But, if Clinton decides not to run … well then that would be a different story.

Warren has been adamant about her lack of interest in the race and reiterated that lack of interest in an interview with the New York Times’ Jonathan Martin last month. But, things change in politics. Then-Illinois Sen. Barack Obama was similarly adamant about his lack of interest in running for president in 2008 — and we know how that turned out. (Worth noting: In the same interview in which she denied interest, Warren told Martin that “this country should not be run for the biggest corporations and largest financial institutions,” which wouldn’t be a bad message to carry forward in a 2016 Democratic primary fight. We’re not saying, we’re just saying….)

The simple fact is that Warren’s beloved status among rank-and-file Democrats — and an elite group of very wealthy and very liberal major donors — means that if Clinton didn’t run, she would come under a significant amount of pressure to reconsider. And Warren would have a built-in excuse to explain her past comments; “Well I never thought about it seriously because I expected Hillary to run … but now that she’s not….” That’s not all that hard to imagine, is it? No, it isn’t.