Boston Globe Editorial Warns Warren Could Be Too ‘Divisive’ to Win in 2020

A new editorial in the Boston Globe says that Massachusetts senator Elizabeth Warren may have “missed her moment” to run for president and that she should consider stepping aside to leave the field free for other candidates. Coming from the editorial board of Warren’s hometown newspaper, the suggestion seems to carry some extra weight. You can read that editorial here.

Warren hasn’t said for certain whether she’s planning a White House run. But she’s hinted that she might be interested, and her name always comes up when pundits speculate about the 2020 election.

But the Globe’s editorial board seems to be trying — ever so politely — to discourage Warren for running. The editorial is particularly striking because, after all, the Boston Globe is Warren’s hometown paper — and its editorial board urged her to run back in 2015. The editorial begins by praising Deval Patrick, the former governor of Massachusetts, for his decision not to run in 2020. (The former governor announced his decision in a Facebook post on Thursday.)

The Globe writes, “The other Massachusetts political figures reportedly considering presidential runs should think carefully before jumping in, too.” The Globe points out that there’s a wealth of Massachusetts politicians who might be planning a 2020 run: besides Warren, the editorial lists Representatives Joseph P. Kennedy III and Seth Moulton, as well as John Kerry. On the Republican side, there’s been speculation that Governor Charlie Baker is considering a run. (Baker has stoutly denied that he has any interest in the White House.)

But the Globe’s editorial board, which asked Warren to run back in 2015, now seems to want Massachusetts politicians to step aside and leave the field free for other politicians in 2020. The editorial points out that there’s a huge and diverse group of possible candidates for 2020 already:

“…lack of competition won’t be a problem in 2020. With or without the Massachusetts candidates, it appears the party will have a wide-open, racially and ideologically diverse field. Rumored candidates include former vice president Joe Biden; US Senators Kamala Harris, Kirsten Gillibrand, Sherrod Brown, Bernie Sanders, and Cory Booker; US Representatives Beto O’Rourke and Tim Ryan; Governors Andrew Cuomo, Jay Inslee, John Hickenlooper, and Steve Bullock; former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz; former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg; and New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu.”

The Globe’s Editorial Says Warren’s Popularity Is on the Decline & She Is too Divisive to Win

There is a “ceiling” on Elizabeth Warren’s popularity, the Boston Globe editorial warns — and that popularity may already be on the decline. Besides, the editorial board argues, Warren is a “divisive” figure at a time when America badly needs to be unified.

The editorial says, “Warren missed her moment in 2016, and there’s reason to be skeptical of her prospective candidacy in 2020. While Warren won reelection, her margin of victory in November suggests there’s a ceiling on her popularity; Baker garnered more votes than she did in a state that is supposed to be a Democratic haven. Meanwhile, a September poll indicated that Massachusetts voters were more enthusiastic about Patrick making a White House bid than Warren.”

Maybe, the Globe editorial board concludes, it might be a good idea for Warren to take a step back and — since she’s already tested the waters — stay on the beach instead of jumping in to the race.