Posted on 11/12/2018 3:27:00 PM PST by Kaslin
Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) has done what we all knew she was going to do if the Democrats retook the House: mount a bid for speaker (again). It’s a slam-dunk, right? Well, she isn’t exactly the real face of the party. Moreover, she’s incredibly unpopular, a figure that jacks up the GOP base (and fills its campaign coffers), and a whole host of new Democrats don’t support her bid in the leadership. The question is whether the new class sticks to their word.
Pelosi did raise money for them, despite their explicit opposition to her reassuming the House speakership. In all likelihood, this leadership fight will end like the last Congress, where Pelosi was easily re-elected by Democrats to be minority leader. But for the sake of argument, we already have the stories that her speakership bid could hit obstacles and that it isn’t being warmly received by some top Democrats.
First, the polling shows that 56 percent of Democrats want someone else, but they still like her:
By 56% to 39%, Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents said Nancy Pelosi should be replaced as their leader in the House rather than kept in that role by being elected the next speaker. These views are similar among Democrats across the ideological spectrum.
[…]
Despite their lack of support for Pelosi as speaker, Democrats' opinions of Pelosi are more positive than negative. In Gallup's most recent update, from June, 48% said they have a favorable opinion of her and 31% an unfavorable one. Those figures indicate that some Democrats who have a positive opinion of Pelosi may nevertheless want her to be replaced as the party's leader.
Indeed, dozens of Democratic candidates, many of whom were elected on Tuesday, had vowed to support someone other than Pelosi as speaker should the party regain its majority status. Meanwhile, many incumbent Democrats have announced their intentions to back Pelosi as leader. The party will decide on its leader for the next Congress later this month, with the full House voting to elect the speaker once the new Congress convenes in January.
Not even former Vice President Joe Biden is enthused about another Speaker Pelosi era:
And, alas, there’s the new “red to blue” class of Democrats who ran on an anti-Pelosi platform (via NTK Network):
By my count, 10 of these 37 anti-Pelosi Dems have won & 5 more are in races that are too close to call. Dems could wind up w/ only a dozen seats over 218... https://t.co/17YPWe3kFA— Dave Wasserman (@Redistrict) November 7, 2018
Thirty-seven Democrats in the DCCC’s “Red to Blue” program disavowed Pelosi and said they would not support her for speaker. According to the Cook Political Report’s Dave Wasserman, 10 of those Democrats won Tuesday night, and another five are in races that are “too close to call.”
In total, that could give the anti-Pelosi coalition 15 members. According to Wasserman, Democrats “could wind up [with] only a dozen seats over 218.” If Democrats end up with just 230 House members, and 15 of those members have pledged to oppose Pelosi, she will be short of the 218 votes she needs to be speaker.
Now, the question is whether this crew can stick together. As newly elected members of Congress, I doubt they will remain firm. They want to do things, all freshmen do, and they’re probably not going to risk being declared persona non grata by the more senior members of their Congress by opposing Pelosi. On the other hand, if they do stick together—what an exciting January we have coming up.
HA!
Excellent opportunity to help her out some, rather than a comparatively sane one.
because the super I-hate-Trump faction dont want a forgetful, blabbering dementia-ridden old hag?
About that assumption...when will that cut in?
Same thing was said about Ryan.
Hillary?
I remember reading that President Trump promised to get some Republican votes for her. The GOP actually likes that kind of opposition. I suspect the only thing that would make him rescind the offer would be if the impeachment baloney was discarded by Pelosi’s opponent.
If the moderate Democrats were smart, they’d pick a center right Democrat and canvas the Republicans for the vote.
Well, one of them yes LOL I should have been specific..
A few Republicans should cross the aisle and show true bipartisanship by voting for her to be speaker.
She’ll just be replaced, if at all, by a more lunatic leftist. It hardly matters.
“If the moderate Democrats were smart, they’d pick a center right Democrat and canvas the Republicans for the vote.”
That would be Pelosi.
Pretty sure they’ve already gotten the email. You don’t want to PO that conniving sneaky snake.
I’ll be shocked if that happens!
Thing is, as bad as she is, they’ll likely be far worse.
It will be something to watch Leftists start acting like they were socialists all along ... they truly are like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and then, on looking away, immediately forgets the sort of man he was.
Hillary Clinton will make a play for speaker of the house.
I find such optimism adorable. The Demwits vote as a bloc. Those who can't due to local politics in their district are forgiven, not least because a couple of nays makes the whole thing look really democratic.
I would think one of the “Blue Dog” Democrats might work.
Still liberal, but more reasonable.
Henry Cuellar or Vicente Gonzalez for example.
I guess you didn't get the memo...Tom Perez,the DNC Chairman,announced just last month that there are no more moderates left in the Democrat Party.
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