Elizabeth Warren's Speech at the JFK Library

      On July 17, in the middle of the anticlimactic Massachussets Democratic primary, Elizabeth Warren delivered a speech at the JFK Library discussing how she successfully headed the effort to pass legislation establishing the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. It seems fitting that Warren begins her speech at the John F. Kennedy Presidential library by connecting her legislation to the late Senator Ted Kennedy. Kennedy, who tragically perished in August 2009 after being diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor, was viewed as a major figure and spokesman for American progressivism. Relating her message to the late Ted Kennedy's message allows her to establish a connection with Massachusetts democrats who supported Kennedy and build up her credibility as a progressive politician trying to protect middle class families. Warren goes on in her speech to discuss her optimistic views of the political system, citing that she was told her ideas regarding protecting consumers from misleading contracts made by credit card companies or banks were good, but that she should not pursue them because she could not make a difference. Warren offers a hopeful message that despite a hard push by major lobbyist groups, she was able to pass legislation that helped average Americans.

     Warren's message has remained relatively the same from the primary to the general election, trying to run a sort of grassroots campaign whose sole focus is protecting and expanding the middle-class.