Not all Democrats are “Ready for Hillary.”
A small swarm of excitement is building around the possibility that liberal firebrand Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren might run for the highest office in the land in 2016.
Related: Hillary Clinton in 2016: Watch Your Left Flank
That’s what a new campaign is hoping for, at least.
Ready for Warren, headed by Erica Sagrans – a former staffer on President Obama’s reelection campaign – posted a petition on its website Tuesday encouraging the progressive senator to run, The Huffington Post first reported.
Warren has insisted she has no interest in seeking the presidency, and instead says she’s focused on her current Senate gig. Still, her fans are holding out hope.
“Warren is the backbone that the Democratic Party too often forgets it needs. Warren has inspired a movement – yet to jump into the race for president, we need to show Warren that she’s got support all across the country, from Oklahoma to Massachusetts, from Florida to Nevada,” the group’s website says.
The chatter surrounding a potential Warren 2016 presidential bid has gotten louder and louder as the senator continues popping up on the campaign trail stumping for Democratic candidates across the country.
Related: Why Hillary Clinton Must Run in 2016
She’s being treated as something of a liberal rock star among progressives, who are distancing themselves from Obama’s centrist policies.
In the past few months alone, Warren, 65, stumped for Democrat Alison Lundergan Grimes – who’s challenging Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell in Kentucky – as well as for West Virginia candidate for Senate Natalie Tennant. She’s also made appearances at campaign events in Oregon, Ohio, Washington and Minnesota so far.
Even if Warren changes her mind and decides to throw her hat into the ring in 2016, she is without a doubt a long-shot candidate, especially if (and when) Clinton officially announces her White House bid.
The former Secretary of State and First Lady is by far an early favorite for 2016. Her supporter-controlled Super PAC, “Ready for Hillary,” has already raised $2.5 million in just two months, and she’s been the clear frontrunner in polls about hypothetical candidates.
In the latest CNN poll, for example, 64 percent of Democratic voters said they would support Hillary in 2016 if she ran. Meanwhile, 19 percent of respondents said they preferred a “more conservative Democrat,” and just 13 percent preferred a “more liberal Democrat.” A separate poll by Quinnipiac University found 51 percent of voters said they didn’t know enough about Warren to vote for her in 2016.
Clinton, however, has received flack in the last couple weeks for comments she made about her wealth. She also was heavily criticized for receiving massive speaking fees at universities.
Regardless, the primaries are a long way away – and anything can happen.
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