When Will Elizabeth Warren Endorse Joe Biden? Report Says That’s Up To Joe Biden
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Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren is the only major Democratic presidential candidate who has yet to endorse former Vice President Joe Biden, but the delay is reportedly not of Warren’s doing.
Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders ended days of non-suspense when he endorsed the former veep on Monday, and former President Barack Obama became the latest heavy hitter to come out swinging for Biden on Tuesday.
That leaves Senator Warren as the last Democratic superstar who hasn’t come out in favor of Biden, but according to a New York Times report, Warren isn’t holding out for policy concessions or a spot on the ticket, or anything else. She’s waiting for the high sign from Joe Biden:
The coalescence behind Mr. Biden will gain even more strength with the backing of Senator Elizabeth Warren, who is expected to endorse him soon, according to people familiar with the matter. There is not any holdup or demand for concessions for her support, these people said. Ms. Warren is the only major former rival yet to endorse the former vice president, though only because she has left the timing of an announcement up to Mr. Biden’s team.
The report also goes on to say that Warren’s campaign team played an integral role as go-between with the Sanders team leading up to Bernie’s endorsement of Biden.
The coronavirus has played havoc with the entire presidential race, and the endorsement strategy is no exception. Rather than rolling out key endorsements at rallies attended by scores of reporters, Biden had Bernie endorse him in a poorly-lit two-box at two in the afternoon, and Barack Obama — the crown jewel of Democratic endorsements — via a tastefully Bokeh-blurred endorsement video.
In both cases, the key strategic element involved appeared to be speed. Sanders took heat in 2016 for waiting too long to endorse Hillary Clinton, so this time around — after a respectful few days to let Sanders supporters acclimate to the suspension of his campaign — the goal appears to be avoiding any whiff of that narrative. Very little stagecraft was devoted to the rollout, and there were no new policy changes announced.
Obama’s endorsement came less than 24 hours later, giving the Sanders endorsement little time to breathe, and putting an exclamation point on the UNITY! narrative. It also came just under a week after President Donald Trump taunted Biden for not having secured the last popularly elected president’s endorsement.
So where does that leave Warren’s endorsement? Time will tell, but the considerable energy Waren attracted for her candidacy makes the handling of her endorsement crucial. An announcement Wednesday or Thursday could create the impression of momentum for Biden, and the reality of campaigning in a pandemic makes it difficult to spotlight the endorsement in any other way.
