? We become Independents because we find Republicans lie about being fiscally responsible and anti big government. We also become Independents because we find Democrats cater to big business interests almost as much as Republicans do, fixing the odds against small business and the middle class. Neither take care of the poor yet I find Democrats a bit more compassionate on that issue. That is why I became an Independent. Not because I am a centrist.
Any democrat that worries about Warren, they just need to leave the party. She represents what the democratic party stands for. If a democrat can't get behind shared sacrifice they should become Republicans.
I believe that Warren said we need to spend 1 trillion a year on fixing bridges and roads, just like the Chinese. Only problem, we already have a 1.6 trillion deficit that we can't seem to control.
I'm not buying the bunk that she represents some kind of left-wing extremism. That's buying into the GOP tripe of attacking someone who makes legitimate arguments for reining in Wall Street's abuse of the financial system. We were royally screwed by the banks and financiers and their political lapdogs. Warren speaks the truth and does it from the perspective of most of us.
Excuse me moderates - but at some point we have to decide what it means to be progressive. A pre-New Deal Progressive/Populist was often someone who believed that government had a significant role in regulating business to prevent abuses. It was a view that the "free market" didn't solve problems by itself in the short term and imposed an unacceptable cost/disruption on the community as a whole. Yes, this can devolve into bureaucratic overreach - but that's what our elected representatives are for - to insure good government, not no government.
So much for the big tent.
Feisty, AnnaBanana, Rick, Joel...... Maybe you didn't get the memo but "the middle" is who will determine if Obama gets a second term.
CampDog, this middle you speak of, is That what the Carnival Barkers(formerly known as the MSM) call Independents these days?
Do you Honestly Think these So-Called Independents(Middle)are gonna Vote for This Bat&%$& Crazy Crowd, that is the Modern day Repubilcan Party?
By Big Tent Party, Do you mean Women(Elizabeth Warren), Minorities(Hispanic SanAntonio Mayor)Seniors(former President Bill Clinton), who will All have PrimeTime speaking slots at the Democratic Convention?
Real America is moving Forward, come with Us, or Get out the way!
The Choice is up to YOU!
You Betcha!
Occupy "Vegas Baby" !
Hey Feisty the Red. Why don't you have a job. Stop mooching and leeching. Get out of that Section 8 you slob and go get a job. You are pathetic!
Mooching? Atta boy, Tony. You can't think up a coherent response so you act like a monkey in a cage and just chatter and throw dung.
Isn't Elizabeth Warren the original "you didn't make that on your own" speech giver? Yes I think so. No wonder they want her to speak. Probably making up for Obama stealing her talking point.
If Warren is an extreme left wing liberal dangerous to the party, then so was FDR.
When FDR began trying to bring fiscal and regulatory reason into the dark world of 1933, when banks were gleefully foreclosing on everything in sight (heck-just-rent-'em Romney-types) and unemployment was so far through the roof that people were starving everywhere, who fought against him? The Republicans, that's who, and with the same nonsense they use today -- "socialism" "communism" was what they called ANY effort to bring relief.
If we Democrats are so embarrassed by our core principles and the recollection of history that we would usher Elizabeth Warren off to a back room like a crazy aunt, then we deserve to lose. Let's just hand it all over to the bankers and the one percenters who have NOT created a single job HERE in the USA for a decade, and the rest of us will go somewhere out of sight and quietly starve to death.
FDR was probably the worst POTUS we ever had. He started all of this deficit spending. Spending what is not there. Take your own advice and disappear and starve. All you democrat-communists do is mooch!
Tony... The change of subject is not a response. I said nothing about deficit spending. The subject was regulation. I hope you and your straw man are very happy together.
And ladies and gents, out of her teepee in full native American garb, I give you the first full blood Indian squaw to address the Democrat-Communist National Convention. What a hoot you commies have become.
Tony, i'ma guessing that You also think that EVERYONE who shops at WallyWorld, is also a Communist Loving Democrat?
Is this really Alan West using Tony Smith as a Front?
You Betcha!
Occupy "Vegas Baby" !
Tony Tony Tony...tired of drowning kittens and decided to head down to grandma's basement with your Cheetos and Mountain Dew to hop on the 'ol 'puter to regurgitate the tired crap that morons like you have been spewing since time began? Commie this, commie that. Good grief...try something original , would ya? What about Obama's secret evil plot to take your guns and round you and your fellow mouthbreathers up in FEMA camps? That's always a winner. Oh yeah...can't forget the old Agenda 21 chestnut! Jeeeeeesuz keeerist, you sheeple are so fargin' lame.
Sounds like a rare breed. A communist woman indian who is mentally crippled.. Sounds like she ought to be able to get any affirmative action job she wanted.
mrkirchner
Thank you for your valuable input on this article, sir! I had no idea what this article was about until I read your comment. If only the internet was loitered by other helpful human being like yourself whose far reaching intellectual capacity could help poor lost dolts such as myself to further understand the social convention which is in depth online commenting and discussion. I stand and applaud you.
U sir are a fricken' genius
Smells alot more like deparation to me!!!
Romney 2012!!!
Hmmm...deparation? I see you're a product of school vouchers or home schooling.
I think it is good that Ms. Warren is speaking. The Democratic party should remain inclusive and should present multiple perspectives at their convention.
Anything else would be wrong.
Frankly, I hope the Republican convention allows all perspectives and gives them time to present in "plum speaking" spots. Including the Log Cabin Republicans.
To my centrist democrat friends...
It's not too late...you can still come home...to the right party...
We believe as you.
Socially accepting and fiscally prudent, we believe large government is too much government.
Together, we can restore the economy and lead America back from the edge.
Vote Romney.
Um...who/what exactly drove us to that edge? The same failed "policies" that Romney is espousing. Aaaaaarrrrrggggghhhh...WTF? You sheeple can't remember more than 3 years ago? Tax cuts are the answer for everything to you morons. Romney restore the economy? Try telling having the idjits in Congress to actually do their job and you might be surprised. This means doing something other than passing "legislation" cutting taxes for the ones who need tax cuts the least, restricting birth control, bitching and moaning about regulations that allow us to breathe clean air and drink clean water...the usual crap the party of dried up useless idiots keep foisting on the great inwashed masses of this once great nation. Pathetic...
Hey Luke, I'd like to see a follow-up on this article, headlined,
"Real journalists fret at NBC's nepotism hiring."
I know it's rough leaving the Village, but you realize no one cares about these "Blue Dog" dinosaurs being ousted left and right... outside of DC politicians and journos, right?
There's a reason why Elizabeth Warren's the democratic party's best hope at retaining the Senate, and ousting a powerful Wall-St-backed incumbent through gaining small dollar donations from... you know... the people who vote.
I know MSM journalists are used to Democrats grasping defeat at the jaws of victory, but believe it or not, Democrats are actually trying to win these days... and Elizabeth Warren's message is hugely resonating.
Frightening for America's elites, I know, but we can't all have high-powered relatives to secure positions of great import for us for which we did nothing to deserve. Some of us actually need politicians who will fight for us.
Luke Russert son of a TV star that lives the life of a Romney heir says the daughter of a janitor is too UnAmerican to speak at the convention....you are the problem Russert not Warren.
Wait a minute... You mean not all Dems are considered Dems by other groups in the party? Some are even called border line Republicans? Fiesty's statement gives me great hope. That party is not united after all. It sounds like some don't even think Obama is doing that great of a job. Let Elizabeth speak. Sounds like just what Mitt needs.
Good grief...Warren is extreme? Jesus keerist this country is well and truly screwed because of sheeple like Russert and the wingnut peanut gallery. Gawd, I am so sick of the BS that passes for political thought and discussion in this country.
And yet you remain. Must still be the best thing going.
Mitt-Less can spend all he wants on his campaign...it's equivalent to sprinkling glitter on a turd. He is gradually exposing himself, soon everybody will see that he is a racist, lying, criminal. It is simply a matter of time before the media reveals the truth about him. I am disgusted by his rotten stench.
Liz Warren is the daughter of a janitor. Luke Russert owes everything in his life to nepotism. What makes him think he's qualified to decide who is and who isn't a "middle American"?