Nancy Pelosi is a huge burden for Dems

[Mr.Phips]

Let's not pretend that whoever the Minority Leader is wouldn't be turned into some crazed, psychotic character that doesn't exist by Republicans. The people in mentioned in this thread would be easily demonized.

Lujan and Castro are Hispanic. Enough said.
Tim Ryan represents a decaying town and would be labeled as a liberal who believes in policies that destroyed manufacturing and coal in the Midwest. Plus, he represents Youngstown, which has a high black population.

With that said, none of these special elections would have turned out differently with another Minority Leader. Even if Pelosi is thrown out, Republicans can still talk about her anyway.

Then how come being compared to Paul Ryan or Mitch McConnell doesn't hurt Republicans?  Someone like Tim Ryan would be far harder for Republicans to attack.  Pelosi is purely a walking caricature of exactly the type of image that Democrats need to move away from.

[DrScholl]

Let's not pretend that whoever the Minority Leader is wouldn't be turned into some crazed, psychotic character that doesn't exist by Republicans. The people in mentioned in this thread would be easily demonized.

Lujan and Castro are Hispanic. Enough said.
Tim Ryan represents a decaying town and would be labeled as a liberal who believes in policies that destroyed manufacturing and coal in the Midwest. Plus, he represents Youngstown, which has a high black population.

With that said, none of these special elections would have turned out differently with another Minority Leader. Even if Pelosi is thrown out, Republicans can still talk about her anyway.

I honestly think anyone in Democratic leadership could perform a sacrifice on live TV and you'd stick by them as long as a "SANDERISTA" doesn't get in charge.

Anyway, lifetime contract, please!  She's a joke.

First off, I think you are confusing me with a Republican who still supports Trump after all his antics. Second, it's not a matter of me liking Pelosi, it's a matter of fact. You know that anyone elected Democratic leader is going to be attacked somehow and turned into a super villain.

And at least she's not a rapist like Hastert.

[DrScholl]

Let's not pretend that whoever the Minority Leader is wouldn't be turned into some crazed, psychotic character that doesn't exist by Republicans. The people in mentioned in this thread would be easily demonized.

Lujan and Castro are Hispanic. Enough said.
Tim Ryan represents a decaying town and would be labeled as a liberal who believes in policies that destroyed manufacturing and coal in the Midwest. Plus, he represents Youngstown, which has a high black population.

With that said, none of these special elections would have turned out differently with another Minority Leader. Even if Pelosi is thrown out, Republicans can still talk about her anyway.

Then how come being compared to Paul Ryan or Mitch McConnell doesn't hurt Republicans?  Someone like Tim Ryan would be far harder for Republicans to attack.  Pelosi is purely a walking caricature of exactly the type of image that Democrats need to move away from.

Republicans are professionals at attacking, it is what they live for. The Pope could be Democratic leader and they'd still find effective attacks.

Liking Pelosi or not isn't the point. It's the fantasy that Republicans will stop attacking Democrats if Pelosi out the way.

[Mr.Phips]

Let's not pretend that whoever the Minority Leader is wouldn't be turned into some crazed, psychotic character that doesn't exist by Republicans. The people in mentioned in this thread would be easily demonized.

Lujan and Castro are Hispanic. Enough said.
Tim Ryan represents a decaying town and would be labeled as a liberal who believes in policies that destroyed manufacturing and coal in the Midwest. Plus, he represents Youngstown, which has a high black population.

With that said, none of these special elections would have turned out differently with another Minority Leader. Even if Pelosi is thrown out, Republicans can still talk about her anyway.

Then how come being compared to Paul Ryan or Mitch McConnell doesn't hurt Republicans?  Someone like Tim Ryan would be far harder for Republicans to attack.  Pelosi is purely a walking caricature of exactly the type of image that Democrats need to move away from.

Republicans are professionals at attacking, it is what they live for. The Pope could be Democratic leader and they'd still find effective attacks.

Liking Pelosi or not isn't the point. It's the fantasy that Republicans will stop attacking Democrats if Pelosi out the way.

Well then that's why Dems lose.  You win elections by attacking.

[Mr. Morden]

Liking Pelosi or not isn't the point. It's the fantasy that Republicans will stop attacking Democrats if Pelosi out the way.

They won't stop attacking once she's replaced, but it would take years for whoever replaces her to become as unpopular as she is now, and so it would be a net electoral benefit to the Dems during that period of the next few years.  Then, once her successor becomes as unpopular as she is now, they can dump him/her and pick another fresh face.

[Person Man]

Liking Pelosi or not isn't the point. It's the fantasy that Republicans will stop attacking Democrats if Pelosi out the way.

They won't stop attacking once she's replaced, but it would take years for whoever replaces her to become as unpopular as she is now, and so it would be a net electoral benefit to the Dems during that period of the next few years.  Then, once her successor becomes as unpopular as she is now, they can dump him/her and pick another fresh face.

The issie would be whether there is risk in getting someone unproven but not demonized as much a chance. I think 10 as ML and 4 as speaker is long enough.

[Kingpoleon]

Ben Ray Luján, Linda Sanchez, Joseph Crawley, Hakeem Jeffries, David Cicilline, and Cheri Bustos are the top ranking Democrats beside Pelosi, Clyburn, and Hoyer. I hope one of them gets elected, although Crawley, Jeffries, and Cicilline are unlikely. Bustos only has a chance if Durbin pushes her.

[Maxwell]

I think most of yall are only solving the surface problem of "we have an unappealing leader during elections". The problem goes much deeper than that.

[Mr. Smith]

Liking Pelosi or not isn't the point. It's the fantasy that Republicans will stop attacking Democrats if Pelosi out the way.

They won't stop attacking once she's replaced, but it would take years for whoever replaces her to become as unpopular as she is now, and so it would be a net electoral benefit to the Dems during that period of the next few years.  Then, once her successor becomes as unpopular as she is now, they can dump him/her and pick another fresh face.

The issie would be whether there is risk in getting someone unproven but not demonized as much a chance. I think 10 as ML and 4 as speaker is long enough.

Perez has already done loads better than anyone since Dean. Couldn't have known that if DWS kept staying on and on, and considering she literally only got booted when it became more expedient for Clinton, who knows how long she'd have stayed had the primaries been different.

[Since I'm the mad scientist proclaimed by myself]

Liking Pelosi or not isn't the point. It's the fantasy that Republicans will stop attacking Democrats if Pelosi out the way.

They won't stop attacking once she's replaced, but it would take years for whoever replaces her to become as unpopular as she is now, and so it would be a net electoral benefit to the Dems during that period of the next few years.  Then, once her successor becomes as unpopular as she is now, they can dump him/her and pick another fresh face.

The issie would be whether there is risk in getting someone unproven but not demonized as much a chance. I think 10 as ML and 4 as speaker is long enough.

Perez has already done loads better than anyone since Dean. Couldn't have known that if DWS kept staying on and on, and considering she literally only got booted when it became more expedient for Clinton, who knows how long she'd have stayed had the primaries been different.

I mean, AFAIK Pelosi is really good at her actual job(Dealing with lawmaking in the house, procedural stuff, etc).

[Amenhotep Bakari-Sellers]

Someone like Xavier Becerra should replace her not Stenya Hoyer, because he is part of the old guard.

Nevertheless, unlike last year where Trump won in blue states, just like MT-AL, this was a red district and the battle for control will be fought in CA, PA, and FL.

[Pyro]

Pelosi is poison for the Democratic brand. Period.

[Mr. Morden]

"Dems huddle to discuss Pelosi frustrations":

http://thehill.com/homenews/house/339090-dems-huddle-to-discuss-pelosi-frustrations

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[hueylong]

Will Pelosi have to step aside sometime soon? Of course. She's getting older, and while she's in great shape and seems as sharp as ever, eventually she will need to step down. Absolutely. But now is not the right time.

No, what you're seeing now is a band of self-concerned opportunists working as hard as they possibly can to blame a moderately disappointing result on someone they'd like to see leave the picture, not because it would serve the party, but because it would serve them and their own interests.

Pelosi is not the main problem with the Democratic party right now, and the very fact that that's even a serious argument we're tossing around proves more directly and diametrically than anything else ever could that many Democrats out there are morons who act in self-destructive, brainless ways all the time and then wonder without a tinge of irony why it is that they lose.

What's needed more than sacking Pelosi is a plan that can actually pass as something that was conceived by someone with a non-negative IQ. Preferably that plan would involve Democrats thinking for once instead of instinctively reacting and panicking at every slight thing. Many of those who are calling for Pelosi to resign are the ones capitulating to the Republicans and conceding defeat by admitting their dirty playbook and negative brand of politics poses some insurmountable challenge. Well, they're wrong, and it doesn't.

Going back to those self-interested people - I always find myself blown away whenever an individual gains the privilege and the honor to serve in one of the greatest legislative bodies this world has ever known, and in their tenure manages to not do anything substantive or worthwhile, but still somehow always findx the time to grandstand, fine-tune their image, engage in wanton self-promotion, and in their vanity and prepossession, angle for advancement. Massive shame.

[krazen1211]

The Dems have collapsed into such a rump that Nancy can hold power just by holding onto California Reps and a few others. Heh.

[PragmaticPopulist]

She's a good speaker, (not house speaker, but literally speaker) but she has become a burden on Democrats. They should put forward someone who doesn't represent such an up-scale area. Tim Ryan, Ben Ray Lujan, and Cheri Bustos come to mind.

[Virginiá]

Another downside of replacing Pelosi right now is that it will embolden Republicans to go after the next speaker even more than they have with Pelosi. If they think they can get a change of leadership just by doing this, it'll make that aspect worse.

[Amenhotep Bakari-Sellers]

Because right now, you will be replacing her with Stenya Hoyer who isn't any better. Dems can keep Pelosi and hopes that she becomes Speaker again either in 2018 or 2020, and replace her with Xavier Becerra, or someone younger, rather than have Hoyer as minority leader.