Tons of media reports this week show that Elizabeth Warren's longest Iowa trip yet has resulted in a massive momentum boost -- with impacts extending way past Iowa.
Even as more than a dozen other 2020 presidential candidates flocked to the Iowa State Fair this weekend, the media's eyes were on Warren. She completely stole the show. Check out the Des Moines Register article below.
-- The PCCC Elections Team
DES MOINES REGISTER ARTICLE:
When U.S. Sen Elizabeth Warren told fairgoers what America could fund with her ultra-millionaires tax on Saturday, the crowd responded with a chant.
"Two cents!" "Two cents!"
Her plan, which would impose a 2% tax on fortunes over $50 million, would fund universal child care and pre-kindergarten, provide tuition-free college, invest $50 billion into historically black colleges, and cancel student loan debt for an estimated 42 million people, she said on the Des Moines Register Political Soapbox at the Iowa State Fair on Saturday.
"We could do all that and still have a couple of hundred billion dollars left over. That should tell you about what's broken in America," Warren said. "Every time we see a budget, it’s really just a statement of our values. Is it more important to leave the two cents for the bazillionaires or use that two cents to invest in all of our kids?
"Well, I’m here because I think we ought to be investing in all of our kids," she said.
The senator from Massachusetts was met with the biggest crowd of the Register's Soapbox so far in 2019, easily drawing thousands of fairgoers Saturday. Many stood behind the stage and spilled onto the Grand Concourse. A woman in the front row seemed to stand in adoration of Warren, and was brought nearly to tears as the Democratic presidential candidate spoke.
It took about 40 minutes for Warren to walk the short distance from the west entrance of the fair to her Soapbox speech near the Grandstand. She posed for photos, ate a chocolate chip cookie from a woman's Bucket O' Cookies, and made her signature pinky promises with young girls.
Large crowd, lots of fans
When asked by the Register why she thinks she drew such a large crowd, Warren circled back to her primary message.
"I think people understand that this government is working great for the wealthy and well-connected, and just not working for the rest of America," she said. "They know in 2020, we've got a chance to turn that around. Ultimately, that's about real optimism and real determination to build the kind of America of our best values."
The majority of her 11-minute Soapbox speech, which ended with the crowd chanting her name, centered around her wealth tax. But she also highlighted her calls to break up agribusiness and enforce anti-trust laws, promote unions for employees and end federal lobbying as part of her anti-corruption plan.
"Our chance in 2020 is to fight back against the corruption to make our government work for us," she said.
The crowd that followed Warren around the Soapbox speech showed their devotion.
“I’m a former Wells Fargo employee, and I left because of you!” screamed one fan.
“Thank you for adding gender pronouns to your Twitter bio!” said another.
“I just became a special ed teacher!” a third said.
That shouted comment earned a “Woohoo!” from Warren, a former special education teacher herself. She continued to sign autographs and take pictures as fans swarmed and bemused fairgoers grumbled that the crowd was blocking the way to food.
Nearing the exit, still flanked by photographers and die-hard fans, a Fair stand caught Warren's eye.
“Can I get a corn dog?” the candidate asked.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez told PCCC members, "The majority of Americans are with us on the policies. Americans support Medicare for All, expanding Social Security benefits, gun reform, debt-free college, and a $15 minimum wage. Bold progressive values are popular EVERYWHERE. Together, we have the people. Together, with your help, we’ll have the votes." Chip in $3 here.
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