The way "Super" Tuesday went for Elizabeth Warren just showed me how much of a bubble I actually live in. Liz lives about a mile from me. My town was ride-or-die for her, most of my friends were all in for her (and those that weren't have been in for Bernie for quite a while), and I foolishly thought that surely at least the rest of *her own fucking state* would be voting for her. And in the end, my town, her own, and two others adjacent were just about it. A couple of others throughout Massachusetts went for her, and that was all.
It's been almost two days and I'm still shaking my head in bewildered disbelief. I mean, I *can* believe it, I just wish I didn't need to.
Ugh, I feel that! I believe in her so much, I just assumed that more people would see what I see in her. It's hard for me to process those close to me never clicking into her brilliance, or why I was so very devastated when she dropped out. In conclusion: I SEE YOU, ALLISON.
One of the things I do when I feel sad and helpless is I design T-shirts and other swag to sell on Redbubble, and then I donate the proceeds to charity. After last Tuesday, I made this: https://www.redbubble.com/shop/p/45555167.CBHAX
It's...been pretty rough. I think it's hard not to feel like she's Ours, but not in a possessive sense. It feels like what I imagine it would feel like if one of my friends or neighbors, one who shared my values and was deeply invested in the well-being of the community, was plausibly running for national office. (She *is*, of course, deeply invested in the well-being of the community, it’s just that “community” here means “the whole effing country.”)
I can’t speak for all of my local friends, of course, but I think we were all stunned that our state went for flipping *Biden*. I think if Bernie had won, we all would’ve been “yeah, OK, that makes sense.” But it’s easy for us liberal elite city-dwellers to forget how rural and relatively conservative so much of Massachusetts is — in the vast, largely-empty stretches between Boston and Worcester and Northampton, there’s obviously a lot of desire for safety and stability instead of revolution or big structural change. We in the city can tend to forget that.
I didn't want Warren to be our president because she frequents one of my favorite restaurants, though I'm not gonna lie, that's pretty cool. I’m not sad she dropped out because I could realistically run into her in Porter Square, or even because she’s my senator, though I’m proud that she is. I really and truly still believe she would have made an absolutely fantastic president and I still believe she has an important role to play in the national conversation going forward. So many of my friends are just *crushed*, but we’re going to pick ourselves up and work to help elect whichever of the two old white dudes end up on the top of the ticket.
Thank you so much for this. I've poured my heart and in soul into my support for Warren, and I cannot believe that now I won't even get to vote for this candidate who has inspired me in so many ways and quite literally changed my life by motivating me to volunteer for my first campaign (my state hasn't had our primary yet). So much of how Warren has been received by the journalist, pundits, and voters has made me want to bang my head against a wall, and this is utterly gutting. It's a breath of fresh air to read coverage which actually admits to the wall of patriarchal obstacles Warren was forced to scale as a female candidate, and to know that I and my small circle of friends were not alone in our enthusiasm for her candidacy.
Thank you for this, and for volunteering for our hero! I’m feeling you hard on the whole thing. I have never been this emotionally invested in a candidate, and while watching her endless dismissals has felt shocking and personal from the start, I don’t think I ever admitted to myself that it was working. (It’s not over though, and you are clearly part of the legacy this campaign leaves behind. I’m so glad you’re out here fighting. 💕)
Your piece makes me realize how shy I was about owning my support for Warren. Was wowed by her when I heard her interview with Terri Gross on Fresh Air. Professor Warren explained that her Harvard Law students couldn't accurately interpret credit card agreements. She spelled out that the system was rigged in a way that I hadn't heard before. Oh, and give ageism its due as well. There's no question the implicit bias against a white-haired older person is real. It goes to "eleven" when mixed with sexism.
Such a good point. +Warren’s sharpest weapon has always been her ability to empower people with information. (I watched her Jon Stewart clip again recently, and it’s so good, I’m almost surprised it didn’t come out of a writer’s room.)
I am with you, in spirit and in sorrow. I am weary of women being discounted in favor of lesser men. It has happened for too long and all too often in politics.
Amen. I can’t believe how long we have had to wait. I am hoping it pisses off an entire generation of young womxn, and excited for them to run for office.
We have a 19-year-old daughter who has been enraged since 2016 and was all in for Warren, including volunteering numerous hours to her campaign. She’s now experiencing her first political heartbreak and it’s a big one. But she remains so inspired by Warren (and as parents, we’re so grateful for Elizabeth as an outstanding role model). Our daughter is determined to move forward fighting the righteous fights, as Elizabeth so eloquently advised. Definitely ripple effects for years to come.
It undid me when I learned she stepped out of the race. I was mystified by Super Tuesday’s results. At the outset of this race, I’d been working intensely on a startup for years and was a little out of the news loop. To be honest, I started with a mostly negative view of Warren (how I was seeing that just over a year ago seems crazy to me now—it was crazy). But when I heard Wareen speak and then I looked at her plans, I was dumbfounded by how strong every aspect of her presentation, campaign, and agenda were. I’ve looked at the policy platforms of Presidential candidates since I began voting (I’m 31) and nobody has ever had policy positions anywhere even remotely close to the competence and detail of her plans. We all just experienced the most qualified and deserving presidential candidate in a generation, or maybe ever. And the American people completely missed it; or didn’t understand how oppression is fought. I’m sad and it hasn’t sunk in yet. It gives me a lot of clarity about where we are as a culture. What it’s also left me with is a fierce resolve to hold all politicians accountable to the standards that Warren showed us are possible—Warren demonstrated the Gold Standard. I’ll forever be asking politicians where their plans are, in specific detail. I’ll expect anti-corruption agendas from any serious (aka non-corruption-complicit) candidate. Warren re-defined what being a strong and deserving candidate looks like. I’m changed because of her campaign, and these lessons will inform my politics forever. Warren is out of this race, but what she modeled will never cease to be an influence for those of us who came into full appreciation of her brilliance and dedication.
Wow, Lionel. Thank you so much for this incredible honesty. I’ve been frustrated by people in my life who never connected with Warren’s brilliance, and it means a lot that you took the time to listen.!
Liz was the first person I ever canvassed for. I live in Ohio and won't even get to vote for her in the primary. I am beyond sad and FURIOUS. The "arguments" against Warren are/were so unsubstantial. People that didn't recognize her greatness weren't looking very closely.
Lauren my heart is heavy today and your piece nailed it precisely. Liz Warren outplans, outdebates, outstudies, outshines every one of the last ones standing by miles. Thank you. Now where was that peanut butter? One more spoonful and then I’m gonna get back in the fight.
It’s devastating. It’s been devastating. Thank you for these words. I’ll pick back up in a few days and concentrate on the next fight, taking the grit and grace I learned from Elizabeth with me.
I have believed that Elizabeth Warren should be POTUS since I first heard her speak during the Obama admin., when she was organizing the Consumer Protection Bureau, and I donated to her campaign. I got to vote for her on Super Tuesday, but unfortunately, I'd seen the writing on the wall after the South Carolina primary. It wasn't a surprise, but I teared up during her announcement of withdrawal, and during her long interview with Rachel Maddow that evening. She is unlikely to be offered the VP slot--MA has a Republican governor, which would mean the loss of a Democratic Senate seat when he'd appoint someone to complete her term. We need her in the Senate. During Lawrence O'Donnell's show on MSNBC last night--which was all about Elizabeth Warren--one of the several women he interviewed about Warren's candidacy, her brilliance, and sexism in American politics was Rep. Katie Porter, who is Elizabeth Warren's mentee. Given Porter's intellect, progressive politics, and articulateness, it occurred to me that she ought to be on the short list for a running mate for whichever of the old men will top the ticket. Whoever is the Vice Presidential candidate on the Democratic ticket will be ideally positioned to run for POTUS as an incumbent in four years, when either Biden/Bernie will be in his eighties, if still alive. There must be a woman on the ticket. If it can't be Elizabeth, why not Katie Porter, a woman who was taught by and embodies her values and virtues?
I’m a 60 year old gay man who has supported Elizabeth Warren from the beginning. She alone has the skill set to do all the things that need to be done. One sentence in your newsletter struck me like a bolt of lightning,
“At any given moment, you’re either actively fighting for equality, or you’re complicit in the system of oppression that prevents it.“
I couldn’t agree with you more. Keep up the awesome fight! You are inspiring on so many different levels. Thank you for bringing my own awareness from somewhere deep in my intestinal tract to the light. Your book was pretty inspiring also.
Wow, thank you so much, James!! I'm so excited that you're part of this little community. (I let myself sob a few times this weekend — once while watching "Selena" on a plane lol — but I'm ready to dust myself off and keep going.)
The way "Super" Tuesday went for Elizabeth Warren just showed me how much of a bubble I actually live in. Liz lives about a mile from me. My town was ride-or-die for her, most of my friends were all in for her (and those that weren't have been in for Bernie for quite a while), and I foolishly thought that surely at least the rest of *her own fucking state* would be voting for her. And in the end, my town, her own, and two others adjacent were just about it. A couple of others throughout Massachusetts went for her, and that was all.
It's been almost two days and I'm still shaking my head in bewildered disbelief. I mean, I *can* believe it, I just wish I didn't need to.
Ugh, I feel that! I believe in her so much, I just assumed that more people would see what I see in her. It's hard for me to process those close to me never clicking into her brilliance, or why I was so very devastated when she dropped out. In conclusion: I SEE YOU, ALLISON.
THANK YOU, LAUREN. 💖💖💖
One of the things I do when I feel sad and helpless is I design T-shirts and other swag to sell on Redbubble, and then I donate the proceeds to charity. After last Tuesday, I made this: https://www.redbubble.com/shop/p/45555167.CBHAX
...and I've seen a resurgence in sales (meaning I've sold, like, three) of my one I made of her a couple of years ago: https://www.redbubble.com/people/otterfamilias/works/25202801-nevertheless-she-persisted?asc=u
I'm not posting those links for you Lauren Duca The Brand to advertise or anything, but because maybe you Lauren Duca The Person might want one.
Holy shit, that adds such an intense dimension to this loss. (Sending you love extra love and strength.) What’s the mood like there today?
It's...been pretty rough. I think it's hard not to feel like she's Ours, but not in a possessive sense. It feels like what I imagine it would feel like if one of my friends or neighbors, one who shared my values and was deeply invested in the well-being of the community, was plausibly running for national office. (She *is*, of course, deeply invested in the well-being of the community, it’s just that “community” here means “the whole effing country.”)
I can’t speak for all of my local friends, of course, but I think we were all stunned that our state went for flipping *Biden*. I think if Bernie had won, we all would’ve been “yeah, OK, that makes sense.” But it’s easy for us liberal elite city-dwellers to forget how rural and relatively conservative so much of Massachusetts is — in the vast, largely-empty stretches between Boston and Worcester and Northampton, there’s obviously a lot of desire for safety and stability instead of revolution or big structural change. We in the city can tend to forget that.
I didn't want Warren to be our president because she frequents one of my favorite restaurants, though I'm not gonna lie, that's pretty cool. I’m not sad she dropped out because I could realistically run into her in Porter Square, or even because she’s my senator, though I’m proud that she is. I really and truly still believe she would have made an absolutely fantastic president and I still believe she has an important role to play in the national conversation going forward. So many of my friends are just *crushed*, but we’re going to pick ourselves up and work to help elect whichever of the two old white dudes end up on the top of the ticket.
Thank you so much for this. I've poured my heart and in soul into my support for Warren, and I cannot believe that now I won't even get to vote for this candidate who has inspired me in so many ways and quite literally changed my life by motivating me to volunteer for my first campaign (my state hasn't had our primary yet). So much of how Warren has been received by the journalist, pundits, and voters has made me want to bang my head against a wall, and this is utterly gutting. It's a breath of fresh air to read coverage which actually admits to the wall of patriarchal obstacles Warren was forced to scale as a female candidate, and to know that I and my small circle of friends were not alone in our enthusiasm for her candidacy.
Thank you for this, and for volunteering for our hero! I’m feeling you hard on the whole thing. I have never been this emotionally invested in a candidate, and while watching her endless dismissals has felt shocking and personal from the start, I don’t think I ever admitted to myself that it was working. (It’s not over though, and you are clearly part of the legacy this campaign leaves behind. I’m so glad you’re out here fighting. 💕)
Your piece makes me realize how shy I was about owning my support for Warren. Was wowed by her when I heard her interview with Terri Gross on Fresh Air. Professor Warren explained that her Harvard Law students couldn't accurately interpret credit card agreements. She spelled out that the system was rigged in a way that I hadn't heard before. Oh, and give ageism its due as well. There's no question the implicit bias against a white-haired older person is real. It goes to "eleven" when mixed with sexism.
Such a good point. +Warren’s sharpest weapon has always been her ability to empower people with information. (I watched her Jon Stewart clip again recently, and it’s so good, I’m almost surprised it didn’t come out of a writer’s room.)
I am with you, in spirit and in sorrow. I am weary of women being discounted in favor of lesser men. It has happened for too long and all too often in politics.
Amen. I can’t believe how long we have had to wait. I am hoping it pisses off an entire generation of young womxn, and excited for them to run for office.
We have a 19-year-old daughter who has been enraged since 2016 and was all in for Warren, including volunteering numerous hours to her campaign. She’s now experiencing her first political heartbreak and it’s a big one. But she remains so inspired by Warren (and as parents, we’re so grateful for Elizabeth as an outstanding role model). Our daughter is determined to move forward fighting the righteous fights, as Elizabeth so eloquently advised. Definitely ripple effects for years to come.
It is. I know a 17-year-old woman who's voting Nov. 3 and she is PISSED! Has been since 2016.
It undid me when I learned she stepped out of the race. I was mystified by Super Tuesday’s results. At the outset of this race, I’d been working intensely on a startup for years and was a little out of the news loop. To be honest, I started with a mostly negative view of Warren (how I was seeing that just over a year ago seems crazy to me now—it was crazy). But when I heard Wareen speak and then I looked at her plans, I was dumbfounded by how strong every aspect of her presentation, campaign, and agenda were. I’ve looked at the policy platforms of Presidential candidates since I began voting (I’m 31) and nobody has ever had policy positions anywhere even remotely close to the competence and detail of her plans. We all just experienced the most qualified and deserving presidential candidate in a generation, or maybe ever. And the American people completely missed it; or didn’t understand how oppression is fought. I’m sad and it hasn’t sunk in yet. It gives me a lot of clarity about where we are as a culture. What it’s also left me with is a fierce resolve to hold all politicians accountable to the standards that Warren showed us are possible—Warren demonstrated the Gold Standard. I’ll forever be asking politicians where their plans are, in specific detail. I’ll expect anti-corruption agendas from any serious (aka non-corruption-complicit) candidate. Warren re-defined what being a strong and deserving candidate looks like. I’m changed because of her campaign, and these lessons will inform my politics forever. Warren is out of this race, but what she modeled will never cease to be an influence for those of us who came into full appreciation of her brilliance and dedication.
Wow, Lionel. Thank you so much for this incredible honesty. I’ve been frustrated by people in my life who never connected with Warren’s brilliance, and it means a lot that you took the time to listen.!
Liz was the first person I ever canvassed for. I live in Ohio and won't even get to vote for her in the primary. I am beyond sad and FURIOUS. The "arguments" against Warren are/were so unsubstantial. People that didn't recognize her greatness weren't looking very closely.
Thank you so much for your work, Lisa. (I’m struggling with people in my life who can’t seem to see what we see in her. It really breaks my heart.)
I voted early here in Ohio for her because I knew!
Same!
Lauren my heart is heavy today and your piece nailed it precisely. Liz Warren outplans, outdebates, outstudies, outshines every one of the last ones standing by miles. Thank you. Now where was that peanut butter? One more spoonful and then I’m gonna get back in the fight.
I love your spirit, Karen!! Thank you for this. I am on exactly the same page.
Feeling absolutely gutted today. Thanks for this.
Ty friend. Sending you a love beam.
Thank you Lauren. I'm crying inside too. She should be President. She is more than qualified. Maybe it's time for peanut butter🥜
Totally time for more peanut butter. *virtual spoon cheers*
Misogyny is the underbelly of western culture--Mary Beard Women & Power: A Manifesto. I swear I have memorized that book this month
Oh shit! I will check it out...
It’s devastating. It’s been devastating. Thank you for these words. I’ll pick back up in a few days and concentrate on the next fight, taking the grit and grace I learned from Elizabeth with me.
Hell yeah, Jen. Take the time you need. I’m still hurting this morning / about to cry on a plane to 2.5 rom-coms lol.
Great article. I keep saying to myself "don't cry over spilled milk" but I cry. We are not going to spill next time. Let's be determined.
I kept crying this weekend, but ready to get back in the fight today. Sending you all my love, Milan. <3
I have believed that Elizabeth Warren should be POTUS since I first heard her speak during the Obama admin., when she was organizing the Consumer Protection Bureau, and I donated to her campaign. I got to vote for her on Super Tuesday, but unfortunately, I'd seen the writing on the wall after the South Carolina primary. It wasn't a surprise, but I teared up during her announcement of withdrawal, and during her long interview with Rachel Maddow that evening. She is unlikely to be offered the VP slot--MA has a Republican governor, which would mean the loss of a Democratic Senate seat when he'd appoint someone to complete her term. We need her in the Senate. During Lawrence O'Donnell's show on MSNBC last night--which was all about Elizabeth Warren--one of the several women he interviewed about Warren's candidacy, her brilliance, and sexism in American politics was Rep. Katie Porter, who is Elizabeth Warren's mentee. Given Porter's intellect, progressive politics, and articulateness, it occurred to me that she ought to be on the short list for a running mate for whichever of the old men will top the ticket. Whoever is the Vice Presidential candidate on the Democratic ticket will be ideally positioned to run for POTUS as an incumbent in four years, when either Biden/Bernie will be in his eighties, if still alive. There must be a woman on the ticket. If it can't be Elizabeth, why not Katie Porter, a woman who was taught by and embodies her values and virtues?
I’m a 60 year old gay man who has supported Elizabeth Warren from the beginning. She alone has the skill set to do all the things that need to be done. One sentence in your newsletter struck me like a bolt of lightning,
“At any given moment, you’re either actively fighting for equality, or you’re complicit in the system of oppression that prevents it.“
I couldn’t agree with you more. Keep up the awesome fight! You are inspiring on so many different levels. Thank you for bringing my own awareness from somewhere deep in my intestinal tract to the light. Your book was pretty inspiring also.
Wow, thank you so much, James!! I'm so excited that you're part of this little community. (I let myself sob a few times this weekend — once while watching "Selena" on a plane lol — but I'm ready to dust myself off and keep going.)
Sending you love and strength. <3
YES YES YES
Great read. Thanks for sharing what we are all feeling. I don’t doubt for a second she will persist to make the world better than she found it.
Heck yes, Jesse. Thank you for your optimism.