ABC Touts Elizabeth Warren's 'Middle-Class Manifesto,' While Channeling Hillary Is 'Iconic'
Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) has been making the rounds on television promoting her new book “A Fighting Chance” and ABC’s This Week With George Stephanopoulos was the latest to promote the liberal senator on Sunday April 27.
Prior to her interview with host George Stephanopoulos, ABC’s Jeff Zeleny narrated a report on Warren in which he gushed over how “Warren’s tough take on Wall Street has made her a folk hero on the left” and hyped how “hopeful Democrats are lining up, eagerly awaiting the first female president."
As the segment continued, Zeleny beamed at how “A U.S. senator for only a year, she’s now making an even bigger splash. Her new book is a middle class manifesto.” The ABC reporter continued by promoting her 2016 presidential prospects: “And many liberal Democrats hope a roadmap for the party’s future. A draft movement is already underway."
After reiterating that Warren had no plans to run for president, the ABC reporter asked Swanee Hunt, former Ambassador to Austria, to comment on the 2016 election. Hunt claimed it would be foolish for Warren to run in 2016 “because Hillary Clinton is iconic."
As the segment concluded, Zeleny noted that “Warren is a popular draw on the fund-raising circuit, already raising $1.6 million this year for Democrats. The left is looking for a fighter and a fiery populist…some moderate Democrats feel her economic populism is a dead end for the party. But to her admirers, she’s a political celebrity and even if her name is not on the ballot, her ideas may still drive the race.
On Monday April 21, ABC’s David Muir puffed up Senator Warren as being “On the front lines” of “the fight to save the middle class” a theme that This Week doubled-down in promoting on Sunday.
See relevant transcript below.
ABC's This Week with George Stephanopoulos
April 27, 2014
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: Our closer look now at a new senator shaking up the Democratic Party. Elizabeth Warren’s tough take on Wall Street has made her a folk here on the left. Even before the release of her latest book “A Fighting Chance.” And as ABC’s Jeff Zeleny reports, her tour is stirring hp all kinds of speculation.
JEFF ZELENY: Hopeful Democrats are lining up, eagerly awaiting the first woman president.
UNKNOWN WOMAN: If she runs she maybe the first woman president.
UNKNOWN WOMAN #2: I think she’d be fantastic.
ZELENY: They’re not talking about Hillary Clinton. They’re excited about this woman, Elizabeth Warren.
ELIZABETH WARREN: Oh, it’s good to be home.
ZELENY: A U.S. Senator for only a year, she’s now making an even bigger splash. Her new book is a middle class manifesto.
WARREN: No one should work full-time and still live in poverty. That’s an issue that we’ve got to deal with.
ZELENY: And many liberal Democrats hope a roadmap for the party’s future. A draft movement is already underway. But so far, Warren says, no thanks.
WARREN: I’m not running for president. I’m not running for president. I’m not running for president. You can ask it lots of different ways.
ZELENY: When you hear Elizabeth Warren saying, look, I’m not running for president now you take her at her word?
SWANEE HUNT: I believe her. I do. First of all, it would be foolish and she is not foolish.
ZELENY: Why?
HUNT: Because Hillary Clinton is iconic.
ZELENY: But Warren is a popular draw on the fund-raising circuit, already raising $1.6 million this year for Democrats. The left is looking for a fighter and a fiery populist.
WARREN: Mr. Secretary I come from a world of Chapter 11, people default all the time. They negotiate down on their obligations and they do not bring down the entire financial system.
ZELENY: Some moderate Democrats feel her economic populism is a dead end for the party. But to her admirers, she’s a political celebrity and even if her name is not on the ballot, her ideas may still drive the race. For “This Week” Jeff Zeleny, ABC News, Cambridge, Massachusetts.
— Jeffrey Meyer is a News Analyst at the Media Research Center. Follow Jeffrey Meyer on Twitter.
