I voted in the Dems Abroad primary for the first time. Previously, I’ve done the usual absentee thing. The process was pretty simple, and the students who organised it had things moving smoothly. Also, the signup web site didn’t crash. Hence, I’m proposing that we replace Iowa, so that the candidates can talk about FATCA for a year.
I voted for Elizabeth Warren. Since some of your are probably looking for a new candidate, here’s why I recommend Warren (briefly):
- Policy: Warren’s policy passion is shifting power back towards workers and consumers, and, at the same time, dealing with market and government corruption. It’s in her academic work, and has been her policy focus.
- Professionalism: In the post Trump era, we’re going to need expertise and organization to root out all of the corruption and cronyism that’s replete in anything Trump does. Warren has this aspect covered more than the other remaining candidates.
- Electability: I can’t guarantee that Warren will beat Trump, but she has more upside than the other candidates. Her debating against Bloomberg is a preview of how she’ll match up against Trump. The alternatives are also a candidate with exactly the downsides of Hillary and an incredibly well-known socialist whose basic theory of the election does not stand up to scrutiny.
- Identity politics: I’m a professional with a pretty normal job, Elizabeth Warren spent most of her career like that. I think it’s appealing to imagine a president who started with a regular career.
- Her personal story is compelling: Warren started out at non-elite academic institutions and worked her way up. Along the way her politics also moved, as she uncovered inequities in the system. I find all of this really admirable.