Anyone But Nancy Pelosi For Minority Leader

[tritsofme]

I could not believe it when I http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20101105/ap_on_go_co/us_pelosi_house_leadership_3">read today that Nancy Pelosi will try to stay on as minority leader. After losing 60+ seats, she not only needs to leave the leadership, she should seriously consider resigning from Congress.

I don't care if the new leader comes more from the left with someone like Pete DeFazio, someone from the center like Steny Hoyer, I won't go as far to promote a Heath Shuler, but you get the picture. Anyone would be a better face for House Democrats.

We took a drubbing in the House, the Democratic caucus has been reduced to its smallest levels since before the Depression, this failure should not be rewarded with two more years at the helm.

Fairly or not, Nancy Pelosi has become the most divisive and unpopular figure active today in American politics. To keep her where she is just sounds like a death wish.

If Obama wins big in 2012, we could take back the House, but I really doubt that would happen with Pelosi as leader. We lost scores of seats on Tuesday just because of their association with Pelosi, and now we want to go into the 2012 cycle promising to restore this radioactive figure back to the speaker's office? That sounds like John Boehner's wet dream.

Nancy you are a great public servant and you have served admirably as speaker. But now it is time for you to walk off into the sunset and let others carry on the fight from here, for the good of the party.

Someone on Capitol Hill needs to tell her that this is not wise.

[Kolesar]

1. Marcy Kaptur, D-Ohio would be great

She actually understood the banking mess

[dsc]

35. she opposes abortion rights

so she would be DOA.

[emulatorloo]

2. 1. Pelosi would be a very nasty thorn in Boehner's side. 2. The Pelosi house put out some damn fine

legislation. This is not her fault.

Boehner does not need the house democrats at all. But Boehner needs a tough Minority leader giving him shit.

If not Pelosi, another member of the progressive caucus.

Not a blue-dog, they are the big failures here.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

3. Well her not being minority leader

wouldn't be as bad as her flat out resigning- as my supposedly "Democratic" father suggested she do. :eyes:

Still, part of me feels like her resigning and/or stepping aside as minority leader would be a symbolic mistake, particularly given that she was far less of the "problem" in the last Congress as, say, Harry Reid was in the Senate. Her stepping aside would suggest that she made some kind of mistake and I don't know exactly what she did so wrong that she needs to go. :shrug:

If the Dems want to elect a new Minority Leader, then fine, but I'd rather them actually take a vote and make that decision themselves- as long as Nancy, of course, is even interested in the position.

[Blasphemer]

6. I agree - the House was not the problem. Her stepping down would send the message that it was. nt

[kick-ass-bob]

4. "Fairly or not, Nancy Pelosi has become the most divisive and unpopular figure active today..."

to whom?

It doesn't matter who was in that position, they would always be the "most divisive and unpopular figure active today in American politics."

And it didn't hurt that she was a 'she'.

To remove her only kowtows to the ones who painted her that way. No thanks.

[tritsofme]

9. To the people that vote, apparently.

Pelosi is radioactive in so many of the districts we lost on Tuesday, and these are the same districts that we need to win next time to be in the majority.

Her negatives are so high, she can no longer be an effective leader of the Democratic caucus. It is time to move on. Pelosi is not the only person capable of leading.

[movonne]

20. She is only radioactive because the repugs keep harping about

her...and whomever they would put in will become radioactive very soon...

[Hubert Flottz]

5. That should be off the table

And so should Harry "Wimpy" Reid!

[BeFree]

7. I'm sure she'll get right on it

After all, it is your bright idea.

Your way is admit that she failed and yet all the evidence points to her being a great success.

Maybe you think the house was a failure?

[DFLforever]

8. I wish I had more than one unrec to give to this post.

Let's do away with the most effective Democratic House leader in memory! that'll show 'em. The Repukes couldn't defeat her - but we will.

[tritsofme]

10. You might be happy in the minority.

With a tiny caucus filled with your favorite liberals.

I am not. I want John Boehner to be a one term speaker.

[BeFree]

14. Eh?

You WANT Boehner to be speaker?

Not me, I don't want any repub to be speaker.

[tritsofme]

15. Ok, well then bring me with you

to the alternate reality you will be spending the next two years in.

[BeFree]

18. Idea

Why don't you campaign against Boehner?

I mean, here you are campaigning against Pelosi...

[BeFree]

21. Instead of your headline..

Which is " Anyone But Nancy Pelosi For Minority Leader"

How about Anyone But Boehner For Minority Leader

[tritsofme]

26. You are not making any sense.

Maybe you have not gotten a chance to read the newspaper since Tuesday, but come January Republicans will be in the majority and Democrats in the minority in the House. I cannot change that with a snap of my fingers.

Campaign against Boehner for what exactly? That election is over.

Our House leadership elections are still a choice, we don't need to stick with Nancy.

[BeFree]

29. I'm done kicking your stupid thread.

Pelosi is a friend of mine. Obviously not one of yours.

[catbyte]

11. I'll help you, DFLforever...

[LynneSin]

12. I think Nancy made a better Minority leader than Speaker but that's my 2 cents

:shrug:

[Name removed]

13. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Kolesar]

16. The House sent up a climate bill that went nowhere...eom

[Jennicut]

17. Utter nonsense. None of the people in leadership positions on either side are popular.

Boner and McConnell have had approval ratings below 30%. The last Speaker of the House that was beloved was Tip O'Neill. It is not a position that is supposed to make people love you, it is a position where you must get the House Rep.s in your party to pass the legislation the President wants. She did that. The House lost lots of Blue Dogs and many progressives due more to the poor economy then to Nancy Pelosi. A lot of people don't even know who she is (they can't even name our VP for goodness sake.)

[tritsofme]

19. Republicans spent a lot of money in swing districts making sure people know who she is

"Voted 99% of the time with Nancy Pelosi" blah blah blah

You are deluding yourself if you think these ads were not effective.

Judging by the results of the election they were very successful at vilifying her. Boehner and McConnell have approval ratings probably in the same ballpark as Pelosi, but her negatives are sky high compared to them. She is damaged goods.

It is not as though she is only person capable of leading the Democratic caucus. After eight years as leader, it is time to move on.

[BeFree]

22. So, your idea is to follow their lead?

Why do their job for them? Why do you want to throw Pelosi under the bus?
Just because the media tells you too?

[tritsofme]

24. I don't want to give them a freebee next time.

The districts where Pelosi is radioactive are the same districts we need to win in 2012 if we are to be in the majority. It just won't happen if Republicans get to run against Pelosi again.

She threw herself under the bus by presiding over a 60+ seat loss.

[BeFree]

28. Just can't stop yourself can you?

Your hate for Pelosi just drives you insane, right?

You do know the biggest losers were blue dogs that also hate Pelosi?

[tritsofme]

31. Want to win a majority? You need to win back those Blue Dog seats, the big losers.

There aren't any winners in the minority.

[BulletproofLandshark]

23. They would have put out those ads regardless of who the majority leader was.

It's not her fault all the good work she got done was stonewalled in the Senate. If you really believe she's "damaged goods" you're no better than those who vilify her.

[gkhouston]

25. And those ads would have been unnecessary if she'd been an ineffective leader.

Myself, I don't see the point in letting the Republicans choose our leadership for us.

[tritsofme]

30. It's called cutting your losses.

I am not a glutton for punishment.

I don't think we should keep the unpopular leader just to "stick it" it to Republicans.

[gkhouston]

32. It's not about popularity or sticking it to the Republicans.

It's about someone who can herd cats, and she's done a good job of that. The House passed a lot of good legislation; it's the Senate that fell down on the job.

[blondeatlast]

27. Pelosi was loathed because she was EFFECTIVE, She should stay where she is

and perhaps regain her position in two years.

[napi21]

33. Nancy held a herd of cats together enough to pass over 400 pieces

of legislation in her single term as Speaker. I question just how many other Dems would have been able to do that! I think we need someone like that even more now becase we can'tafford to lose ANY DEMS if we hope to get ANYTHING done in the next two years!!!

I don't know what you have against Nancy. NO DEM could have prevented the tidal wave of losses this year because of the economy. To blame it on her is just wrong headed.

[jgraz]

34. Time to put the LEE in Leader

Barbara Lee, that is. :D

[treestar]

36. What failure?

She was re-elected to her seat. The remaining House Democrats choose their leader.

The problems with the bills were the Senate. The House passed what everyone wanted.

[tritsofme]

37. What failure? Presiding over a 60 seat loss, and the loss of the majority.

That failure. Given the district she represents I should hope she was reelected. As Nancy Pelosi, winning reelection for yourself is not the measure for success here.

I would say the same thing for Harry Reid if he presided over the loss of the Senate.

There are plenty of great and capable leaders in the House, after eight years and a loss of the majority, let's try something else.

[veganlush]

38. This is the biggest load of shit...

..and huge part of the problem with the fuckin' democrats. you buy into the fuckin' enemies' shit and repeat it yourself! how goddamn dumb can people be!? Pelosi is a progressive hero, and a pro at getting things done, she can brag of historic achievements. Of course the other side doesn't like her! So now we're supposed to give into them and basically concede their lies about her, you fuckin' people are pathetic! How weak and pathetic! One of the most productive speakers in history, and you throw her under the bus because in your weak-mindedness you bought into their misogynistic horseshit! I guess you'll want to give up on the Muslim President too, right? What the Democrats have to do is run full speed away from is this tail-between-the-legs cowardice that this OP espouses.

[Dappleganger]

39. You may not like her but she got shit done.

And that's why she should stay.