Elizabeth Warren’s Not Running for President, Right? Right?
Has Sen. Elizabeth “I am not running for president’’ Warren changed her mind about a White House bid?
For at least the past year, the Massachusetts senator has unequivocally said she has no plans to run for president. For example:
• “I pledge to serve out my term … I am not running for president.’’ (December 2013)
• “I’m not running for president. You can ask it lots of different ways.’’ (April 2014)
• “I’m not running for president. … Like I said, I’m not running for president.’’ (April 2014)
• “You can ask this a whole lot of different ways, but the key is, I’m not running for president.’’ (April 2014)
• “I am not running for president. Do you want to put an exclamation point at the end of that?’’ (June 2014)
• “There is no wiggle room. I am not running for president. No means no.’’ (July 2014)
Sounds like she’s not running for president! But things seem to have changed, if this new interview with People is any indication:
But is the freshman senator from Massachusetts herself on board with a run for the White House? Warren wrinkles her nose.
“I don’t think so,’’ she tells PEOPLE in an interview conducted at Warren’s Cambridge, Massachusetts, home for this week’s issue. “If there’s any lesson I’ve learned in the last five years, it’s don’t be so sure about what lies ahead. There are amazing doors that could open.’’
She just doesn’t see the door of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue being one of them. Not yet, anyway. “Right now,’’ Warren says, “I’m focused on figuring out what else I can do from this spot’’ in the U.S. Senate.
It’s far from an open declaration of her candidacy, obviously, but it’s not the usual adamant refusal, either.
Since the People article hit the web, a Warren spokeswoman told National Journal that “nothing has changed.’’ Still, it’s hard not to read too closely into Warren’s apparent shift in tone — or, at least, a rare off-message quote.
“As a veteran Warren-watcher,’’ The Nation’s George Zornick wrote, “I can say with certainty this is more ambiguous than she’s ever been on the subject.’’
Warren isn’t the only potential candidate keeping the presidential bid door open. Former Florida governor Jeb Bush has been similarly evasive regarding his presidential plans, as has two-time presidential (and former Massachusetts governor) candidate Mitt Romney.
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