Massachusetts Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren distanced herself from the Sanders wing of the Democratic Party by saying she was not a socialist in an interview\u2026<\/b>
\nMassachusetts Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren distanced herself from the Sanders wing of the Democratic Party by saying she was not a socialist in an interview with BuzzFeed News published Thursday.
The answer arose after Warren was asked to explain the difference between her and Vermont Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders, a lingering question as Democrats are already discussing potential challengers to President Donald Trump in 2020.
Throughout the Obama years, as BuzzFeed notes, Warren was seen as the de facto leader of the progressive wing of the Democratic Party. With Sanders\u2019s primary challenge to Hillary Clinton in 2016 as an open socialist, that position is in the air. (RELATED: Elizabeth Warren Confronted For Labeling The Justice System \u2018Racist\u2019)
Yet Warren seems to have her line when asked to differentiate herself from Sanders.
\u201cHe\u2019s a socialist,\u201d Warren said, \u201cand I believe in markets.\u201d
Such a break with Sanders could prove significant as the Democratic Party continues its march leftward.
Whether a belief in markets is enough to convince her party\u2019s base that she\u2019s authentic enough has yet to be seen \u2014 as has whether conceding that markets are preferable over central planning is enough to not scare away independents.
Warren has also told other interviewers that she, unlike Sanders and others, is not interested in entirely remaking the American economy.
In a July interview with CNBC, Warren gave more evidence of how she\u2019ll continue separating herself from Sanders in the years ahead.
\u201cI am a capitalist,\u201d she told an interviewer. \u201cCome on. I believe in markets.\u201d
An an aide to Warren supported her position to BuzzFeed, saying, \u201cShe believes in markets. She loves markets.\u201d
Of course, a mere belief in markets does not necessarily mean Warren would not be in favor of implementing tremendous changes to the safety net or regulations. Many on the left point to Scandinavian countries like Norway and Sweden as models for a social democratic United States.
In those countries, markets still exist besides a robust welfare system.
Despite her efforts to distance herself from Sanders and the \u201csocialist\u201d label, supporters of Warren see an overlap of her base with the Vermont senator\u2019s.
\u201cThere\u2019s gonna be a splintering of support for candidates,\u201d Draft Warren co-founder Charles Lenchner told BuzzFeed. \u201cThe question I\u2019m asking is how do you cultivate maximum unity between supporters of Bernie and Warren so that they will enter the race planning and hoping to be on the same side in the final run.\u201d
Still, her supporters worry that Sanders will always be able to trump Warren when trying to seem authentic.
While in general identifying as a socialist might come as a liability, distancing oneself from the label could prove an asset in a competitive Democratic primary.
\u201cThere\u2019s a looming danger of Bernie supporters saying she\u2019s just as bad as the corporate Democrats,\u201d Lenchner said. \u201cShe\u2019s our best hope if Bernie can\u2019t do it.\u201d
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