Today’s Badass: Elizabeth Warren

I am reluctant to get on the politician-as-savior bandwagon. Actually, these folks are mere mortals. And I firmly believe that if we expect them to be more ideologically pure, or just plain better than the rest of us, we’re begging to be deceived.

That being said, the way she handled this moment made me dig Elizabeth Warren more than I already did. From HuffPo:

Moments into a speech before volunteers here Wednesday evening, Elizabeth Warren was interrupted by a Tea Party supporter who hurled a gender-based epithet at the Senate candidate. The man, who said he’d been unemployed since February 2010, objected to Warren’s expressed affiliation with the frustrations of Occupy Wall Street, and argued that the Tea Party has been protesting Wall Street excess for longer than the nascent global movement… [Saying,] “Well, if you’re the intellectual creator of that so-called party,” he said, “you’re a socialist whore. I don’t want anything to do with you.” The crowd shouted him down as he added that Warren’s “boss,” presumably referring to the president, was “foreign-born.” He then attempted to storm out through a side door. Finding it locked, he retreated out the back of the VFW hall instead.

You can watch the video here.

Firstly, I relate to the experience. I know what it’s like to be yelled at by preachy old dudes. In my reproductive justice organizing work this happened many times. In my life as a young woman, just going about the world, it has happened many times as well. Secondly, way to stay on message, Elizabeth. And way to be generally unflappable and get right back to work. Because, you know, that’s what we do.