In a surprise move by the New York Times, the newspaper’s editorial board announced that they are endorsing not one, but two Democratic candidates for the 2020 nomination to face President Donald Trump in November and they happen to be the two women remaining in the race.
During the most recent Democratic debate earlier this month, Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) received a round of applause for pointing out that a woman can beat Trump because the only two candidates left in the Democratic primary who have never lost an election are her and Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), a remark that must have left a lasting impression on the New York Times editorial board.
On Sunday, the editorial board published an endorsement of both ladies, a change from their usual endorsement of a single candidate, in order to showcase two paths the party could choose.
Warren is a progressive who is proposing sweeping changes such as universal healthcare and a clean energy future while Klobuchar is a moderate who could provide a steppingstone presidency toward a more progressive America in the future if most Americans are uncomfortable with swift progressive change.
There’s no question that either candidate can beat Trump. The question comes down to which ideology is best suited to do the one thing the country needs most right now, which is the ouster of Trump from office.
“Both the radical and the realist models warrant serious consideration,” the New York Times wrote. “If there were ever a time to be open to new ideas, it is now. If there were ever a time to seek stability, now is it. That’s why we’re endorsing the most effective advocates for each approach.”
“Senator Warren is a gifted storyteller,” the editorial board continued. “She speaks elegantly of how the economic system is rigged against all but the wealthiest Americans, and of “our chance to rewrite the rules of power in our country,” as she put it in a speech last month.”
Indeed, Trump has spent his time in office making the income gap in our country worse all while giving the richest Americans trillions in tax cuts that have emptied the treasury and caused the deficit to skyrocket.
“She is also committed to reforming the fundamental structures of government and the economy — her first commitment is to anti-corruption legislation, which is not only urgently needed but also has the potential to find bipartisan support,” the Times wrote. “She speaks fluently about foreign policy, including how to improve NATO relations, something that will be badly needed after Mr. Trump leaves office.”
As for Klobuchar, the editorial board noted that she may be the best choice to navigate partisan battles to reach compromises, especially since Republicans have stacked the courts. And she can certainly help Democrats make more headway in Midwestern states that Trump won in 2016 while also pushing for better healthcare and a green future.
“The senator from Minnesota is the very definition of Midwestern charisma, grit, and sticktoitiveness,” the board wrote. “Her lengthy tenure in the Senate and bipartisan credentials would make her a deal maker (a real one) and uniter for the wings of the party — and perhaps the nation.”
“She promises to put the country on the path — through huge investments in green infrastructure and legislation to lower emissions — to achieve 100 percent net-zero emissions no later than 2050,” the Times noted. “She pledges to cut childhood poverty in half in a decade by expanding the earned-income and child care tax credits. She also wants to expand food stamps and overhaul housing policy and has developed the field’s most detailed plan for treating addiction and mental illness. And this is all in addition to pushing for a robust public option in health care, free community college and a federal minimum wage of $15 an hour. Ms. Klobuchar speaks about issues like climate change, the narrowing middle class, gun safety and trade with an empathy that connects to voters’ lived experiences, especially in the middle of the country.”
As far as the courts are concerned, a Democratic majority in the Senate could impeach many of Trump’s appointees, especially those who are unqualified to perform the job. The Senate also has the power to expand the courts by adding more judges to each bench, and could also eliminate a court if necessary. Republicans will cry foul but they can’t seriously complain after they spent years letting Trump corrupt the system. These moves would help Warren pass her progressive agenda without having to deal with vindictive partisan conservative judges standing in the way of desperately needed change. And let’s be honest, it would help Klobuchar as well since Republicans have a “no compromise” attitude.
The New York Times understands that the future of the Democratic Party and the nation is at stake, and this primary is the proper place for progressives and moderates to fight it out until either one side is victorious or a compromise is reached.
“There will be those dissatisfied that this page is not throwing its weight behind a single candidate, favoring centrists or progressives,” the board concluded. “But it’s a fight the party itself has been itching to have since Mrs. Clinton’s defeat in 2016, and one that should be played out in the public arena and in the privacy of the voting booth. May the best woman win.”
Perhaps Warren and Klobuchar could join forces and run on a single ticket.
In the end, regardless of which candidate wins, it is essential that Democrats rally behind them, even if it’s not Warren or Klobuchar. It could be former Vice President Joe Biden or even Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.). The most important thing right now is to make sure that Trump is a one-term president. Everything else comes second. Because if Trump wins another term, there may not be a Constitution or a democracy left in 2024.
Featured Image: YouTube screenshot
