If you don't see the blatant sexism in the opening three paragraphs, you probably don't understand why many otherwise liberal males are not 100% on board. Replacing male privilege with female privilege is not equal rights, it is sexist.
Ms. Pelosi might be the best person for the job. If so, pick her because of that fact, not because she is a woman.
4
“What I don’t appreciate is putting a lot of our new candidates who happen to be women in the position where they are forced to break a caucus rule and then be accused of being anti-woman,”
What caucus rule? What forcing? Boo to the Times for not clarifying what the heck this is supposed to mean. The article also alludes to a proposed change in caucus rules without spelling out the proposed rule.
I think there's ambiguity what it means when a candidate says she won't vote for Ms Pelosi: in the Democratic caucus or in the actual ouse vote.
I would expect there to be a caucus rule that every member of the caucus has to vote on the House floor for whoever received a majority of votes in the caucus.
Because it's your duty as a member of the caucus. This is a purely political vote, Democrat against Republican.
As for the notion that there are a lot of members who would do a good job as Speaker!?! Plumb ridiculous.
3
Who amongst the bright young dynamic leaders that many commenters seem to yearn for has the guts to stand up to the "let's go to war with Iran" crowd underwritten by Trump's largest financial supporter Sheldon Adelson?
We know for sure that Nancy Pelosi does. She was indispensable in finding the votes in the Senate (Nancy goes everywhere) to sustain the Iran Deal which Trump trashed to appease the Adelson wing of the Republican Party.
I hope nobody thinks the Adelson wing is satisfied with trashing the Iran Deal...next step is to trash Iran. Who's going to stop them?
Nancy has shown she can take the heat. When mega Clinton donor
Haim Saban let it be known that he wanted Rep. Jane Harmon appointed Chair of the House Intelligence Committee or he would
cut off his donations for House Democrats, Nancy said no.
In Washington, they separate the Women from the Girls on the question of whether you can take a position that incurs the displeasure of the Israel Lobby.
Nancy Pelosi ain't no girl. Nancy is a gutsy Woman. She's got the scars to prove it and she can't wait to get back into battle to keep on proving it.
1
Could the Democrats please stop this. Now in the hour victory the Democrats are once again trying to figure out how to be losers. Stop it! Nancy Pelosi and the DNC led y'all to victory. Now stop acting like a bunch of whiny, iPhone carrying nitwits, get Speaker Pelosi in the chair and begin legislating and conducting the oversight to stop Mr. Trump's nonsense. Time to re-invigorate Article II of the Constitution and who better to lead you than one of the most successful legislators the Party's ever had?
3
I do not want Pelosi as speaker. It has nothing to do with age but with her tenure. She is the old face of the Democratic party at a time we need a new one. She's too polarizing and I see so many similarities with Hilary.
Now the party is going to force a candidate on us when many have major reservations. Look at all the issues with HRC in hindsight. Please, let's not make this mistake again! Democrats could be poised to be a vibrant future for years to come.
I think many of the problems we face now with dysfunctional politics is because the old guard on both sides of the aisle refuse to leave. Let Nancy be an counselor/consigliere in the background and count the numbers while we present a new face of the party.
We need to get out of this Hatfield's vs the McCoy's mentality.
4
This is not a gender issue, although some would like to paint it that way for political messaging value. This is a matter of Pelosi being liberal in name only. It is time to replace her with someone that actually has liberal values rather than corporate values. It would be wonderful if that person were female, but it's more important that Pelosi does not lead the house.
2
The party leadership cannot be from New York and San Francisco. That said, Schumer needs to go.
4
It is not an issue of keeping a woman in the position, but of keeping an extremely talented legislator in the position at a critical time.
1
Gender should not be a qualifier. This is why dems and libs continue to lose. I say this as an ardent feminist and votes for the dems.
5
How is the House's leadership is a kitchen table issue?? How is it for Democrats that republicans disliking Pelosi is a good reason to replace her?? Are republicans thinking at removing McConnell because democrats dont like him???
Theses fresh carebears should be humble, take time to learn the ropes and then it will be time for them. Not before 2020.
1
The group of Dems opposed to a Pelosi seem much more conservative than progessive, and I don’t think this article reflects that. Check out this chart below and compare the guys’ records wanting to unseat Pelosi to her score/record. The newest members have a lot to learn about the rules of the House, and how to be effectively strategic with them. Now is not the time to learn on the job with Trump in the WH and Mich McConnell as Senate Majority Leader.: https://progressivepunch.org/scores.htm?house=house&party=&sort=overall-lifetime&order=down
1
Good luck, Democrats. Your party is forever chained to the anchor of identity politics. You will never be able to dump Pelosi without being charged with rampant sexism, and god help you in the future if you choose Fudge. It is quite enjoyable to see you hoist on your own petard!
3
Pelosi, Hoyer, Schumer. . .they and many others all must go. Just because the Democrats won back the House, and have won Senate seats in Nevada and Arizona does not mean that they are God's gift.
The Democrats can barely function as a party. Pelosi, et. al are just desperate hangers-on who are fueling their retirement and/or death benefit income for their children -- along whom are Alexandra Pelosi a documentary film maker.
With new generations of Democrats being elected to the House from a world of various backgrounds, it is far past time to get rid of an old criminal, corrupt, toxic, haggard white woman whose time has definitely past and gone.
Pelosi as Speaker only perpetuates a House and Congress that is dysfunctional, has epically failed for decades and has contributed mightily to the death of America.
Nancy Pelosi must be removed and eliminated from the American national governmental and political scene.
3
This entire discussion reminds me of a Will Rogers quip: "I am not a member of any organized party — I am a Democrat."
1
That there is a spirited discussion within the Democrats over the speakership is quite a good thing. I would hate to see a foregone conclusion right now. But that some members have pledged they will not support or vote for Pelosi, is not. They are acting like the voters who said they'd never vote for Hillary Clinton, and didn't, thereby letting the balance tip to Trump. These members must keep open minds and vote for whomever they deem the best candidate when the time comes. Grandstanding and drawing false red-lines is immature. They think they are giving their constituents what they want, but they aren't.
1
While I do understand why newbies in the House want someone other than Pelosi, I think we should stick with her for the time being. 1) She led the Democratic party to the success it has had during the mid-terms, 2) the skill set needed for that success will also be needed for the remainder of Trump's term. This skill set can NOT be dismissed, nor should it be, if the Democratic party wants to success in 2020.
2
Only Members of my Party would think this way. You just won almost 40 seats in the house. You now have a Majority. Nancy Pelosi was the leader during this past election period, and Now you want to oust her?If this were the Republicans they would be Celebrating Her. Go figure.
Even though I mostly vote blue, I despair at the Democrats ability to shoot themselves in the foot with the guns supplied by the Republicans. While I have have not read all 600 comments, I have not seen anyone mention that the Speaker of the House is two heartbeats away from the presidency of the country. I notice that the same voices that decry Donald Trump's lack of experience in governing are willing to place in the line of succession someone (anyone) who has not learned the complicated steps of the Washington quadrille.
All politics is local. Not all of the newly elected representatives represent progressive constituencies, and ift the gradual return to sanity is to continue, we cannot expect that all districts will have the same political hopes. I don't want to see a Progressive tea (kombucha?) party any more than I wanted to see a conservative one. Leadership is the ability to keep these factions focused and cooperating. Nobody does that better than Pelosi right now. I do hope the new Speaker will emerge. Until then, focus: health care, social security, higher wages, education – the issues most Americans agree about.
First, please do not call it "Pink Wave". Why gender stereotyping? Please don't use Pink specifically for women. I know many of my female friends really do not like this.
I wish democrats will be wiser than they have been so far. It's painful to watch them struggling with leadership at this critical time. This is not a time to risk and fight.
I wish politicians understand the real problems that they should focus on, and what people want and need in our country. When democrats came to ask what problems I care the most before the mid term, my top priority wasn't even in more than 20 topics. Morality, dignity, and importance of being kind to each other.
2
This is not the time or place in history for the Democrats to experiment with the speakership of what will be a new Democratic House. The items currently on the docket and the types of issues likely to come along with a particularly uncooperative president and Republican caucus are not for an inexperienced hand. Like Nancy or not Democrats should re-elect Pelosi if for no other reason than the Republicans have demonized her out of fear that her expertise and political talents will be too much for them to combat.
1
I don’t really care what Ms. Pelosi, “deserves.” And I don’t even care all that much about the obvious misogyny in all the pseudo-lefty braying at her, obvious as it is.
I think what matters it that it is fundamentally stupid for “lefties,” to be doing all this posturing at a time when the ONLY thing that matters is stopping Trump and Trumpism. Should we get money out of politics? Yep. Do the Dems need newer, younger, maybe even somewhat leftier leadership? Darn skippy, though it might be nice if folks got it through their heads that no, everybody in the country is not going to awaken as from a dreamless sleep, say, “My god! i was wrong! Impeach Trump! medicare for all! And let’s socialize the banks!!” And get into serried ranks behind us.
Point is, right now, all that matters is that Trump et al are scared of this woman. And they’re scared for darn good reasons, starting with the fact that she clearly knows how to Get Stuff Done in ways that nobody younger and squeaky-clean is even close to.
So before the next time you start bellowing, ask yourself a couple questions. Like, “What’s the priority right now?” Like, “Am I just playing politics for power, and the heck with the country?” Like, “How come I sound so much like Trump?”
2
Yes, Robert, and Nancy Pelosi is largely responsible for democrats being able to take back OUR U.S. House.
She is a superb fundraiser and used her skills is the most excellent way for midterms. She is also an advocate to get money out of politics but is smart enough to know that until that happens we have to fight fire with fire.
WE THE PEOPLE have caught onto OUR power and many of us are sending a few dollars to socially conscious candidates across America so OUR U.S. Congress and Senate look and work the way WE want them to.
Meantime, Ms. Pelosi should be given a medal for her stellar actions to help us save democracy in OUR United States of America.
1
Pact: two years of Pelosi followed by someone not from the boomer generation. I'm ready for a seasoned warrior to take on Trump, but I am also beyond sick of the greediest generation continuing to ransom the future to line their pockets (non-partisan statement). It is time for a change of leadership imminently.
2
@Peter Having been born in 1940, Ms. Pelosi predates the Baby Boom.
https://emcphd.wordpress.com
2
I for one would like to see Pelosi go. I think it's telling that Trump would like to see Pelosi reelected. And the way I see it, it wasn't Democrats or Nancy's leadership that has saved the ACA, but rather republicans efforts to destroy it. Sure she pushed for the ACA, but for the most part dems were reluctant to talk about it in a forceful manner. Nope, dems need a new leader, someone more fit for these uncivilized times.
1
Here we go again supporting a woman just because she's a woman. More of the same old Clintonian nonsense will doom Democrats potentially short lived electoral success. People voted for change just as they did with Trump in 2016.
The one thing Congress has been excellent at is resounding bipartisan failure. Nancy Pelosi certainly embodies the Democrats responsibility as such. That is not the kind of "experienced leadership" we need. At least Paul Ryan got the message. Ms. Pelosi needs to do the same.
1
Trump has endorsed Pelosi...what could go wrong with that?
2
@Charlie
Trump respects Pelosi.
Democrats should have learned the problem with having an inexperienced progressive ideologue in a leadership position after witnessing Obama's weak performance in Congress. It was party leaders who did all his heavy lifting on Obamacare. He was primarily a salesman.
The bottom line is that Congress is made up of our most seasoned "warrior" politicians. Obama was the equivalent of a rookie quarterback being put into a Super Bowl game. Complaining "they wouldn't let him" was always a denial of his weakness.
1
Democrats were able to unite for the 2018 election, and we can see how well that worked out. The voters want unity in diversity; we don't want our elected representatives to start squabbling among themselves, which is how we lost in 2016.
I was young once, myself, and motivated by the likes of Bob Dylan's lines:
"Come mothers and fathers all over the land,
and don't criticize what you can't understand;
your sons and your daughters are beyond your command, your old road is rapidly agin';
please get out of the new world if you can't lend a hand,
for the times, they are a-changing."
What I didn't understand then was the paradox that the times are always changing, and yet the more things change, the more the stay the same.
I truly admire the young revolutionaries' passion and respect their perspectives, and I know that before long the torch will be passed to the new generation. But it would behoove them to spend their freshman year in Congress learning how it works and learning what they can from current leadership.
There's a story about the elephant herd in Kruger National Park. which was growing too big for the park. The herd had to be culled, and the decision was made to target the old females. Well, guess what. The old females were the only ones who had been able to (a) keep the young males under control, and (b) during a drought, remember where the water sources were during the last drought.
Let's not be our own worst enemies again.
1
Nancy Pelosi's time has come and gone. Marsha Fudge should be speaker. And for the despicable who continue to force a particular type of political thinking as being the most important, she happens to be a woman, and also African American. Practice what you preach.
1
As my democratic husband says about Hillary There’s just something about her I don’t like.” Ha! It’s her vagina. He doesn’t even know why. I bet half the Pelosi haters don’t even know why they dislike her. It’s just some vague sense of distrust. Precipitated by years of republican disinformation and smear campaigns. Wake up people!
Dear NYT and SGStolberg-"Pink Wave"
It is time to find another less demeaning, less marginalizing term to describe women in Congress, don't you think?
Pink ribbons and bows are traditionally for baby girls. These people are not babies. They are adults.
They now make up over 20% of Congress. As told to me by my Harvard Business School professor Roger Schmenner, this is a critical mass, the point at which the women's strength and influence begins to explode. From my experience, it is the point at which the actions of one woman does not define all women; where a group of women doesn't crowd around you to tell you to tone it down because you're just making it harder for the rest of the women.
It is not a "Pink Wave." It is a critical mass.
2
Giving her, or anyone else a job because she is a woman is the blatant sexism.
Why are they having this discussion instead of trying to find out who the best speaker would be? Do they really think that they can replace male privilege with female privilege?
As for Anna Eshoo, I've actually heard her say during a speech that "the best man for the job is a woman."
Later, Ms. Rice said “What I don’t appreciate is putting a lot of our new candidates who happen to be women in the position where they are forced to break a caucus rule and then be accused of being anti-woman...” That's how it works for male privilege too; if you buck the trend you are considered a traitor.
If Ms. Pelosi is the best speaker, I'm all for it. But to blatantly say that the next speaker needs to be a woman is the very definition of sexual discrimination. Besides being hypocritical, replacing male privilege with female privilege risks losing the support of many otherwise sympathetic non-sexist males.
1
So some of my fellow democrats are thinking that this very expert politician woman doesn't deserve to be a house speaker, historically she is the one who put ACA on USA health care not Obama White house, she finished the job.
I wonder who is so willing to throw Ms. Pelosi has any idea incoming 2020 presidential election period is thinking that he/she will be trashed by Trump and reverse they cannot do anything to reverse public opinion. ''''
My fellow democrats This is the coronation of Ms. Pelosi's long political life , let her be doing this job , she is anyhow will be retiring. meanwhile you can figure out who will be replacing her as much as successful and wise.
Do not do something stupid and take out woman and place a man as a house speaker. Please...………….
Pelosi has put forth a plan to groom new leadership and hand over the gavel in 2020. This is a good plan.
We DO need new leadership, but we don't have an "heir apparent" in the party. There are stunningly effective role players like Schiff, but no younger Democrat who puts it all together the way Pelosi does. She has the "face" and the backroom skills in equal measure -- to a degree that no other Democrat displays. No Republican for that matter. Just look at the pathetic, ineffective speakerships of Boehner and Ryan as a guide for what not to do here.
Take down Pelosi and you have a mess. For one thing, you have progressives and centrists arguing over who really won the argument in 2018. Without a strong leader it will devolve into a shouty, incoherent slap fight in no time. Voters will be turned off and Democrats will be demoralized.
This has nothing to do with gender or age; Pelosi is the 800 pound gorilla of the Democratic House and transcends both of those considerations. Let's give her her due and stop with the identity politics. For or against her, it's because of her stature and record and sheer national presence (good and bad), and nothing else.
Progressive women shreking sexism charge against fellow, yes male Democrats, needing to get over their stereotypical emotional reaction soon. 2020 Presidential Campaign emerging:politically boxed in Progressive women have no bargaining power.
3
I have ranted against Trump and conservative republicans since 2015. I voted for Bernie in the primary because I believed in his message, then held my nose and voted for Clinton in the general only because she was the lesser of two very great evils.
Nancy Pelosi is one of the biggest fund raisers the Democrats have. That is the source of her power, and also what is so very wrong with the Democrat party: Money is more important to them than the people they say they wish to represent. Better candidates are cast aside by more monied candidates every day in Democrat politics.
Politically, Ms. Pelosi is as divisive as Clinton and Trump and is a huge gift to the right if she is selected Speaker. If that occurs, I predict that many democrats will stay home in 2020 out of disgust for Democrat ineptitude. Time for a new generation of political leaders. Nancy's time is done.
Nancy needs to stay as speaker. She has the experience and the backing needed to get the job done.
2
The Democratic Party has to drain the swamp We need ethics and affordable healthcare for all.
Nancy was in leadership during the election after election loses by the Democratic Party. She did little to understand or keep the Donald supporters from leaving the Democratic Party. This win was because of the negatives of Donald and not the leadership of Nancy. It is time for new leadership that is not in the pockets of special interests. Nancy has to step aside and allow a new Democratic Party to grow.
1
The Speaker answers to the roughly 240 House Members that constitute the Democratic Caucus. She must represent them and lead them when she can.
Its a balancing act requiring enormous reserves of patience, listening and attention to detail. The Speaker has to constantly take the temperature of her Caucus. She can't ask members to cast votes that will be fatal in their districts. She as to be a total realist. Plus, she must have total command of the legislation she is asking her members to vote for.
In the Post WW II period there has not been a better Speaker than
Nancy Pelosi.
There's a lot of talk about going younger and all of that. As a card
carrying AARP member I think there's significant value to age, wisdom, and understanding what's possible.
Hang in there Nancy Pelosi.
2
It's time for some one without Pelosi's baggage. She is well past her best (you can find videos all over the net showing her lapses).
It's time for new leadership across the board.
1
Take a look around the world, look at France and Canada. Our millionaire elderly government stands in sharp contrast to the younger, fresh governments of other more progressive nations. When will the 60- to 80-year-old baby boomers step aside? Look where they've gotten us these past 40 years. They've destroyed our country.
Let the newbies learn and earn their way. There are several outstanding representatives who have both experience and relative youth on their side-- Eric Swalwell for Speaker!
I've never had any special negative issues with Nancy Pelosi, But the case for her NOT to be Speaker this time around really is not about her age or her sex (she has been Speaker before). The real problem, as I see it is this simple: Donald Trump would love to have her as Speaker because of her value as a political pinata. She would be the Democrats gift to Trump as a highly recognizable figure he can tweet about and otherwise insult and rally against through 2020. Also, the mere presence of her in that position would be a rallying point for the Trump/Republican base. Don't give them that gift.
1
The fact Pelosi is loathed by Republicans is a badge of honor--wear it proudly, lady. Make it your campaign slogan. That said, no person should be granted political power uncontested. Those who believe they can do better should make their case, as should she. It's called democracy, and should be practiced more, not less.
Just as parliamentary political parties do, our legislative leaders in Congress should be dumped after an electoral defeat or major political mistake as a sign of recognition that their party is on the wrong path and needs to self-correct. If Representative Pelosi, her Leader and Whip had all stepped away after the Democratic disaster in 2010, the Democrats wouldn't be having this divisive discussion now, and could be thinking forward, which their voters clearly want them to do. The rhetoric also will provide an opportunity to their opponents to make an argument that the Democrats are so beholden to certain segments of the electorate that they have become essentially a one issue group focused on societal grievances, instead of one interested in answers for everyone.
The media is insisting on making this viral supposed "news". They will assist the rabid right in trying to get rid of Ms. Pelosi just as they assisted in the smearing of Ms. Hillary Rodham Clinton.
The rabid right is scared to death of Ms. Pelosi because she is a brilliant lawmaker who knows how to get things done. She has the experience and background to start restoring true democracy and getting rid of the crooks who have taken over OUR United States government the first day. The crooks want her gone.
Democrats and republicans with any social/moral conscience will make sure she is Speaker of the House.
9
@njglea
Another group that doesn't want to see Pelosi in the Speakers Chair is the "let's go to war with Iran" crowd.
You can find a cluster of them in John Bolton's office.
Republicans would love Pelosi if she was as ineffective as they say. The reason they attack her relentlessly is for the same reason they attack Obama and others. They are threatened. Don't take the bait Democrats!
10
Pelosi, Schumer and Clinton are the ones who paved the way for Trump’s presidency by their incompetence. We need fresh blood in the party leadership.
1
Get a grip, Democrats ! Pelosi deserves to be the speaker and it is Schumer who should go for not regaining the senate...Or is it reverse sexism.
3
We have two years to make a difference and the first Democrat accomplishment is going to be a fight within the party? What are you? Nuts? This is a waste of energy and political capital.
Why aren’t you all in strategic planning meetings? What’s going to be your first bill? Your second. How are you going to multitask like the president?
You have two years. Choose your battles wisely. Stay focused.
5
What the new wave of Democrats do not seem to grasp is who actually cast ballots for them. Women over 40 are the most diligent voters and the largest voting block as well, in all of US politics. These new ones need to realize who built the Democratic Party that supported them and quite frankly was the source of the vast majority of their votes. It would be nice to know how many of these new Reps got the benefit of straight Democratic ticket votes, and I would bet the majority of their votes came from women over 40, because we are the backbone of the Democratic Party. Bernie Sanders gender cleansed the DNC in a fit of pique after he rightfully lost the right to the leader off a party he won't even join, and he would be very hard pressed to win the nomination after the nastiness he displayed towards women. Be careful who you tick off, those who just showed up and demand to run the place.........we got you here and we can take you out, capiche? Now there is a vast amount of corrupt filth to be mopped up, and this isn't a "Housewives" episode, so stop playing drama divas and GET TO WORK. You are part of a team now, not the stars.....you must earn that right and Nancy can teach you how.
2
Keep Pelosi as Speaker! She deserves to be the one who shows up at the White House, with arrest warrants in hand, and two burly Marines on either side of her and a couple of FBI agents, to watch in person as the criminal conspirators who have desecrated the White House are 'perp-walked' to jail! President Pelosi has a fine sound, as Pence is a loser nonentity who won't last through another election.
5
Questions about Pelosi are completely legitimate. She is a poor national face for Democrats, given to awkward puns and half-clever wordplay, persuading nobody. Her supposed legislative brilliance has resulted in near-permanent minority status for her party in the House, saved this year only by factors entirely unrelated to her. No legislation of any consequence is going anywhere for the next two years, so she should let a young standard-bearer cut their teeth so they are ready when it really counts.
Instead, Pelosi and her allies immediately cry “sexism!” and vent their baseless accusations publicly. This, Democrats, is why we lose.
3
And yet people laugh at Freud. “Her face...a young standard bearer...cut their teeth.”
Tell you what’s wrong with progressivism: the same as it ever was, a buncha guys thumping their chests and Declaring War.
Who saved Obamacare when it was about to go under? It wasn't Obama, or the newly elected Congress members, no it was Nancy Pelosi. Now her opponents in the party are blaming her for losses in 2010-2016 and saying that new leadership is needed. She's a proven leader, but no they want an untested "new face" to deal with Trump and McConnell. For those of us in red states that endured the GOP's hateful "Pelosi is the mother of all evil" this "new wave" of Democratic opposition to Pelosi is even more disgusting. Who'd be happy if another Democrat were to become speaker? Trump and McConnell.
3
@Michael Kelly
I agree completely about Pelosi's doing the heavy lifting on Obamacare, but, technically, that would make her equally responsible for the shellacking the democrats got in that last midterm.
That GOP romp was the result of its members running against Obama. Likely dragging Pelosi into it was just an attempt at a reprisal of a very effective GOP strategy in the last midterm.
1
At this precarious moment and time, I want someone who is experienced and is well versed in the games Repugs play. We still have a Republican Senate to contend with who have gamesmanship down to a science.
I want the input from the new, younger reps, but give them time to learn a few things first so when their time comes they'll be ready - it's not that far down the road. Nancy can be an excellent mentor. Being young doesn't mean you have all the answers.
3
I have been a feminist all my life. I joined NOW in 1968. However, I am sick, sick, sick and tired of brash, newbie, inexperienced, entitled young women who think they can dance onto the political stage and immediately be granted stature, responsibility and fame. Earn it babes! And - wait your turn!
9
To me, this smacks of blatant sexism. Pelosi is clearly the most experienced, effective and qualified person for the job. If she were male, no one would be blathering about how it is time for a change. We're getting a change: a Democratically-controlled House. It should be one with a proven, successful leader. Marsha Fudge? That's insane. Give me a break!!
6
The hypocrisy on the left is appalling.
Just now there are a bunch of articles here in NYT, the ‘pink wave’, ‘banner year for women’, and the Blues that won ran on a platform of ‘believe women’ and identity politics.
Yet they get to Washington and on the first week they claim that they do not need a woman in charge. And worst, it’s the newly elected women who are championing this.
I find it hillarious actually that these new newbies who just got there, think they can arrive, throw a tantrum and get their way. Just wait, I am not a fan of Mrs Pelosi, but I respect her experience and tenacity.
Menu of the week will be hamburgers made of the careers of the newbies and their backers. Fundraisers and donors are also taking notes.
Just do the math, she has about 200 for sures on her side, the rebels have 20. If the newbies get their way, it will be a battle she will win, and the 200 will not forget who made them look foolish.
The clown show in DC never ends.
3
Were I so unfortunate as to be a Trumpist, I would work very hard to avoid any and all mention of misogyny and clown shows.
Ms Pelosi is a limousine liberal. out of touch with the working class for decades.
Nancy Pelosi
Rank: 6th in the House
with an estimated net worth of $101,123,032 in 2010.
3
Yeah, unlike Trump and McConnell, true Men of the People. Funny how nobody on the right objects to money until they find out anybody else has it. Especially given Citizens United.
MLK, Jr would be appalled at how the Dem party has become people who do not care about merit or the content of a person’s character, but only about their gender or their skin color or their ethnicity. The cruel irony of the new Dem party is that they breed divisiveness by relentlessly setting women against men, black against white, straight against gay, etc. The Dems, the left, and their MSM advocates are making us more Tribal and more divided, not less. It’s a shame.
1
NEXT!!!
It's time for someone new - thank you Ms. Pelosi for your service, and we look forward to you doing your utmost to support the new speaker.
1
There's an easy solution here. Pelosi announces she will serve this term *only* as Speaker, rightly noting the need for experience in this critical time. And she commits to using the next 2 years to empower a new generation of leaders of both genders in the Democratic party in the house who will be well prepared to take over when she relinquishes the gavel in 2020. thereafter,
2
I don’t agree with the writer. This is not a gender issue. Pelosi has
done the job, and now it’s time for new blood. There will be plenty of mentoring from other reps. Pelosi doesn’t hold a magic key. We have new wine; time for a new wine skin.
1
Why is it scandalous that a 78-year-old, experienced female politician wants to be elected as Speaker of the House in 2019 while all sides laud a 77-year-old male politician in the US Senate who didn't win the presidency in 2016?
Why do some Democrats oppose one of the best leaders they have in the US House of Representatives in Nancy Pelosi because of her AGE and undoubtedly because of her sex as well, while their leftward-leaning colleagues yearn for the days on the campaign trail with Bernie Sanders, just one year younger than Pelosi? Ageism? You bet. Misogyny? Yes, from the male opposition and some of the females as well who aren't misogynistic about their own age cohort.
In 2020, Donald Trump will be 74 years old. Should he run? I wouldn't elect him as dogcatcher at any age. Curiously, Florida voters just elected for her first term in the House, 77-year-old Donna Shalala. Have too many hurricanes in Florida affected voters' brains there? Have those winds wiped out their recognition of facial lines and gray hair?
The incredible age and sex hypocrisies in politics afflicts Democrats and Republicans alike. Should all of those young newly elected persons (mostly the female ones) to the US House be on their guard when age 40 rolls around?
3
EVERY Senator and Representative in the next term won both their primary and general election. So they all deserve to be leadership? Just because the good folks of the Cali / SF 12th district re-elect their representative year in and year out is no reason that the Democrats have to re-elect her as Speaker.
1
Imagine if the CEO of a major corporation had presided over 8 consecutive years of losses. Previously, the only years when the company turned a profit was when extremely strong economic tailwinds were at play (2006, 2008). Nevertheless, this person insists that everything is fine with their approach and that he/she is a "master CEO." Any suggestion that they should be replaced is solely due to discrimination against this CEO's gender and/or attacks launched by competitor corporations. Coincidentally, this CEO and his/her aging leadership team has effectively failed to mentor and bring up any younger people who could potentially take over their roles. How long would a responsible corporate board have tolerated this CEO and their leadership team?
There are a lot of reasons to remove Nancy Pelosi that are related solely to her performance as leader and have nothing to do with the Republican attacks against her.
3
@Tom B.
I would attribute the party's losses to Obama, who oversaw some very deep Democratic Party losses. To blame Pelosi for his weaknesses seems misguided.
Fine with me if we prepare for a transition, but right NOW? No. Pelosi has never lost a floor vote. We need her at this point. So unless somebody can point to a better alternative, leave her be to continue her complete competence. This is not a time for beginners. (By the by, getting a younger candidate just for the heck of it is ageism. She deserves Dems’ respect. Any Dem Speaker of the House as effective as her will certainly be villified. No ‘new’ person will change any of that).
3
Warren Buffet is 88. In 2008 you could buy a share of his stock for about 120K today it's over 370K.
Nancy Pelosi may or may not be too old. From my POV she seems to have plenty of fight and energy along with lots of experience. It shouldn't be discounted because she's 78 years old.
If a new leader emerges and wins the spot so be it. Youth doesn't get to say when they're ready they have to actually demonstrate they are ready.
Does anyone doubt that the next democrat up won't be quickly be demonized by the NRA, Christian right, Alt right, Fox News, the GOP, the Trump family and the rest of the conspiracy theorist who make up the Russian 5th column running our country?
Ms. Pelosi has never backed down and I don't expect her to do it now.
5
Pelosi has been a strong leader in the past. The past. But she's a corporate Democrat, just as wrapped up in the money machine destroying democracy as any other corporate politician. It's long past time for a new direction in Democratic politics, and Pelosi's attempts to regain power smack more of ego than of service. Also, she was intimately wrapped up in the anti-democratic machinations of the Clinton campaign to blatantly steal the nomination process from Sanders in favor of Clinton(read Donna Braziles book) . A woman cheating to deny a man a legitimate nomination in favor of a woman simply because she's a woman. Pretty rich for that kind of person to shout "sexism" at her opposition, but not unexpected.
1
I suppose that I have to admit to a demographic bias - agism. It seems that while our human bodies last longer, our frame of mind flexibility has yet to catch up. Continuing to cede power to individuals of advanced age limits our ability to embrace change and move forward. Nancy Pelosi is a brilliant example of female achievement but her time is past. As a famous democrat once said, it is time to pass the torch to a new generation. This goes for leaders of all genders and ideologies. Power is hard to relinquish but it is the mark of true leadership.
(continuing) Thereafter, she can be Speaker Emerita, an honored party elder who will support and work with her successor. Would help if this go round, at least one of the other top leadership positions had a generational turnover.
Pelosi has accomplished legislative miracles. The inexperienced know-it-alls have to smarten up. Their election is not proof that they have smarts, just local popularity.
3
@Brookline Tom
She wasn't defending immigrants. She was defending illegal immigrants. Big difference. The fact that my fellow Democrats can't understand the difference between legal immigration and illegal immigrants is one of the reasons a large portion of Democrats feel ignored by their own party.
Many of us Democrats feel empathy and compassion for the world's immigration situation, but we also see things pragmatically and realistically. No other advanced nation in the world allows open borders -- for good reason. We must have orderly borders and rule of law. We must have an immigration process that ensures the health and safety of American citizens and institutions.
There are many other factors that need to be considered, too, including world overpopulation and our taxpayer social services that are already overstressed and barely able to serve our own poor American citizens. We don't have unlimited financial, employment, infrastructure and natural resources to open our borders to the world's economic migrants and poor.
And just because a fellow Democrat doesn't fit YOUR definition of Democrat doesn't mean they aren't a "real Democrat." By your reasoning, I don't think you fit the definition of Democrat.
3
The Republican Party wants Nancy Pelosi out for one reason: she is very smart and effective. Unlike Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell, she gets important legislation passed. Her ability to fundraise is second to none. It should surprise no one that they want a less qualified and inexperienced Democratic leader.
So they attack her and some Democrats have fallen for it. Some young Congressmen and women may have legitimate concerns about inclusion. But make no mistake. Republican attacks are poorly disguised attempts to tap into ageism, sexism, opportunism and ambition in an attempt to make the new Democratic House majority less effective.
I met Nancy Pelosi a few times while eliciting federal aid to hospitals several years ago. She was a down to earth, thoughtful person who listened well, asked tough questions and clearly cared about people and our country. We need more leaders like her.
3
Woman speaker no problem; but only a strong M-A-N Democratic Presidential Candidate emerging capable of toppling 2020 trump.
2
I’ve had mixed feelings about Pelosi in the past, but it’s pretty obvious she is the right woman for the job. Ocasio-Cortez has some great ideas, and she’s good at self-promotion, but there’s a benefit to shrewd politics, deep connections, and experience. The time to favor these latter elements is now.
3
The decision of who should represent us in Congress or as Speaker of the House, rationally, should be based on competence and experience. Gender does not determine experience or competence. Then again, this is Washington, where rationality has little to do with what happens.
This says it all, She's a great leader, Republicans hate that:
"As the first woman to become speaker, Ms. Pelosi, of California, is a history-making figure in Washington. She held the gavel from 2007 to 2011 and is considered by both Democrats and Republicans to be the most effective speaker in modern times. Were it not for her political skill and keen strategic sense, they say, President George W. Bush could not have secured the bank bailout he needed to halt an economic free fall and President Barack Obama could not have passed the Affordable Care Act.
But she has long been caught in a Republican campaign to vilify her, and after tens of millions of dollars of Republican attack ads caricaturing her as a San Francisco liberal, she has become a polarizing figure. Some Democrats in swing districts won their races by vowing not to vote for her and calling for generational change at the top. For them, gender is not a top concern."
The Democrats' refusal to consider who is the best candidate for right now is the reason Donald Trump is the POTUS. I would not be too hasty to crown this one.
4
Nancy Pelosi has been a very effective Speaker of the House and I see no reason to replace her at this time as Speaker. She is well known.
It seems to me she is being demonized for her longevity-polite word for age.
The only reason people give for replacing Pelosi is to get new blood in leadership roles. I agree Pelosi needs to groom new leaders- but I don't agree she should be replaced at this critical time given her experience in dealing with McConnell and DT.
Let's not fall into the GOP trap of demonizing Pelosi.
They are afraid of her so we should keep her as leader.
5
As Democrats prepare to take control of the House, their future and liberal democracy’s future hangs in the balance. The new reality for America requires not doing things the same way. Trump rode that new reality to victory. Remember politicians and politics are easy targets for vilification from the right. Nancy Pelosi’s presence has elected more Republicans than any other politician in recent history. Find a replacement for her, maybe a veteran, someone not from California or New York. The next two years will make or break Trump’s hold on power. He wants Nancy as speaker, that fact alone shows what their strategy will focus on - her. An easy target, regardless of her experience, she will take the bait and spend the next two years accomplishing nothing, except solidifying voters opinions against Democrats. Remember the new normal is anything but normal. Holding on to the ways of the past insures you of one thing - defeat!
2
I can't think of any other area of life where we imagine that seventy/eighty someones should be the ones in charge...there is a reason for this,diminished faculties,as someone approaching 70 i'm all to aware of this.The ageism in this picture is that of baby boomers against those younger,& had Pelosi,Hoyer & Clyburn prepared the ground for their replacements we would not be having this discussion
4
The timing isn’t right for this issue to be brought up. These new congressional representatives may not have been elected if not for Nancy Pelosi’s abilities in politics , fundraising and knowing where to put the money and support. I just can’t believe they would go against her before they have served one day in the House. Thanks to her leadership abilities Democrats have the majority in the house. It’s like a slap in her face by the newcomers. It’s like a new student taking over the classroom from the teacher. She has been the “whipping girl” of the Republicans for years. They want to devour anyone that becomes successful and powerful in the Democratic Party. And for some odd reason the Republicans are able to get some Democrats scared enough to go against that powerful person in their party.
3
This fight is a terrible way to celebrate a huge victory. Let’s govern and send some great legislation to McConnell and Trump. If they block it keep sending more and by the time 2020 rolls around they will have shot themselves in the foot. Nancy, be conciliatory and welcoming to the new young members. Remember their victories are what has given you a chance to hold the gavel again. How about some statesmanship here.
The party needs to dwell less on gender and more on policy. If last week showed us anything it is that voters want progressive change. Pelosi, like Clinton and Schumer, are corporatists with a major stake in keeping progressives at the margins.
We progressives are getting a bit weary of delivering boots to the booths only to find long knives sticking out of our backs once the levers are pulled.
2
Like it or not, the reality of the situation mandates someone with Mrs Pelosi's experience. The Democrats need to pump out a LOT of legislation, some will happen, some will not (case in point, the omnibus bill, which is already acknowledged as a single chamber bill....but it needs to be passed so it’s objectives get documented in the public record.....Democratic candidates can run on those later). Next fact is there's a 6 month-ish window to do this in......by next fall, all eyes will be on the 2020 election, and little beyond the necessary will happen, and the next year... is 2020. There is no time for learning curves. Put Speaker Pelosi in, let her do what the nation needs (nobody else is likely to) and allow her to show how it's done, from which the next generation can pick up on and take over in 2021 with a new president and an opportunity to get through a learning curve for a new leadership.
1
Why must the Democrats always form a circle when they set up a firing squad. Yes, Nancy is old. But who else has the experience and intelligence necessary to accomplish what she has already accomplished? Not those who are trying to be named speaker in place of her. Nancy, despite her age, is a lion in the House. Her challengers are all little itsy bitsy mice. Don't start nonsense about diversity in leadership when there are no "diverse" candidates to match Ms Pelosi's proven abilities.
2
Not true. Pelosi is NOT the only Democrat available for Speaker. Eric Swalwell is no mouse. He'd be perfect. He has the experience and is far more progressive. He has fight in him. He is eloquent.
Sigh. 62 years old and I STILL have to endure government by people older than me.
4
Please keep her a speaker of the House! If she is the face of the Democratic Party, Republicans have a better chance of taking back the House in 2020. Go Nancy go!
3
@George
Without the albatross Obama, I believe Pelosi will be a formidable opponent. I suspect progressive dislike her because she understands the limits of progressive appeal. In other words, she's not willing to risk everything to pursue ideological agenda but will, instead, go where the voters on the ground take her.
Arguments that Pelosi should be reelected because she is a woman, or that Marcia Fudge should be elected because she is black AND a woman, have the same toxic, offensive flaw as all arguments based on gender, race, age, ethnicity or any other immutable attribute. Democrats are not acting like they understand this.
4
@micheal Brousseau
It's hard to suddenly reject something that is embedded in your very being, like DNA. Identity politics IS the Democratic Party. This leopard cannot and will not change its spots.
1
We need a new generation of party leadership. Now is the time for Pelosi to stand down. As a retired older businesswoman woman, I get that is hard to leave your past success (and Pelosi has done many good things) and gracefully allow others to come forward. Now is the time. Not only is it laughable to think a 78 year old long time party "boss" is going to inspire new younger voters to get involved, but Pelosi will only serve as a lightening rod for republican attacks in 2020. I heard Pelosi accuse her detractors of sexism on CNN yesterday. That was silly. Ageism maybe yes, but this is not about her being a woman.
2
It is amazing to me that so many Democrats in the House can accept the Republican demonizing of Nancy Pelosi. In the men who are supporting the ouster of Pelosi, I see House members who for whatever reason have not advanced toward more influential positions during the Pelosi tenure On the other hand, younger white men like Congressmen Himes, Schiff. and others have. What makes newly elected members think they represent the will of the American people over that of members like Pelosi, Hoyer, Clyburn, and Lewis who have served and been re-elected repeatedly? The "young Turks" of whom I was one years ago, of course, are themselves jockeying for position. Ah! the arrogance of youth. Experience matters. Expertise is a consequence of hard work
2
Rep. Pelosi is a great asset to the Democrats. Now is the time for her to step aside and help the new/next speaker work for all the American people. She has the opportunity to finish a winner, by helping new leadership accomplish our shared goals.
4
Washington Post has a list of those Congressional Representatives who either oppose Pelosi, mostly the new,younger Representatives, the undecided or non committed, then the Representatives who support Pelosi, the supporters are the old guard, the Representatives who will never have a primary opponent because they live in safe districts.
The younger Democrats are mostly in purple districts or newly emerging Democratic areas.
Nothing to lose by supporting Pelosi if you are safely tucked away in a safe district.
1
One day Democrats will realize being a woman, African American, Caucasian, Asian or anything else does not quality one for a job. It's if you're good or not.
Until then, they'll keep playing identity politics and putting forth people that 'feel good' for the base.
7
Neither does being a white male or an old golfing buddy or whatever.
I hear Pelosi speak frequently and she sounds doddering, just like Feinstein.
Young, dynamic, and forward looking is the appropriate head of the party tending to the future of the country.
7
@Djt
Feinstein is doddering. More than anyone else, she botched the Kavanaugh Hearings and went a long way towards giving us Mr. Justice Kavanaugh.
Nancy Pelosi spoke for 45 minutes after the Mid Terms after Trump had spoken for 90 minutes. Nancy had total control of the situation, divided government, and the role of the House of Representatives going forward.
I think of young, dynamic forward looking JFK in 1960. Clearly the right guy at the right time for the right office.
He would have been a terrible Speaker of The House. He was lucky to have savvy Sam Rayburn in that job.
Nancy knows herself. She has never aspired to run for president. That's not her role. She loves the daily work of building majorities to pass progressive legislation.
Nobody does it better.
1
The times they are a changing. We need younger leadership.
6
Why has the press never grilled the Pelosi nay-sayers, demonizers, and nabobs of negativism about just, exactly, WHAT she has done—that is so terrible? Once again, a failure of the Fourth Estate to puncture the hot air of propagandists. Ask them. Ask some of the LOCK HER UP screamers. Ask them. Please. And don't just take "she is liberal" or "she's a socialist" for an answer. Ask. What is liberalism? What is socialism?. Ask them for the details. Get the deets. Except there are none.
When will the weak Democrats and the MSM stop running scared of the bully Right? When will you ever learn—feed them their scapegoat and they'll just demonize another one.
Stop running. Turn around. Put a pin to the blowhards. Stand up for yourselves. Cite facts immediately. It's past time.
Dems better come out swinging. They should have prosecuted half of Dubyuh's administration. Holder never prosecuted a single banker after 2008. Those criminals got bonuses. People in that town are afraid to charge the powerful. Ever since Iran Contra criminals in high places have been getting passes—no jail time anywhere, and here we are. Will anyone have the courage to charge Eric and Donald Trump? Knowing what death threats and legal bills they will face?
9
I would like to see Nancy Pelosi retain her leadership position now, after persevering through the Dem’s minority status, while mentoring the new Congressmen and -women to see who rises to leadership potential - then turn over the gavel to the strongest candidate after the 2020 election. There is too much at risk to put a newcomer in place now; they need to pay their dues and show they have the right stuff to govern and legislate. Too many newcomers are in a hurry to just burn the house down. She should commit to working for this transition now, though, as a condition for the speakership.
7
You can only do what the collective consciousness allows on any issue.
Most of us want Social Security saved, universal health care, infrastructure fixed, cheaper options for college, environmental protections and science based policies on climate.
And not everything rigged and tilted for the 1% and corporations.
Stick to that and forget the endlessly divisive socialist or idealistic wish list of the 100 identity groups out there, at least to start with. Yes, deal as you can with all issues, but stick to those most find of central importance.
And Pelosi has experience, go with that.
6
It's hard not to believe that many of the anti Pelosi commentators are the very same ones that vilified Hillary Clinton because she was so competent. Those people were Russians and Trumpers. Dont let them win again. Support Pelosi for Speaker.
6
Clinton was totally incompetent.
Of all the reasons to support or oppose Ms. Pelosi, her gender and the gender of the alternatives is the least defensible. The very notion of a "pink wave" is reprehensible. Would we even talk about a "black wave" or a "Jewish wave"? Age is a similarly reprehensible complaint.
Democrats have spent most of the last five decades fighting discrimination based on gender, race and age. We betray our very foundations when we embrace that discrimination -- no matter how much politically-correct lipstick we smear on it -- and we eliminate the distinction between ourselves and the Trumpists.
It's time to tell the circular firing squad to go home.
4
We need Nancy Pelosi for 2020, especially if the next two years are going to be bumpy.
7
Gender should have no part of this. Pelosi has been weak and ineffective for the past two years, as has Schumer. They have both been way too complacent. Both should go. We need new blood that is bold, articulate, and tough and can stand up to Trump and the Republican Congress. Having a majority in the House does not make the House "strong"... a tough leader makes it strong.
6
The future of the Democratic party, a 78 year old. Brilliant!
5
The future is decency, effectiveness, and competency. Age is not the issue.
1
Yes, some candidates vowed not to support Nancy Pelosi during their campaigns. Why? Because of a concentrated smear campaign by the Republicans to vilify Pelosi. She deserves to be speaker, at least for now, and if she is defeated it will only validate the Republican smear campaign.
3
To those who oppose Nancy Pelosi: why do you think Republicans HATE her so much, because she was ineffective? She raises more money than almost any Democrat in government, and will raise incrementally more as Speaker. To the freshman in particular: have the patience to learn your craft, carefully observe Pelosi in action, and then kick some tail. Get a committee chairmanship and learn something besides soundbite politics. If you do not understand the specifics of getting legislation passed, and the importance of raising money, and you are not willing to learn, then you are wasting everyone's time, especially your own. Right now, you are one of 435. To stand out requires understanding the institution and how to get things done for your constituents, which Pelosi knows in spades. Of course, if your real purpose is to be a legend in your own mind as leader of the Progressive Tea Party (Our motto: "Ever the annoyance!"), have at it.
5
OMG!! When are the Democrats (I have been one for over 40 years) going to advance beyond gender and race politics. It is part of what lost Hillary the presidency (I myself could not bring myself to vote for her!) and it will continue to hamper support from upper middle class middle-of-the-roaders like me.
7
The heck with gender wars. We need an effective check on Trump administration by any means necessary. Nobody herds cats like Pelosi. As an added benefit, Donald would surely distract from his narrative by being unable to resist making cheap petty insults. I doubt Pelosi would waste much media oxygen by going back and forth on that.
7
The Democratic Party has an outstanding female leader in Nancy Pelosi. This argument reveals an important observation. While the Republican Party is "The Party of Mean," my fellow Democrats are "The Party of Dumb." It is absolutely dumb for Democrats to imbibe the toxic critique of the Republican Party about Leader Pelosi. The time has come to unite and fight! Get with it, Dems! We have a country to lead. Close ranks around Ms. Pelosi and support her!
4
This is not a time for someone to learn on the job. These next two years are critical for controlling, investigating and getting rid of Trump. It's not amateur hour. We need an experienced pro, and Nancy Pelosi has proven herself time and again. The reason Republicans demonize her is because she's so effective. Let's not fall into the trap that the GOP has set. We need Nancy Pelosi now. The other leadership positions are the way for the new generation in the House to learn and gain experience. When we have a new President in 2020, they'll be ready to take over.
82
Excellent comment, thank you!
10
The whole leadership team should have been replaced after the Party’s loss of 1000 seats nationwide over an 8 year period. This is what should happen when you fail, and fail miserably.
That said, at this point, it is probably wise to keep Nancy. She’s smart, tough, and will hopefully be more progressive now that she isn’t shackled to a weak Democratic President.
6
@DEM
This isn't a choice between Pelosi (who has clung to power for too long) and a newbie millrnial who needs to learn on the job. There are many good candidates who have experience but are still young, energized and coherent -- Eric Swalwell comes to mind.
Pelosi is not effective. She is a multimillionaire who is out of touch with middle and working class Americans. The only thing Pelosi is good at is raising corporate funds and representing corporate interests. Other than that, she has backed down from EVERY fight that's important to Americans. She has given Republicans everything they've wanted. She can barely speak coherently anymore. She stutters and stammers. She has no energy or fight in her. She is selfish. She, like so many of her generation, does not have the grace or decency to step aside and mentor a new generation of leaders.
8
Nice to hear that some Democrats are using Republican attacks to attack Nancy Pelosi, NOT. Lessons not learned from the Bernie fiasco.
10
Nancy Pelosi spoke for an eight hour filibuster. She did not speak about climate change, or jobs, or the economy. She did not speak about the debt, or the budget, or healthcare or the opioid crisis. Nancy Pelosi did an eight hour filibuster and ignored huge issues facing all Americans. Instead, Nancy Pelosi chose to spend eight hours defending illegal aliens. I was, and am, deeply insulted by this and it’s really turned me off the Democratic Party.
9
@MyjobisinIndianow: If that's "turned [you] off the Democratic Party", then perhaps you were never a Democrat in the first place. Her defense of immigrants is a direct response to the abhorrent attacks on them from the racist bigots on the other side.
If you or anyone else wants defenders to fight for you when YOU are the target of the Trumpist Gestapo, then you should be cheering those defenders today when they fight for these victims.
4
Her defense of ILLEGAL immigrants. One would hope our elected officials would uphold all laws, not just the ones they like.
1
Yes let’s keep a women as speaker, just any women other than Nancy Pelosi. Fund raising from the plutocracy shouldn’t be considered an assist and creating the ACA without addressing the health industry price gouging and ongoing deliberate disfunction was the worst of all possible answers except doing nothing at all.
3
Its obvious you have never fought to get health insurance....thank the heavens for strong woman like Ms. Pelosi......
4
@R Quinton, No I'm not a politician or activist "fighting to get health insurance". What does that have to do with anything? What do you mean by "strong women"? She is from a safe district and her major talent is fund raising from the tech world, finance & the plutocracy & keeping her caucus in line with the meritocracy liberal agenda. You know the one, social and identify equality for everyone (good things) & an economic inequality that harms the blue collar working class (not a good thing). Health insurance that is often too costly or simply unavailable (not entirely her fault, see republicans) & a health delivery system that is dysfunctional and dishonest. Nothing to thank heaven for in that. Oh & you don't know anything about me or what I've done in order to obtain inter-generational health care. But nothing in your reply rebutted my point that someone other than Pelosi should lead the house this time.
Correction: Newt Gingerich is the most successful Speaker of the past generation. 1995-1999. That’s 19-23 years ago, and still falls well into this generation. He led an opposing president to bipartisan legislation, something Pelosi has never done, and seems quite incapable of.
5
Those who oppose Nancy Pelosi have fallen for the Republican propaganda that demonized her. If she is outed as speaker, the Republicans win. They have demonized her for years simply because she has been such a successful speaker. If Repubs are successful in their attempts to make her out to be the Wicked Witch, and she is ousted, who will they go after next? Does anyone really think they will stop demonizing various Democrats if their propaganda efforts are so spectacularly successful that even Democrats fall for them?
14
@L.Loftin
I'm tired of this argument. Just because some of us don't see Pelosi through the rosy colored glasses you do doesn't mean we have fallen for Republican propaganda. Most of us see that Pelosi has not been an effective speaker for many reasons. Pelosi has backed away from every fight that mattered. She has given Republicans everything they've asked for. She is a multimillionaire who has served corporate interests and illegal immigrants. She fought for ACA, a poor substitute for Single Payer. She can barely speak a coherent sentence anymore. She needs to step aside.
2
I think Nancy should be celebrated for the great leader she has been. That said it is time for some new ideas and new energy. For all her accomplishments, to me, she will always be a representative of Democratic leadership that foisted Hillary Clinton on an unwilling electorate and thus lost the 2016 election. While she is not solely responsible, she is one of the few leaders left standing from that debacle. Let's give her credit for the good work she did before that, but let's move on.
4
There is little subsitute for experience, wiles, and proven grit.
Nancy Pelosi is the best person, male or female, young or old, to get us through th critical 202O.
Period.
(Plus, if DJT and Pence get indicted, we dont need newbie next in line.)
12
Nancy Pelosi has been the Democratic leader in the House since 2003... that's *16 years.* In that time, has any House lawmaker under the age of 60 advanced to a leadership position in the caucus? This is Pelosi's greatest failing: she has utterly failed to support and prepare the next generation of Democrats for leadership in Congress.
5
Democrats should look at it this way: A vote for Pelosi is another vote against the Republicans and their smears; a vote against her gives the Republicans just what they want.
12
Dear Ms Pelosi - it’s time to step aside. I am a loyal centrist Democrat (and female) and traditional party donor, and have vowed since we lost the election in 2016 - and you appointed your 70 year old cronies to the next positions of power - not to donate another dollar to the party until you step aside and cede power. You had your shot, and it’s time to give the next generation theirs, or we risk becoming the minority party for my lifetime.
Power corrupts over time. Please do the right thing, and support your younger colleagues.
4
Pink wave? Really? Can't there be a discussion about women in politics without these silly descriptions? As long as these types of expressions exist in the coverage of women in politics, women will always be presented as exotic and other. Enough already.
13
It’s getting to the point now that baby boomers (and +) are simply not being respectful to their younger citizens. It’s not about YOU, it’s about stepping aside gracefully and allowing other capable people to lead. Let’s put millennials aside. Can you image being a GenXer who has been patiently waiting until now? Boomers: many GenXers are 50 years old, the oldest millennials are 36! They aren’t your kids, they are your colleagues. Stop being condescending. They deserve a chance to shape the country they are going to live in. It’s not just about raising money. For example, why does Pelosi practically refuse to talk about student debt? She is completely disconnected to actual needs of progressives and this isn’t good. She should have been helping to build the bench instead of blocking younger people’s ascent. This is exactly what we see happening in corporate america too. Please, step aside.
4
Amazes me how any disagreement with a woman becomes a gender issue even when women oppose. A large supporters of Bernie were women, near 50% of women supported Trump, yet Hillary supposedly lost due to misogyny. It is sad. Why can’t we have a new generation of leaders?
33
@Dave,
Agree, the elderly leaders of the Democratic Party are smothering the young Congress people, male and female.
At 72 years, I look to women such as Bustos and Rice, when they speak, I focus on what is said; no whiners they.
4
@Dave
Women can be sexist against women. Wake up and smell the Patriarchy.
1
@Dave because its war. Its not the time to replace the captain in the middle of a trench fight.
1
For the good of the party Nancy should see how divisive she has become and let new blood take over, and win big! Power corrupts though, and she will bully her way in as top dog, just like Hillary did despite the preordained results..
3
@Moe: Any man or woman whom the Trumpists target will be "divisive". Beto O'Rourke was "divisive". Your premise cedes power to the Trumpists. Taking down each Democratic leader who is "divisive" means surrendering to the Trumpists. "New blood" will be just as "divisive" (or more so) than our current leaders.
3
I agree that this is about a new generation of leadership. The last presidential election offered us candidates who were from a generation that already had it's turn running the country. It is time for the next generation to take the reins. The White House, the Senate and the House are all led by people who are past their prime.
That being said, the second problem with Ms. Pelosi is the same problem I had with Hillary Clinton. She is a polarizing figure. We need leaders who unite rather than divide and at this point in history, the leadership of all branches of our government is held by divisive figures. We need leaders who unite us under our common interests rather than inciting the divisive rhetoric that is undermining our democracy.
3
Nancy's very, very unfavorable. She needs to be replaced for the dems to get traction in 2020.
4
Mitch McConnell must be chortling with delight right now.
If the Democratic freshman class is conspiring with Republicans to pick a new speaker for their own party, they might want to think a little harder about why.
Heaven knows the Republicans only want what's best for working families. Republicans aren't bipartisan enough to pass the Democrats' legislation protecting Robert Mueller, but on THIS issue they are leaping to reach across the aisle.
What a mystery...
3
No one is questioning Nancy Pelosi's experience and leadership. And no one is questioning her divisive, corrosive effect on the American electorate either. If I knew I had cost ONE Democratic seat to have been lost because of my - fairly or unfairly - perceived "toxicity", I would give up my quest to be House Speaker immediately. This has nothing to do with her age or gender. This has to do with the survival of the Republic.
1
At least women who vote against Ms Pelosi have seen a woman in that position and have reason to believe they will again, unlike women who voted against Hillary Clinton in the '08 primaries (and '16 for that matter)
1
This is not about gender. It's about effectiveness and Pelosi is not effective. We need strong youthful energy to get things done in Congress. Pelosi needs to go away.
2
I would love to have a woman as Speaker of the House - Maxine Waters. Nancy Pelosi was making noises about "bipartisanship" and working with Trump practically as soon as the election was over. What the Democrats (to say nothing of we as a whole country) need is someone who will be relentless in her opposition to the worst the Republicans have to offer. We need federal investigations of voter suppression as well as the widely varying flavors of malfeasance on brazen display by the federal executive branch. Mr. Schumer and Ms. Pelosi are far too collegial with the people they are supposed to be opposing; neither one of them is fit to lead in this era.
It’s not Nancy Pelosi per se. It’s that leaders are reluctant to give up power. Why, now that she is 78 years old and the other leaders are about that same age, haven’t they made any effort at succession planning? If they had made an effort to transfer leadership over the past 4 or 6 years, we wouldn’t be having this fight. It’s because, no matter your party or your politics when you are in a position of power you don’t want to give it up. Unfortunately, sometimes the only way to get that change is to yank it away.
39
@Ian Schneiderman,
Agree, I wonder if the elders are interested in more than power, kick backs and lobbyists, are very enticing.
3
@Ian Schneiderman it would probably surprise most Democrats that the Republicans have a self imposed rule setting term limits on their members , at least for committee chairs. And this would take care of the very issue you expose here. Its possible the Pelosi issue could really turn bad for liberals in the new hostile environment we have before us. I suppose she is as capable as anyone but one can wonder if she will make a good war time 'consigliere'
1
I still fail to see what the problem is with Nancy (and Chuck).
on what grounds do you call them ineffective?...what instances??
argument against is weak at best
I applaud them both..and most of all I trust them to do for the good of the people...they are not there to serve themselves..
I will continue to support until I see (concrete) reasons not to...and quite frankly. fact that they get under Republicans skin, means they ARE effective in their mission - promoting a fair democracy for all ( including the nasty Trumpublicans )
#bluewave
2
All the old timers male and female should step aside and let the new blood run things. Nancy wasn't that great she lost the house.
2
Like Hillary, Nancy Pelosi has tons of experience, which is extremely valuable. But not much fresh air, and that's the problem.
1
Well whoever runs against Nancy Pelosi for House Speaker has to have a better argument than just “we want change.” Change, as such, has become a sound bite to win elections. Yes we want change, but change for the better, not change for the sake of change, which is what the freshmen class off House Democrats seem to want. It seems they just want to “turn the soil.” But they are going on emotion and not thinking pragmatically.
Are they going to challenge Pelosi from the left? If Pelosi is the favorite villain for the Republicans (because she is so far to the left that if she took one more step she would fall into the Pacific Ocean) then I shudder to think what they would do to someone to the left of her.
Will they challenge Pelosi from the right? That ought to be interesting; trying to get Democratic votes as a fake Republican. As I recall that didn’t work out too well with Hillary Clinton.
6
The fact that Nancy Pelosi has held on to her position for so long through all of this says a lot about her character. I think the reason everyone is so upset is that there's a real chance that if Trump is fired and Pence is somehow involved, that she will be next in line for president. I'm tired of all of the mind games people are playing to vilify people they fear will take away from their slow coup of our nation. I say let Pelosi get her chance like everyone else.
9
The article begins: "Democrats wrestle with the importance of keeping a woman in the top job..... "
Those words clearly evidence the intense sexism of Democrats and of the New York Times.
Imagine the howl that would rise from feminists (and be broadcast repeatedly by the Times) if one substituted "man" for "woman" in the quoted sentence.
The unvarnished truth is that feminists are as sexist as are any misogynists. The primary difference is that feminists unabashedly proclaim their sexist agenda while deceitfully claiming that they believe in equality.
5
@ijarvis A new generation of leadership after Pelosi's hard-won House victories -- really? Against the likes of Trump and McConnell, men without scruples who'd make mincemeat of a neophyte yearning for a "collegial atmosphere"? An anti-Pelosi buzz surely is rooted in a disinformation campaign inspired by outsiders to persuade Dems to throw away their own midterm triumphs. Let's not be fooled by the SF address, either -- Pelosi is the daughter of a Baltimore mayor/congressman who grew up watching political strategies unfold at the family table. Stay focused, Dems.
8
Pelosi has experience and has shown she can deliver. We need her to manage thru this change in the House. The newcomers should learn from her.
10
The solution to this is for Pelosi to announce that this will be her last term as speaker and that she’ll spend the next two years preparing the transition to a new generation. This will provide political cover to those who ran opposing her and give the party time to find who its natural leaders are. The fact that Pelosi shows no signs of doing this proves the point of those who want a new speaker: she’d rather lose elections than let the party drift too far to the left. We already tried it her way and we got Trump.
2
This is an excellent idea. I believe it is time for a change and if the Democrats want to win in 2020, they need a new strategy and message. Winning the House will seem easy compared to defeating Trump
1
Those democrats elected to congress who promised to oppose the election of Nancy Pelosi cannot be swept under the rug as "crumbs". There is no denying that Nancy Pelosi has been the "Laxmi" the goddess of wealth of the democratic party but major elections have shown that those who have raised more money for their campaigns don't necessarily win elections. Recent examples are of candidates who raised more monies than their opponents as much as twice are Hillary Clinton and Beto O'Rouke.
What will also not help the Dems in 2020 is all they can shown that they did everything in their power to run Trump out of town and obstruct popular parts of his agenda. Republican lost their house majority because of their failure to replace Obamacare with a truly affordable healthcare and because 25+ incumbent Republicans turned to grab lucrative positions in the private sector. So it is dicey for Pelosi to think that it is her leadership and strategy brought on the capture of the house. It is more like the Republicans shot themselves in the foot by being too tied to the gun lobby and their opposition to sensible and much needed gun control while mass killings are here to stay at regular intervals.
As an independent, I want our country to thrive as a vibrant democracy and the recent mid term elections were a shot in the arm for democracy. I think the democratic party should not spoil the spoils of victory by pushing Pelosi as the speaker but instead pass the gavel to someone like Gabbard.
3
Nancy Pelosi is making the very same, potentially fatal, error in proposing to maintain the geriatric leadership troika of her, Steny Hoyer, and James Clyburn. all my age of 78 that Hillary Clinton did in not selecting a progressive running mate. Unless she's willing to replace Hoyer and Clyburrn with new, much younger progressive voices she deserves to be replaced. With Democrats gaining nearly 40 seats due to mostly young progressive women they deserve a leadership role. Like Hillary, she may be a woman, she may be experienced, but bad judgment is still the major reason for losing an election.
7
This happens a lot in the real world. The newcomers think they know everything and just because they are younger and cuter they want to push out the more knowledgeable and experienced older woman. Seth Moulton, Marcia Fudge etc. stop working for the republicans. Support Nancy Pelosi. Learn something from her, work with her. Time is on your side.
6
Why not drop Hoyer and Clyburn, fill their slots with younger representatives?
7
Ah the modern Democratic Party:
Younger women and men need not apply.
Men need not apply.
9
“No” to Pelosi. Her experience would be better utilized to find and support a progressive Speaker within the new Democratic House majority. After watching the debacle of the Kavanaugh hearing, I’ve decided (in the near term) to not support barnacled candidates of any party.
This nation is foundering. Re-electing and restoring to power the ineffective people who brought it to this point is astonishingly ignorant.
5
Republicans understand the marketing effectiveness of endowing a specific individual with all the attributes, good or bad, that need to be sold. Sports teams market themselves by focusing on their stars. Hostile countries demonize each others' leaders. And the Republicans will demonize whomever the Democrats choose as speaker, just as the Democrats will continue to rail against Donald Drumpf and Mitch McConnell instead of against Republicans in general.
She's an effective leader. Give her the gavel and get on with it.
8
This is what happens when your party becomes engulfed by identity politics. All decisions, policies, and elections, including for house speaker, are viewed through that lens. Identity politics becomes all consuming, leading to the need to check boxes over picking the best people.
5
“Some Democrats won their races by vowing to oppose Pelosi”? And you think that is the sole reason why they won? Any proof of that at all?
3
A brilliant tactician, right on the issues, tough as nails, Nancy Pelosi has but one apparent failing and it is likely to bring her down: she failed to bring the next generations into the House leadership. Had she replaced Mr. Hoyer with someone 30 years his junior and Mr. Clyburn with someone 35-40 years his junior, she would not be facing the current storm. As for incoming young House members - they are reacting to a nation, and yes this is true of most Trump voters, who want a change in the status quo. If the Democrats provide new passion, new ideas, new energy, and a broader-based prosperity, there is no Trump. Let the House vote Ms. Pelosi Speaker Emerita, and move on to a new leadership team.
5
Democrats need to find ideas and speakers that can lead us in a new direction of change. Not just "more of the same", as Hillary promoted, leveraging her gender. Gender/race alone should not be the stance. In fact, if we become so obsessed with only electing based on gender/race, the battle hasn't actually been won. It should not be a focus at all either way, not the only focus.
7
A mere week after the election and already the circular firing squad is taking shape again.
11
Democratic Leadership: Pelosi, Hoyer, Sanders, Warren, Clinton's. all old and white; the same thing Democrats complain constantly about Republicans. But don't worry young, dynamic, progressive members of color and females, you'll get your leadership chance eventually. Maybe in 25 years.
2
President Trump wants Nancy Pelosi to be Speaker if the House. That should tell Democrats something.
7
@John Murray
Ah, shrewd, John...
"Don't throw me into that briar patch, Bre'r Fox..."
Now, think about what you know about the President-Pretend's manipulative strategies. Any glimmers of understanding, John?
Prob'ly not, but I figured you might deserve an opportunity to think out your position.
1
It is time for new leadership at the top of the Democratic Party. The new wave was as much generational as gender based.
4
But of course, Trump wants Ms. Pelosi as Speaker. She is a ready-made devil to be scorned and battled by his base, as his MAGA events have amply demonstrated.
6
A whopping 80% of Democrats want Trump impeached NOW. Pelosi refuses to discuss it. That's reason enough to seek new leadership. And it was the Big Blue Wave of liberal grassroots activism, not genius leadership from ancient DC Dems, that flipped 37 Rethuglicons out of office. Pelosi was already kow towing to Trump on election night, right before he savaged Dems (and every thing else) the next morning. Right now, House Dems have huge leverage in budget negotiations to avoid a Trumpian shutdown since the rump Freedom Caucus won't vote yes on any reasonable budget. Will Pelosi use her leverage to get protection for the hundreds of thousands of Haitians, Salvadoran, and others facing imminent deportation after 15-20 years? I highly doubt it.
Time for new leadership. The activated base demands it.
2
Impeachment is a waste time. The Senate will never convict. Better to spend the time and energy on matters that affect Americans. Health care, education, environment, etc. And Kavanaugh.
6
It is time to change the leadership of the Democratic party as it is now stale and we need younger blood infused in the Democratic party. We do have quite a few younger, vibrant, passionate, talented both men and women in the new wave of Congresspersons. Yes, as it appears that the 2020 cycle would again increase the numbers of women and minority candidates we should certainly consider female candidates.
It must however be done on merit basis.
Leader Pelosi is a resource because of her experience and should be used as such.
2
Whatever you do, get past this and move on. There are many issues greater than this one, and indecision is a poor mage to project.
4
The issue here isn't about sex or age, it's about a new generation of leadership. Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi represent politics as practiced by generations of pols, not representatives of our people.
As long as we hold on to the symbols of a broken system, we will have a broken system. These two are not going to lead anyone back to a collegial atmosphere where hope and compromise can once again find a way. If the Democrats aren't ready to put new leadership in place in January, it's their fault for not planning for it; another sad outcome of their myopic leadership and another reason they have to go
49
@ijarvis A new generation of leadership after Pelosi's hard-won House victories -- really? Against the likes of Trump and McConnell, men without scruples who'd make mincemeat of a neophyte yearning for a "collegial atmosphere"? An anti-Pelosi buzz surely is rooted in a disinformation campaign inspired by outsiders to persuade Dems to throw away their own midterm triumphs. Let's not be fooled by the SF address, either -- Pelosi is the daughter of a Baltimore mayor/congressman who grew up watching political strategies unfold at the family table. Stay focused, Dems.
19
@ijarvis
I agree with Jeff here. I think a new generation of Dem leaders is critical to moving the party forward, BUT, right now, right this minute against this Republican gang, I think Pelosi is the way to go. I believe she herself has stated that she sees her tenure now as transitional. And all the new people coming in need to learn from one of the best before they take over and take the party where they see fit. I don't believe these are times for changing too much.
13
@ijarvis
And when they are gone, exactly - or imprecisely, if that's the best that can be done - who will take their place?
Who knows where the Holy Grail of a collegial atmosphere is, so he/she/they can lead someone, anyone, to it.
Whose leadership rarely plans faultily and does not need correction for myopia or other deficiencies of the vision a polity needs to survive?
Understandable to want to throw the bums out - and turn over of the House is evidence of such eviction's having been begun - but isn't a call for a new generation of leadership, without a whole lot more - just another truism?
If someone's got that whole lot - like the Nixonian Plan to end the Viet Nam war, revealable only after the election - let's have it 'cause this election is over too.
2
Democrats need a strong team for 2020. It is beneficial to all Americans if the Democratic Party runs strong viable candidates in all positions. I voted for Obama in 2012, Trump in 2016 and will not be unhappy to vote for a good Democratic candidate in 2020. I’m sure many Americans feel the same way.
Since when did it make sense to respond to how someone is mocked by the opposition, if that person has been effective? The key to this is as it always has been: Get the best, most effective person for the job. The person who knows the ins and outs of how the system works. That is, without a doubt, Nancy Pelosi.
3
Ms. Pelosi is hated by the republicans because she is effective. Her vilification by them is one reason why I want her to be the Speaker. Do not let republicans determine who speaks for Democrats. Nothing that republican party do or say is in anyway beneficial to Democrats. Use your heads.
5
Dems are their own worst enemy. If they don't pull it together Trump will be re elected
5
Experience matters at this juncture. Democrats have a thin margin of power right now and we need legislative skill to get anything done (or to prevent Republican mischief). A nit picking note, however - Ms. Pelosi is not a boomer. At 78, she must have been born in 1940. Let's say she's a wise elder.
1
I don't believe that Pelosi would still hold her position if she were a man. She is the first person in history to hold her party's leadership position when they lost control of the house. Time to allow someone new take the helm. The problem with having a woman in power is that we are never allowed to remove her. See Theresa May, see Angela Merkel.
6
We are going to beat our selves in 2020. How much more evidence do we need before we accept that identity politics don't fly for most Americans. Sure, colleges and universities obsess about identity, lifestyles, and "diversity" (but not diversity of religion - no Christians - or political views - you can be a Democrat, a social democrat, or a Green, all else is hate speech) but outside of the Bay Area and off Manhattan or off campus - this is just not going to win votes or persuade people.
11
Like it or not, we wouldn't be here today without Nancy Pelosi's leadership. Nor, would we be able to lead and be successful for the next two years, without her.
Anyone new who thinks they can supplant her at this point in time, and be equally successful, will be sadly mistaken. It takes time to learn how to operate in this chamber.
There will be plenty of time for the next generation of leaders to learn their trade to then be successful. Until then, it is time to unite the Democratic Party, to be able to succeed to regain what the GOP and Trump have stolen, and their attempts to decimate our democracy, and turn it into an plutocratic, oligarchy.
This is the House of the People, and it is time to return it to the people, and take it back, and sink Trump into own swamp!
2
As the mid-term dust settles, it is troubling to see the Democrats worrying about optics instead of substance. The perception of the optics debate is that the governing agenda is not one for the entire country but certain groups. This is the historic undoing of the coalition that gives the Republicans electoral victories. For the record I am a Democrat who believes it is time for a new voice and a new generation of leadership focused on bringing us together as an entire people. I care little about gender, color, orientation or geographic region.
3
Guess what? When interviewed, the newly elected said that addressing the concerns of their constituents is what got them elected. Not whether they were for or against Pelosi. Local issues over national issues
5
Republican representatives vote for Speaker, too, don't they? If so, then she has the votes. "Better the devil you know ..." will be their mantra.
@HKGuy I think all Republican Representatives should vote for Ocasio-Cortez. Maybe enough Democrats would vote for her as well and we could get a sneak peek at the dystopian future Democrats want to drag us into.
2
Gender is cover for keeping an old white woman in power. Not all women are created equal in America. Color aka race is the American fulcrum. About 95% of black women voted for Hillary. While 54% of white women voted Trump.
3
Pelosi has lost it. Al Sharpton did not save the country...unless he surprised us by paying his federal taxes.
4
What really rankles is the quotation from Rep. Rice:
“What I don’t appreciate is putting a lot of our new candidates who happen to be women in the position where they are forced to break a caucus rule and then be accused of being anti-woman,” she said. “These are all strong, intelligent women who got into a race who had never been in politics before and won really difficult races, and they should not be disrespected that way.”
Boohoo. How dare anyone put newly elected representatives who are women in a difficult position. O, the nerve. And to accuse these women of being anti-women. My god, the disrespect!
Meanwhile, of course, some of these same women---are you listening, Rep. Slotkin?---imply or state outright that somehow Speaker Pelosi is too old for the job, has achieved little in her time at the helm, and, apparently, is unacquainted with kitchen tables. And to top it off, Rep. Rice has the chutzpah to suggest that it's Speaker Pelosi who shows disrespect.
Talk about snatching defeat from the jaws of victory, well, Democrats have a lot of practice at that.
2
Just to get it all out there up front, I am a white male 66 years old.
This isn't about age or sex, it is about moving on and letting others take up the reins.
Ms. Pelosi has a distinguished career and if she had any grace she would realize there is nothing wrong in letting others take up the cause.
The problem is she just doesn't have any new ideas as to how to move this country forward.
Once again the Democrats are going to shoot themselves in their feet and give the Republicans more ammunition to continue to turn the clock back in this country to some imaginary time they all hallucinate about.
2
It's clear the disease of "but it's my turn!"-ism has a stranglehold on the Democratic party. It cost them the last Presidential election, and it will continue costing them until they wake up. When they get back to first principles and realise it's paramount that best qualified and most effective leaders that need to be placed in the key positions, regardless of race, gender, age, sexual orientation etc. They might even have to consider middle aged straight white guys! (gasp --- what a subversive thought...)
6
Without her, "President George W. Bush could not have secured the bank bailout he needed to halt an economic free fall" ...
and Governor Cuomo is an ally ... (yes, the guy who just gave billions to Amazon to open an office)
Welp, I know where I stand, and so should every non-corporatist democrat in this country.
4
It is time for a change!
Why taunt middle America by shoving Pelosi down our throats?
She represents everything that they want to get away from!
We want 2020 hindsight to show democrats learned something.
Now is the time to move beyond the past! Please!please! democrats move on.
3
The argument that a certain job should be done by a woman is an argument -against- gender equality.
(The exceptions being child bearing and breast feeding.)
3
I don't understand the anger of some Democrats against Nancy Pelosi. She's good on the issues, experienced, and has been a very effective leader both as Speaker and Minority Leader. Republicans have spent years demonizing her because that's what they do. Democrats should not help them with this by tearing down one of their own. A good compromise that everyone should support is Pelosi as Speaker for one term with the young energy into the deputy positions to learn from the experienced pro.
118
@Frank Roseavelt Because she’s not really so smart or much of a leader. Remember her words: don’t worry about reading the ACA, just pass it then we’ll read it.
4
Nobody’s tearing down one of their own. There’s a lot Pelosi can and should do. Being Speaker of the House is not one of them. She needs to step aside for the same reason Biden, Hillary, Bernie, and Warren need to. They all can bring in tremendous donor money but they are old, out of touch with tens of millions of voters, and aren’t dong the future of the party any favors by taking leadership positions from those more representative of the future .
2
@Sean EddyAlthough if Ocasio-Cortes is thecae of the future, we're in deep trouble.
6
So she's been good enough to be speaker until now so this seems silly.
2
What Dem. reps should do is to make a deal with Pelosi: she gets a speakership for one year. That year should be used to bring a new generation of people into the leadership. At least get rid of the Hoyer and Clyburn now, and bring in younger generation of Democrats. We need to keep in mind that Congress hasn't been in Democratic hands since 2010 and Pelosi, Schumer and Obama deserve the blame for this. And instead of learning, they keep trying to shove a new cadre of centrists down voters' throats. If the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different outcome this is the proof of that. And instead Democrats refuse to change. They keep going after corporate cash, the game which Pelosi had mastered. They just refuse to accept the changed world because corporate cash feels so sweet. Democrats need to get back to their roots to again compete with GOP effectively instead of struggling in every election.
1
“But she has long been caught in a Republican campaign to vilify her, and after tens of millions of dollars of Republican attack ads caricaturing her as a San Francisco liberal, she has become a polarizing figure.“
With the beginning of that sentence as context, the end of the sentence is puzzling. Saying Pelosi has “become a polarizing figure” implies she’s the cause of the polarization. But tens of millions of dollars spent by the Republicans is the reason for any polarization, not Nancy Pelosi.
So why are Dems falling into the trap laid for them by the racist misogynistic Republican attack machine, financed by the most obscene concentration of wealth and power in our country’s history? It would be an incredible victory for them if the Dems cast aside a woman who is widely acknowledged as the most effective speaker in at least a generation.
7
Those crying out for change had better be careful ; new blood is fine but they need to remember the other side is also full of old horses that have refined the art at sticking it to the Democrats . She may be old to the likes of Tim Ryan but she has the experience and has fought the battles they haven't . That is why the Republicans have vilified her , they are hoping their campaign against her will bear fruit . Don't go back to square one please . Buying into the old centerist , ageist , attitude shows a lack of critical thinking and more of ambitious self serving political immaturity " of time for a change , in with the new out with the old " shooting yourself in the foot . Hold it together Democrats .
2
Considering the many victories Nancy has had as Speaker it is beyond the pale that she would be opposed in her last assignment before retirement.
All the seemingly logical or strategic arguments to replace Nancy are smoke screens for covering personal animosity. Some members simply don’t like her and are too cowardly to tell the truth that they are making a personal decision not a logical one.
Personally I can’t believe Nancy has put up with all the animosity in congress over the years and not run from the place screaming!
4
I’ve read this book before. And I didn’t end well the last time.
Pelvis has presided over a decade of failures in both the legislative and electoral sense. She doesn’t merit keeping the job regardless of the number of X chromosomes she possesses.
Quite predictably, the Democratic Party, and the "liberal" media, are preoccupied with sex and race. Of course, issues of war and economic equality are the sorts of nasty things that might ruffle a campaign contributor's feathers.
Just as Imelda Marcos was not progressive because she was a woman, Nancy Pelosi is not progressive because she is not male.
She became speaker riding a blue wave of rage at the Iraq War. When she ascended to the speakership the Democratic Party could have stopped the war in Iraq; all it had to do was cancel the funding for the war. Democrats said throughout the 2006 campaign that they wanted to end that war. In 2007 they had the power to do that.
And Nancy Pelosi, and her fellow phony liberal Democrats, did not do anything to end that war.
She is the personification of so many of the reasons why I voted for Bernie Sanders.
3
GAME CHANGER
Most Americans voted democrat because they disliked Mr. Trump; frankly speaking they don’t care much about the DNC, but in the next two year this sentiment could change in either direction. Americans are urgently seeking change and anything contrary to it is toxic. Unfortunately, democrats seem to be circling forever around two remarkable women with a lot of toxicity, Hillary and Nancy Pelosi. Only Ms. Pelosi remain, and she must forgo the speakership if democrats wish to win with the same coalition of voters the general election in 2020. There are more than 200 house representatives who could rise to the occasion and become a game changer against Trump. Democrats are going to need a FIGHTER is they wish to take back the White House. Ms. Pelosi and Senator Chuck Schumer are not a match to Mr. Trump.
Yeah, playing the female card, I can understand the temptation but when I heard people being critical of Pelosi, it wasn't because she was a woman. Not once. My 65-year-old sister-in-law from CA made this argument last month, men can't stand to see women achieve. I calmly reminded her that I have been saying for a year that the Democratic Party needs to move away from their iconic figures like Hillary (and Bill) Clinton, Pelosi, Sanders and Biden. All good people but time to let go and advise from the back bleachers; perhaps serve as ambassadors.
What we need are good folks in the 40's and 50's and 60's. Key word, Folks. We have plenty of them.
But Pelosi wants the power. Like most of our leaders, she is surrounded by a paid and fawning staff. Under her leadership the Dems lost the House two years into Obama's reign. Then it took 8 years to get it back. Not sure you call that effective leadership. The Republicans walked all over our democracy during that period and if they didn't have Trump the loony-tune as a leader they would still own it.
In two years she will be 80. Did you want your grandpa or grandma running things when they were 80. Did you even want them behind the wheel of the car driving the family around? No, better off in the back seat occasionally handing out sage advice... But then Pelosi has no intention of ever looking like your Grandma... Maybe that is part of the problem... The big Ego. Everyone sees it and mistrusts it...
6
Nancy is smart, she knows what she's doing, how the House
of Representatives works and SHE GETS THINGS DONE.
She is FABULOUS and we are lucky to have her leadership.
2
I agree with the newly elected Representatives from California who said now is not the time for squabbling; there is work to be done. Nancy Pelosi is smart, resilient, experienced, knows what works, and can get things done. Don't buy into the nasty Republican spin. Keep Pelosi as Speaker.
7
I'm a Californian and Mrs. Pelosi offensively swore to work with Republicans in bipartisan leadership. Bipartisan and Republicans are oxymorons and Nancy is way out of step to this this dillusional approach will reap results. The republicans wasted years of non productive bills against ACA to repeal, weaken, constitutional suits - about 71 attempts. And Nancy sat on her thumbs. She has proven to be grossly unqualified to be speaker.
Side stepping the gender questions, which I agree should not be the arbiter of who is the best choice for the speakership. I think the best thing for Democrats for right now is for her to remain as the speaker with the proviso that she steps down before 2020. My reasons are, that with all these rookie representatives coming in, there is no better teacher to help them learn the nuts and bolts, including the art of political maneuverings as a caucus. In doing this, I think Ms. Pelosi has to be very open with them and she should listen to their ideas. There is a lot of really bright, fresh people coming in and their energy and intelligence should be welcomed and employed. I also think that those who promised their constituents that they would not support Ms. Pelosi, should honor their campaign pledges and keep faith with their voters. No one has the caucus skills and parliamentary knowledge to replace Pelosi right now. But the fact is, and she should recognize this, is that she serves as a lightening rod, undeservedly in my view, to the political right. They have assiduously ran the same type of dirty mis-information campaigns agains Pelosi as they have against HRC. Unfortunately, this is one of those times when the stakes are high enough in 2020 that maybe she should step down to remove that thorn from the foot of the conservatives, whatever they are these days. . . . Or maybe the best thing is tell them to shove it and win 2020 anyways.
I am infuriated by the efforts to replace Nancy Pelosi, and despite claims to the contrary, I think these efforts are both ageist and misogynistic – and play right into Republican hands. What is the number one policy issue on the lists of every Democrat and his or her constituents? Healthcare! And without Nancy Pelosi’s herculean efforts in 2010, there would be no Affordable Care Act – the first step on the path to universal coverage and Medicare for all. One comment here criticized her for being so successful at raising money – that money should not play such a big part in our political life. Agreed – but at the moment that is not the case and money still plays a huge role in winning elections. How many e-mails have you received asking for money in support of efforts in Georgia and Florida, for example, to keep counting votes or to challenge Republican efforts to shut things down? An article in the Huffington Post quoted Marcia Fudge as indicating that “one of the reasons people don’t like Pelosi is because ‘they see her as elitist. ‘And I think to some degree she is,’ Fudge continued. ‘She’s a very wealthy person. She raises a lot of money from a lot of other wealthy people.’” Well, yes, she’s wealthy – and she could easily have stayed at home in San Francisco eating bonbons for all these years; instead, she has spent most of her adult life in public service. What an elitist! (See comment above re the raising money issue.)
1
"Ms. Pelosi is a history-making figure in Washington. She held the gavel from 2007 to 2011 and is considered by both Democrats and Republicans to be the most effective speaker in modern times."
Nothing more need be said. That should be enough.
114
@NK Thank her for her service, make her an emeritus adviser to the new speaker and move on. It is a new era and time for an entire new team. Those of us in our 70's should recognize that we should relinquish the reins, and that holding on past our "buy-on" date is not productive to long term success of an organization.
5
@NK Notice that absolutely no one is quoted in that paragraph. Instead that line is only attributed as "they say". Its a straw man argument, empty and meaningless.
What is does point out is that she's been clinging to power for over a decade, despite leading her party to historic losses of over 1,000 seats.
Stop dismissing any and all criticism as a Russia conspiracy. Or since the "it was Russia" rhetoric has proven ineffective, now its a "Republican campaign" as the scapegoat du jour. Its not.
There are serious criticisms from Democrats and especially progressives. Ignoring them and returning to business as usual means returning to losing as usual.
2
@NK- Nancy is a gift to this country. We should be
grateful that she is ready to take over the gavel and
leadership of the House. She will help save us from the
damages foisted on this precious country by trump.
1
I kind of want a large number of long term, older politicians to just...go away. Retire. They have been in office since the 1980s or 1990s in most cases and are up for full pension if they didn't run. They have long neglected the states they represent, and have coasted on fumes and past glories for too long.
Both parties need to understand that this is a monumental transition taking place in our society - the longer they continue to stand around bickering and refuse to acknowledge the world is not shifting beneath them both, the more irrelevant to the public they become.
6
She appears to have now stepped into that arena that the Clinton's are in. Losing support in her own party by a rising progressive base that is desperate to move on and to win.
Sadly, she makes more money for the Republicans than she wins progressive hearts, souls, and votes.
Making way for progressives that will actually excite a grass roots base to win in 2020 is not a bad thing.
If Pelosi needs to step aside to get the Democrats in the WH, then so be it.
9
There is this rather ancient cabal around the planet that hangs onto its power and privilege for dear life.
In Britain the Stepford Queen totters around the place while her 70-year-old son (who was a visoinary and environmentalist in the days when that made him "crazy" to the public) waits to come into his own place in the world.
And it's certainly not because Elizabeth is particularly intelligent or far-sighted or wise. One can only conclude that the role of queen means more to her than allowing her son to fulfill the role he has been training for all his life.
I feel the same about politicians like Feinstein, Pelsoi and Schumer. Instead of stepping back and offering wise counsel to new young leaders they have helped to develop, they hold on and on and on.
Power at their level apparently is more addicting than the average person can imagine. And clinging to power, whether in Asia, Africa or America, is not good for human societies and for human civilization itself.
4
I don't dislike Pelosi. She's relatively moderate and pragmatic, and has been effective at raising money and at managing the House Democrats. But maybe it's time for her to step aside and let the next generation of leaders rise. She can still have a major role as an advisor, matriarch, and mentor to the new generation. She can still be consulted for major decisions. But - and maybe for no fault of hers - she has been painted as a divisive San Fransisco liberal. We need more involvement from folks who are younger and motivate the younger generations.
4
All Democrats should be glad that Nancy Pelosi is still there, willing, and able. This is not a question of making some generic choice between age groups or sexes, but of choosing whether to benefit from the leadership of an incomparably capable individual or not.
The young lionesses of the House will get their chance later — if they’ve got what it takes to keep winning re-election and to make a legislative difference in the meantime. For now, they should be willing to focus on proving themselves stalwart.
As for Pelosi’s position as a target of Republican attacks, that’s similar to the position of Obamacare. Republicans have their reasons for trying to produce a conditioned negative response to the mention of her name, but Republicans’ reasons should not motivate Democrats’ choices.
4
I'm in favor of Pelosi for probably the most important reason of all: the next two years are critical to answering the question, "do we still have our democracy?"
Given the way the GOP drives the Washington noise via the loudest mouth in that city, indeed the world, I want someone with the knowledge, temperament, and discipline to execute Democrats' most pressing agenda now that they have finally won power back.
And yes, the discipline to see whether or not impeachment should be the first thing Democrats pursue--frankly, I hope they hold off and get the timing right on this one.
5
@ChristineMcM
Outstandingly pregnant observation. Good work.
Right now, we need an experienced steady hand on the wheel. Literally, the future of America depends on it.
However, there is some wisdom in the criticisms of Pelosi. I humbly suggest that the party mandate a formal program to identify and nurture Democrats of all ("all" being a larger category than "both") sexes and ages, along with a program to develop their assets and skills for the future, both long and short term.
These should not be cookie-cutter selections, but rather assessments based on a variety of skills. Obviously Ocasio-Cortez would fall into this fast-tracked group. At the moment, she's still too inexperienced, and it's unclear how her philosophies would play out in the "great swamp" (where it gets dark early) over time.
Who knows where the future goes? But regardless of where the national political environment goes, it will be of immense value to have alternatives for party leadership and top-level candidates for president, senate, and mentoring roles.
Use the organizational skills we've developed for our professional lives to direct an effective approach to our political lives.
Because of very effective longterm planning by Republicans, we're facing a continuing future of outright criminal theft, supported by armies of the mindless undead.
By building training and recruiting capabilities along with skills development, we can create a resource for every step of the future.
1
I would be willing to support Ms Pelosi if she would get a bill passed to impose term limits on all House members. But they will never vote Yes on that idea. Elected public officials should not be able to run for office indefinitely.
5
@Fred Gotta amend for something like that to be implemented. An amendment is drastically harder to overcome than an "ordinary law".
I'd be in support of term limits for the upper and lower houses in Congress, and a term limit for the Supreme Court as well.
4
Nancy Pelosi should step down and encourage other democrats to lead for a real future, not unconscious establishment types lining each others' pockets. Washington culture needs to wake up for a better future and a mobile society instead of sidelining it for toxic controlling interests.
Doing X to get Y is not bipartisan planning, it is called bribery.
Pelosi would have to show vision of a new kind. And she'd have to be transparent. She really is not the engenderer of this Blue wave, but wants to both benefit from it, and stifle it!
Also, hand it over to the wrong people; compromise a better world; remaining as an obstruction to really dealing with climate change, engaging local economies and communities, with a new approach to sustainable and non toxic markets and industry that doesn't hedge on losses to democracy, communities and the environment. We do need much more creative directions. The fat cats have wrecked a lot. Very long list.
They're good at calling names tough...."socialists"
In a hyper complex world, we've got a dumbed down approach and most Americans know it. The dog eat dog version is pathetic. We need really smart transitioning leadership, and a civilized passing of the baton to shake loose byzantine legislative hierarchical money making schemes; and revolving doors of thinly disguised greed.
Nancy Pelosi, Thank You for your service, but please gracefully and courageously step aside.
9
What diluted fools. Baby boomers are as arrogant
as ever. We voted for change. We want a new generation, no matter the gender, not the same old same old, so please get out of the way. Pelosi and all her lieutenants, boys and girls, have to go. All them show no sign of mission or class or appreciation for anyone of a younger age. They have no idea of what our needs are and I cant begin to tell you how many of my friends cant stand her and these so called demi-gods. Even in this article, it’s incredible the chauvinism expressed by these elder female representatives. It is obnoxious and degrading to what the democratic party stands for and has become.
And who cares what support Pelosi gets from Light weight Al Gore and all those old retired pols. And now look! OMG she has the backing of Amazon Cuomo, the creep and Lord Governor. He can’t even keep his lies straight and should be recalled for his backroom deal with Amazon; a completely undemocratic maneuver, a grand mugging of us New York city voters and New York state taxpayers.
But hey, this is the monied class and company Pelosi keeps. As such, here we are now, a new generation that will have to fight with both hands: one at the neck of the Nationalist Republican Party and their Leader Trump and the other at the neck of Pelosi with her lieutenants and the old stale do-nothing DNC. It’s gonna be a long strange march to 2020.
14
They are all the ‘moneyed class ‘ now. No room for regular people anymore. Thank SCOTUS and citizens united.
1
“There’s plenty of really competent females that we can replace her with,”
This has got to be the dumbest thing I've ever heard, even if it was potentially a joke. I don't care if you are a man or a woman or neither. I don't care what race you are, or what religion you follow. I want the best person, the most qualified person, the person who is most likely to serve the United States of America with honor, and who will most benefit the people of this nation to be entrusted as the speaker of the house. If that candidate is not a woman, so be it.
5
This is not so difficult. Go Nancy! She has the leadership and knowledge. She can groom effectively others to take this role after she retires.
7
@Beatriz
But it is so difficult. She’s 78, when is that retirement going to happen? Other people have knowledge and leadership, why don’t we give someone else a chance. I always enjoy when people go on and on about how they’re so irreplaceable. Thank god for Nancy Pelosi, otherwise the sun wouldn’t have risen this morning. It was her behind the scenes glad handing and arm twisting that got that lazy star to do it’s job and shine down upon us. Now be appreciative folks without Nancy no sunshine!
Get rid of Hoyer and Pelosi. Let the 40 somethings become the leadership. It is about age but not gender. And it is only about age if you are too centrists and compromised like Hoyer and Pelosi. Bernie was so independent and progressive and un apologetic his age didnt and doesnt seem to matter. Theirs does. She's not inspiring in the least.
7
The best candidate for Speaker of the House will be whomever has the ability to build consensus for impeaching Trump.
3
Blatant misogyny just like anti-Hillary Clinton ideas.
6
LeBron James and Michael Jordan are considered the greatest basketball players of all time. Imagine if the opposing teams conducted a public campaign against LeBron and Michael equivalent to what the Republicans have done against Nancy Pelosi. In my wildest dreams I could never conceive of their own teams contemplating benching these players. Pelosi is a proven winner who has, with great dignity and political brilliance, delivered historic legislation for the Democrats and, more importantly, for the nation. Democrats, get smart and stop dithering. Let Speaker Pelosi do her magic.
8
I fully, strongly and enthusiastically support Nancy Pelosi for Speaker of the House. Pelosi’s a party leader with the policy positions, experience, skill, grit and know how to get things done. The Republicans have been attacking her to try to derail Democrats, and anyone who believes their smear campaigns is misguided and giving away a strong leader—falling for Republicans’ propaganda. Fight for Pelosi; fight for the Democratic agenda—and that’s exactly what she’ll be giving her all to do. For all of us.
6
@Margaret
But she won’t be fighting for all of us. She’ll be fighting for voters like her: old, white, and out of touch. I prefer my fighters younger and more reflective of the actual voters who elected the blue wave.
To transform their new majority into long-term dominance, Democrats must pass legislation on healthcare, climate change, infrastructure, bolstering Social Security and Medicare, etc, that responds to strong demands of the electorate.
Nancy Pelosi is the best person to make this happen. What will the GOP Senate do when faced with well-designed and popular legislation? Vote it down? How stupid could they be? If the Senate passes it as well, would Trump dare veto it instead of being able to claim a "win" that he will doubtless try to take credit for? This will be interesting, but we must have the most competent and effective leadership.
5
It nauseates me that the Republicans get to set the agenda by demonizing Pelosi. I fully support her and a 2020 succession plan that favors younger members and a fresh view of politics.
10
I find myself being of two minds on whether Ms. Pelosi should become the next Speaker.
I am of two minds on the question of whether Nancy Pelosi should get the Speakership.
Part of me strongly belives the Democratic Party desperately needs a new public face, and Nancy just reeks of the same old same She is seen -- fairly or unfairly -- as a Clintonian, DNC party apparatchik.
Many Democrats don't want to hear this, but many of the newly elected Democrats were able to win this time around because the DNC largely stayed out of the way. But the entrenched gang who form the leadership structure of the DNC will want to assert control again in the next presidential election, and with them will come the kind of top-down model of political organizing that has served Democrats very poorly nationwide over the last decade..
On the other hand, when it comes to doing the day-to-day work of a Speaker, the real nuts and bolts of the jobI think she has been one of the most competent Speakers -- in terms of her ability to count votes and to deliver her caucus -- in recent decades. It's not a job that just anybody can do, and I'm not sure who else out there could do it as well as she has done.
But she is such a lightning rod . . .
4
Totally agree. For the next year at least she should remain Speaker. But by 2020 she will be the target of Trump and will become so hated it will be Hillary all over again. The newly elected should definitely be heard and their ideas incorporated. The next Speaker needs to be able to overcome Trumps propaganda machine and keep the Democratic message on course.
As usual, Pelosi is all about Pelosi and her place in history. It's time for her to step aside and support, mentor a more progressive Representative.
4
As a woman of 64 and a career professional sensitive to both the symbolism and substance of getting more women into leadership positions, I'm deeply offended by the argument that Pelosi should be speaker because she's a woman. The party has plenty of skilled, talented women: it doesn't need to resort to a figure distrusted by too much of the party membership. It's irritating to find my support solicited this way. Clinton tried this same cruddy tactic and it failed.
Please get a clue, House Democrats. What we want and need to defeat Trump and his ghastly "movement" is skilled, inspirational, visionary leadership that can redeem a party that has too long has treated its voters like customers, to be haggled over like market shares - i.e. Pelosi's style. We need leadership that raises our heads, affirms our ideals and aspirations and galvanizes a rebirth of energy toward improving lives and mending our country's torn fabric. If that leadership comes from a woman, great! But to elevate a woman as a symbol of values is very different from truly prioritizing and operationalizing those values.
Pelosi offers nothing in this regard. Praise for her is almost exclusively vague allusions to "experience" and money. But she brings the wrong kind of experience. She will smother the party's energy just when it's facing its first chance at renaissance in decades, the energy launched by Obama and sabotaged by the GOP. Forget the gender card. Give us the leadership we deserve!
111
@Virginia
I agree the Speakership should not be handed to a figure who is simply symbolic. This applies not only to Pelosi whose stature you see only as being female, but also to the several contenders who's basis is the vaporware of inspiration.
I do not agree that Pelosi "offers nothing". Just read Paul Krugman's "Who’s Afraid of Nancy Pelosi?" where he delineates why he regards her as "by far the greatest speaker of modern times and surely ranks among the most impressive people ever to hold that position." Why? Because she delivered on Obamacare, financial reform, stimulus to stabilize the economy preserving jobs, establishing the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and more. As he said, "It’s quite a record."
This is not to argue that it should be Pelosi now and forever. A successor must be groomed but for the remainder of this distasteful presidency I want the most able Speaker to counter, cajole, and co-opt that devil in the oval office. I believe that Speaker is Pelosi.
11
@Virginia. What's the progressive Dem argument against Pelosi? There really isn't one; she out there on the left where she's always been. The argument that support for Pelosi is because she's a woman is a canard; she's simply the best PERSON for the job because of her experience and because she can mentor the next generation of leaders within the party. (If anyone needs to go it's Wall Street/FaceBook Chuck). It's sad when your own people swallow Republican smear tactics hook, line, and sinker: https://bit.ly/2D5MiXs
9
Great pitch with sound points. We, the dems, don't have absolute control of anything right now. The party, like the entire country, is fragmented and needs guidance from strong leadership. A more centrist move may even draw support from across the isle. Any old, or fresh face that can unify the party needs to be welcomed or the perceived gains will be lost. Even better if that individual takes up the banner and leads us "into the light".
2
Nancy Pelosi has a 30 year history of playing identity politics to the detriment of the Democratic Party. We are at at time in history when being a woman is not a good enough reason to hold any job. Hillary's defeat clearly demonstrated this. It's baffling to me when we have a raging misogynist in the White House, one who 53% of white women supported in the last election, that Democrats are actually wringing their hands around the importance of having a woman as the Speaker. While she may be credited for holding the job, she has done nothing to groom a female successor--and their lies her biggest flaw. If she were really committed to women's empowerment, her number two or number three would have been female. People need to stop with the Nancy Pelosi is an awesome speaker trope--it's a flawed argument that obscures an unpleasant truth.
5
NO the debate has not become charged over gender, that is a canard to distract from Pelosi's unfavorables - her age, her poor speaking skill, her attachment to corporate donors, her war funding, her ego. NO the fact that she fund raises does not qualify her for the Leadership, it disqualifies her.
Pelosi bad for the Democrat Party BECAUSE she's the top fund raiser. She works for those donors, not the people, everyone knows it, and that's why people who could do not vote. This is manifest in her recent speeches where she says they'll "lower" healthcare costs. What is she going to say she'll raise costs?
People want single payer she won't utter that phrase, and a Democrat Party that offers that will stampede voters to the polls and change the party to progressive. Pelosi's donors know this, and have prevented her from going there. She is unqualified to be Leader of the Party, she ought to in fact be running as a moderate Republican.
5
Seems to me that Nancy Pelosi is getting the same treatment that Hillary Clinton has been getting. It starts with the right wing creating negative press and then certain elements on the left taking the poisoned bait. Plus ça change. It's totally ok for the freshmen to not vote for Pelosi, but I hope that every single Democrat understands that they need to circle the wagons and protect their own, instead of bashing each other and splitting the party in full public view. That should be the huge 2016 lesson I hope they learned. All that public venom only helps the GOP. I hope they can stow their egos and purity tests for the greater good of governance that benefits the many, not just the few.
6
Being an older, professional woman, it really does trouble me that those of us who have moved things forward, opened doors and paved the way might be pushed aside. I think it's really very important to let the freshman members have a lot of influence. It's their future. However, by all accounts, Nancy Pelosi has been an amazing and effective leader. Women get pilloried for that. She has been competent and effective, and a favorite target of the dope-in-chief. I really believe this is an age/sex issue. A man of her stature and competence would be respected and celebrated. Let's start to give that respect to women. Please
123
@Mary I am also an older professional, al though a male. I respect what Pelosi has done in the past. However, she is a tool of the "Corporate" old school democratic establishment. She is not trusted by a lot of progressives.
I do not care if leadership is male or female, it needs to be Smart and forward thinking, pushing the agenda that will bring Democrats together. Not some one beholden to the Corporations and the Rich, and lining their pockets at the expense of working men and women. To much to ask?
8
@Steve
Actually, it may be. Idealism does not work all that well in Washington. Unfortunate, but true.
1
@Mary "Women get pilloried for that." I could not disagree more. Really good leaders of either gender do not get pilloried for being really good leaders. They get followed. It is part of leadership that people get challenged for the leadership, if the current leaderinstills confidence they will remain, if not, they get replaced. One thing is clear about Dems, whether or not Pelosi is the problem or part of it, the Dems have leadership problems. Right now, Schumer is a way bigger problem than Pelosi in my view. You can't get rid of that guy fast enough. Completely ineffective.
1
Ms. Pelosi should step aside if there is someone better than her. Otherwise, nobody is "entitled" to her job simply based on their age or sex.
6
Yes, she’s been targeted and attacked by the conservative(?) hate-machine, similar to how Hillary was made into a monster, but/and it’s time to pass the gavel on to a new generation. It’s hard to step down, I know.
2
Who would want to be remembered as the leader of the Democratic minority leadership under Trump?
History won't be kind to any of them.
1
Pelosi is a powerful *person*. Period. Her gender is irrelevant. She didn't get where she is by being nice or particularly emphatic. She got there by fighting bare-knuckled battles.
Keeping her in that position because she is a woman is insulting. It's as misguided as supporting her because she's female. She's effective. That's what she is, and that's what matters.
3
@AACNY
Wow, a rational comment. Well done.
They’ve attacked her because she is successful and effective. Why change now?
2
Give me a break Dems. The only reason Trump said Pelosi should be speaker is because he knows that will be divisive and fire up the right. Get smart here.
1
Wait, gender? I thought it was sex. Or is her gender the same in this case? I’m so confused.
This shows the complete absurdity of this obsession over identity politics. We can’t have the best person for the job! No, why on earth would we want that! It has to be a woman because she’s a woman.
3
I am a democrat, but this political correctness drives me nuts. The fact that an article can be written in the New York Times making the assumption that if not Pelosi, of course it needs to be a woman, is ridiculous. Imagine if this was reversed? Male or female, white, black or purple, it needs to be the best person for the job,
Personally, I think in the last Presidential election the voters rejected the same old same old and Hillary Clinton was one of a very few candidates who could have lost to Trump. Dems, let's learn our lesson and bring in some new blood...without a debate on sex, race, religion, etc.
5
@Mind boggling
Little known fact: the speaker of the house needn't be a congressperson (although this option has yet to be chosen).
If you're looking for something really different, with an interesting take on political correctness, be aware that Don-Don is about to fire Kirstjen Nielsen (currently Sec'y of Homeland Security, formerly yclept "Ilsa-She-Wolf-of-Immigration-Control") for not being sufficiently fascist.
Strike a blow AGAINST political correctness, and FOR accross-the-aisle handholding by appointing her Democratic Speaker. THAT'll get their attention.
God, we live in interesting times.
Who else in the Democratic House caucus can stand up to Trump tweet for tweet, day by day, hour by hour, and issue by issue — and give him nightmares about committees, questions, subpoenas? Not Tim Ryan, not Seth Moulton, not anyone mentioned as a candidate. Get real.
1
The loss of Democratic state legislatures wasn't because of Pelosi. In 2010, conservative political strategist Karl Rove laid out a plan to win majorities in state legislatures across the country. "He who controls redistricting can control Congress," read the subhead to Rove's column in the WSJ: http://www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2016/07/19/gerrymandering-republicans-redmap
The Republicans' Tea Party-fueled surge in 2010 was perfectly timed to coincide with the decennial census. The plan, dubbed REDMAP for Redistricting Majority Project, hinged on the fact that states redraw their electoral maps every 10 years according to new Census data. REDMAP targeted states where just a few statehouse seats could shift the balance to Republican control in the crucial Census year of 2010.
That plan worked spectacularly. It's why today Republicans have a majority in nearly two-thirds of the country's state legislative chambers.
Then, through a very disciplined strategy across every state, corporate-funded American Legislative Exchange Council, (ALEC) global corporations and state politicians vote behind closed doors to try to rewrite state laws that govern your rights. These "model bills" impact every area of American life and often directly benefit huge corporations. In ALEC's own words, corporations have "a VOICE and a VOTE" on specific changes to the law that are then proposed in your state. They just held their 45th Gala at the Trump Hotel...
WAKE UP. Read: www.alecexposed.org
57
She didn’t cause it but you can’t just give her a pass for being asleep at the wheel while it was happening.
4
@Sean Eddy
Right. It's all Pelosi's fault. The men had nothing to do with it. /s
4
@Sean Eddy So she not only has to run the House & be effective in an underdog position, which she was, but she must manage all the different states?
And who of these wanna be leaders did that in even their own states???
3
The newly elected Democrats just need to get to work . The leader is only as good as her membership. Do something and prove yourselves. As far as Tim Ryan and the others you too need to get to work . Ohio is Trump country, find ways to make to turn it blue. Take some responsibility and don't fall into the trap of ' oh it's because Nancy Pelosi is so establishment'. Be the change, baby. Be the change!
2
I'll use as an excuse that I'm an outsider to ask - can Ms. Pelosi not preside as Speaker until after January 3, but retire before the next Election?
At that the latter time, a new Speaker, likely younger, might then take-over giving the Democrats the best of both worlds.
1
And it would force Trump and the GOP to come up with a new strategy. They would have to change ammo. Need someone who can show them up with common sense and relatable real life experiences, with a good dose of passion and strength behind their words. Pelosi and Schumer speak as if they are in the pews at church. Need a Speaker who is at the pulpit
@Karl Gauss A Republican will remain Speaker until the end of this session.
Nancy Pelosi, please just go home. The Democratic party needs to give the younger generation of an opportunity!
6
If she makes Republicans angry, I’m all for her.
2
Sure, cave to Trump before we even start. Why don't we dig up Neville Chamberlain to be Speaker?
2
Nancy Pelosi ought to be speaker. Just because she lacks some superficial finesse, with a little awkward laughter and similarly awkward hand gestures, she should not be put down, humiliated.
She has accomplished a lot so far. And she has no plans to continue the speakership after this term. It's unseemly that a handful of rebel House members, more of them newly elected and maybe full of themselves.
3
Replace Pelosi, Dems, and see where that gets you. May as well try to impeach our poor excuse of a president, too. Pelosi's the best you've got and this country has had its fill of chaos.
1
Pelosi and Hoyer are 79 and Clyburn is 78. The numbers speak for themselves. People's views are developed from their life experiences and the House needs a wider range of top Dem leadership than three persons who will be 80 when this Congress wraps up in about 2 years. Just like there needs to be a mix of races, sexes, points of view, there needs to be a range of ages for the Dem leadership. Not everyone needs to be under 50 or over seventy. Age is the only determining factor, but it is an important factor to consider. Personally, I feel Pelosi has been blasted by the Repubs because she is effective. I think it's time for Steny Hoyer to stand back or perhaps Clyburn.
2
I'm not averse to change in leadership AND I think timing is everything. The Dems have been out of power too long. I'm in favor of allowing the experienced Pelosi right the ship. Win again in 2020 and I look forward to the new generation taking the lead.
4
@ata225
Yes, it's called Speaker Emeritus, and that's what she should've become years ago in order to mentor fresh leaders. Same with Schumer, Feinstein and all of the other long-term members of Congress who are now completely out of touch with the ecenomic and philosophic realities of the majority of Americans in the middle, working and lower classes.
10
This is a test of whether Identity and Gender politics trumps political priorities and competence in the Democratic party. Is the Democratic party more concerned with winning and getting things done, or with making appropriate gestures to the appropriate audiences? There's only one correct answer for those outside the liberal elite bubble.
3
According to opensecrets.org, in the last election cycle Pelosi took over three hundred thousand dollars in campaign donations from health workers and the insurance industry, most of it PAC money. Small wonder, then, that she has chosen to focus on reinforcing the ACA rather than getting behind Medicare for All. ACA doesn't threaten the health and insurance industries' rice bowls, it fills them. Medicare for All, that's another story.
With enough Democratic representatives opposing her to speakership to keep her from it without wooing Republicans, it seems clear what she needs to do. Peel off the necessary number of votes by promising to get behind Medicare for All. Prove that she's with the American people and the majority of her own party in the House, not with her donors who capture 6-8% of the GDP as an unnecessary rent that could be better spent on other sectors of the economy. There is not a doubt in my mind that if she did that, she would lock up the needed votes and be elected speaker. But even if she doesn't need to do that, it's still the right thing to do. It's where her party is, and where the nation as a whole is quickly heading to.
4
The Speaker of the House does not actually have to be an elected Representative. If the Democrats so choose, they can make Howard Dean or Hillary Clinton House Speaker.
Both of them would do a fine job getting the agenda through and reaching out across the aisle.
An added benefit of having Hillary as the Speaker is that she would be in line to become President if both Donald Trump and Mike Pence are impeached and removed (no small possibility).
That it would drive Donald Trump bananas is all the more reason.
3
Then I vote for Al Franken. At least for outsmarting the GOP. An Oprah or Obama for hope and inspiration, and a Beto to ring in the future.
1
@Nate Hilts Your fantasy reminds me of the words of Christopher Hitchens who noted that our nation is divided "...between those of us who think that a job must be found for Hillary Clinton, that the country would be somehow disgraced if she wasn't in an important position, and those of us who could do without her."
The election ended 737 days ago. Deal with reality or we'll get Trump a second time.
https://emcphd.wordpress.com
1
Pelosi was an AMAZINGLY effective Speaker. But it is time for our party to move on to a new generation of leadership, both here and 2020. Do I know who? No. Is the change for ideological reasons? No. But we need new blood.
2
My biggest concern with keeping Pelosi at the helm is that, despite their good intentions, dems are leaving swaths of the country behind, who then become defensive and reactionary, or unenthusiastic in their support, or even enthusiastic in their opposition. This can be said about a lot of Dem policies and positions and some things are worth fighting for, but dems have been failing to explain why their positions are important. Its why they keep losing or barely winning when by all statistical counts they should be doing better.
How this relates to keeping Pelosi on as speaker is that dems are wrapping it up in a discussion of gender and misogyny when voters overwhelmingly want a change in washington. The misogyny here is real. The voters who became outraged by the "unfair" treatment of Kavanaugh decided senate races in Republican's favor across the country. The misogyny here is real, but to produce change the dems need to bring people along. A realist may note that's not happening. Its why DT is in office.
1
Pelosi biographer, Marc Sandalow a former San Francisco Chronicle writer, often pointed out that she was Nancy D'Alesandro, before she she married. Her father, Thomas D'Alesandro, was mayor of Baltimore, and later a member of Congress. She learned to count votes at a young age. If she says she has the votes it is a done deal.
I am a former constituent and her staff was great. I would like to see her become speaker and then announce transition plan with her successor in place by early 2020.
10
Democrats should also be calling for Hoyer and Clyburn to be ousted. They, and Pelosi, have all been in power since something like the equivalent of three or four presidential terms. If Pelosi cared about the party, she would have invested some time and energy in bringing along a successor, but she failed to do that. It strikes me as being all about ego and legacy for her and her team. It's time for fresh ideas and new leadership.
1
Pelosi's experience is crucial right now. But, at the same time, it's arguably time to make way for the energized next generation. How about the best of both? Pelosi could declare now that this will be the last time she'll serve as Speaker and in two years or less, she'll step aside.
We just got past midterms & have a long hard road ahead.
All the new young representatives will be learning on the job the first year.
Let's keep our lights on making acreal difference in 2019 & looking to win in 2020.
Meanwhile we have 2 years to find, promote & prepare a new strong leader. If a real candidate with political chops emerges, Pelosi cab always step down. This woman has been serving forever & I think she'll make the choice to step down accordingly.
The alternative is appearing weak to GOP & who needs infighting?
3
The question is whether any of her challengers are actually qualified for the job. Are they willing to do the constant work, travel, and fundraising required. And do they have the political experience and unflappable temperament needed to tangle with McConnell and Trump.
If Pelosi wins the majority of her caucus, she’s the presumptive Speaker. If people refuse to support her when it goes to the House floor, they should reconsider. House freshmen who have to satisfy an election pledge are more understandable. But the incumbent Democrats opposing Pelosi are almost all from relatively safe districts. That’s just sour grapes.
6
There are many arguing that Nancy Pelosi has proven herself by winning Democratic control in the House. For starters, I would argue that the 2018 win was in spite of Nancy Pelosi, not because of her. Vast numbers of Dem candidates had to distance themselves from her. That said, even if you give her this win — under Nancy Pelosi’s tenure, House Democrats have run for election 8 times, they have lost 5 of those times and only won 3. The math argument doesn’t add up.
2
She can be of a lot of help to the new generation of elected people with all the experience, connections, and intuitive knowledge of inner workings of the House, and she doesn't have that many years left to be in the way of the revolution. She was a Speaker and effective one. Her main nemesis the-other-Ryan already lost his challenge to her by 2:1 2 years ago. She and Democrats should be looking into her replacement in the future as she is indeed old, but to deny her speakership now for any Democrat would be absurd and petty.
3
The year of the woman and the Dems control the house.
Now is NOT the time to replace Nancy Pelosi as Speaker.
She is the only one who can keep the caucus together and has the experience and smarts to deal with Trump.
A new inexperienced, very left leaning individual as speaker will get rolled by Trump and the repubs.
Now more than ever, the dems need a capable leader.
Let the would be candidates learn for the next two years.
4
Ms. Schakowsky called the attacks on Ms. Pelosi by her male colleagues “sexist,” saying they are not pushing to oust longtime male leaders like Representative Steny H. Hoyer of Maryland, who is running for the No. 2 job as Democratic leader, and Representative James E. Clyburn of South Carolina, who is running for Democratic whip."
Exactly. And both of them are older men too, but no one is supposed to mention that either. I do think to an extant that those who oppose Palosi are beliving the hype the GOP has, her being too liberal. Or not liberal enough, but as her supporters say would we have had the ACA and the stimulus if she hadn't been Speaker. Even the GOP thinks that. No one can have it both ways, least of all Pelosi's opposition.
5
@Andrea W.
Whatev replace them too. Has nothing to do with gender. Those posts aren’t the speakership, which is why I personally care less about who is in those. I understand they are powerful positions in their own right, and they do not possess the power and symbolism of the speakership. Pelosi could be the no 2 giving wise counsel to a speaker who more reflects the voters. Except her own ego wouldn’t allow that!
Strong opposition by the Republican party is not grounds for unseating Pelosi. This is a time when the House Democrats need to be especially effective in contending with the Republicans. Pelosi has the experience and the know how to lead the Democrats effectively. This is not a good time to go shopping for an amateur party leader, whether she be male or female or none of the above.
5
Am having a difficult time with the notion that Ms Pelosi is a corpoate Dem and not a progressive. To paraphrase Jesse Unruh, she can take their money ... and vote against them in the morning. ( See other readers' comments about her legislative record as well as the source of criticism.)
2
There comes a time for a leader to leave gracefully. Whether Tip O'Neill, Newt Gingrich, John Boehner. It's about a need for change. Not about age, race or gender. Pelosi has accomplished more than most of them. Still. It's time for a change.
2
@Carol Colitti Levine
Thank you for this comment. Leave gracefully, what a novel concept!
This is a terrible straw man argument which should removed:
"is considered by both Democrats and Republicans to be the most effective speaker in modern times. Were it not for her political skill and keen strategic sense, they say"
The rest of the article is far more substantive without it.
1
This job is really important, the speaker will be the next President as both Pence and Trump are out. To have Pelosi as President is having the establishment run the country for the 1%.
Change does it mean the same old bunch
Any elected democrat that seeks to appease the republicans by sacrificing our most effective weapon- Nancy Pelosi- on eve of the victory that she engineered deserves to lose their next election. I will walk away from the Democratic Party and I will have no part in helping them if she does not regain the speakership
Having enmity of the Republicans is the clearest sign of how valuable she is to us. Only people who don’t have any clue on how to actually use the office they’ve just been elected to would see any different.
4
@Dani Weber
Wow, she engineered it all! Must have been eating her wheaties, mall walking up a storm to get that done all by herself. Good for her, fending off those whippersnappers to deliver us this victory. Eyes to heaven, people, eyes to heaven. An angel walks among us.
This is not the time for on-the-job training for neophytes. The Democratic majority leader will have to call on skills and judgement not developed in the context of local government or non-government positions. Please, Democrats - stop the infighting and give Pelosi the leadership for the next two years! Trump will destroy everything if the House can’t put the brakes on him. Wake up! Idealism is a luxury. And any woman who says that gender isn’t a factor isn’t paying attention.
5
Funny. As an older white guy with a business background, I'm supposed to be a poster-boy for the anti-Pelosi movement.
To the contrary, I can listen to her all day. She is measured, articulate, informed, and rarely lowers herself to the level of the average in-the-gutter GOP rantings.
In short, I find her as impressive as any current politician outside of Barack Obama.
7
The problem right now with the Democratic Party is that if you criticize a woman that you are anti-woman or anti-feminist. Pelosi was an effective leader, yes, but the best of all time or of recent memory? Too much hyperbole. How about Sam Rayburn or Tip O’Neill? Fresh blood is needed and fresh perspective-male or female. The party needs to be energized and activated. The same old won’t suffice. The stakes are too high now.
1
This isn't going to help us win any moderates -- the idea that we MUST pick a woman.
What ever happened to meritocracy?
4
The Democrats lost the Presidency, Senate, House and a 1000 seats nationwide. In any system, other than this undemocratic and authoritarian one. Pelosi would have been gone years ago.
4
I thank Ms. Pelosi. Time to be the mentor,and let the next generation step up.Lots of great ,new faces that have current connections to many voters,understanding what their concerns are.
7
Does experience not count in such a vitally important position? Man, woman, young, old, white or person of color; what matters here is experience.
1
Democratic leadership of the house tends to be determined by seniority. This is only one of the difficult issues facing the Party heading into the 2020 elections. In addition to constantly having to defend Nancy Pelosi, the party either comes across as tired and lacking new ideas, or the ideas they come up with (e.g., abolishing ICE) are easy targets for the carnival barker in the White House. That being said, now is not the time for the democrats to behave like the Israelites, while in the desert, who rebelled against Moses. Her caucus needs to be focused and disciplined if it's going to put up an effective challenge to Trump. To not return her to the speakership would be handing victory to the republicans.
By the way, I’m not clear on why she’s been made out to be the villain that the Republicans run against. To me, it seems it started when she was first elected speaker in 2007 and its because the Republican Party needs to put a face on the enemy party. It doesn’t help that she is a woman from San Francisco. That said, she raises a lot of money for the party and she does seem to be good at herding the cats. I think even she realizes that she’s not helping in elections (she’s planning to step down) and in the interim, there is no real alternative.
10
Pelosi is vilified because she’s a powerful and extraordinarily effective leader who refuses to be silenced or “put in her place.”
1
@Robyn Short
Or cause she’s a corporate lackey.
1
The GOP and current focus of Trump have been successful in ruining Pelosi to the average American. I fault the Democratic Party for not pushing back the repeated smearing of Pelosi. I can't tell you the number of times I had to say that I don't support open borders or want to be Venezuela. I'm just one person in the party. I didn't hear any strong denial that the party doesn't support open borders. Our message will be drowned out if in 2020 they keep hammering on the Pelosi propaganda
I see both sides here. It is time for new blood and fresh ideas. Those will be supplied by the new members of Congress. The history of the US Congress, though, goes back nearly 250 years. It is hidebound, with many inscrutable and/or obscure rules. One reason why the Tea Party caucus was so unsuccessful initially was that none of its members knew how to maneuver in Congress. Anyone who thinks they're just going to march into Congress & change it overnight has a tenuous hold on reality.
Yes, Pelosi is a centrist, possibly a corporate centrist. Centrism per se is not such a bad thing, because it implies that you understand that the country is full of voters with highly varied opinions. Legislating for a country of some 350 million people is not a simple process. Pelosi's experience can help. But being a "corporate" centrist turns most younger voters off, because we remember how the big banks, insurance companies, & other corporations were bailed out at taxpayer expense, while millions of average people lost their homes or went underwater on their mortgages.
The Democrats have to understand that they cannot continue to side with mega-corporations & expect to keep their seats. We need a party that will fix the ACA, cut back on their outsized political influence of the rich, & do many other things. Some of it might happen with a centrist, but none of what is really important will happen under a corporate shill. Pelosi has to decide if she's with the people or against them.
80
@Allison
Pelosi is not a centrist. She is a California liberal. Ohio sees this, why can't you?
3
@Allison: "Donc, vous cherchez midi a quatorze heures," that is to say you are asking for the impossible, that Dem. Party stop siding with mega corporations! Where do you think its campaign contributions come from, monies that enable the left to remain in office? Truism that "money is the mother's milk of politics,"and when is the last time that a poor man or woman ran for office, or could not depend on Super Pacs and chambers of commerce for their political survival? Recall JFK's remark about John Connolly, former Texas governor and presidential candidate but who came from a hard scrabble background that no sooner did he become involved in politics that he started wearing $300 suits when $300 was a lot of money!As l'Oncle RAOUL(Salan)would say if he were here today, with all the fatalism of the Far East where he had spent decades defending the Empire, "c'est ainsi!"
@Commie Pinko: Good point. Pelosi is a fibber, saying "n'importe quoi n'importe comment!" And she insults our intelligence, as in the remark that "We have to pass the Affordable Care Act before we find out what's in it!"Thereupon, when it was passed, she proceeded to EXEMPT 100 businesses in her c.d.from having to comply. Is Signora Pelosi, "Barry," as Dowd calls him, are they subscribers?ACA is a good thing if you are an "indocumentado"or broke,, but not a good thing if you r middle class!Now she commends REV.SHARPTON for saving America?" Another fib! Can't blame her for wanting to stay in the game, relevant. Father, seagoing butler, worked on private yachts, NATAMOR if anyone's interested, was active until several years before his death.NATAMOR combined first three letters of Natalie Forgash with first three letters of the owner and her husband, Morris Forgash who treated my father well.Don't suppose that factoid would be of any interest to folks nowadays. Forgash, who popularized container shipping passed away in 1967. Still have a copy of Mrs. Forgash's poetry, "Reflections," by Natalie Alexandria FORGASH! She wrote well.
Nancy Pelosi has been a great asset for the Dems. For a long time. That longevity has become a liability, wether this fair or not.
So, if she really cares for the causes dear to Liberals and Democrats at large, she should step aside and let younger leaders take the lead cary the torch of progress she no longer represents but still holds fear.
11
who else has the gravitas and experience
to tamp down the radical leftists who
are taking over the different committees?
all we need is a blitz of subpoenas from
Nadler and Watters and Schiff to turn
Trump into a victim of democratic spite.
they had better get things done or they
will seem like more of the same old same
old. they need to wait until Mueller issues
his report before they go on a fishing
expedition for everything in creation.
don't attempt to impeach Trump,don't,
for the love of God, reopen the Kavanaugh
fiasco. work across the aisle to achieve
results on health care and DACA reform.
spite is no strategy. Pelosi gets this and
will be able to enforce discipline.
9
Pelosi has been a classy Team Blue leader for a long time. Rather than play musical chairs with the speakership, Democratic freshmen need to find some comfortable chairs and get ready to read all the material Mr. Mueller has piled up for them. Pelosi is no egotist. She'll step aside soon enough. Now is a time for unity.
17
There is also the hope that Trump and Pence are ousted soon. the next in line is the Speaker. Pelosi knows what she is doing. Sad that dems are falling for the Republican demonization of her.
5
Pelosi is seasoned legislator and an effective negotiator whether we like her personality or not. The important thing at this moment is to build a strong and effective counter to the madness of king Donald. If that takes having a Speaker who is less than ideal but strong, capable and predictable, so be it...for awhile. Clearly, the Dems need new blood, fresh ideas, and true charisma along the lines of an Obama or Kennedy-like individual. If they only came around regularly.
5
Rachel Maddow hit the nail on the head when she pointed out that Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., was re-elected minority leader with no problem although the Democrats lost 2 seats possibly 3 in the Senate and could not flip the Senate.
Yet over at the House the Democrats picked 35-40 seats, flipped the House and Leader Pelosi is given a hard time to get re-elected.
What's wrong with this picture? Shouldn't it have been the opposite where people ask for new leaders at the Senate and reward the leader at the House.
Plus thinks about it, if both Trump and Pence get impeached or resign, the Speaker of the House is third in the line of succession. I think Pelosi has the experience and what it takes to be president in that scenario. (She was instrumental in getting the Affordable Care Act passed in the House.)
26
Nancy Pelosi didn’t have a darn thing to do with winning the House. Heck, she couldn’t even campaign for her colleagues. No Dem would even say her same, much less let her in their districts. We rank and file, everyday Democrats voted in the House majority in spite of the drag from Pelosi. Her biggest fan for Speaker now... Donald Trump.
6
A perfect example of the effectiveness of the GOP propaganda machine. Hillary, Pelosi, Maxine Waters. They label them, lie about them and never let up. Look at how fake news is believed and real to so many. And without proof. Pelosi will never be able to shake it
1
I’m a life-long Democrat. If Pelosi Is the most effective House Speaker Democrats have ever had, no wonder the party has been stumbling around in a desert for the last 40 years. The only thing she managed to do in the last 20 years was pass a Republican devised healthcare plan and bail out Wall Street, the entity responsible for the near Depression.
12
@DSD the most effective Speaker of either party, Republican or Democrat.
2
Does it just have to be about gender? Does it just have to be about whether Pelosi keeps the gavel or hands it to someone else? I am uneasy about all the black and white arguments.
There are many other forces in play here. Yes, we should have new blood. Yes, Pelosi should have mentored new people earlier. At the same time, the Trumpers are responsible for giving her a bad name (just like with Hillary).
What about a new model? Can't the democrats both embrace her and show her the door? Figure out a way to keep Pelosi as the official mentor (but with no power) to a new speaker. I don't care if the new speaker is a male or female (I'm female and a democrat). Democrats in the House still have lots to learn from Pelosi in terms of skills and strategies. Why not pick a fresh face, but only after creating a system where she can remain as the mentor to pass along all of her skills?
6
San Francisco didn’t “hire” Pelosi to be someone’s full-time “mentor”. (It sounds like being a powerless pretty face and we know Pelosi is the expert path finder. This fools no one.) Someone other than Pelosi needs to know every rule. Every caucus. Every faction. Every trigger jargon that instantly leads to “no”. What one thing is most important to all Dems (healthcare for ALL or ICE). Be able to focus and execute. Expanding health care and taking over buying medical drugs
To lower the cost of treatment and make sure people get the special drug they may need.
So I think that means I don’t like the power behind the throne scenario. New members should be looking for opportunities to be around Pelosi, learn the rules, and contribute while learning.
I know your opinion is offered in good faith and thanks for posting it.
3
Yes, it's called Speaker Emeritus, and that's what she should've become years ago in order to mentor fresh leaders. Same with Schumer, Feinstein and all of the other long-term members of Congress who are now completely out of touch with the ecenomic and philosophic realities of the majority of Americans in the middle, working and lower classes.
2
@Anika Glass
Well that settles it. If San Francisco didn’t “hire” her to be a “mentor” then I’m out. Thanks for bringing this heretofore unknown nugget to life.
1
Come on, Pelosi. You've had your turn. Let the younger generation have a shot at leadership.
Mentor them, yes, but surrender the limelight to America’s future.
This has nothing to do with sexism or ageism. (I'm 70 years old and have supported women's causes for my entire adult life, starting with my wife of 48 years and continuing with my strong, independent-minded 41-year-old daughter.)
The central issue here has everything to do with training the next generation of progressives. If Democrats want to boost youth participation in politics, if they want to capture the imagination and energy of America's youth, then Democratic Party leadership needs to empower someone other than the same old political hacks, year after year.
The Democratic Party stiffed Bernie Sanders during his presidential run and in the process alienated the young people he had inspired. How many times do you think you can do this to young people and hold on to their allegiance, their willingness to act, to participate? Pelosi is proving to cynical young people just how broken and corrupt our political system is.
20
@Dennis
Thank you for this comment. You get it. Hopefully you can persuade more of your fellow boomers of this wisdom.
Despite whatever benefits and skills Pelosi brings they need to install someone else as a means of breaking the hate momentum and name recognition accompanying Pelosi. She is great at what she does, but it is crucial that the dems succeed in 2020. Installing Pelosi as speaker is a gift to Trump and the NRA.
4
Pelosi and others... why do they cling to powerful positions? Why aren't they willing and eager to give others a shot at leading? We need new voices and younger ideas to propel the nation forward.
Aren't we tired of being mired in our past yet?
3
The next two years will be some of the most important days Congress and the nation have seen in some time. This is not the moment to go all cockeyed unfocused indulgent millennial. There's no room for a "whoops, sorry" Berniecrat socialist. The party has been lenient, too much so, with that element. No more trophies for simply breathing, kiddies. Time to say "Thank you, Nancy" for doing the mature, professional hard work of corralling Dems in the House and fundraising to get more of the kiddies elected so they can gain some much-needed experience and bona fide time tested credentials.
7
@Maggie
Well oh my gosh, these pearls of wisdom just drip from your tongue. Hey quick question: if you had a life threatening illness and two doctors are standing in front of you, one age 33 and the other age 78, which one are you trusting to get you through? You might want to apologize to the millennial first. And btw Bernie would be president if the DNC didn’t stab him in the back with their shenanigans on behalf of Clinton. Trophies for breathing, that’s what boomers have gotten every day of their lives. Better be nicer to us young folk, we’re the ones who do all the work around here!
The new members of Congress should remember it was Pelosi and her generation that pushed for equality and health care for all. They would not be where they are without Pelosi and her prodigious fund raising. Elect her, learn from her experienced management, and then let her hand the speakership off to the next generation in an orderly and respectful way during the upcoming Congressional session. If for no other reason, Pelosi deserves to bang that gavel loud and clear just to remind Republicans that Democrats are BACK.
10
@MCV207
They do remember. We remember her bailing out Wall Street bankers (her donors) at the expense of the American people. We remember her latching onto a republican devised healthcare plan (unveiled for the first time I believe by governor Mitt Romney in Massachusetts) to stave off true healthcare for all, again at the behest of her corporate masters I mean donors.
Stop letting Republicans define the narrative! The ship of state is heading toward an iceberg. This is no time for newbies to practice their sailing skills. We need an experienced captain at the helm. It behooves Democrats to tell their representatives to support Nancy Pelosi.
14
While I believe Nancy Pelosi should regain the House Speakership;there is no doubt the proverbial ground-game has forever changed in dealing with the GOP.
Mrs. Pelosi's apparent belief there can be compromise and working with Donald Trump is a fool's mission.
A true test is in the making; the so-called criminal justice reform that we are being led to believe (NYT Article and others) this president is on board; the U.S. Justice Department (sans Jeff Sessions) is still a department with deep discriminatory underpinnings. The entire sentence structure in the U.S. requires an overhaul as long as people of color are overwhelmingly sentenced with felonies when an option of a misdemeanor is simultaneously applicable.
Allow Nancy to be a figurehead Speaker if necessary but the days of tacit (and foolish) bargaining with the current iteration of Republicanism- is over. She will either be an asset or she will moved out of the way by Democrats elected to be the change voters expect.
There are a few issues that both parties can agree on and that's what she is speaking about (infrastructure, lower prescription prices). Criminal justice reform wouldn't even be on Trumps radar if not for Jared. It's his baby due to his father spending time in prison, and it doesn't hurt that it is the current cause of the Koch Brothers. Whoever is Speaker has to balance a look of working with the other party, enacting legislation that improves people's lives, while sticking to getting to the truth of Russia, Trump, and all it entails
I'm not really sure all that it is that Nancy Pelosi does....but I have no doubt, that she does it very, very well. She advances the goals of her (our) party. Consider first that the Republican Super Pacs spent a least a whopping 1.5 MILLION dollars in attack ads during the recent midterm elections. Most of us know that Nancy was not on the ballot this election. And yet, the super pacs were willing to starve their own Republican candidates of funds in lieu of attacking Pelosi. ?? Why is that, you might ask.
That, my friends, is what fear looks like. When Trump says he hopes Nancy prevails, what he is really saying is, OMG, please don't let this Woman win the nomination. When Trump recommends Pelosi for speaker, it is because she is precisely person he does not want to see standing across from his desk, with her demands in hand.
I want the Speaker of the House to be the one they spent the most money to STOP.
7
@jack
You know a million just doesn’t stretch as far as it used to. Now in the 1980’s that’s when a million dollars really meant something! I want the speaker of the house to reflect the voters across the country that put Democrats in position to pick a speaker. To each their own, I suppose.
Nancy Pelosi was SILENT during the mid terms -- when we need a strong Democratic leader …
That's because she is a terrible leader, and is easily caricaturized by the far right to show it.
I begged my Democratic Congressman not to vote for her -- noting having her was FAR more damaging than me contributing more money to the democrats.
It is disgusting, Ms. Pelosi will not step down for the good of the Democratic Party. Can't stand her. One of the FEW things I agree with conservatives on.
4
Oh god no. How can she not see that the people want the opposite of what she represents: change. They demand progressive leader and instead got old school elite.
3
Nancy needs to move left a visible distance and bring along every one she can. San Francisco will support that. She needs to be doing negotiations within the ranks, explore and find the core. Then try pointlessly to get logical with Republicans.
1
need someone else. She is a Trump target to rile up the base. Time to change.
2
@MEH Anyone in that position is going to be made a target to rile up the base; the framing is conscious and calculated. It's a personal attack but is not actually about the individual.
1
So we’re not looking for the best person for the job... we’re just looking for the best woman for the job... Well done Democrats. And we wonder how President Trump got elected.
4
Gender should not be an obstacle to achievement.
Neither should it be a free pass.
4
I am neutral in terms of Pelosi should or should not become the Speaker but I do have problem with the following:
"But she has long been caught in a Republican campaign to vilify her, and after tens of millions of dollars of Republican attack ads caricaturing her as a San Francisco liberal, she has become a polarizing figure."
In fact, she has not "become a polarizing figure" but the GOP has succeeded making her look like a polarizing figure.
Furthermore, when it says "Some Democrats in swing districts won their races by vowing not to vote for her and calling for generational change at the top. For them, gender is not a top concern."
My question is the article knows that is a fact? How? We should not fall in the same claim something without evidence as the liar-in-chief does so often and so many times.
6
I wish Dems could stop aiding and abetting the Republican demonization of Ms. Pelosi. She may have been leader of the Dems in Congress for 16 years, but look at all she has accomplished (while being brutally caricatured as the biggest menace to America in history by Republicans). I think it is complete folly to replace her just when we most need a seasoned and skilled political operative in her position. But of course, Dems being Dems, they can't help but shoot themselves in the foot at the most inopportune moments.
8
What a shame that we would appoint such a divisive person as the Democratic Leader! I don't know how we move beyond the polarity and acrimonious behaviors in our legislative bodies but Nancy Pelosi is not the answer! Its not about her politics its about her leadership and she just doesn't have what we need at this point in time.
What I hate is that our two party system has turned our democracy into a farce. Our elected officials no longer represent the people who elected them they represent the party. The Parties have far too much power. In fact Pelosi's real power is in her money raising capabilities, she sure isn't a great leader. She will abuse her powers much the same way the GOP leaders have, by controlling reelection funds...
We have long passed the point where two parties can adequately represent all of the people in the US. Since the Parties are assuming control of our elected representatives we need at least 2 new parties to enable the negotiation and compromise needed to properly govern our country...
Oh isn't there a leader somewhere out there? Perhaps one will step out of the shadows before 2020.....
6
Additional parties will only dilute the will of the people. I feel much like you do. We need to get rid of Citizens United and all the PAC money and dark money. And call for term limits. Keeping their congressional job has become more important than doing what is right, and moderates are seen as traitors to the party. The consensus of the majority isn't being heard. Roe, gun reform, DACA, healthcare is going nowhere thanks to a minority with deep pockets
Nancy Pelosi has been "Hillaried" by the right for some time now.
Some of Democrats, especially some of the newly elected, are in districts that have enough Fox News audience that they don't want to be seen supporting Ms. Pelosi.
It is a shame that Democrats let Fox News determine their leaders.
4
Republicans demonize her because Pelosi is so effective. She can wrangle her caucus much better than Boehner or Ryan. She pushed Obamacare over the finish line. She raises a lot of money for democrats. If age disqualifies a congressional leader, then Mitch McConnell should step down as majority leader.
6
The article tells us, But she has long been caught in a Republican campaign to vilify her, and after tens of millions of dollars of Republican attack ads caricaturing her as a San Francisco liberal, she has become a polarizing figure." The Republicans will be absolutely delighted to have her dumped, as so many here support. So what will happen if you dump her and the Republicans continue to vilify every new Democratic leader you anoint (as of course they will) ? Will you continue to cave on every other leader who does not merit the support of the Republicans?
6
I am not a big fan of Nancy Pelosi, but I sincerely believe that the younger breed of Democrats are buying into the Republican narrative of Ms. Pelosi and not viewing her as the power that she has been for a very long time. Naivete with enthusiasm is exactly what the party needs an injection of, but from behind and not leading. It is dramatically sad that as the article rightly points out " a number of Democrats have said that while they are undecided, they have no one else to vote for. " The Democrats hold over 200 seats in the house, and no one else to vote for? Good heavens, with attitudes like those the House really does need a good cleaning.
74
@NYer: This "younger breed of Democrats" to whom you refer have not a great deal to say of substance, and have thus far provided no viable alternatives to Trump's successful economic policies and his opposition to open borders which for "les classes laborieuses,"represent lower wages all around. Cesar Chavez, a monument in the labor movement, understood how the game was played and had his supporters attack illegal immigrants because of the fear that when supply exceeded demand, workers suffered!Prediction that Ocasio Cortez's star will have reached its apex before too long, that her roots which lie not in the depressed neighborhoods of the south Bronx but in Riverdale, will be exposed, and that her utopian words about free health care, free college tuition , abolition of ICE and , I hear, US Senate, will in the end be ignored just as Sanders's program of free bies for everyone is now forgotten. "Plus ca change, plus c'est la meme chose" wrote the great epigramist JB Carr!
@NYer To me, the thought that there is no one else to vote for or take over is the strongest reason not to re-elect the Pelosi team. If there is no one on the team to take over, then that is a strong indictment of the lack of effective leadership of an organization.
1
I hope Pelosi wins but works hard to bring on new and younger leadership. That said, all the great ideas and passion in the world will only get you so far if you can't muster up the votes. Pelosi can get the votes and count the votes. Leave her alone for two years, with the understanding that she must train up and coming leadership. As for the up and coming leadership, they should be willing to learn; otherwise, they won't be around long.
10
Nancy Pelosi got the ACA passed.
After Scott Brown's election, when it was clear the Senate would not have the votes to pass a new bill that reconciled what was voted for in the House and the Senate, Nancy Pelosi got the Senate version of the ACA passed.
That vote cost many Democrats their seats, and Nancy Pelosi still got it done.
Their loss is not on her - if anything, it is on Obama, who maintained his personal popularity in part by acting as if he were above the fray, and refusing to come down squarely on the side of the Democrats, instead, complaining about partisan bickering, or people playing politics, instead of blaming Republicans for being obstructionist.
Nancy Pelosi delivered the votes for the ACA. Republicans campaigned against her because she is effective.
18
If she doesn't need their votes, I'm sure Pelosi won't expect the purple district representatives to vote for her. Part of her strength as speaker was protecting members from making votes that would get them in trouble. But as for those who don't think she's progressive enough, my first question is : Who do you and those purple district representatives think should be speaker?" My second question is "Do you want to win, or do you just want to look good? " Because if you want to win, you'll go with Pelosi. That said, I would like to see her start training younger Dems to take over. She's not going to last forever, and they could learn a lot from her.
10
Trump says she deserves it. He knows management.
1
Support from Trump? All the more reason to replace her.
3
That’s my concern. Having Trump in Pelosi’s corner should be enough to defeat Nancy right there. But if she is such a frat strategist, then Dems need to move out Hoyer and Clyburn, who are equally ancient. Dem leadership urgently needs young blood, and it needs to come from working-class precincts in flyover country. Representing upscale San Francisco and Berkeley, as Pelosi does, prevents her from understanding everyday Americans in her gut, her soul, and her pocketbook. New Reps, from Abigail Spanberger here in
Va, to Conor Lamb in Pa, won their races in part by promising voters they would NOT vote for Pelosi. Dems fail to hear that message at their own peril.
2
There's been a whole lot of losing on the Schumer / Pelosi watch and neither could honestly claim they helped the Democrats to win more than 'Trump being Trump'.
An ageing political technocrat is not necessarily a good leader or connected with the voters they need to influence.
At the very least Pelosi needs to be surrounded by and working with her most likely replacements on a day to day basis.
Hopefully the Democrats will find the visible and articulate leadership they so desperately need as they pick their presidential candidates.
78
@Richard Mitchell-Lowe: Nancy Pelosi is, to employ the words of Joseph Conrad, "defending her position in life!" Even as a septugenarian she wants to feel needed, useful, and if she were to retire, what would she do. Like Mick Jagger of the Rolling Stones said once when asked why at the age of 70 plus he was still jumping around the stage singing rock and roll songs more apporpriately sung by someone much younger, "THAT'S WHAT WE DO!"In other words, "retire to what?"Trump said it best:"To retire is to expire!"
1
Young women of the Democratic Party have met the enemy and it isn't Ms. Pelosi, it's the young woman looking back at them in the mirror.
8
The #FiveWhiteGuys hashtag is absurd. It represents those to the right of Pelosi who would like to see her replaced as speaker, but it omits the fact that many to the left of Pelosi - including Congresspeople of color - also think it's time for her to step aside.
FWIW, I begrudgingly back Pelosi for Speaker. She's been tepid on Medicare for All, and she folded on DACA without a fight. She's increasingly out of step with the party's energy and new blood. And let's not forget that the party's leadership is a gerontocracy.
Having said that, Pelosi is a skilled politician, and we're living in dire times, where the president and his party are hellbent in sinking the nation into oligarchy and authoritarianism. I see the virtue in having an experience veteran as Speaker, but as some have posited, this needs to be a short-term affair. She ought to commit to handing over the reins of the party after the 2020 election. And new, younger (and yes, leftier) Democrats ought to be put in leadership positions in this coming Congress. Steny Hoyer is never going to be Speaker or party leader - time for him to step aside and let the new generation begin to take over.
3
Pelosi raised money for the team and flipped the House. Ds need to learn to protect their leadership instead of running away from a fight. They hung her out to dry after the ACA passed and ran away from her. Now eight years later the ACA is popular and Ds got elected on it. Pelosi’s reward - dump her. REALLY! More Kudos for Pelosi and less ingratitude. Ds don’t appreciate a win for winning. Quite a contrast to Trump who claims winning out of losing.
15
Pelosi deserves the job.
11
Pelosi needs to go. Period.
8
Too bad. Ego over Party and Country.
8
The Democrats just did reasonably well DESPITE and AROUND Pelosi, not because of her. Now she's blackmailing the Party, insulting the new wave of young voters who want medicare for all (WHICH SHE WILL NOT MENTION) less Pentagon spending, and free college. She is absolutely unappealing in public, including now slurred speech, and does not draw one more voter to the polls, except Republicans to their side. She's Trump's House Leader of choice.
The Nancy Pelosis of the Democrat Party are why people on the liberal side don't vote. And I am on record, I will not vote Democrat if Nancy Pelosi, Wasserman Shultz, and the DNC rig another primary.
8
As a 73 year-old male, there is almost nothing I'd rather see than the younger cohort begin to take charge regardless of sex.
However, these incoming fresh-persons should learn their basic job first before dictating.
The other thing these "youngsters" might want to consider is that they could be assigned to sub-committees overseeing the endangered salamander and their 15-minutes will end very soon.
The one thing I'd rather see? A Democrat in the White House in 2020! Keep your eyes on the real prize.
3
You know, at first I was saying "move over, let the new talent with less political baggage have a shot at it"; then I realized she can play ball with the worst of them which is what we see in the GOP cowards falling in line behind DJT. Go Nancy!!!
10
The younger generations that venerate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg enough to turn her into a legendary feminist icon (‘Notorious RBG’ anyone?) would do well to contemplate Nancy Pelosi’s achievements and treat her with the same respect.
31
@Marie Actually ,Pelosi deserves more respect than Ginsburg, who failed to retire when Obama was president and the Dems held the Senate.
3
The time of the "Mommie" party is over. We need and want real change now, not hope and group hugs.
6
@Richard Speer And to get change bills have to be passed, and Rep Pelosi is a master at making that happen. That includes brokering compromises if that's the only way a bill will pass. If you want real change you need a Speaker with the skill and experience to help it happen.
I'm a 42 year old person of color living in the midwest. I consistently vote Democrat. Nancy Pelosi has done much for us and yet I'm tired of the gerontocracy that is house leadership. Fine, let's assume, Speaker Pelosi that you are the best leader, at this late stage in your career. Don't tell me how much money you can raise, tell me who you are grooming, who you are mentoring to be the next leader. Tell me it's a young woman of color. Tell me something other than its you, yet again.
11
If a majority of the Democratic Party majority in the House of Representatives is near-sighted enough to vote for Anybody But Pelosi because of her age or gender at this time in the history of this country, they deserve to become the minority again. And they sure as hell will.
7
As a 70 year old woman I applaud Ms.Pelosi for her accomplishments and her leadership. I believe forcing her from the leadership now is sending a message to the Republicans who demonized her in the media and on the campaign trail that they have won a victory. She should agree to serve as Speaker of the House for one year and then step down in favor of one of her younger colleagues who has shadowed her on the job for a year. After that she can devote her considerable energies to repressing her constituents and raising money for 2020.
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@West Texas Mama
That's a very nice gesture, ma'am, but as soon as a replacement is named, Pelosi loses all of her power. Politics just doesn't work that way. If we need new leadership (as you admit we do), it needs to happen quickly and cleanly.
3
@West Texas Mama
Ms. Pelosi stayed SILENT during the Mid Terms to try to save her seat. We need strong Democrats now, not someone who cares more about themself
Ms. Pelosi gives the democrats a terrible image.
@West Texas Mama I assume "repressing her constituents" was a typo? Or is it a Freudian slip. There was a time when we were well-served by that generation, but as the 2016 and 2018 elections showed, that time is past.
2
A good way to begin to stitch up the divide in Congress and make the Democrat Party less vulnerable to shots from the center and the right is to keep Ms. Pelosi from re-imagining the horror that was the Party under her prior control. That she seems incapable of realizing how "over" her time is pairs her nicely with HRC, who is similarly afflicted. And this pair won't beat any other hand at the table.
5
Time for new leadership, both Democratic and Republican.
Too many people don't like Pelosi-much like Hillary- and we know what happened with the latter.
It seems power is addictive and those who have it are reluctant to give it up.
5
What great news!
Like a number of Democrats, I believe it is time for a change.
Pelosi has had her turn and needs to retire gracefully and make room for the next wave of talented Congressman.
You know what they say about people who overstay their welcome (and skills)!
8
Kinda troubled by letting a failed campaign of GOP demonization determine what the Democratic party does or doesn't do. New representatives need to get on board and not imitate the Tea Party (from the left) or Hamlet (from the center). The proposed strategy--we can demonstrate she does not have 218 votes-- is a recipe for disaster. Any faction of twenty can play that game. A candidate needs to win the majority in the caucus first and then have the full support of the party on the floor. When the latter vote is held, the alternative will be the fella from Bakersfield.
3
With so many new inexperienced new Reps in the Democratic Party surely an experienced person should be at the helm for the first year.
The Democrats should get down to work and not engage in a messy internal fight as soon as they assume power.
7
If the manager of my team lost nearly a thousand games, that manager not only would lose their job, they’d never work again.
6
This nation still hasn't had a female president or vice president but Nancy Pelosi managed to become the first female speaker. She's smart, experienced and an inspiration to millions of young girls. Let her have the job again at 78 and work with her on laying the groundwork for a seamless transition to younger leadership. No one lasts forever. She knows that.
6
The Democratic Party needs to change and the Speaker is the next step.
A major reason for the party re-taking the House was the enthusiasm by young, non-establishment, progressive types in getting boots to the polls.
We progressives played a big role in last week's wave and now we demand that our concerns are heard, respected and acted upon.
After Sanders pulled out of the 2016 Dem race and threw his support to a candidate that the party establishment put up because it was "her turn", Clinton and Wasserman-Schultz completely shut out the progressive wing that played such a big role in getting Obama elected.
Had the party ran a non-establishment candidate, Trump would still be a reality show host.
I have zero confidence that Pelosi and her $26 million net worth is going to place working, struggling Americans' welfare above that of her corporate bed fellows.
5
If Pelosi is going to regain the Speakership, and there is a strong argument she should, then she needs to compromise and clear out most of the remaining leadership positions. The calcification of the top ranks of Dem leadership is one of the reasons the general population is uninspired by the Democratic Party.
5
Ms. Pelosi is smart, experienced, well known, and yes, clean. We know who she is, and how she has advanced the Democratic agenda. This is NOT the time to change, when she can be an effective counter to trump. She is clearly not afraid of him.I don't believe that anyone else can fulfill this vital mission.
Does she need to start succession planning? YES, but she is smart enough to realize this.
8
At 73 years old, I can proudly say that I have never voted for a Republican in my life. Now I would like to say that it is time for Pelosi, Biden, Bernie, and Hilary to step aside and let young Democrats lead America away from fascism and "the Trump era".
All of those mentioned above are too long in the tooth, and too much a part of the establishment to effectively bring new, young people from middle America, the South, and the Southwest to a progressive agenda.
Old politicians (in both parties) are just trying to preserve their jobs and their power. It is time for all of them to go.
5
Nancy Pelosi, like Hillary Clinton and Diane Feinstein, represents the old guard of the Democratic party. They are "damaged goods," and no amount of lauding of their past accomplishments will change that. When the Democratic party leadership ignored the groundswell of support for Bernie Sanders in 2016 in order to put forth their preferred candidate, they angered many Democrats who believed in Bernie's vision. It was not the Russians or the MAGA crowd who allowed Trump to win. It was the sanctimonious Democratic leadership who, in their hubris, forced a choice on the rest of us and expected us to simply accept it. (To be clear, I voted for Hillary Clinton, but I certainly understand why many did not or simply chose not to participate in that farce.)
Accusing those of us who advocate a change as sexist further divides the party. Perhaps there was some amount of sexism on the part of Republicans who opposed Ms. Clinton or who now oppose Ms. Pelosi, but the vast majority of Democrats would be perfectly happy with women in positions of leadership, as long as those women were not these old guard corporatists who forced Hillary on the rest of us.
We desperately need new blood to define a new vision for the party, to inspire young people to participate in the political process, to fight the Republicans tooth and nail at every turn. It is time for the old guard to step aside and let the next generation of leaders emerge.
9
@Jake Tuck I agree that Clinton is a corporatist and I hope we've seen the last of her. But is Pelosi Clinton, or even corporatist? Seems to me that Pelosi got the most progressive version of the ACA she could out of the House. It was the SEnate that couldn't pass a decent bill, and Obama made a deal with Pharma before even trying for something better. I'm tired of looking for the most virtuous Democrat. I want one that can beat the crap out of Mitch McConnell and Trump, all the while smiling and looking reasonable. I think Pelosi has the best chance of that.
6
@Jake Tuck Yup, Pelosi, HRC, Feinstein. Funny what they all have in common. Apparently Schumer, Biden, Obama and Co. don't deserve to be called out for being the "old guard" or for supporting corporate interests.
1
Before the election, I thought it was prudent for Nancy to step aside to present a younger, more vibrant image to the country. She refused, yet the Dems dominated anyway. Now that the task is actually governing with the majority, Pelosi seems the logical choice given her vast experience. If she doesn't have the votes she should step gracefully step aside. The worst case scenario here is a protracted fight over this.
3
I can't believe that the dems will put Pelosi in as Speaker! She knows politics but she does not know that the future does not need her. She is out of touch with the modern needs of this country and what it wants. Medicare for all and a movement of wealth down to the people. Gallop polling showed the people wanted health care, disparity in wealth and climate change to be extremely or very important to them for discussion during this last election. And gun control. Pelosi and Schumer never talk about those showing they are out of touch, bordering on corrupt because they cannot disappoint their donors who do not want any of those ideas to come to fruition. They need to go! We need modern thinkers in touch with the times and the needs of the world and America.
3
Nancy Pelosi is an unusual politician. She doesn't cultivate the press to get good coverage. She is not inordinately concerned with what people think of her except that she wants to be trusted. She has said as much.
She's "trusted" by friends and foes. Her word is good. That's key to her effectiveness...which is extraordinary.
4
If I were a Democratic member of Congress, the only way I would vote against Pelosi for Speaker would be if you could prove to me that our loss of the House in 2010 were somehow her fault. Conversely, she is the principal reason more of Trump's agenda was not enacted by Congress.
5
I believe we need Nancy, the best speaker in modern times, to get the ball rolling the first year. She could agree to resign after one year and be an advisor to the new speaker.
She has been demonized by the Republicans for years for one significant reason, she is highly effective and can get stuff done.
9
Being the House leader with Republicans in charge of both the Senate and the presidency -- complete with a cornered badger hunkered down in the White House fighting for survival -- is no job for a rookie. There is nobody on the scene other than Pelosi with the skills and experience to tackle this task. Fudge will melt under the hot glare. She would do well to parlay her moment in the sun into a minor leadership position where she can watch and learn.
6
Nancy Pelosi is a nice person and I admire her, but she should NOT be the new speaker. After 6 years of losing elections and winning one against Trump, she should be replaced by someone who represents the new Democratic party, has new ideas, and can win future elections. I cannot relate to Pelosi and I am a Democrat close to her age, so I doubt she can relate to most voters.
3
Relax, this is a healthy debate! Pelosi has done a lot of great things, but those in leadership should always be challenged to show why they should still be leaders. I'd like to see someone new, but they should be very, very qualified and not selected just because they are new. If no credible challengers emerge, then just elect Pelosi and let's get on with the real problems.
4
Pelosi doesn't know that Democrats in Alabama exist. Ditto for other Republican Party dominated states. I don't regard that as leadership. I want someone in a leadership position who understands that there are under represented Democrats hungry for congressional leadership who live outside of California. Why would we support someone like her? The fact is, we do not.
3
she is like Mrs.Clinton has to stop what she is doing and go to some think else, thank her for the job well done, but we need new faces and new ideas
2
Oh yes. Let's throw cold water on any excitement the Dems are building. I'm not saying Ms. Pelosi isn't qualified, but because of her age and instant negative name recognition she should be mentoring a younger, more energizing member of the House...especially going into 2020. Democratic Leadership, show me you learned something from the 2016 and 2018 elections!
3
Heard it all before. HRC killed it in the popular vote despite Russian interference but is really a polarizing loser who shouldn't dare to speak out or eye 2020. Beats Obama in popular vote in 2008, and instead of sulking about losing the nomination goes to work for him as a successful SecState after serving as Senator. But you know, she's just "entitled."
Usher in our next target. Pelosi leads an historic blue wave on an unexpected message (healthcare) but is labeled a "lightning rod" by both the left and the right. She's willing to raise the money that got progressives elected in the first place. She lays out an ambitious agenda days after the election. But she just isn't someone you want to have a beer with. She's too polarizing, too ambitious, too elitist, too rich, too old, too unlikeable to hold power. Her experience and actually wanting the job means she should not have it, regardless of her record. Sound familiar? Meanwhile Schumer has been in power for decades and there was no blue wave in the Senate - yet no one is calling him too divisive, too old, too anything.
Let's drop the pretenses around the vitriol. The names will change, but we will be having this conversation again. We need to stop telling accomplished women to just give up power, just because.
10
For now, the Dems need Pelosi's skills at getting things done, as with the ACA and many other major peices of legislation.
But it is true that younger smart people need to step up and need the chance to do so. The really good thing would be to bring a new person in to replace Steny Hoyer and let her or him learn the ropes before handiong all that power to them. dems can't afford to have an inexperienced person leading things right now. It is too critical a time!
But we don't need to continue to have all the leadership over the age of 75 and that's not ageism. It's just thinking straight (I am 80). And we don't need a bunch of old guys as candidates for president in 2020 either, but that's another conversation!
4
She had her chance, and it ended in 2010. I respect her, but it's time for the Dems to choose a new generation of leaders.
4
Celinda Lake's quote say it all. The Boomers need to get off the bus and out of the way.
3
When I see these politicians getting elected over and over and over again for thirty years, it makes me sickened at the process of our elections and our elected officials. Can anybody of either party ever get it? We want new people to get their chance. Nancy may be a virtual cash machine but she has already had the speakership. Time for someone else to be given the chance to be leader. Change is good for the party. What do you say when Mitch McConnell gets to be majority speaker over and over and over. Perhaps George Washington should have been president for thirty years. Political power for power sake is not right. Step aside ms Pelosi let the newer members lead.
2
2nd only to Hillary Clinton in the Republican vilification of female, Democratic politicians. They're quite skilled at that task.
So for 2020, raising money is now a bad thing? Please inform all parties.
The hatred she engenders says a lot. Pelosi for Speaker.
5
It appears to me that Moulton and other "change agents" are trying to take advantage of the Republican invocation of Pelosi as the devil to move on up. It's an attempted power grab. The lock her up chants regarding Hillary Clinton by trump's mobs has made Clinton persona non grata among some Dems as well. We are letting the enemy dictate who are leaders should be. Judged on the merits both of those women are smart, tough and capable. Pelosi should be Speaker.
5
After e few dozen ballots were discarded because the signatures of folks like Ocasio-Cortez did not match (she forgot the hyphen).
2
Ew, no. Who okayed this? Pelosi is far too conservative to be leading the Democrats now. We need real leadership.
2
@Randall We need a Speaker who can get all of the d Reps together to pass a bill. We need a Speaker who can broker compromises in order to get the main part of a bill passed. She is the best kind of leader for the actual job of Speaker.
Nancy Pelosi does herself no favors by acting so arrogantly. A little humility and understanding about why many Democrats want new leadership... or a clear path to new, younger leadership... might go a long way to proving she really is a 'great' politician for this time.
2
Pelosi is the most disfavored politician in America. She scores worse than Trump and even Mitch McConnell. She was the true “attackee” in several attack ads directed at Red-State Democrats.
This, from the most recent NBC/WSJ poll:
48 percent of registered voters view Pelosi negatively, versus 22 percent who have a positive opinion of her.
“Only” 36 percent see McConnell in a negative light, versus 21 percent who view him positively.
—-
Amazingly, Trump’s approval rating has moved up to the mid-40s.
The fact that Trump is campaigning for her says it all.
4
Will someone please, please assure me that this decision will NOT be based on anything that Republicans say about Nancy Pelosi??
6
Calling Congresswoman Pelosi "divisive" is playing into Republican hands by using their language. She's tough and that's why the opposition wants her out. Gentleman and Ladies, this is what a warrior looks like!
9
Good. She is highly qualified and effective
3
OK, everyone, time for a reality check: have you noticed who currently sits in the White House, and how he makes mincemeat not only out of his opponents, but also out of his complicit supporters (looking at you, Paul Ryan)? So, yes, please, let's make someone totally inexperienced third in line of succession to the presidency, that makes total sense. Or have you noticed how the Democrats in the House of Representatives fared in the midterm elections? Did you notice who kept them on message during the entire campaign? So, oh yes, please, let's replace that person with someone who has never even been a committee chair before -- that makes total sense, too. And have you noticed that the ACA is now a given, and that three red states voted to expand Medicaid in the midterm elections? Are you old enough to remember who singlehandedly got the ACA passed? And yeah, fine, she lost the next battle and the House with it in 2010 precisely BECAUSE she got it passed. But now it looks like she's winning that war, and that's what matters. News flash: Speaker of the House is not a ceremonial figurehead position. It takes grit, a cool head, calculation, discipline, a spine of titantium (looking at you, Paul Ryan) and the ability to herd cats and somehow get them to march in unison. And that isn't going to be Ocasio-Cortez. I defy anyone to come up with one other Congressional leader with that level of competence (arguably McConnell) and control over his caucus (cf. health care repeal).
10
The reason Nancy Pelosi is the right leader for these times is that she respects both progressives and centrists. That's the kind big tent we need to rally the entire Democratic Party against Donald Trump, his fawning GOP, the NRA, and the Russians intent on sabotaging our elections and our democracy.
This must not be a battle between left or centrist - this must be a battle of the Democratic Party vs. Donald Trump. After leading a Democratic landslide in the midterms - Nancy Pelosi is our General, left AND center.
176
@common sense advocate: The many times progressives has protested in front of Pelosi's home, and her screaming at them on occasion, suggest that things are not nearly so chummy as you suggest. Pelosi has repeatedly sold out and blocked progressive causes. That is why so many progressives want her to cease to be the face of the Democratic Party in the House.
2
@Hugh Wudathunket - we are radically divided as a country, with a morally bankrupt president undermining our democracy - and he was put in office by people who didn't bother to vote or voted Green with a deranged fantasy of starting a revolution. Now we have alt-right judges in place for generations. It's going to take hard work to move us forward, and the time to work together is now.
11
@Hugh Wudathunket
That is her strongest point. Politicians who don’t sell out ideologues are dangerous. Ideology kills.
Why must it be so polarized? Why can't Ms Pelosi be the Speaker of the House with a plan already in place to bring someone along (a predetermined, specific someone) and then turn the reins over? I thought one of the supposed benefits of having more women in congress was that we tend to be more collaborative? Ms Pelosi knows how to work across party lines. Let her help lead the next generation into the future. Where is it carved in stone that a team can't be elected?
17
Said very eloquently and my thoughts exactly. Thank you.
2
From many discussions with my baby boomer father who was a government worker for over 40 years and observed the finesse and negotiating skills of Nancy Pelosi during her tenure in Washington, I have to say that he changed my mind about her. I had thought of her as too established, but now in my mind, she remains in the best qualified candidate to fill this role and navigate the current sourness of the beltway bubble. I had thought that newer leadership in the Democratic party might be the best way forward, but Pelosi's experience and talent speak volumes. I think the younger members can learn from her. I compare this to my experience in teaching. When I first started out after grad school, did I learn from a fellow novice? No, my mentor was 30 year veteran teacher who taught be the best pedagogical and classroom management methods possible, and which I still implement in my classroom to this day. -From a millennial who had a change of heart
34
We have a whole crop of new, fresh, energized progressives and we need experience to lead them. Best of both worlds! - another millenial who changed their mind
6
The dems are really good at fundraising, not so much with actual political power, remember their "better deal" thingy a few years ago, me neither.
8
If the Democrats want to sustain an advantage that goes beyond victory when the Republicans go really bad they need new leadership. Pelosi is a giant at raising money yet that still meant minority status for eight long years. Schumer has been tight with Facebook while they were hiring mudslingers.
Enough of this paradigm.
Democrats have to be more than less bad. They have to be more than champions of a slightly better safety net. If Pelosi must have a victory lap - take it for a year and then step down under her own volition - and let progress reign.
9
Agreed. The best solution for this problem. And it is a problem.
With all due respect to Rep. Pelosi: you know much about the House, the rules, and driving a deal. Those alone requalify you to become the Speaker.
BUT— start grooming the new and young and robust reps to lead. Dems want change, too!
Groom, then abdicate.
7
I would like to see a "conscious uncoupling"'. A planned, mutually supportive, politically mature and ultimately seamlessly coordinated transition.
If the Democrats cannot recognize one of the key features of the republican takeover of our democracy, the fact that they always, consistently and with great discipline, presented a united front, they have learned nothing.
If it wasn't for Donald Trump we would be well on our way to a complete rout of the democratic party. A possibly fatal assault on democracy.
Donald Trump was a gift, wrapped up with a bow, given to the democrats by the tea party lunatics and Mitch McConnell.
To waste that gift in a public display of intraparty bickering would be the height of folly.
Pelosi is a survivor and a very astute operator. She should be recognized, and utilized, for her wealth of experience and highly developed instincts. She too is a gift.
Nancy Pelosi also needs to recognize the limits of her current position and look forward to bestowing the gift of her knowledge and experience to the new guard. Without fanfare or public displays of disunity.
24
@interested party. I have no doubt that Nancy Pelosi does not view the speakership as a lifetime appointment. Anyone who wants to try out some untested rookie or two-term leadership novice for the next two years doesn't understand that this election was just t first mile down a long road. We need her experience at the wheel until we pass the next milepost in 2020.
3
@DMC
Exactly. The republicans might be venal and weird but they are not stupid.
And that discipline?
As soon as their heads stop spinning and their purge of, or takeover by, the extreme right in their party is complete, they will be back.
How they choose to move forward is up to them.
How the democrats choose to prepare for any eventuality should be carefully considered with discipline and some amount of unified restraint.
1
As someone who definitely is on the progressive side of the party, I support Nancy Pelosi. Whatever fault can be found with her pales in comparison to her legislative skills. And we certainly need someone who knows her way around Congress at this perilous time. The Democrats have been stupid to buy into the Republican misogynistic demonization of her. Let's try to get a grip.
40
The "undecided" children in the new Congress need to read their history, and put their egomania and obsession for power in their pockets for the moment. They were elected by independents, not by die hard democrats. No one sought to boot out Roosevelt during World War II.
False equivalency? I don't think so.
23
My adult son with Type 1 diabetes has affordable insurance today because of Nancy Pelosi and Barack Obama. Bill and Hillary had tried and failed and after that, nobody had the backbone to try again. Except Nancy and Barack. If she wants her job back, she's earned it. Hard fights ahead. Once Dems can agree on what they want to do with healthcare now, she's the one to deliver the House.
27
"Ms. Pelosi’s critics — who have been pilloried as #FiveWhiteGuys on Twitter". Meant to be pejorative, of course, but better than being assaulted in elevators by Pelosi's predatory #MeTooHarpies.
Can't help themselves--more Cultural Marxism from the left. DNC Politburo is about absolute power and control. Fortunately for them Pelosi ain't no Hillary and the Sovietized mass-media out of New York City will be at her back.
Nonetheless, the stomping will not have the effect Pelosi is hoping for. Two years as not much time. Should be entertaining.
2
The Dems did a great job in 2018... now this ego driven woman is going to sink 2020.
11
The anti-Pelosi feeling is largely a result of her demonization as a leftist bogey(wo)man by the right. Similar to what was done to Hillary for 25 years. Absolutely not a reason to abandon her now. The republicans would love that, if dems put an untested speaker in place. Experience counts. Pelosi is sharp and knows how to get the job done. Should be a no-brainer.
25
One of the main reasons that Nancy Pelosi honestly feels she is most qualified to maintain the leadership of the democrats in the House is that she can raise the most money? This alone, is probably the prime reason why she should be replaced and it shows in her unwillingness to support the progressive policies of universal healthcare, minimum wage etc. etc.
In the last ten years, under her leadership, the democratic party lost almost 1000 seats at the state and federal levels. Also in poll after poll, both democrats and republicans overwhelmingly are in agreement that the vast majority of politicians spend the bulk of their time catering to their corporate donors and NOT their constituents, hence, money should be removed from politics ASAP.
Time is up, corporate establishment "republican lite" types like Pelosi, Schumer and Feinstein no longer serve a purpose and the failures of the democratic party in recent years just confirms it. In 2020. they need a REAL alternative to the Republican Party, not a weak facsimile.
117
@Deus
Representative Pelosi and Senators Schumer and Feinstein are successes because they won both their party's primaries and a general election. To propose that "should be removed" from politics is to hold in contempt the judgement of the public.
27
But let’s keep Trump, who really removed money from politics, amirite?
11
@Deus The most qualified person ever. Where have I heard that before. She is good at reading a speech, fine. But when she has to speak extemporaneously, no so good. And I am being charitable.
4
It's time for a vote. Do you want this woman leading the Democrats into the 2020 election, or do you want someone new?
I hear Hillary is chomping at the bit thinking about running. Just when you thought she was gone!
Is that what the Democrats want? The same "old" establishment!
12
Nancy Pelosi was the House Speaker under President Obama, who fashioned his administration to be middle of the road so as to draw as many Republicans as possible across the aisle to steer the country out of the Great Recession. He did not succeed, but it was not because Nancy Pelosi was a far-left elitist. It was because of the Republican ideal to make Obama a one-term president. For the handful of so-called centrist Democrats who now oppose her reelection as Speaker because they view her an elitist far-left elder, you are falling right into the trap set by Republicans who have demonised her from the days of the Obama administration when Nancy Pelosi played a pivotal role in getting numerous legislation, like Obamacare, passed into law. Democrats, you just won a resounding victory in the mid-term elections that should be a prelude to glory in 2020. Hold strong to the Democratic ideals, and more importantly, do not buy into the character assassination that conservatives are so good at. Remember all the things they said about Obama -- including that he was not born in the United States? Come on friends, UNITE. Restore This Country To Its Former Glory.
20
Virtually every Republican running for Congress made Nancy Pelosi the reason voters should vote Republican. Had the Democrats performed badly in 2018, then there would be a good argument for Pelosi to step down; but given that the Congressional Democrats did spectacularly well (and winning more seats every day), what is the argument for Pelosi to step down? Are Democrats allergic to success? I'm not saying Pelosi was the reason for the Democrat's success, but she certainly didn't hurt it. As for kitchen table issues, what is more kitchen table than the Affordable Care Act? Pelosi certainly deserves a large share of the credit for the most progressive piece of legislation passed by Congress since Medicare.
19
Seriously? Please tell me that the Democratic party has the spine to bring in some new energy to the speaker position. We have heard what Ms. Pelosi has to say - again and again.
She has no ability to reach across the aisle. Giving her the nod for the position is nothing more than handing the Republicans an easy target, gift wrapped for the holidays.
16
so now we want a speaker that the republicans approve of oh that's funny!
6
It is Ms Pelosi’s acrimonious confrontational accusatory manner that is in her way. Not her gender or any other social maladjustment cause you might want to ascribe. A consensus builder might be nice for at change. The last one Ted Kennedy passed away.
10
Trump is in favor of her election which is reason enough to choose someone else.
11
It's not her age, not her gender-it's her relevance. Frankly, she as well as her older (70ish) male counterparts should encourage the success and advancement of others less seasoned. Pelosi isn't the future--she should be tailoring someone who is.......
15
Sorry, but it's too soon for that. We're in the middle of a war to save our country from becoming another autocracy. The younger folks can sit and study and learn for awhile and then take over.
4
I left the Democratic Party over the mealy-mouthed, triangulating rot of the Clinton-Pelosi-Schumer Republican-lite bloc that scorns and denies progressive initiatives. I won't vote for a Democrat seeking federal office until they get out of the way of the values and policies that are desired and necessary in blue states.
At the same time, I approve of nuanced positions transparently presented by red-state Democrats like Connor Lamb or Doug Jones. They have done a good job of reflecting the left and centrist segments of their constituents, even if they do not align entirely well with trends and majority opinions of liberals or progressives nationwide.
But at the national level, we will not have progress or lasting majorities until the Republican-lite old guard releases its grip on the politics of the Democratic Party. It is painful to watch, but I am done adding my support to the folks that want to let Rome burn more slowly than the zealous brigade on the far right.
5
Ms. Pelosi; Mr. Schumer
You both are not the type of leader fit for the challenges ahead.
Do us and the Democratic Party a huge favor and let someone else ran for those offices. You should just both retire.
The future belongs to those with new ideas (and I don't mean bipartisanship either) and the determination to pursue them and clearly, judging from the past election where both of you were silent in the sidelines (unlike your adversary) you showed neither the spirit nor courage to be seen out there "leading", when you should have.
Instead, you both chose to be silent and unseen, which tells me clearly about your ideas of leadership.
And now that the race is over, where both of you won't have to do any real work, you're both suddenly ready to take over and....lead?
What does that make either of you?
It would be more than shameful if either of you regains your seats of power.
In fact, it would be a grievous loss of opportunity, for neither of you has what it takes to lead and restore the lost confidence in our government.
Do us all and yourselves a favor and continue being quiet or just retire.
7
@oningsio Our new ideas aren't worth a tinker's damn if we don't have the smarts to get them widely accepted and then enacted. I would rather put my fate in the hands of an old broad than a dewy-eyed idealist.
6
@oningsio The main job of the Speaker of the house is to gather all of the party's votes as needed to actually pass bills. That often does call for compromise - and even gasp! bipartisanship. And Rep. Pelosi is very good at those tasks.
She also put a lot of work during this election into trying to keep the Democrats' talk on important points, like healthcare, better jobs, improving infrastructure instead of them just campaigning on punishing Trump.
And by raising enough money to keep those campaigns going.
Those are the real work of the Speaker, not to be spokespeople for the party. It's hard work, demanding ability to do the very important behind the scenes work
to achieve as much as possible.
2
I am glad.
Elect her and get back to work.
This is a good test of who in the Blue aisle will be a team player, and who is there only to derail anything the Democrats want to put forth.
Can you imagine now how hard it will be for Blue to get anything passed, since they cannot even agree on who represents them?
6
this happens all the time in speaker elections
Time for Pelosi and her aged henchmen to glide into history! If Democrats cannot find new energetic young leadership, well so much for 2020! Pelosi is TOXIC in the heartland; represents everything that is resented that the heartland despises, a multi-millionaire, wine-sipping San Francisco liberal. The reality is that the Republicans will beat the Democrats over the head with Pelosi in 2020! Any chance of finding a Midwestern beer drinker related to an AFLCIO Labor Union member? "I'm not a member of any organized political party.... I'm a Democrat." Will Rogers
2
Pelosi is a tactician. She has been effective. So effective that Republicans used their playbook to demonize her. Democrats took the bait and decided that they better get rid of her so that she’s not a “polarizing figure.” They bought into the Republican smear campaign and decided that she wasn’t worth getting behind and fighting for.
12
@Alex Yeah, that's Democrats for you. More interested in looking good than winning. If progressives want something, go negotiate with her. You might just learn why the Republicans are so afraid of her that they spend a lot of time demonizing her. She's got street smarts.
3
With due respect to Ms. Pelosi, she is too ‘civilized’, too ‘nice’, too politically correct and not sufficiently witty in her responses to effectively face the incessant stream of arrogance, lies, fake news, attempts to discredit the democratic institutions & obstruct justice, and outright stupidity of this president.
My criticism has nothing to do with Ms. Pelosi’s age but all with her personal predisposition, with her lack of charisma.
At the moment, the House Democrats are the only formal opposition to the Party of Trumpian Delusion and by default represents the significant majority of Americans, including those who found Mr. Trump’s presidency indigestible and did neither vote for you nor for the GOP’s. That is why the position of the speaker of the House in the next 2 years turns out to be a leadership role.
The Democratic Party will have lots of talented people to choose a leader who is sufficiently charismatic and sufficiently non-partisan – (partisanship is, of course, a symptom of small-mindedness and inadequacy to leadership position as it would almost guarantee Democrats loosing support of non-Democratic votes).
C’mon, Democrats, we are counting on you..
Nancy Pelosi is a little conservative for my taste and I think she needs to take a harder tack against Republicans. They need to understand the consequences of their malfeasance before they can be forgiven. Forgiveness should not precede repentance, and they show no signs of repenting.
IF that malfeasance includes treason, and it can be proven, forgiveness should not be forthcoming.
Having said that, we need a strong steady hand on the wheel right now. The nation needs it more than the Democrats need it. And Nancy is not only qualified for that job, she's the best we've got.
Unlike Republicans, Democrats care about our nation.
6
I am not sure what's worse - the GOP old guard or the Dem old guard hanging-on in face of clear signals that it's time to move on; to make room for new blood, new ideas, new energy. Instead, it's the same old tired retreads . . . I don't see McConnell moving on (though I really really wish he would). Nancy, please go . . .
1
Great. Democrats pick a speaker based not upon qualifications, but upon gender.
That was a terrible move in choosing a presidential nominee and got us Donald Trump... so let’s do it again!
Unbelievable.
Republicans are blessed in having such superficial opponents.
3
@Objectively Subjective I don't give a rat's fanny what sex the speaker is. I just want a clever one, and Pelosi is cleverer than anyone else who has been suggested. (Actually, no one else has been suggested except Rep. Fudge, and I have no reason for believing that she would be shrewder than Pelosi.)
6
Spare us all the ridiculous platitudes. With Pelosi at the helm, this year was all for naught. But, at least she "spoke" for eight hours in heels.
1
More Pelosi is bad medicine for the Democratic Party. Instead of "Shake Again", the Dems prescription pad should have "Shake Out" inscribed on it.
1
Why not Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez? Because she's such the perfect choice to make an actual Democratic party and change our entire system of government, which is currently legalized bribery. Change America and you can change the world. Nah- makes too much sense.
@Brian C Reilly
And she knows how to pull the whole D caucus together to get things passed?
And she knows how to work out compromises to at least keep the main point of a bill intact in order to pass that bill?
"competent females" oh my god he sounds like a NatGeo reporter talking about some animal in the wild. They're humans you can call them women. Or, even better, simply "competent."
4
Nancy Pelosi gave life to the ACA, she is a very skilled tactician, fundraiser, builder of coalitions, and she looks to be fearless. Many of the newest members of Congress owe their jobs to her successful campaign to retake the House. It would be moronic to not elect her to be Speaker of the House.
9
I honestly don’t know who’s dumber:
The “leftists” who just polished off two years of screaming that we lost because Pelosi, and are now screaming that she deserves no credit for kicking tail last week, or...
The “leftists,” who’re buying every single Trumoist talking point about Pelosi, or...
The “leftists,” who just want “new blood,” as though we were voting for which child of Vlad Drakul we wanted, or...
The “leftists,” who’re scared of the Republicans who bellow that they’ll bury us with her running the House, or...
The “leftists,” who think they’ll wave a wand and get money out of politics, or...
The “leftists,” who think guys like Moulton aren’t acting out of so much as a particle of ambition, or...
The “leftists,” who think they’re gonna get their own Pure Truth through Congress, once the old is swept away and the Pure Light of Whatever Sweeps Forward in a Glorious Wave, or...
The “leftists,” who have it stuck in their heads that politics was, is, or ever will be Purity Revealed.
But I do know which crowd irritates the heck out of me: the “leftists,” who didn’t get off their tails and vote, or who voted for Jill “RT Din-Din” or who vited for St. Bernie anyway, and are STILL scrabbling around for alibis for the way they helped elect Donald John Trump.
7
She is not the leader that the Dems need. Too fixed in ways and does not have a clue as to how to combat the Ultra Left side with the restoration of the base ideals of the Dems- who have lost that way-- go back to fighting for "everyman". Those hopes, those dreams, those needs and those desires and stop the focus on identity-politics -- a destructive and dismissive force.
4
Richard Frauenglass,
I guess you're talking about protecting the "identity politics" of white men.
Isn't identity politics the true fight for EVERY person regardless of their gender, race, ethnicity, etc.? Isn't everyone worth fighting for?
3
In terms of energy, mental sharpness, commitment to peace and liberal values and fearlessness there is nobody in Congress who can compare with Nancy Pelosi. She is a force of nature and the
perfect antidote to the pathology of Trump.
If Barack Obama was a Member of the House right now, I'd bet dollars to doughnuts he'd be an enthusiastic supporter of Nancy.
She kept the Affordable Care Act on track and she was absolutely
essential to finding the votes in the Senate(!) to make sure the Iran
Deal had the votes to go into effect.
She's always willing to take the heat to protect members of the Democrat Caucus and she's not a whiner...deliver us from whiners!
Last thought, if Trump tries to get us into another unwise and unnecessary war in the Mideast, Iran in particular, Pelosi in the Speakers Chair will be a formidable asset for a sane approach.
www.wednesdayswars.com
54
@Tom Callaghan The affordable care act is nothing to be proud of. It is nothing but a huge benefit to the corporate insurance companies. Single payer would have been the right way for most, but no big money always wins.
2
@Nancy
Are you saying that it would have been better to have left things the way they were until we could get single payer through the Congress? Bernie even failed to convince Vermont to adopt Single Payer
Tens of millions of people have health insurance, and many lives have been saved, because of the ACA--none of them would have been insured without Pelosi getting this passed.
Nancy Pelosi even was able to get the Public Option through the House---but it was blocked in the Senate. She is a master legislator.
Anyone who opposes her either is a self-promoter (Moulton) or has fallen for the Republican demonization---the Republicans know how effective she has been. That's why they have spent so much money opposing her.
7
Yeah, the Democrats have been doing great in the Senate, Presidency, and Supreme court, why make a change? That's it, stick by the leadership which has kept our party permanently in second place.
6
Marcia Fudge is my congressperson whom I have voted for again and again. But absolutely not! Not at this time.
Nancy Pelosi deserves the job for pulling that burning document of the ACA out of the fire that the male politicians had put it in. Since that is the very thing that Democrats ran on and were elected to save, it is monstrous amnesia and ingratitude to tell her to sit down and shut up! Women are going to be very very angry if she is cast aside after all of the good she has done.
And, frankly, it will inspire a backlash against younger members of the Party among the electorate at large who will see them as ungrateful, and arrogantly dismissive of hard-won knowledge of American history. This certainty of their own moral superiority is even more hated by the public than Nancy Pelosi. This is the very mistake the Boomers made by thinking they knew it all and tried to suddenly push the country to the left. The Reagan reactionaries took power and we are still paying for that.
That being said, I expect Speaker Pelosi to fast-track younger members with new ideas into positions of leadership in the Party.
28
Will they never learn?
What better gift could the Democrats give Trump than Nancy Pelosi, a most convenient demon?
You'd think she'd put the country first, but no....
4
@marks Some dewy eyed idealist who doesn't know what he or she is doing.
4
I'm just relieved. I have admired Nancy Pelosi cut many years. Experienced. Competent. Gracious. Strong.
Forward!
18
You know the old saying, "Democrats fall in love, Republicans fall in line."
It's time for the Democrats to stick together. The GOP's strategy is to divide and conquer. Don't fall for it.
27
For the sake of this country, Ms. Pelosi, do not become speaker again.
If you do, you hand the trump card to Trump
4
Why are Karl Rove and Sean Spicer rooting for her to be replaced? Hmmm.
9
Young Dems, don't dink the GOP cool aid . Learn from Pelosi, respect the path she forged for you . The mantle will be yours soon enough.
31
Old Dems, let the young progressive majority have a shot at governing for you have done an absolutely miserable job for the past 30 years and the country is in big trouble and we need you to get out of the way immediately.
1
I think she is likely to be the most shrewd Speaker the Dems can have at this time, especially dealing with the arcane rules of both the House and the Senate.
Elect her, but then ensure some of the younger and representatives of the progressive wing are brought into leadership positions on, say, crucial committee appointments. Maybe even as Whip.
10
@Kathy
This is already happening. Ever heard of Adam Schiff?
Bravo to all whose energy, commitment, time, effort, and determination ensured last Tuesday's massive and still unfolding success. Fresh ideas will certainly add great value to the power of our continuing efforts to rescue and protect American democracy.
Let us respect the proven value of experience in winning and resist an immediate rejection of Ms. Pelosi as change for changes sake. Pelosi does not go to an armed battle with the equivalent of a child’s toy gun: we Dems have made that mistake too often: we don’t fight the way the GOP fights but we can still win using the insights and savvy -battle hardened street smarts if you will- that no new untested Inexperienced legislator can match to Pelosi’s.
Please don’t sacrifice everything it took to demolish the outrage in the Oval last week: we can encourage Nancy with respect and confidence in leading us through this transitional time so that her successor in 2020 will be truly ready and even more effective.
WE MUST NOT LOOSE WHAT WE HAVE JUST GAINED. WE MUST BE SMART as we do the hard work leading up to the final end of trump: in essence- no room for easily avoidable mistakes now.
Please...
13
For the most part, drawing out consensus from a bunch of Democrats takes a special kind of leader, a pragmatic leader, a leader who would be individually capable of hearing a large clowder of cats. Can anyone other than Nancy Pelosi be found within the Democratic party who can do that? I wonder.
5
Pelosi once was speaker and the Dems lost the house big time. Enough said. Time to move on, regardless of gender.
4
Bad call. it may not be fair but she's a rallying point for Republicans and any sane Democratic strategy must deny them their boogeywoman. Nobody who's not a political junkie knows who Steny Hoyer and Jim Clyburn are. Pelosi animates Republican voters' dreams/fantasies. Is there sexism involved? Probably to some extent. But it's time to WIN, and winning means depriving the right wing propaganda machine of its favorite whipping posts, whatever their sex. Time for new leadership.
2
Do you seriously think they wouldn't just find another whipping girl? Older white men don't get ousted when they're still at the top of their game. She is demonized by the GOP because she outsmarts them. The last thing we should do is do exactly what they want and let a less savvy, less experienced representative deal with the GOP.
5
Dems control the house despite Nancy Pelosi not because of her. Time for her to retire.
4
@Reader In Wash, DC
My new House rep is Ayanna Pressley. She won in spite of the DCCC, who actively opposed her (along with the CBC), not because of it.
1
Nancy Pelosi is a seasoned and successful fighter and knows how to navigate the snake pit. She’s got it all- brains, brawn and a heart!
17
When I see people who think they’re lefties bellow in Nancy Pelosi’s direction that she’s a corporatist, a sell-out, a shill, and oldie, a girl, I just want to scream and slap people.
She’s the best we got for this job, this time, kids. Should she gracefully give way to new? Of course.
But not right now, and not so the smug part of what passes for the Left these days can sit around and fatly smirk at the plum they’ve pulled out of the pie while McConnell and whatever competent pol is left in the White House spends the next two years kicking our butt up around our ears.
Get a CLUE, please. Start by looking at the woman’s life and work, maybe. Oh wait, I know:
TL: DR
3
I'm sorry, but at 78 years old everybody is missing a step. Mandatory retirement for both Senate and House at 65, might as well extend that to Judiciary as well... Feinstein is 85.... You're out of touch and we're out of time...
8
How brave of this octogenarian to not pass the baton. Anybody who says otherwise must be sexist. Indeed.
3
Nothing to do with her being female....
She is OLD, and for better or worse, tarred as a "San Francisco Liberal"....
Move On, Nancy. Give the next generation a chance to lead.
Maybe a Seth Mouton, from MA?
4
Nancy Pelosi is a killer with a lifetime of experience, the scion of a politician.
The Democrats would be foolish not to re-elect her.
26
Once again we must sacrifice our nation to the ego of Pelosi...just as we sacrificed the nation for HRC's ego 2 years ago...this is pitiful. It is time to purge psychopaths from power and Pelosi is one as sure as tRump is...it's all about power, no compassion, no concern for the common good. If Pelosi cared about this country she would sit down and shut up and let the younger folks take over. Enough already!!!
7
Once again, misogyny rears it's ugly head.
6
@Baruch Can you name a younger Representative that has her demonstrated skill at getting the Democratic votes together on important bills? Have any of them shown a willingness to compromise when that is the only way to get a bill passed?
How effective would they be at keeping the party's campaigns on the most important issues together?
1
Pelosi's critics are derided as "#FiveWhiteGuys." Older women in the Dem caucus insist that the Speaker should be female. Bernie Sanders was derided as an "Angry Old White Guy."
Sexism? Pelosi's critics (many of whom are female) are merely sexist? Who are the sexists here? Dem leaders continue to hate on men, and specifically white men, in their rhetoric.
And then we wonder why white men have been moving to the Republican side.
3
She's 78 years old and worth tens of millions of dollars. Time to retire Nancy. Find something else you enjoy doing...if there is anything else.
4
This article, early on, states as fact that "Ms. Pelosi is an exceptionally skilled politician." This is not a fact. This represents the dumbing down of journalistic standards. Such a statement is fine on the op-ed page. Here, it should read, "Many consider Ms. Pelosi to be..." (at worst), or, ideally, base it upon a comment by a named subject matter expert.
I personally don't agree, but that's kind of beside the point. My main point is that the Times should not be stating an opinion as fact.
3
I wonder when the Democrats will start putting people into leadership positions who were born after the Japaneese bombed Pearl Harbor.
8
I find myself unexpectedly disappointed in certain younger democratic reps. who don't seem to be able to distinguish talent when they see it in anyone not their age. Nancy Pelosi impressed me from the start and while I have no personal connection with her she occupies a special place of respect in my mind that few others could ever enter. Her work has been as nearly flawless as is humanly possible.
The Republicans despise her and have made every effort to cast her as a pox carrying demon which is high praise in my book.
If these immature ducklings have some worthy complaint I want to hear it and soon from these pages or a major network but if no cogent explanation comes forth they will ever be diminished in my eyes.
This writer is not an older woman.
321
@Bunbury
I am happy for and optimistic about the young Democratic House winners, but think they would be well advised to support Nancy Pelosi, observe her, and learn from her. She is wise, experienced, effective and knowledgeable. Surely these newbies don't think that at this stage they possess these qualities in greater measure than does Speaker Pelosi!
75
@ms She is not the future of the party. And a great many claims have been made as to how pivotal her efforts have been. Is that why she was in the news so much? I thought not.
2
@Bunbury - I confess to being old, but in my opinion, we need somebody who can count the votes, know for sure how many votes they have, and secure the votes we need. I am thrilled with the new representatives, and I am excited about their energy, BUT - they do not need to make the mistake of believing their own publicity. I want somebody as Leader who I know can count the darn vote. Period.
31
Little could make the Republican Party happier than having Mrs. Pelosi as Speaker of the House. These aging Democrats who have handed over the Rust Belt and the unions to the Republicans should move aside gracefully, rather than being the prime cause that Mr. Trump will be re-elected in 2020.
14
@George I think that sums it up perfectly. She's toxic to a huge share of our nation. What company re-hires a CEO that led the company to near ruin? What army gives a general that led his troops to a slaughter another large army to command in battle?
2
@George If Republicans like Nancy Pelosi so much, then why do they spend so much time and money demonizing her? For decades. I heard her speak on Election night and she proposes to allow Medicare to negotiate drug prices along with several other new laws that sound like a great place to start. Pelosi has proven that she knows how to get legislation through the House, notably the ACA, which is a lifeline for many. That's pretty good for a Democrat.
5
Pelosi and Trump have one distressing quality in common -- they both believe that they alone can save us.
Pelosi did a great job for 16 years. She should be congratulated for that.
That said, she is not the only person in the entire universe who can do this job. If the proverbial bus were to get her tomorrow, new members would find their offices, learn how to vote, raise money, and get named to committees.
2
Please show me where Nancy Pelosi ever said any such thing, or acted like Donald Trump for as much as five seconds.
5
Now is not the time for internecine behavior.
Speaker of the House is a thankless job, and whoever gets the bid should not be envied, they should be supported.
If Democrats cannot come together ourselves , how can we be expected to unite a Nation.
A House divided....
10
Nancy Pelosi did a great job as Speaker but her time is over. We need a younger leader of the House who is articulate, dynamic and aggressive.
Let Nancy be a mentor, but stay out of the limelight.
We can't afford to have her be the target of the 2020
election.
9
There are plenty of us who would love to see Steny Hoyer go too! How many 75-80 year olds do you need in leadership?
The best performing organizations have deep benches and many succession options. If they have no other options then they have already failed as leaders.
6
Nancy Pelosi gets a lot of criticism from many in her party, she's either too liberal, too much to the center, is forever the demon of the Republican party. So how did things go this midterm?
Phenomenally well I would say. And I would guess that Ms. Pelosi raising close to $100,000,000 for the Democrats might have helped.
And for those 20,000,000 or so that benefited from the Affordable Care Act, you can thank Nancy.
And when bills were introduced by the Republicans that were contrary to the beliefs of the Democrats, she could get her caucus to vote 100% no.
She's the best leader in the Congress right now and those that would oppose her should take a deep breath and rethink their position. She's a force and that's why Republicans continue to castigate her.
Nancy Pelosi is in the best position to lead the House of Representatives for the next two years.
18
@cherrylog754 It was a successful midterm, true, but it is well to remember that that she also presided over the hollowing out of her supermajority caucus in 2010. To paraphrase JFK, it is time to pass the torch to a new generation of leaders. At the barest minimum, younger leadership should be elected to the #2 and #3 spots as preparation for the transition.
4
There seems to be a determined effort on the part of the Democratic establishment to frame the issue of Pelosi's leadership. They want to use the fact she is a woman to claim that is a reason they want her in power. The fact is the Democratic party is bound to their old ideas. The country has voted for new leadership. Why should we be stuck with the same person? As with term limits, positions of power should be rotated so they do not corrupt.
9
Let's tally up-- 2018 mid-terms:
Democrats (with Nancy as their general) gain 35+ seats in the House of Representatives, more than any year since Watergate (1974).
Democrats (with Chuck Schumer as their general) lose 3 seats (at least) in the Senate.
Result: Keep Schumer and his gang in the Senate leadership. Try to oust Pelosi.
What could be more sensible?
12
The right has been attacking Nancy Pelosi for years. Why? Because they're afraid of her. She's highly competent and gets things done.
What's disheartening is to see some Democrats fall for the right-wing's talking points.
Please don't let them divide the Democratic Party. Keep Nancy Pelosi as the speaker.
80
@L, totally agree with your comment.
7
Trust me nobody here is falling for Republican talking points. We want a Democratic leader that represents working people. Like that guy FDR. Pelosi is not this at all in any way never has been and never will be.
1
The issue is not whether she is an exceptionally talented politician. The issue is do we want a status quo Democratic Party (half asleep and in the pockets of the 1 Percent) or do we want to revolutionize the corrupt politics that gave us Trump and the GOP running pretty much everything?
I want the Democratic Party to lead the way to Universal Healthcare and Public Education; infrastructure including free internet run by competent public servants; gender equality including pay, insurance, education and welfare; race equality; publicly funded elections; abolishion of Citizen’s United; working towards Climate Change reversal.
Pelosi is not going to lead the House in any of these. Neither is Schumer. Both could easily be Republicans (plenty of centrists there still).
Revolutions are not easy. This country had one in its inception. Since then it has been patchwork reformism when the blade touched the skin.
11
@Blunt How could any of those ideals be reached without a House Speaker who can forge coalitions and compromise when it is necessary? Great ideas aren't worth much without the ability to do that. Nancy Pelosi is way more likely to get things pointed in the right direction.
2
It's weird to me that Nancy Pelosi just oversaw the largest gain of Democratic House seats since Watergate (against a gerrymandered Republican map), is an extraordinary fundraiser, didn't let Obama give up on the Affordable Care Act and has earned her wisdom, experience and skills over decades of being the only woman in the room but, for some reason, she's not right for this time? Meanwhile, no one is questioning Chuck Schumer's position, although we lost seats in the Senate. What's the deal with that? It's fine to talk about a transition plan but to say Nancy shouldn't lead is for the next year is short-sighted.
46
@MaudeC
I question Chuck Schumer's position. Stop with the "what abouts," please.
1
Why aren’t Dems floating an idea of replacing one of the two older men who currently occupy the balance of the Dem House leadership team? This would accomplish several things for Democrats:
1) Pelosi’s demonstrable leadership expertise would remain in place during this key transition; 2) a Congressional representative of an upcoming generation could be properly groomed for future leadership; and 3) the face of Democratic leadership could be favorably compared to the monolithic leadership of the Republicans.
There are many ways to show diversity. Do Dems really want to remove their longest-standing, most effective female leader in favor of a younger, less experienced representative during the run-up to the 2020 election?
18
I'm a Democrat. Nancy Pelosi is as much a contributor to the problem as Mitch McConnel. She puts politics over country. I cannot watch her in an interview because all that ever comes out of her mouth is "Democrats good; Republicans bad."
Keep her out of the SotH role.
3
@siburrgary
"I'm a Democrat."
I don't believe you.
5
Would much rather see Hoyer replaced by a younger, more dynamic congressperson and Pelosi stay to show a new Deputy how its done.
8
How about printing some comments emphasizing a more radical approach to politics being needed than the one offered by Pelosi? My comments somehow don’t make it when they challenge the status quo a bit more bluntly.
Pelosi raises money. Tons of it. What do those people who write the checks ask in return?
Universal Healthcare? Free Public Education? Publicly funded access to the Internet? Repealing Citizens United?
6
Bottom line: Dems are sacrificing votes and enthusiasm if they don't follow through in voting in a new speaker. Can they afford to?
Personally, I'm back and forth on this. Really. Mostly I think she should go because the Dems need fresh blood and, yes, some of this has to do with Clinton. Clinton was Dem's last leader. Pelosi is Dem's defacto current. A lot of Clinton's unpopularity that drove Dems, Independents, and sensible Republicans to Trump was that she assumed ascendance, that she stifled dissent by monopolizing power, and that she was out of touch with her party's needs. Pelosi fits that too, but Dems still want to be the party of change/reform. Its out of step. I think she should go and another, fully competent woman, of which there are many in the house, should serve in her position, and in the 2nd and 3rd Democratic positions as well. We should allow enough time for alternatives to form, and the representatives with more experience, such as Pelosi, and Hoyer, and Clyburn, should back them up.
What makes me back and forth, though, is that a lot of what is going on here against Pelosi IS misogyny for sure. I can see it. I don't know what to say about that, and for that alone, despite my misgivings, I'd personally be open to her staying on.
2
@George I agree, there's some hypocrisy and double standards being applied here, while at the same time, things need to change. So the ideas floated around by a few people, that Pelosi stays while having a #2 that's younger and serves in a transitionary period makes sense to me.
I don't fully understand the rules government how people get into positions of leadership here but it seems it's not just a meritocracy whereas it should be. It's okay to use experience as one part of evaluating merit, but experience and seniority aren't the same thing.
No Pelosi!! Democrats have to be able to come up with someone, anyone, better equipped to take us forward. Pelosi (and Schumer) is (are) the face of conflict and stagnation. Pelosi should step back and provide a thoughtful supporting role to a fresh aggressive talented new leader. Someone without the baggage of years of unproductive politics as usual. Thank you Nancy, but no thank you.
5
@jtbnyc OK, so who is this fresh, aggressive, talented, new leader? Do he or she know as much as Pelosi? If not, I'm not interested. If so, name names.
2
@jtbnyc She should cede the Speaker position "to a fresh aggressive talented new leader." Will this "aggressive" new leader be able to convince all Democratic representatives to vote together on important bills? Will this "fresh aggressive" new leader be able to broker compromises when needed to get enough votes to accomplish the main idea through?
This is a position that requires political skills to do well, and Nancy Pelosi has been shown to have those skills.
No question it’s time to change the faces of the Democratic Party. Pelosi and Schumer are easy prey for the vultures at Fox, etc. BUT- there does not appear to be a great alternate choice, and her skills are undeniable. The story here is the return of a party icon to the front, energizing her as she finishes out her storied career. As a Democrat, I say we need her now.
9
Obamacare should really be called Pelosicare. She’s the person responsible for the protection of pre-existing conditions that all these newcomers campaigned on. It blows my mind that they are allowing the GOP’s relentless attacks on the most effective leader the Dems have to dictate their leadership.
19
Nancy Pelosi is the best politician in D.C. Now-more than ever-the House Democrats need her leadership. She's already acknowledged that a transition to new leadership is going to happen. But not now. Definitely not now.
10
The GOP hates and vilifies her. Why do you suppose that is? There is a certain segment of the democratic base and certain moderate democrats who listen too much to the GOP, and believes them. If you think Pelosi is somehow not progressive enough you have not looked at the facts.
19
Pelosi is a lion. She has been one of progressives' most effective politicians in recent history. If someone can prove to be a better legislator, motivator, negotiator, and politician than she is, I'm all for it. But truly, put up or shut up. Let's see who can hard cats and get through the legislation we want passed.
"She's old," and "Fox News says nasty things about her" are not reasons for her to not hold the speakership again.
32
Of course she has the votes, she's got the most experience, or should I say, longest tenure.
It's time to step aside, but be there for whoever takes your place. If only to ELIMINATE Republican's number one target of a Democrat-led senate.
1
Ms Pelosi should rest on her laurels, pass the torch to a younger generation and be an éminence grise in both the House and the Democratic Party.
2
I think I’m now old enough (68) to call those who just won seats in Congress “young whippersnappers”. A collation who has no experience yet want to call for a “new, younger” Leader. But they ran on the legislation that she MANAGED to get approved: ACA, pre-existing coverage. She also brought about the end of the financial crises with her caucus to approve TARP. She alone has the honed skills to lead the Democrats to victory in 2020. Nancy Pelosi has the guts, smarts, capabilities to walk the tight-rope between appropriate investigations and legislation that will win back the Presidency (infra-structure, lower priced drugs; etc. This is not the time or place to replace her. She is a LEADER in every sense of the word. I am also amazed that the Democrats don’t vote on their Leadership until Jan. This delay will only allow time to fuel debate; which will be used by the Republicans and new-Democrats alike and divert the work that needs to start under her Leadership on day one. Notice the Rep’s. elected their leader yesterday, with nary a words said in opposition to Kevin. Democrats smarten up for God’s sake.
12
First came' Clinton fatigue' and now I believe the speaker also has comedown with this ailment.
5
So the clinical definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting the outcome to be different.
3
While I too would like to see some new blood leading the Dems, there was a reasons the GOP ran against Pelosi; they fear her.
9
Democrats would be making a HUGE mistake to not have Nancy Pelosi speaker.She raises incredible sums of money for democrats, is a canny, honest politician that knows the ropes on how to get things done.She is greatly needed to show all the incoming female congress exactly how to comport themselves and she isn't afraid of anybody.She deserves to be leader and it is her due.And just to be snarky there is a BIG difference between a seasoned female and an old, corrupt,republican white guy.
12
Nancy Pelosi has experience! SHE got the Affordable Care Act (aka “Obamacare”) passed, and that is plenty progressive. We need to stop dissing smart, strong women.
12
That's right, Democrats, start with an internecine conflict, cull each others ranks, and then join battle with the Republicans. Sounds about right.
It says something about the Democratic Party that it can't rid itself of this decaying fish. It also says something that the fish doesn't know it stinks.
4
“I think to older baby boomer women she [Pelosi] represents change,” Ms. Lake said. “To younger members she represents status quo.”
^ This sentiment encapsulates the growing frustrations of every Democrat under the age of 40 in a political party dominated by Democrats over the age of 60. It appears they will not ever step aside, and they plan to die still clutching the scepter of power.
9
Exactly! The baby boomers just will not let go -- they are clinging to their jobs in every sector of society well past their prime. The rest of us can't move up until they move on! I intensely dislike that generation, anyone over 55- or 60-yrs-old. They are selfish.
@Sándor
yuh, sounds about right, and then there are those of us between the ages of 40 and 60 who've never had a political voice in our life. One might think we chose quietude. Well, we did have Barack representing, that was good.
I had not been a big fan of Pelosi, and I do think the time will soon come for a leadership change, but remember this: She played an enormous role in creating the Democratic wave -- and it WAS a wave, a big one -- by keeping the candidates on message of healthcare, income equality, fair pay, despite the instincts of some to revert to the sure-to-lose tactics of "identity" politics and just attacking the disgusting human(s) in the White House. Face it, the anti-American Republican party would vilify anyone the Dem's choose as their leader.
5
This is not the job for on the job training for the speaker.
7
Eric Swalwell could easily step in. Everyone needs on-the-job training. Even Pelosi once received on-the-job training. Pelosi could be a mentor but she is not effective as a speaker. Frankly she never was because she is too much of a pushover and concedes to every demand. Nancy is not a fighter. Eric Swalwell is a fighter.
My impression is that most people who oppose Pelosi don’t know just how much legislation she got through the House, both as Speaker and Minority Leader. She is truly the greatest Speaker in a generation, and it’s a mistake to drop her when there is so much at stake.
- the ACA would not have passed without her, full stop. She convinced a lot of Democratic reps to vote for it even though they knew it would probably cost them their jobs.
- the Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act
- carbon cap and trade
- the DREAM Act
- she’s also done incredibly good work with the regular must-pass legislation, protecting SNAP and CHIP.
Some of these bills failed in the Senate. But Pelosi knows how to discipline her caucus. While it’s made some progressives unhappy, she was very effective quashing impeachment talk and keeping Democrats on message this cycle: healthcare, healthcare, healthcare. That’s how we won.
Speaker is about a lot more than a “fresh face.” Let’s maybe talk about replacing Schumer, who has done nothing for us in the Senate.
389
@Mercury S,
Schumer's done worse than nothing. He voted for the carried interest tax loophole - his constituency includes Wall Street, but it is still an outrage.
In fact, at this point in time, if nobody is complaining about him, it's a bad thing.
24
@Mercury S When Nancy has the muscle to do some real good, she failed. Now she wants to make believe she can do the things she never planned to do.
@Mercury S
Just can't understand why Schumer's 49 Democrat votes in the Senate do not outweigh 51 Republicans. Must be fuzzy math.
3
There is no progressive majority in America. I'm sorry, young Democrats, but it's just the truth. You can (with much effort) get a majority of America to vote Democratic, but you cannot get a majority to vote democratic socialist, or what many of you are calling progressive. Heck, even Bernie-blue Vermont has a Republican governor. It would be wiser for the young, progressive wing of the party to recognize the lay of the land, take the steps it can reasonably take to exert influence, but otherwise spend its time trying to convince Americans of its agenda rather than force that agenda via a party coup. Doing the latter will only make them like the extremists in the GOP, who made governing so impossible for their party that after two years of total control of the government they managed to pass only one major law--a tax cut for millionaires. Having control of the House now is an extraordinary opportunity, but only if the Democrats are all on the same page. Please, young Dems, be smart. Be team players. Don't blow this for everybody.
261
@g
Weren’t there hundreds of thousands if not millions of young democrats who again didn’t have enough sense to vote again this time? Way to much time vaping, and after taking selfies, walking into walls.
See my response to Burbury above . . .
14
@g There is no moderate majority in America. I'm sorry, old Democrats, but it's just the truth. You can (with much effort) get a majority of America to vote Democratic, but you cannot get a majority to vote centrist, or what many of you are calling moderate. Heck, even Hillary-blue New York had a Republican mayor. It would be wiser for the old, conservative wing of the party to recognize the lay of the land, take the steps it can reasonably take to exert influence, but otherwise spend its time trying to convince Americans of its agenda rather than force that agenda via a party coup. Doing the latter will only make them like the extremists in the GOP, who made governing so impossible for their party that after two years of total control of the government they managed to pass only one major law--a tax cut for millionaires. Having control of the House now is an extraordinary opportunity, but only if the Democrats are all on the same page. Please, old Dems, be smart. Be team players. Don't blow this for everybody.
17
@g The "party coup" was effected when a bunch of party insiders pushed Hillary Clinton as the Democratic candidate for president in 2016 and ignored the groundswell of support for Bernie Sanders and the obvious resistance to Ms. Clinton among both Democrats and Republicans. We point fingers at the "uneducated masses in flyover states" or the Russians, but perhaps the real reason Trump won is because so many Democrats were disgusted by the way the nomination process was handled. Two years later without so much as an apology, the Democratic party is a mess.
It's time for a change of leadership. It's time to give "Progressives" a chance.
10
Unite, Democrats....around Nancy Pelosi.
That's how Republicans hijacked America, with a united laser focus on voter suppression, vote file purge, gerrymandering, dark money and rigging the vote with Grand Old Poison.
Now the Democrats will 'hijack' America, with good sensible legislation, a new Voting Rights Act, a real infrastructure and jobs bill, a campaign finance reform bill and a reversal of the Republican Reverse Robin Hood Tax Cuts from 2017.
Put the Grand Old Phonies on the spot about why those things are bad for America and let them impale themselves on their 0.1% contempt for America.
Nancy Pelosi is a great political and American warhorse.
157
Even if you choose to discount the fact that she is a lightning rod for right wing vitriol, there is the equally obvious fact that she represents an ossified, out-of-touch, anti-democratic Dem party hierarchy.
She has no connection whatsoever to the party's energized, progressive base, but she is so intimately connected to big money donors, and right there you have the reason she is against many policies that are popular with the public including INCREASED Social Security benefits, single payer (even a majority of Republicans now support Medicare for all) and a financial transaction tax.
Please explain why this "exceptionally skilled politician" continually caved to Republican austerity demands, once joining in with them to call for Social Security cuts? And now she's announced support for a “pay-go” rule that would straitjacket spending for new social programs by requiring offset tax hikes or budget cuts.
18
This sort of guff is precisely why the CPUSA sank out of sight, I am very happy to say.
I think the Democrats are long overdue for a change in House leadership. Rep Pelosi has led a highly successful and impactful career, but it's past time for fresh leadership and vision in the party.
Plus, having Congressional democratic leadership from the liberal coastal bastions of San Francisco and New York certainly will NOT help win over moderate Democrats in the Midwest. For a Democratic president to succeed in 2020, the middle of America must be won. Rep. Pelosi is a liability in that regard.
I sincerely wish Rep. Pelosi would look past her own ambitions and start to embrace the future of the party.
20
Some have argued that Nancy Pelosi's experience should not be squandered at this crucial time. I respect that kind of thinking because I don't believe we (American culture) respect, value and honor experience, wisdom and age as we should.
But I also feel that experience does not exist in a vacuum. I think the negatives of Pelosi as speaker far outweigh the positives. She is like Hilary -- too divisive and targeted to be effective. I think the old guard (not age but rather their stagnation) of Democratic leadership for decades, which includes Schumer and Feinstein, has been entirely out-of-touch, conciliatory and ineffectual, not to mention too influenced by corporate backers. They have compromised where and when it wasn't necessary -- and they have not fought when it absolutely was. They have stopped representing average Americans, working class Americans, middle America. They have focused on humanitarian projects and a minority voting class to the detriment of middle class America.
Pelosi and representatives in their 70s-80s who have been in power for decades could and should instead serve as mentors to a new generation of leadership. Eric Swalwell comes to mind. Pelosi is just too far removed (economically and philosophically) from average Americans to represent the House as its speaker.
Pelosi may have the votes to become speaker, but I wish she had the humility, grace and wisdom instead to decline.
31
TALENT.... for the love of God, can we stop making it about nonsense like age, gender, race.... ?
Nancy is a giant.... and pipsqueaks like sexist Seth Moulton can't help but nip at her heels... to the detriment of the party and the nation.
151
@EEE Oh the sweet irony! You begin with your pleas of not making this about gender, age, etc., but then proceed to call someone else sexist.
The truth of the matter is, Pelosi becoming the next Speaker will galvanize Trump and his supporters for 2020. Trump knows this, which is precisely why he advocated for her to become the next Speaker. But by all means, go ahead and root for her. Democrats have become as tone-deaf as Republicans. Godspeed to you, I hope to watch the corporate Democrats' demise in 2020. Maybe that'll knock some sense into you and your ilk.
1
A solid victory in the midterms, and Democrats (I'm independent but often vote Dem) - already imo shooting themselves in the foot. I know things must "shake-out" - but this doesn't strike me as wise politics (quibbling over Pelosi).
I'm personally tired of Nancy Pelosi being the "face" of the Democratic party in the House. Can't the Dems conduct themselves better and find a new "speaker" better than this?
I'm willing to bet trump is praying Pelosi gets the nod. Think about it, Dems.
24
@davequ "being the "face" of the Democratic party in the House." is not what the speaker is. The speaker is the one who needs to get all or most of their party's representatives to support legislation that matters, and if that isn't possible to work on compromises that will get important bills passed.
She is wrong, or all those who just swept in the blue ripple were lied to and betrayed. One of those is going to end up being true. If Pelosi is speaker in 2019 Dems have no chance in 2020. Your dinosaurs are destroying your party. If Feinstein had stepped down instead of up to smear Kavanaugh you might have the Senate right now. But she had 'too much fight left' to retire and now the Reps have added to their hold in that body. Get rid of the dinosaurs or the dinosaurs will be the end of your party. That includes Pelosi and Schumer but extends to Feinstein and Waters as well.
31
@GregP
Feinstein was courageous. Kavanaugh was going to be confirmed no matter what.
Her expose of Kavanaugh's sexual assaults and drinking habits will hang over his head for his entire tenure.
Who knows, if nothing else, Feinstein probably prevented him from attacking some unsuspecting young attorney who might end up clerking for him.
21
GregP'
Orin Hatch: age 84.
Chuck Grassley: age 85.
Mitch McConnell: age 76.
Dianne Feinstein: age 85.
Maxine Waters: age 80.
Nancy Pelosi: age 78.
Chuck Schumer: age 67.
John Cornyn: age 66.
There are people in both parties who are older. But they all have a wealth of experience, which is important in government.
This country is very ageist.
13
@GregP You're providing this political advice, I guess, because you want to help Democrats win?
I guess we'll value that advice according what what we paid for it.
3
It shouldn't be about being female.
Pelosi is a strong, competent, extremely good leader. She's gotten things done that would not seem possible, there's no reason to pick someone else - especially not just because of gender!
83
@Details, so why are you making this about gender then?
3
I'm glad that Pelosi is being challenged. It makes me angry to see all these articles assuming that she's the best the Democrats can do. I view her as being too corporate, too willing to back down & she sounds like she views the speaker job as her due. She's rather condescending to other's views. I don't think this is a gender issue-- my favorite would be Maxine Waters. I'm going to learn more about Fudge & others who might be more progressive. I want to hear about actual policy.
74
@Valerie Ritter
Thank you.
"she views the speaker job as her due"
as did Hillary, and look what happened.
New blood and new ideas, please, Dems
unless you want "4 more years" of this nightmare.
17
@Valerie Ritter Entitlement comes to mind. Not the American way or even slightly democratic. She may win in this secret ballot because she will personally count the votes.
2
@Valerie Ritter "too willing to back down" is not the same as her masterful ability to unify Democratic Representatives and compromise when needed to get as much done as possible.
That's what the Speaker has to do, and do well. Being more progressive doesn't mean that someone else could do that job.
11
Good for her! She raises a ton of money and delivered on a blue wave in the midterms. If one of these freshman upstarts wants the gavel they're welcome to mount a credible challenge and take it from Speaker Pelosi. Until then all this talk about power sharing and fresh blood is just whining.
43
@Steve I respect your post (except the "whining" slur)
but I would be willing to bet that trump is praying that Pelosi gets the gavel. Like Hillary, she is the perfect foil for firing up his base. And 2016 was proof that when "fired up" ... they SHOW up.
1
@Steve
Guess where that money comes from and what it expects in return?
Naive people have to wake up and smell the coffee. We need change, meaningful change. People who fund Pelosi and the party are not for change let alone the meaningful kind.
4
@davequ
Don't kid yourself--the reason they are demonizing her is because they fear her and the Dems have been stupid to fall for it. The midterms have shown that we don't have to worry about Trump's base, which is unwinnable. Pelosi guided through a sensible, focused approach which got results which is what we need right now.
11
Disappointed to learn Pelosi likely has the votes to remain Speaker. She's been weak, ineffective and complacent for the past two years. We need BOLD leadership in the House (and the Senate for that matter, Schumer is no prize) to effectively stand up to Trump and the Republican Congress. A House majority + weak leadership does not equal progress.
22
@Tom
Nancy Pelosi is a superstar. She's been able to hold the Republican domination at bay. You should appreciate that.
9
Nancy Pelosi for Speaker of the United States House of Representatives.
Get over yourselves, Dem newly elected and male challengers. You're vastly overestimating your competence at taking on what's ahead.
Has it occurred to you that there is a reason why the Repubs have demonized and negatively branded smart, capable, effective Dem women, including, for the past 35 years, Hillary Clinton?
Because they feel threatened, and with good reason.
If you promised your constituents you'd vote against her, well, you shouldn't have. It's just that simple.
195
@Jung and Easily Freudened
"and male challengers" .... why post this?
"effective Dem women, including, for the past 35 years, Hillary Clinton?"
... I voted for her, but I was holding my nose. She couldn't fire up the base, and she lost - including states (e.g. Mich, WI, PA) Dems usually win.
The only person I feel threatened by is currently sitting in the White House (when he's not golfing)
If I had posted in the tone you did, with genders reversed, I would be bombarded by pc accusations of misogyny.
5
@Jung and Easily Freudened
Boy, you have it all figured out. And such a witty name too!
3
The Republicans and Trump are threatened by Nancy Pelosi?? Hardly. She is their easiest and favorite punching bag. Trump even endorsed her for Speaker!
And they sure weren’t so threatened by Hillary Clinton. Just look who is in the White House.
The more we Dems stick to our outdated leadership, the more elections we will lose.
3
"...deep divisions over the role of gender in leadership..."
This is ridiculous -- whomever is most qualified and can muster the votes will be Speaker. If that is Pelosi, fine. If not, that's fine as well.
Democrats cannot play into Republican caricatures as a bunch of SJWs wringing their hands over the "role of gender." We need leadership that is strong and capable of whipping the votes on key issues. I don't care who that is, I only care what they can do.
12
"The fight is exposing deep divisions over the role of gender in leadership at a time when a so-called pink wave put the party back in the House majority."
I see absolutely no evidence whatsoever for this in the article.
Apparently, one person used the word "sexist" once: Does that constitute a "deep division over the role of gender"?
The fact that many of the alternative speaker candidates to Nancy Pelosi that people have proposed are women certainly does not indicate any such divisions.
Please let events speak for themselves.
8
Would be the worst thing for the Democrats to our her in as speaker of the house. It would give the republicans a really point for the 2020 elections for sure
Let's hope she does have the votes. We do not need any more beginners or on-the-job learners in that job especially. Our government is in a precarious enough situation with a know-nothing failure as president and a GOPER Senate that has abdicated all it's Constitutional responsibities as to checks and balances on that president.
64
But everyone is going to be a beginner or an on the job learner soon given the average age of democratic leadership is approaching 80... somewhere, somehow, renewal has to start. Better now than two years time.
1
The GOP and its nattering sycophants hate Pelosi. she must be the right choice. She is a skilled tactician who will put the (D) agenda front and center from now until election 2020. Let her groom a new generation of leaders to take the torch then.
89
@ThePB If she hasn't been able to "groom a new generation of leaders" in the 16 years that she's already had the job, then I'd consider that goal to be a lost cause.
4
I appreciate having an eye to the future, and strongly believe that the future of the Democratic Party is those under 50, but for the time being, Ms. Pelosi has more than earned the role.
30
Nancy Pelosi gets a lot of criticism from many in her party, she's either too liberal, too much to the center, is forever the demon of the Republican party. So how did things go this midterm?
Phenomenally well I would say. And I would guess that Ms. Pelosi raising close to $100,000,000 for the Democrats in 2018 might have helped.
And for those 20,000,000 or so that benefit from the Affordable Care Act, you can thank Nancy.
And when bills were introduced by the Republicans that were contrary to the beliefs of the Democrats, she could get her caucus to vote 100% no.
She's the best leader in the Congress right now and those that would oppose her are not thinking to clearly. She's a force and that's why Republicans continue to castigate her.
Nancy Pelosi is the right person to lead the House of Representatives for the next two years.
430
@cherrylog754
"Nancy Pelosi gets a lot of criticism from many in her party..."
Define "many". 3? 5? 10? Out of 240?
9
@cherrylog754:
Please ask yourself what that 100 million asks in return. And then resubmit your hagiography.
12
@Blunt
"Please ask yourself what that 100 million asks in return"
I can't say for sure, but little is my guess. But the question should also be. What if that $100 million never happened, no contributions, would there be a majority Democratic House next January? I think we all know the answer to that. I don't like big money any more than the next person, but until there are laws against it, I don't see any other choice.
37
Pelosi, Hoyer, and Clyburn all need to go. But they don't need to be replaced with conservatives. The Democrats need younger, progressive voices in command, who reflect the emerging Democratic majority in the nation.
5
Although I am well I am well into my 70’s, I am so weary
Of Nancy Pelosi and Diane Feinstein. Yawn, yawn. Both seem to hold onto their power like a straw on the roiling waters.
Move over and let younger women have a chance to be heard....
41
@Claudia
Easy to say from 2500 miles away. Both Pelosi and Feinstein have worked hard for San Francisco, California and the US for years. She'll hand off the speakership to the next regeneration when there's a qualified candidate.
3
Why would Ms. Pelosi announce that she has the votes to be speaker? That's a plot to deter any other strong candidate to publicly oppose her candidacy.
If she has the votes , why hasn't she organised the votes?
3
Nice, lets reinforce the idea that establishment will never give up power. This midterm victory is a grassroot effort and cumulative resentment of Americans towards Trump. Nancy Pelosi is another Hillary. What kind of message does that send for all the dem supporters looking for a change. #NoNancy
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@Raj
The change we need is to get Trump and Republicans out of power. As MLK said "keep your eyes on the prize.".
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Pelosi needs to step aside. Otherwise the next two years are a waste for the Dems.
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As Democrats seem to do too often, Nancy Pelosi is asking the wrong question. It is not an important question whether she has the votes or not. It wouldn't be wise, especially for newcomers, to vote against a presumptive Speaker. The correct question is whether or not she should continue as Speaker when the party desperately needs progressive policies that might save the world from the corporation oligarchy. This is no time for more status quo from the establishment Democrats. The young voters won't show up again if Pelosi is the Speaker.
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Then the young viters are imbeciles, who need to read up on things a little.
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@JTE
I'd like to snap my fingers and have single payer healthcare in place. Same for climate change legislation that puts the greenhouse on ice. Immigration legislation that follows the inscription on the Statue of Liberty. But I know lots of voters in rural communities are leery of what those things will do to them. Progressives cannot just steamroller them with "Come on you're gonna love it!"
People have to be brought along with new ideas. Pelosi is effective - just ask Paul Krugman. She understands what's the maximum achievable and scores with singles and doubles. I would not want her swinging for the maximum conceivable fences. She's firm and pragmatic and wily. There's no one better to dance with that devil in the oval office. My bet is she'll get to his ego and let him put his name on legislation that will do the country some good. He'll puff up and she'll take the legislation to the bank.
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Just when the Democrats need a winning message and a messenger to deliver it, they inexplicably pick Ms. Pelosi to be that messenger. Just the optics alone are staggeringly tone deaf to what the country is calling for. But aside from the optics, the woman can barely form a coherent sentence and articulate it. It's sad that just when the Democratic Party has a great opportunity to move forward, they choose a "leader" who has led them to having lost over a thousand seats nationwide. I've watched Ms. Pelosi and listened to her. She has stated that she believes the voters do not want a change. Wrong. And she seems content with the historic ebb and flow of the Parties swapping power every few election cycles. For her, it all about the corporate money and unfortunately because of that, no message, no progressive policy and thus, no real change will be forthcoming.
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Please, do some research. Nancy Pelosi is the most successful and disciplined Speaker of our era. Period.
She doesn't need to excite people on tv; she needs to control her caucus and pass legislation, and she is a master of doing so.
She saved Social Security and the ACA, to name two of her many stellar accomplishments. If you don't know what she has done, how can you have the opinion that she's useless?
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So, the circular firing squad that is the Democratic Party begins to emerge while votes in some races are still being counted! Now is not the time for this confrontation. One of the principal reasons that Democrats have recovered the House Majority is Nancy Pelosi. The Party should immediately unite behind her savvy and experience instead of aping the misogyny and demonizing of the Republicans. Yes, the time for new, younger, fresher leadership is nearly at hand. (Ms. Pelosi is well into her seventies, after all. Time is taking care of this already.) But that transfer should be orderly, timely and respectful -- not counterproductively producing a schism. You're on the same team, you morons. Act like it.
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@John Figliozzi
Amen. Democrats can no longer afford to indulge in their traditional herd-of-cats behavior. All voices can be heard, but we need things to get done. There's too much at stake now.
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@John Figliozzi, allright!! And a little bit of name calling for good measure.... What was that you were saying about the circular firing squad?
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@John Figliozzi
Not so fast John!
Senator Feinstein is 85 and just won a seat that will take her to 91 years of age.
You have to wonder if Congresswoman Pelosi wants to follow that example rather than Senator Boxers?
Nancy Pelosi’s ability, and experience, should not be squandered in the name of expedient ideological commitment. As a ‘transitional’ Speaker, Pelosi would still have political capital to burn, and she would undoubtedly contribute to the practical knowledge of whomever it is that may succeed her.
Ambition and aspiration are not the same thing. The newer arrivals to DC would probably do well to pick up a lesson or two from their seasoned colleagues. Politics may be treated like a game far too often, but it isn’t one.
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@ubique why can't she be "transitional" as a behind-the-scenes advisor to a new, forward-looking, articulate person?
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@Jim
The first step in leading by example should probably not be cowering away from some novice challengers.
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There's little doubt that Ms. Pelosi has been an effective and accomplished party leader and Speaker. But nobody is completely indispensable. To maintain its momentum going into the 2020 election cycle, and to stoke the enthusiasm of younger voters who will be critical to stopping the Republican wrecking-crew, it would probably be best that the party select a younger person as Speaker. While I'm sure the Republicans will work overtime to demonize whomever might replace Ms. Pelosi, the party would be best served if she would step aside to permit the next generation to step in, before the next election contest goes into high gear.
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@Anthony Here's my thought. Why at this moment of great peril for our country would we want one of the most experienced and trusted leaders in the house to give up her role. She can easily these next two years train others, and yes younger ones but now I'm heartened to hear that she has the votes. And hope it is so. Those challenging her are from her right btw and mostly men. Now is not the time to give this up to a man.
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The chances of Pelosi encouraging or “teaching” for the next generation of leaders is near zero. That’s pure fantasy. She’s a lifer politician and isn’t yet aware that the stage lights are fading beckoning her necessary exit.
It’s a shame. She needs to go.
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@Anthony I would have to disagree. The next two years will be especially fraught with challenges. If Democrats don't have their ducks in a row the consequences could be of the "you ain't seen nothin yet" variety. We need dependable proven leadership. I see your point about keeping up enthusiasm, and I also worry about that. But we can transition later. Let's get things straightened out first.
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