Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) told donors gathered by a liberal group on Monday that the Affordable Care Act was not bold enough, which hurt Democrats’ message to working and middle-class class voters still struggling following the economic crisis, according to reports from the Boston Globe and the Huffington Post.
Warren said that Democrats were not able to effectively tell voters that they were fighting for the little guy after making compromises on Obamacare, attendees at the meeting held by the Democracy Alliance told the Boston Globe. She told donors that if Democrats had acknowledged the legislation’s shortcomings and pledged to work for more, the party’s message about healthcare may have been more effective, sources told the Huffington Post.
The Massachusetts senator said that Democrats also failed to push a big enough stimulus package, which also hurt them in the 2016 election. Warren said at the meeting that Democrats did not do enough for homeowners, according to the Huffington Post. She said that Democrats failed in their ideology, not their messaging, attendees at the meeting told the Huffington Post.
She said that Donald Trump’s message to voters, that he would fight for them, resonated in 2016, according to the Boston Globe.
Warren’s comments about Democrats’ shortcomings come as the party tries to regroup following Hillary Clinton’s stunning loss and significant losses down the ballot in the 2016 election. Some are pushing for a shake-up at the Democratic National Committee, backing Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN) as the next chair.
