Boston Globe endorses Warren after previously calling her a ‘divisive figure’

The Boston Globe on Wednesday endorsed Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren in the Democratic presidential primary, just days ahead of the South Carolina primary and subsequent Super Tuesday nominating contests. 

The backing from the Globe comes after the paper’s editorial board had previously panned Warren as a “divisive figure” in 2018, shortly before the senator announced her presidential bid.

But in its Tuesday endorsement, the Globe’s editorial board hailed Warren as the Democratic party’s candidate best fit to advance a progressive agenda and challenge President Trump in November. 

“Fearless and brilliant on her feet, Warren has the greatest potential among the candidates to lay bare Trump’s weaknesses on a debate stage,” the editorial board wrote. “The Senator gets the most mileage when she brings her fight not to caricatures of billionaires in wine caves but to the real people in the room with her — whether businessmen or bureaucrats — who have failed to fulfill the responsibilities of public service or whose plans for the country are half-baked or ill-conceived.”

The endorsement also acknowledged the earlier editorial, with the editorial board writing that Warren “has proved us wrong and has shaped the course of the race for the better.” 

The board lauded Warren’s track record and tenacity, and her pledge to fight corruption. 

The board set Warren apart from her progressive rival and current front-runner Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) by arguing that she “is willing to adapt to changing circumstances and political concerns,” noting her recent vote in favor of the United States-Mexico-Canada trade deal that Sanders voted against. 

“Where others may see weakness, this board sees strength in her instances of nimbleness, and a reflection of her longstanding penchant for evidence as a driver of policy decisions. It hints at what is hopefully a willingness to compromise to accomplish real results when intransigence would sabotage a broader agenda,” the board wrote. 

The endorsement comes as Warren has seen an influx in campaign donations since a strong showing in last week’s debate in Nevada. She has yet to clinch a first- or second-place spot in the first three nominating contests, but the recent donations could help give her an edge heading into Saturday’s South Carolina primary and next week’s Super Tuesday primaries and caucuses.

The Globe’s board also notes that each of the top six Democrats in the race “would make a better president” than Trump, noting at least one positive quality for each of them. 

The New York Times endorsed Warren along with Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) last month.