# Warren forms Exploratory Committee **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [December 31, 2018, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/warren-forms-exploratory-committee/826983 "2018-12-31T14:40:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2019, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/warren-forms-exploratory-committee/826983/121 "2019-01-03T14:36:52Z")
I’ve listened to some interviews including Rachel Maddow show last night, and I can see why the Republicans are attacking her so hard. She is steering the conversation in the direction they least want to go - i.e. how the whole system is rigged to benefit the rich and the powerful, and how Trump is part of the problem, not part of the solution. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2019, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/warren-forms-exploratory-committee/826983/122 "2019-01-03T15:09:49Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > First campaign slogan - “Warren for President - It’s In Her DNA”. Hold the presses, everyone! A conservative joke that for once has some actual humor content! ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2019, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/warren-forms-exploratory-committee/826983/123 "2019-01-03T15:26:34Z")
> [@scr4](#): > > I can see why the Republicans are attacking her so hard. She is steering the conversation in the direction they least want to go So the approach they’ll take - \*are \*taking - is “Fauxcahontas”. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2019, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/warren-forms-exploratory-committee/826983/124 "2019-01-03T16:21:17Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > So the approach they’ll take - \*are \*taking - is “Fauxcahontas”. :rolleyes: 😕 Please explain. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2019, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/warren-forms-exploratory-committee/826983/125 "2019-01-03T16:23:29Z")
Laughing at the Indian-ancestry stuff, not policy. ---
**Author:** ![Bone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bone/32/407_2.png) [@Bone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bone)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2019, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/warren-forms-exploratory-committee/826983/126 "2019-01-03T17:00:48Z")
I can’t wait for substantive criticisms of Warren to be dismissed as sexism. Party like it’s 2016! ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2019, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/warren-forms-exploratory-committee/826983/127 "2019-01-03T17:01:14Z")
What substantive criticisms do you have to offer for us? ---
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2019, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/warren-forms-exploratory-committee/826983/128 "2019-01-03T17:13:38Z")
Could President Trump be so lucky as to get two terrible candidates to run against in back-to-back elections? ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2019, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/warren-forms-exploratory-committee/826983/129 "2019-01-03T18:25:42Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > What substantive criticisms do you have to offer for us? Since her role with the CFPB, I can’t really think of any achievements she can claim, in terms of passing legislation and so on. She’s outspoken on many issues, of course… But surely there are things I’m just not aware of. What do you consider to be her top accomplishments during her time in the Senate? ---
**Author:** ![CaptMurdock](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/captmurdock/32/11736_2.png) [@CaptMurdock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaptMurdock)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2019, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/warren-forms-exploratory-committee/826983/130 "2019-01-03T18:30:31Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > F > So far, she appears to be trying to [fake authenticity](https://hotair.com/archives/2019/01/02/tragic-elizabeth-warren-authentic-beer-instagram-clip/). It remains to be seen if she can bring it off. > > Regards, > Shodan Considering Your Boy has yet to pull it off… > [@Ravenman](#): > > Hold the presses, everyone! A conservative joke that for once has some actual humor content! Even a broken clock is on time twice per day… :rolleyes: > [@Bone](#): > > I can’t wait for substantive criticisms of Warren [snip] Yeah, me neither. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Ashtura](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ashtura/32/2963_2.png) [@Ashtura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ashtura)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2019, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/warren-forms-exploratory-committee/826983/131 "2019-01-03T19:12:48Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > What are the male versions of “shrill” and “schoolmarmish”? Al Gore comes to mind. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2019, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/warren-forms-exploratory-committee/826983/132 "2019-01-03T19:16:58Z")
It’s always annoying to be told you’re wrong when you know it too, isn’t it? It’s much easier and much more satisfying to deride the mannerisms of the person telling you. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2019, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/warren-forms-exploratory-committee/826983/133 "2019-01-03T19:30:46Z")
> [@Ravenman](#): > > Since her role with the CFPB, I can’t really think of any achievements she can claim, in terms of passing legislation and so on. That’s true of any member of the party representing half the people that the other half has energetically shut out of the erstwhile-democratic process. > [@](#): > > She’s outspoken on many issues, of course… As does CFPB, that counts. [“Nevertheless, she persisted”](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nevertheless,_she_persisted) is going to keep coming back to haunt McConnell forever. > [@](#): > > What do you consider to be her top accomplishments during her time in the Senate? In comparison to whom? Her primary accomplishments, including the CFPB that you concede, were prior to her Senate career. Why limit the time frame to that? ---
**Author:** ![Thing\_Fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecb155/32.png) [@Thing\_Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thing_Fish)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2019, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/warren-forms-exploratory-committee/826983/134 "2019-01-03T19:44:16Z")
It will be interesting to see how her candidacy goes. I see significant positives and negatives. Ideologically, she seems to hit the sweet spot in between Clinton and Sanders; she could appeal to the bloc of voters who felt Clinton was too centrist and maybe voted for Bernie but weren’t enraptured by him. Everyone seems to agree she is a highly intelligent and competent person. She is a woman, which is a plus in a Democratic primary (and I am not going to concede based on a sample size of one that it is a problem in the general election). I’m not sold on her as a personally charismatic speechmaker, and though I don’t think the whole DNA test thing was a career-ending gaffe like some folks here do, she didn’t come out of it looking good. If she runs a good campaign she could certainly win. We;ll have to see if she is able to do that. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2019, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/warren-forms-exploratory-committee/826983/135 "2019-01-03T20:04:06Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > That’s true of any member of the party representing half the people that the other half has energetically shut out of the erstwhile-democratic process. As does CFPB, that counts. [“Nevertheless, she persisted”](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nevertheless,_she_persisted) is going to keep coming back to haunt McConnell forever. > > In comparison to whom? Her primary accomplishments, including the CFPB that you concede, were prior to her Senate career. Why limit the time frame to that? So basically I’m trying to elicit from you her top accomplishments over the last six years of holding a major political office, and I’m getting from you some kind of combination of, “Nothing, but why should that matter?” and “McConnell was a sexist prick to her once!” I truly have no idea what candidate I might support in the Democratic primaries, but if I had to rate each candidate on the vague, half-hearted scale of, “Uh, yeah, okay” to “hmmm, maybe not?” then I would probably put Warren closer to the latter category. If the main credentials for Warren revolve around what she did a decade ago, that’s a pretty weak case. Hopefully someone – especially her campaign – can make a more compelling case than you have. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2019, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/warren-forms-exploratory-committee/826983/136 "2019-01-03T20:07:25Z")
Again,\* in comparison to whom\*? :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Ramira](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ramira/32/344_2.png) [@Ramira](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ramira)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2019, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/warren-forms-exploratory-committee/826983/137 "2019-01-03T20:15:12Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Annoying, pedantic, lecturing. Or it could be stated “the typical posters” … it can be expected then to appeal here. I do fear the Democrats are again going to be selecting a candidate that appeals to their narrowest activists (learning nothing from their failed candidates) but has no personality appeal and us in the rest of the world will be cursed with this Trump for another four years. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2019, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/warren-forms-exploratory-committee/826983/138 "2019-01-03T20:55:48Z")
> [@Ravenman](#): > > So basically I’m trying to elicit from you her top accomplishments over the last six years of holding a major political office With all due respect, what legislative accomplishments have ANY Dems managed during the past six years? Before noon today, they’d controlled the House absolutely zero years of that time, and while the Dems had a Senate majority for the first two years of Warren’s tenure there, it wasn’t filibuster-proof, and Mitch and his merry crew were filibustering everything that moved. My point is that, as far as I can see, Warren’s _opportunity_ to have had a significant legislative accomplishment during her term as Senator has been approximately zero. ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2019, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/warren-forms-exploratory-committee/826983/139 "2019-01-03T21:02:57Z")
> [@Ravenman](#): > > So basically I’m trying to elicit from you her top accomplishments over the last six years of holding a major political office, and I’m getting from you some kind of combination of, “Nothing, but why should that matter?” and “McConnell was a sexist prick to her once!” > > I truly have no idea what candidate I might support in the Democratic primaries, but if I had to rate each candidate on the vague, half-hearted scale of, “Uh, yeah, okay” to “hmmm, maybe not?” then I would probably put Warren closer to the latter category. So kind of accomplishments by a Senator do you have in mind? Any specific examples by a Senator whose party didn’t control both houses? ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2019, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/warren-forms-exploratory-committee/826983/140 "2019-01-03T21:14:09Z")
Although it’s 3 years old, here’s a pretty good (lengthy) Atlantic article about Elizabeth Warren’s effectiveness as a Senator. [https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.theatlantic.com/amp/article/449349/](https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.theatlantic.com/amp/article/449349/) Notice in particular how the article mentions how she uses her seat on the Senate Banking Committee effectively. It’s one thing to grandstand, throw out gotcha questions, and get a sound bite. It’s a another to actually influence policy. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/warren-forms-exploratory-committee/826983.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/warren-forms-exploratory-committee/826983.md?page=8)