Elizabeth Warren on Hillary Clinton's qualifications for 2016: No comment.

We are regularly told by our prognosticating betters that former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton might as well already be the Democratic Party’s 2016 nominee. She is inevitable; more inevitable, in fact, than the last time she was inevitable.

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But there has been grumbling on the progressive left about Clinton for months. She is seen by many in the Democratic Party’s left-wing as too close to Wall Street, too hawkish on foreign affairs, and behind the eight ball on social issues like supporting same-sex marriage rights. Will they settle for Hillary? Sure. Are they enthusiastic about a second Clinton run at the White House? Not in the least.

A handful of third tier Democrats are already openly flirting with challenging Clinton from her left, most notably Vermont’s self-described socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders. But the progressive heart belongs to Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren.

That is why this clip from the Boston-based Fox 25 News, via Joe Pounder and America Rising, is only going to give the progressive wing of Warren’s party what may turn out to be undue hope that she is reconsidering her decision not to make a run at the White House:

While not quite a vote of no confidence in Clinton, this certainly does not qualify as a rousing endorsement either.

Meanwhile, Warren is busily creating a lot of good will among her fellow Democratic colleagues in Congress. “Warren is filling a void left by the president’s low approval ratings and the dearth of other national Democratic leaders with an ability to motivate voters in tight races to turn out this fall,” the LA Times reported.

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Warren, who defeated incumbent Scott Brown to win her Senate seat just two years ago, is emerging as the Democratic Party’s latest campaign trail superstar. She can rev up the progressive base in Democratic strongholds and appeal to voters in some unlikely places, including conservative states.

Thanks largely to her crusades against Wall Street profiteering and her plain-spoken style, Warren has become one of the most prolific fundraisers in the effort to help Democrats retain control of the Senate. Republicans need a net gain of six seats to win the majority.

So far in this election cycle, she has raised more than $3 million for fellow Democrats. Although that’s just a fraction of what top party leaders like House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi haul in for congressional candidates, it’s impressive for a newcomer like Warren compared with other ascendant colleagues.

But many of those candidates Warren has raised money for have also been tapping into the Democratic Party’s networks with PACs, lobbyists, and high-dollar donors in the financial industry. As Hot Air’s Karl noted accurately, Warren cannot be considered a serious presidential contender until she starts raising funds for herself and proving that she can be a competitive fundraiser with both the grassroots and the high-dollar donor base. Until then, Warren should not be considered a likely 2016 candidate.

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That having been said, she is no longer doing very much to tamp down speculation regarding her potential interest in Barack Obama’s job.

This post has been updated since its original publication.

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