Democratic Leadership Elections

[politicallefty]

I’ve been a Pelosi loyalist for a long time and this is exactly why we need her leadership for the next two years. She really is that good. She knows how to get her votes in line and squash her opposition. Pelosi was one of the most powerful Speakers we’ve ever had. If we win the White House and Senate in 2020, I’d really like to see her as Speaker for at least the first year to move through priority legislation. I don’t know anyone who can match her skills.

And if this was actually a serious move to replace the leadership with a younger generation, why has there been no serious effort against Hoyer or Clyburn? This is exactly what it appears to be. It’s a move by centrists to move the party to the right. I also think there is some sexism involved as well by attacking the only female leader in Washington. People seem to have forgotten that Pelosi was a member of the CPC before becoming leader. She only left because she refuses to join an ideological caucus as leader of the entire party.

[politicallefty]

Ahem.

People seem to have forgotten that Pelosi was a member of the CPC before becoming leader. She only left because she refuses to join an ideological caucus as leader of the entire party.

[politicallefty]

Even I’m surprised how fast she’s getting this done. No one should ever underestimate her. When she says she says she has the votes, she has the votes. No one in Congress can count votes like her. Ryan and Moulton will soon find out what happens when you try and fail against one of the powerful leaders Congress has ever seen. Some of the rebels will get concessions, but the leaders of the so-called rebellion will receive only primary challenges. Pelosi had this won before they even made a move.

And, as I’ve said before, it really is about sexism. Where is this challenges to similarly-aged Hoyer and Clyburn? Oh, that’s right. They’re men, so it doesn’t matter. Women, especially older women, are held to a very different standard even among some parts of the Democratic Party. We can cast those parts of our party away in 2020 through the primary process.

[politicallefty]

This is the most pathetic leadership challenge I have ever seen. It is a leadership challenge without even a challenger, which really says it all.

What I'm unclear on though is how many of the mutineers actually care.  Many of them made commitments during the campaign to vote against Pelosi.  They made those commitments because she's unpopular, and so they were doing it for political advantage.  And now those that are following through and saying they'll vote against her are most likely again doing so because they feel it's necessary to follow through on their campaign rhetoric.

But that doesn't mean that they personally think she should be replaced.  It just means that they feel it's necessary to go through the motions of opposing her, because that's what makes political sense for them.  They may not personally care whether the challenge succeeds.

This isn’t an uprising of new members though. This is a small group of anti-Pelosi incumbents (i.e. Ryan and Moulton) using them opportunistically. They are the ones moving forward with the notion of denying a majority on the floor.

A leadership challenge is perfectly fine, but it should play out within the Democratic Caucus. If it fails, those new members that made a campaign promise to not vote for Pelosi can keep that promise by voting present on the floor in January.

[politicallefty]

I’ve been a Pelosi loyalist for a long time and this is exactly why we need her leadership for the next two years. She really is that good. She knows how to get her votes in line and squash her opposition. Pelosi was one of the most powerful Speakers we’ve ever had. If we win the White House and Senate in 2020, I’d really like to see her as Speaker for at least the first year to move through priority legislation. I don’t know anyone who can match her skills.

It looks like I was right and then some. If Democrats retain the House in 2020, it looks like Pelosi will be the Speaker for long than some may have thought. If Democrats get the trifecta in 2020, Speaker Pelosi will be setting her legacy as she retires on top. Boehner and Ryan will be footnotes in history. No one will be saying the same of Pelosi (even if she weren’t the first female Speaker, let alone the first Speaker to return in over 60 years).