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Opinion editorial by WBZ NewsRadio political analyst Jon Keller
Political speeches don't get much traction these days.
You'll get far more play with a viral video of a peevish encounter with an obnoxious spectator than you will with a carefully thought out speech.
So, Senator Elizabeth Warren will definitely struggle to get much attention for a speech she gave yesterday in New Hampshire. But if you're interested in the race for president, no matter what you already think of Warren, you might want to spend five minutes reading the text of what struck me as the most important speech she's ever given.
More directly than any previous address I've seen, Warren spells out how she intends to improve the economic well-being of Americans and rebuts the idea that all she wants to do is give people free stuff. For instance, she talks about pumping federal funds into research and development, especially in the huge market for green technology. And shades of Donald Trump, she insists that any new products developed with this aid be manufactured in America, not overseas.
Warren's economic plans are the exact opposite of socialism. By lowering the cost of living, forgiving student loans and boosting disposable incomes she proposes to boost demand and consumer spending -- proven stimulants of capitalist economic growth.
"If you defend a corrupt system where corporate lobbyists write the rules to squeeze out competition and hurt economic growth and undercut workers," she says, "you're not a capitalist, you're just a cheater."
That's a good line; one that might give skeptical voters pause, if they ever hear about it.
You can listen to Keller At Large on WBZ News Radio every weekday mornings at :55 minutes past the hour. Listen to his previous podcasts on iHeartRadio.
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