In less than two weeks, I will be voting in the New York Democratic Presidential Primary. Since the 2004 election, I’ve gone into the voting booths with my parents and excitedly stood there as they cast their votes. On April 19th, for the first time in my life, I’ll be casting my own vote for a candidate. The only issue is, which do I choose?
As someone who grew up in New York City, one of the most liberal places in the country, being a Democrat hasn’t been a difficult thing for me to be open about. My sisters and I were brainwashed by our parents and surroundings at an early age.
I remember during George W. Bush’s second term in office, the three of us spent an entire afternoon making homemade “Impeach Bush” signs with white pieces of printer paper and markers. We taped them to the windows of our third-floor apartment eagerly hoping our messages would incite change. Spoiler: they didn’t. Needless to say, we were very happy when President Obama was elected.
Although I come from a very liberal place, I’ve developed my own opinions and can no longer just support whomever my parents do. That being said, as I fill out my absentee ballot from my dorm room in Washington, D.C., it feels oddly isolating to know I won’t be standing with them in the voting booth anymore.
Choosing between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders has been an extremely complicated decision for me. I’ve always admired and deeply respected Clinton. I often find myself defending her in debates between friends who side with Bernie Sanders. Although at the same time, Sanders presents an alternative to traditional politics that proves effectively alluring.
I constantly try to blend the two together, hoping to eventually just see some hybrid I can support, although that’s not the reality. After speaking with my parents, friends and teachers, no one seems to be able to effectively push me from one side to the other.
There remains one person who I wish would give their input. Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren, known for her passionate speeches advocating for women’s reproductive rights, socioeconomic equality and civil rights, has yet to endorse a candidate.
She serves as the ideal mix of both Sanders and Clinton. As Steven Colbert said in his latest interview with the Senator last week, “You’re kind of like a combo platter of Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders, you’re like Voltron candidate, you’re a combination.”
Colbert is right. Warren’s platform is seen as middle ground between Sanders’ extreme liberal views and Clinton’s centrist leaning policies.
From watching videos of her speak on the senate floor to her appearances on late night talk shows, Warren constantly brings emotion to whatever cause she is advocating for and I greatly admire and respect her for that.
Knowing she has the potential to change the opinions of unsure democrats as well as other politicians, Warren has been reluctant to support a candidate, making her decision all the more powerful as the primary season continues.
By choosing not to endorse Clinton with all the other 13 female Democrats in the Senate late last year, Warren led many to believe that she is choosing to wait on making an endorsement until either candidate becomes the nominee.
This sadly makes sense. It is very possible Warren could have a place in either candidate’s potential White House administration. In an appearance on the Nightly Show in January, Sanders even hinted that Elizabeth Warren could possibly be his running mate.
In her most recent appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, the host inquired, “before we let you go, who are you going to endorse: Bernie or Hillary? And feel free to give me a variety of non-answers.”
Warren picked choice three. Although one important statement did come out of her response: she urged Bernie and Clinton supporters alike to be open to voting for either candidate no matter which politician gets the nomination.
This last statement is in many ways is Warren taking her advice. She will support the eventual nominee but, being a public figure who stands somewhere in the middle, continues to act as a crucial decider in determining this.
As a Democrat who sides with Warren over either Sanders or Clinton, I take her advice into account but also acknowledge that in the same way I don’t merely follow my parents or friends political opinions, I will have to, in the end decide, for myself.
Knowing that a Warren endorsement over the next two weeks is unlikely, New York Democrats who are still unsure have to make their own choice knowing that in the general election, Democratic unity is what is most important.
