Though he ran for president in the Democratic primary, Sen. Bernie Sanders doesn’t really “identify” as a capital D Democrat. Sanders has put a finer point on his association, calling himself a “democratic socialist.” So when Sen. Elizabeth Warren sounds just like Sanders describing the current troubles of the Democratic Party, it’s a step away from the Democratic establishment for Warren. Warren has always, like Sanders, crusaded against entrenched wealth, the “one percent” and an unfair playing field for the poor and middle class. But in the aftermath of Donald Trump’s election — known to Democrats as Hillary Clinton’s disaster — Warren sounds like she and the Democratic Party aren’t on the same page. Or even reading the same book.
Warren says people just don’t trust the current system — and that includes both political parties. (Note: Trump is hardly a GOP establishment figure.) Warren told CNN (below) that the public is saying: “The game is rigged. It’s rigged in favor of those at the top and rigged against the rest of us.” Warren’s political party identification is “starting to shift” meaning political parties will either adapt or perish. “Progressive grassroots” — what Sanders tapped into — is what will dominate next. Warren doesn’t seem to have any plans on going down with a sinking ship.
