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Elizabeth Warren ends presidential bid Elizabeth Warren ends presidential bid
(about 4 hours later)
Senator Elizabeth Warren has ended her presidential campaign following disappointing Super Tuesday results.Senator Elizabeth Warren has ended her presidential campaign following disappointing Super Tuesday results.
A favourite of the liberal left, the Massachusetts senator, 70, was once a front-runner in the Democratic field.A favourite of the liberal left, the Massachusetts senator, 70, was once a front-runner in the Democratic field.
Ms Warren said she needed some time to decide whom to support. Ms Warren said she needed some time to decide on another candidate to support.
The Democratic contest to take on President Donald Trump in November is now seen as a two-horse race between former Vice-President Joe Biden, 77, and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, 78.The Democratic contest to take on President Donald Trump in November is now seen as a two-horse race between former Vice-President Joe Biden, 77, and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, 78.
Her departure may clear the path for Mr Sanders in particular - the sole progressive candidate left in the race. Despite early momentum for her campaign, she failed to win a single state in the first primary contests of 2020, even her own.
Despite early momentum for her campaign, she failed to convert enthusiasm into votes in the first primary contests of 2020, not winning a single state. With Ms Warren's departure, a Democratic race that began with a record high of female candidates is now effectively left to two male front-runners, who both swiftly praised her and her campaign.
With Ms Warren's departure, a Democratic race that began with a record high of female candidates is now effectively left to two male front-runners, who praised her and her campaign. "One of the hardest parts of this is all those little girls who are going to have to wait four more years," she said alongside her husband outside her home in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on Thursday.
"One of the hardest parts of this," Ms Warren said on Thursday, "is all those little girls who are going to have to wait four more years. That's going to be hard." "That's going to be hard."
Asked how she made the decision to drop out, Ms Warren said she returned to the issues that anchored her campaign - the vast costs of student loan debt, healthcare, and childcare that plague millions of Americans.
"I had to think about where is the best place for me to go to keep fighting those fights," she said. "My job is to keep fighting and to fight this as smartly and effectively as I can."
What's the post-mortem?What's the post-mortem?
Now that she has dropped out, post-mortems on Elizabeth Warren's campaign have begun. Many point to her shifting message on universal government-run healthcare, a topic that was never a top priority for her. It caused liberals to stick with Bernie Sanders and centrists to have their doubts about her.Now that she has dropped out, post-mortems on Elizabeth Warren's campaign have begun. Many point to her shifting message on universal government-run healthcare, a topic that was never a top priority for her. It caused liberals to stick with Bernie Sanders and centrists to have their doubts about her.
Others suggest she was harmed by hesitant performances in the debates that mattered - before the Iowa and New Hampshire contests. Her strongest effort came with her vivisection of Michael Bloomberg in Las Vegas, which was buried by Sanders' win in the Nevada caucuses - and too late to influence the outcome.Others suggest she was harmed by hesitant performances in the debates that mattered - before the Iowa and New Hampshire contests. Her strongest effort came with her vivisection of Michael Bloomberg in Las Vegas, which was buried by Sanders' win in the Nevada caucuses - and too late to influence the outcome.
Then there's the issue of sexism. Four years after Democrats chose Hillary Clinton to be their nominee, voters may have been reluctant to opt for another woman atop the ticket. This reluctance was seldom explicit, instead being raised in concerns about "likability" or "electability" and what other, hypothetical, swing-state voters might think of her.Then there's the issue of sexism. Four years after Democrats chose Hillary Clinton to be their nominee, voters may have been reluctant to opt for another woman atop the ticket. This reluctance was seldom explicit, instead being raised in concerns about "likability" or "electability" and what other, hypothetical, swing-state voters might think of her.
It also sometimes reared its head in Warren's media coverage, where her healthcare backtracking received considerably more criticism than similar pirouettes and hedging by Pete Buttigieg and other male candidates.It also sometimes reared its head in Warren's media coverage, where her healthcare backtracking received considerably more criticism than similar pirouettes and hedging by Pete Buttigieg and other male candidates.
The US will elect its first woman president someday, but it will not be in 2020.The US will elect its first woman president someday, but it will not be in 2020.
Read Anthony's full analysisRead Anthony's full analysis
What does Elizabeth Warren believe in? Why did her campaign fail?
The former Harvard law professor was vaulted into the political arena more than a decade ago as she pushed for tougher regulation of the financial sector after the 2008 economic collapse. Ms Warren was the first major Democratic candidate to announce her plans for a presidential bid.
In 2010, she helped the Obama White House set up the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, a Wall Street watchdog agency she championed. Early in the race, her policy-centric approach - "I've got a plan for that" was a favourite refrain - seemed effective.
Two years later, she rode that momentum to a seat in the US Senate for Massachusetts. In October last year, she peaked in most national polls until a difficult TV debate.
Though her name was floated as a possible 2016 Democratic nominee, the senator demurred, saying she was not interested in the top job. She was unable to say on stage whether she would raise taxes to pay for her proposal to expand government-run healthcare insurance for Americans.
This time, Ms Warren was the first major Democratic candidate to announce her plans for a presidential bid. Throughout her candidacy, President Trump nicknamed her "Pocahontas" after she claimed to have had Native-American ancestry.
Early in the race, her policy-centric approach - "I've got a plan for that" was a favourite refrain - seemed effective. In October last year, she led most national polls. In an effort to prove her heritage, she took a DNA test, but only ended up angering tribal leaders, who argued that genetics do not determine cultural identity.
But by December 2019, Ms Warren had been pushed back, hurt by a difficult debate where her rivals hammered her over key policy promises like Medicare for All. On Thursday, Mr Trump again tweeted his nickname for her, adding that by dividing her party's liberal vote, she had "probably cost [Bernie Sanders] the nomination".
And despite massive investments in early voting states, Iowa, New Hampshire and Nevada, Ms Warren failed to be a top-two finisher in any - in fact she came third in her home state of Massachusetts on Super Tuesday.
The results meant she won only 65 delegates to cast votes for her to become the Democratic presidential candidate at the party's national convention in July.
A candidate needs 1,991 delegates to win the nomination to face Mr Trump.
Mr Biden is leading with 584 delegates, and Mr Sanders has 509 delegates.
Ms Warren's exit follows closely behind ex-mayors Pete Buttigieg and Michael Bloomberg, and Senator Amy Klobuchar.Ms Warren's exit follows closely behind ex-mayors Pete Buttigieg and Michael Bloomberg, and Senator Amy Klobuchar.
How have her rivals reacted? Hawaii congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard is the sole remaining female Democratic presidential candidate, though she polls at barely one per cent.
Moments after announcing her decision, the Biden and Sanders campaigns each issued tweets praising her.
"Without her, the progressive movement would not be nearly as strong as it is today," tweeted Senator Sanders, adding: "I know that she'll stay in this fight and we are grateful that she will."
Mr Biden tweeted that she is "the fiercest of fighters for middle class families".
"We needed her voice in this race, and we need her continued work in the Senate," his statement continued.