Earlier this week, Elizabeth Warren shared a powerful moment on her social media. During a rally in Iowa, a 17-year-old high schooler named Raelyn asked Warren a question. Raelyn said, “I was wondering if there was ever a time in your life where somebody you really looked up to… um” then Raelyn slightly paused, seemingly nervous, “maybe didn’t accept you as much? And how you dealt with that?”
See Warrens answer below:
I was asked at a town hall “if there was ever a time in your life where somebody you really looked up to maybe didn’t accept you as much?” Here’s my answer: pic.twitter.com/ariYPwvWQr
— Elizabeth Warren (@ewarren) December 2, 2019
According to CNN, who briefly interviewed Raelyn after the exchange, Raelyn identifies as part of the LGBTQ community and had extended family visiting for the holidays. She was worried about interacting with some of them and asked Warren her question looking for guidance and support.
Warren has received praise from all corners of media for her courage to answer the question honestly and show a true part of herself to her audience. Even Brietbart was led to cover the story in a non-judgemental way. Non-news publications like Vogue are also covering the story, with the Vogue article stating,
It was a moment of Oprah-esque emotion, striking because of how rare it is to see a candidate of any gender truly emoting on the campaign trail. But it felt doubly notable that a female candidate allowed herself to be vulnerable, when the old standard often dictated that women in politics project a stiff upper lip and harden any softer edges in order to seem “presidential” or tough enough.
Currently, Warren is ranked as one of the Democratic frontrunners in a primary election that’s starting to heat up. Kamala Harris, who was once deemed a frontrunner, just dropped out of the race, according to the New York Times. While the polls are changing daily, most, like this poll from Politico, place Warren in second or third place with Bernie Sanders, behind Joe Biden. Could more authentic, heartfelt moments like these be the key to Warren’s success in the race?
