Liz Was a Practicing Republican [PHIL-OSOPHY]

Make no mistake about it, before Elizabeth Warren was a progressive fighter and one of the most liberal senators leading the Democrat Party, she was a devoted Republican who placed trust in the free markets that she beats up on regularly.

One of her best high school friends calls to mind Warren being an "ice-cold Republican." Young Warren would tease back about her classmates having "socialist" friends. A true bolt out of the blue for many to learn, but Warren found it politically comfortable to be a registered, card-carrying, non-extreme Republican.

Before your acute myocardial infarction turns into a real heart-stopper, the truth is Liz Warren spent more of her voting years alien to the Democrat policy. I'm certain none of her 2020 primary opponents can make such a claim, and that differentiates her from all the others, but she doesn't like talking about it.

She thinks rehashing those years and discussing her transformations will hurt her and turn off many of her supporters when they hear that the woman in the leading position of the progressive wing of the Democrat Party was a longtime Republican.

The media doesn't report stuff like this very often, which is why this comes as a shock to many. But Warren contends she's still a devotee in the power and dynamism of free markets, saying she's a capitalist to her bones – a label her Democrat opponents don't touch or outright reject!

Warren used to be on the other side of the fight she's now venturing. It wouldn't be until 1996 that she changed parties, right after moving to Cambridge and in the time leading up to the presidential election that year. She didn't change her policy because of political expediency or out of self-interest, but because she felt betrayed by a system she once trusted, but today sees as a behemoth that's shellacking the little guy.

The story of Warren's former political life may come as a shock to learn about. There are plenty of sources you can research if you'd like to fill in the details, but I'll leave it here for now with this thought: I think life is about trusting your feelings, taking chances, learning from the past and realizing everything changes.

Phil Paleologos is the host of The Phil Paleologos Show on 1420 WBSM New Bedford. He can be heard weekdays from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. Contact him at phil@wbsm.com and follow him on Twitter @PhilPaleologos. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.