Nancy Pelosi is a huge burden for Dems

[hueylong]

This is not a panacea for our problems as a party. Republicans scapegoat prominent Democrats and turn them into boogeymen, that's just what they do. No matter who the leadership is, they'll be vilified nightly on Fox News, harpooned by Breitbart and other online 'news' sites, constantly invoked in congressional and down-ballot elections, etc. The rabid and foaming at the mouth conservative media apparatus will see to that. This entire discussion is frankly ridiculous, and to focus on this as opposed to the draconian and disgusting actions McConnell and other GOP senators have taken with regard to healthcare is the height of Democratic/liberal stupidity. Stop overreacting to one ing special election result, which actually wasn't that bad for us at all. People shouldn't have to be reminded that special elections are not strongly predictive of midterm results - Dems won all 5 in 2009 and got slaughtered in 2010.

[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.