AP Photo

A respectful, sorrowful, grateful farewell to Elizabeth Warren, the smartest, fiercest candidate in the race and one who deserved better from our still deeply sexist culture. In a typically eloquent and combative statement, Warren stressed that, in one way or another, she will nevertheless persist. "This fight - our fight - is not over," she declared. "And our place in this fight has not ended." Echoing her campaign themes, she included in that ongoing fight "every young person drowning in student debt," every family struggling to pay their bills, every immigrant, African-American, Muslim Jewish, Latinx or trans person who feels threatened, every sentient being alarmed by climate change, and "every American who desperately wants to see our nation healed and some decency and honor restored to our government." She ended with "one last story" about a mom of two small children she'd met while voting, and their nightly ritual. After the kids brush their teeth and read their books and get their sip of water, she said, "Mama leans over them and whispers, 'Dream big.' And the children together reply, 'Fight hard'...Our work continues, the fight goes on, and big dreams never die."

On social media, a like-minded resolve mixed with palpable frustration. "Heartbroken," wrote Virginia Sole-Smith. "How do we keep telling our daughters they can grow up to do anything, when we can't get this one very obvious thing done?" She added she gave Bernie $50 today but didn't need to be told again to "suck it up" to support her second choice: "Of course we are fucking used to supporting whichever less-qualified white man seems to hate us least." But first, added another Warren fan, "Give us a minute to grieve." Others offered gratitude on the hashtag #ThankYouElizabeth. They thanked her for her passion, intellect, policies, grace, plans for everything and pinky swears: "Running for president is what girls do." For stopping another sexist, racist billionaire from buying a presidency. For "the door you kicked down" and "reminding me what it feels like to be inspired" and "modelling goddamn excellence." They likewise insisted the fight isn't over, and happily imagined Warren's future as Senate Majority leader or "Lioness of the Senate." For anyone who watched her press conference, one fan wrote, "She has clearly signaled that Warren with no further f*cks to give will be a mighty thing." Let's hope.



SCROLL TO CONTINUE WITH CONTENT Never Miss a Beat. Get our best delivered to your inbox.







For solace and pure joy, see Warren and Stephen Colbert bicker, eat and hang out in South Carolina last week. To truly appreciate her quick wit, stay for the end.



I will listen to the whole interview over and over until I find the strength to persist like @ewarren

Rachel @maddow was the best person to do this interview. #ThankYouElizabeth https://t.co/qGQ2wq32Ox

— Sabrina H. (@MaroonedOnEarth) March 6, 2020