Warren shows her value to Clinton with Trump attacks

Elizabeth Warren has emerged as one of the Democratic Party’s most effective attack dogs against Donald Trump, fueling speculation that she could end up as Hillary Clinton’s running mate.

Warren’s jabs at Trump on Twitter have been notable for both their speed and intensity, with the former Harvard professor matching Trump’s penchant for cutting insults.

{mosads}She’s attacked the presumptive nominee as generating more enthusiasm from “the KKK” than from GOP leaders, and said she and others have been sickened by his “racism, sexism and xenophobia.”

Never one to let an attack go unanswered, Trump fired off a series of tweets dubbing the senator “Goofy Elizabeth Warren.”

Warren was not impressed.

“Really? That’s the best you could come up with? Come on. I thought Donald Trump said he was a guy that was good with words,” she told Mic. 

Warren’s hard-edged assault on Trump has become a sensation online. A Facebook compilation of her tweets against Trump has been generated more than 45 million views on Facebook, her office told CNN, even as the remarks have made headlines across the country.

The attention couldn’t come at a better time for Clinton, who remains locked in a battle against Bernie Sanders for the Democratic nomination that appears unlikely to end until June, at the earliest.

That race has grown increasingly bitter, with Sanders bristling at calls to drop out of the race and threatening to seek a contested convention.

“By positioning herself as Donald Trump’s primary Democratic antagonist right now, Sen. Warren is filling the space that would normally be occupied by bickering between the two Democratic primary characters. When she’s taking on Trump, there’s not a lot of oxygen left for Sanders and Clinton attacking each other,” said Kevin Franck, a strategist who worked for the Massachusetts Democratic Party during Warren’s 2012 race against Scott Brown.

At least one high-ranking Democrat is already behind the idea of Warren on the ticket.

Vice President Joe Biden wanted to tap Warren as his running mate when he was considering a presidential run last year, according to Politico. He reportedly believes Clinton should pick Warren now that she is on the verge of clinching the nomination. 

It remains to be seen whether Clinton would want Warren on the ticket.

Warren has steadfastly refused to endorse Clinton or Sanders during the primary campaign, at times praising them both. She remains the only Senate Democratic woman not to have endorsed Clinton.

The decision not to take sides, while angering some, has put Warren in a prime position to play the role of party unifier. But some Democrats think she has proven she’s can play a more important role: that of Trump slayer. 

“Your policies are dangerous. Your words are reckless. Your record is embarrassing. And your free ride is over,” said Warren in one of her tweets against Trump.

Throwing elbows has long been part of the job description for vice presidential nominees. Vice President Biden and former Vice President Dick Cheney were both known for playing the role of attack dog on the campaign trail.

Franck said Warren has already proven that she can go toe-to-toe with a candidate like Trump. 

In 2012, then-Sen. Scott Brown (R-Mass.) tried to cast Warren as an elitist by constantly referring to her as “Professor Warren.” He ended up losing the Senate race by more than 7 points.

“Brown was the plainspoken political outsider who resonated with blue-collar folks, but more specifically the kind of disaffected, white, blue-collar groups Trump has brought along,” Franck said.

“The Warren campaign figured out that they were going to lose the, ‘Who do you want to have a beer with’ vote, but they would win the vote of those who cared about the direction of Massachusetts.”

Democrats say that if Warren has any interest in being the vice presidential nominee, she could be an electric presence on the campaign trail who helps candidates all the way down the ballot. 

“You could put her on the campaign, she could have her own plane and team and schedule for the fall,” said Democratic strategist Jamal Simmons.

“Nobody is more credible on the progressive left than Elizabeth Warren, so Warren attacking Trump will only increase the clamor for her to be on the ticket as VP.”