(Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Three words: Big. Structural. Change.

Here we are, yet again, facing a major financial panic as large corporations are patiently awaiting their bailout to pass. The last time this happened, Barack Obama tapped renowned bankruptcy expert and Harvard Law Professor, Elizabeth Warren, to lead the creation of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and ensure families were protected in the reassembly of the American economy. Her career has been defined by standing up for the American worker against the predatory interests of big banks and corporations. As our economy collapses, millions of families are facing unemployment, and corporate giants are receiving bailouts, the working class needs a Senate Majority Leader with a skillset tailored to their needs in this recovery. That person is Elizabeth Warren.

In hearing this case, I ask you to imagine a scenario that is increasing in likelihood as the coronavirus shifts the dynamics of the election: Joe Biden wins the Presidency and Democrats win a majority in the Senate (more on that later). The economic recovery is now in the hands of the Democratic Party. While the 2018 midterm elections and 2020 presidential primaries have proven the electoral strength of “moderate” Democrats, progressives aren’t surrendering their values and principles any time soon. While Joe Biden is known for his strengths as a bipartisan dealmaker and his ability to earn Republican votes for liberal policies, the progressive left will need an advocate with institutional power. Joe Biden may be the most progressive Democratic nominee in history, but there are plenty of issues in which he could be nudged to the left. Despite their long history of disagreement, a Biden and Warren team would be a match made in heaven. As Senate Majority Leader, Elizabeth Warren would focus her strengths on bringing her recovery plans to the President’s desk and Joe Biden would be presented an opportunity to put his bipartisan dealmaking skills to work.

(Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Democrats face structural disadvantages in their representation. The Senate as a body could create a fair playing field, and Elizabeth Warren loudly advocates the changes needed to do it. There’s one major issue standing in the way of progress that separates Warren from traditional Democratic leadership; she supports eliminating the filibuster. The existing rules of the Senate effectively require 60/100 senators to vote in favor of legislation for passage. A “supermajority” requirement makes it nearly impossible to pass bills through the Senate, making big structural changes harder to become law. Senators across the aisle have historically sought to protect the supermajority rule of the filibuster, although it allows a few states to obstruct the popular will of the country. The filibuster is an outdated and unnecessary rule that plays the most vital role in the business-as-usual gridlock of Congress.

Abolishing the electoral college is a step in the direction of electoral fairness at the national level. Today, the nearly 40 million voters in California are represented by 2 Senators, while the twenty-two least populated states (the vast majority of which are Republican) with a combined population less than that of California, are represented by 44 Senators. The Republican Party has a serious advantage in the “winner take all” system, which is why they refuse to compromise on a modernized model. Under Senate Majority Leader Elizabeth Warren, a majority of votes in the Senate would pass a bill and a majority of votes on election night would determine the President. By abolishing the filibuster and the electoral college, the Democratic Party can have a fair shot at shaping the future in a way that reflects the beliefs of most Americans.

Now, I ask you to step out of the future scenario and back into today’s reality. The existing outdated rules stack the deck against the Democratic Party. Because of the electoral college, Presidential elections boil down to suburban voters in key swing states. Without massive turnout in every precinct of every single state, this brighter future won’t be possible. Every Democrat must take it upon themselves to get off the sidelines and fight for our future. There are candidates in your town, city, or state that could use your help. They need small dollar donations and volunteers to knock doors and make phone calls. If we direct our Trump-induced frustration of national politics into the races taking place in our own backyards, we (and America) will thank ourselves later. The United States is speeding towards a historic recession that will bankrupt families while big businesses get bailed out. Elizabeth Warren’s bid for the Presidency has ended, but the fight is just beginning.