In a joint press conference with Boston's mayor-elect Martin Walsh, Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren came pretty close to a Shermanesque declaration that she wouldn't run for president in 2016.

Boston Herald:

U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren pledged today she will not run for president in 2016 and when pressed added she will finish her six-year term.

The Bay State senior senator has been mentioned in the preliminary talk about the presidential race, but fellow Democrat Hillary Clinton has generated the most buzz.

"I'm not running for president and I plan to serve out my term," Warren said at a press conference in Boston with Mayor-elect Martin J. Walsh. 

When peppered about her intentions, she added: "I pledge to serve out my term.

"I am not running for president. I am working as hard as I can to be the best possible senator I can be," she said. "I am working as hard as I can to be the best the possible senator that I can be and to fight for the things that I promised during my campaign that I would fight for. I am fighting for bank accountability. I am fighting hard to help rebuild America's middle class."

When asked if she sees a clash looming between Hillary Clinton's centrist wing of the party vs her liberal branch, Warren dodged any mention of the former U.S. Secretary of State.

"It's not how pundits want to describe different parts of the process. The way I see it right now is about the changes we need to make. It's how we build a future going forward," she said. "Let me give you an example. We need to raise the minimum wage. We need to do it here in Mass. And we need to do it all across the country. Families who work full time should not live in poverty. That's something that I argued for, Democrats are arguing for, and frankly most people in the United States support.

Her candidacy would be an even longer shot than Barack Obama's was in 2008. The major thing she has going for her in Democratic politics - the fact that she's a woman - would be negated by Hillary's candidacy. Otherwise, her radical, populist views on banks and the economy would gain the support of liberal bloggers and pundits but not many others.

All of this could change, of course. If Hillary were to stumble before the primaries, Warren could always say she is hearing the call of the party to run and break her pledge. But that's a thin proposition to hang one's hat on and it's unlikely that Warren could pull it off anyway.

Liberals who have lost their champion may now take a look at Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley. The bland, boring O'Malley doesn't have the fire of Warren but is radical enough for any of her supporters. No one is giving him much of a chance, however, and the way appears open for a Clinton march to the nomination.