An official at a leading progressive grassroots organization said that Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s (D-Mass.) held her own at the Democratic debate on Wednesday, getting her message across even though she didn’t have any breakout moments.
“The thing that fueled her rise was her core message of fighting systemic corruption, fighting for everyday people, challenging corporations and powerful interests and she was able to get that across on TV last night,” Adam Green, who is a co-founder of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, told Hill.TV on Thursday.
“The wealth tax — one of her signature issues … she was able to really engage on that, so I think for her, boring was good,” he continued.
Green added that Warren’s performance might have helped reassure voters who might have previously expressed concerns about her electability.
“Everybody had the opportunity to throw a punch — they didn’t,” he said. “She looked good, I think maybe some people are at ease and I would not be surprised if she got a couple points in the polls because of that.”
Warren, one of the front-runners in the race, faced the brunt of attacks during the October debate.
But that was not the case in Wednesday night’s debate in Atlanta. While some expected South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg and Warren to spar over a number of issues, those disputes were largely avoided.
Warren did get a chance to defend her wealth tax, which calls for a 2 percent tax on household net worth between $50 million and $1 billion, and a 3 percent tax on net worth above $1 billion.
“I’m tired of freeloading billionaires,” Warren said from the stage. “It’s time that we ask the very top to pay more.”
—Tess Bonn
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