Sen. Elizabeth Warren started off Monday morning giddy. In an unofficial launch to her campaign, she proudly brandished a DNA test showing distant Native American ancestry along with a video featuring family members aimed at debunking President Trump’s “Pocahantas” line of attack. In what was supposed to be a slam dunk, Warren then demanded that Trump pay $1 million to charity, citing a remark he made during a campaign rally that he would pay the amount if a DNA test showed she’s “an Indian.”
The stunt, in addition to settling the Native American issue, was supposed to send an early signal to Democrats that she’s somebody who knows how to take the fight to Trump and win. Boy, was she wrong. Instead, the effort became an embarrassing own goal for Warren.
Soon after the Boston Globe story was posted, it became clear that the publication bungled the math. The DNA test showed that Warren was, at best, 1/64th Native American, but possibly 1/1,024th. Not only did this give plenty of fodder to Trump to continue mocking Warren and disregard her demand for $1 million, it soon became clear that the move was offensive to Native Americans, who see DNA tests as “useless” in determining tribal heritage (according to Cherokee Nation) and an example of “settler-colonial definitions” reflecting “the privileges of whiteness” (according to a native studies professor).
Such statements are, in a sense, a double whammy. They chastised Warren, but also show her lack of knowledge about how sensitive the issue of DNA testing is within these communities. So, how in touch with her distant heritage can she really be?
As Hot Air’s Allahpundit noted, somebody has to mess up badly “as a staunch progressive to get the Onion dunking on you, especially when you’re trying to dunk on Trump yourself.”
Elizabeth Warren Disappointed After DNA Test Shows Zero Trace Of Presidential Material https://t.co/YrpY1AYgqF pic.twitter.com/u5OgHIKVYg
— The Onion (@TheOnion) October 15, 2018
Quite predictably, Trump took his victory lap on Twitter Tuesday morning.
Now, it’s worth noting that though we’re in the midst of a shadow primary, nobody has actually announced they are running for president yet, and there’s well over a year to go before voters in early primary states start to get serious about evaluating their options. There will be plenty of time for Warren to figure out a better way to deal with the Native American issue, and certainly there will be a lot more significant issues facing Democratic voters.
That said, more than anything, Democratic voters will be looking for a candidate who can take the fight to Trump — and win. Trump, as unpopular as he seems nationally, is an unconventional political force that nobody has been able to beat — not 16 other Republicans (many well-funded and experienced) and not Hillary Clinton. Whatever Trump’s weaknesses, he’s clearly demonstrated an instinctive understanding of politics in the modern media age.
Warren’s experience in politics has involved winning in a very liberal state, enjoying glowing media coverage, and being popular among progressive audiences. When it comes to national politics, she’s a relative novice. So all we know right now is that Warren’s early flirtation with presidential politics went horrifically, raising serious questions about her political instincts, which are hard to teach. She’s got plenty of time, of course, but if this is in any way indicative of how she’s going to run her campaign, she isn’t going to get close to the White House.
