As a committed Democrat I want so hard to be able to root for Nancy Pelosi; in fact I usually do. From my perspective she’s been a competent House Speaker, and since she’s from my home state I feel that I’m normally on the same page.
Be that as it may, I think it’s a terrible look for Democrats generally, especially those who will be running in contested elections next November. While support for Ukraine is noble and worthwhile, I feel safe in saying that most of the electorate is more concerned about domestic issues such as inflation and gas prices in particular. (Yes, I do realize that there is a connection between the war and the price of gas, but I don’t see how going to Ukraine helps here.)
While this certainly won’t endanger Pelosi’s own campaign, I have no reason to assume the same will be true for other Democratic candidates.
Who knows, maybe we can still find yet another way to screw up even worse, and give the Republicans the Senate supermajority they would need to convict on impeachment. Then Biden will be out a day after the House Republicans pick a Speaker, and Harris will go an hour after that. The Republicans will then control everything for decades to come, aided and abetted by their favorite judges.
I’m not seeing a problem here. Pelosi showed support for Ukraine, as opposed to the Republicans in Congress, who are still sucking Putin’s cock. I think “Supporting Ukraine” is at worst a wash, and played right could actually boost Dem chances in key races. She also went to an active war zone, which no Republican has the balls to do.
The trip to Ukraine, while obviously done for political ‘optics’ (I hate that term but it is the in-vogue jargon for how things are perceived) is not nearly as pandering a look as this:
Pelosi herself is pretty ethically compromised in the ‘normal’ way of politicians being overly cozy with corporate interests and having used her political influence for fiscal enrichment but she really doesn’t even rise to the top of political corruption, and as you note she’s been generally adept at navigating political landmines despite taking every possible opportunity for performative showboating. I think this Ukraine trip is less of an issue than the economy as a whole and specific issues like employment and affordable housing. If Democrats lose the House in 2022 elections (possible, and likely that they’ll at least get down to only a single digit majority) it will be more general longstanding issues than anything Nancy Pelosi has or could affect.
I honestly can’t see the issue. I don’t see there being anything she could be passing in the interim, even if there was anything with hope to pass the Senate. I also don’t see this as something where the Republicans will run ads against her or other Democrats.
I honestly would not have occurred to me to care about this had I learned about it elsewhere. I suspect that being her constituent makes it seem like a bigger deal than it will be for most who are considering voting Democrat.
No issue. The Democrats are doing everything domestically that can be passed by an equally divided grossly unrepresentative Senate. Taking 3 days for a foreign trip does nothing to hinder any domestic agenda.
I was going to vote for my local democrat, but the news that Nancy Pelosi struck down Roe v. Wade traveled to an ally nation under attack has really made me re-think my priorities.
I mean, if that’s where we’re at as far as what motivates voters, then this whole thing is a loosing proposition.
You see a problem with a Democratic politician showing support for a democracy under threat? Should they instead act like Republicans and Fox News hosts and cozy up to Putin while calling Zelensky a “thug”?
I think that doing a little bit of in-person research and fact-finding before approving a taxpayer funded 33 billion aid package is a good and responsible thing to do.
There’s literally nothing she (or any other Democrat) can do that will “look good” to GOP partisans. Worrying about the perceptions of people who have decided to perceive you as evil and corrupt no matter what you do is a losing game. So, go to Ukraine, don’t go to Ukraine, in terms of domestic politics, it’s all the same. So make your choice based on what you want to actually accomplish, and ignore the GOP idiots.
If the American electorate can’t get its collective head out of its collective ass long enough to finally see the difference between a party that does something and party that does nothing, America is ultimately doomed no matter what any politician does.
Because Biden has completely failed at addressing inflation and gas prices but is doing well on the Ukraine issue so why not point out your successes rather than your failures?
Inflation is up worldwide, as are gas prices. Republican politicians know this. But they also know their base believes that gas prices are up because Biden halted the holy Keystone Pipeline. I’ve got a brother in law who posts gleefully on Facebook every time that gas goes up, thinking it’s a nail in Biden’s coffin. The Republican base believes that all bad news are the result of Democrats screwing up or Democrats obstructing Republicans when they are in power. These are the same people who said “derrrrrrrrrp- but her emails!” in 2016 and voted for a Soviet stooge.
Oil companies have incentive to inflate prices when a Democrat is in power. Occam’s razor. They want the Democrats to lose because we care about the environment. Why wouldn’t they gouge us. Their profits are through the roof right now. Anyone blaming Biden for the decisions of the oil companies is not a serious person when it comes to worthwhile political takes. It is the worst kind of motivated logic proof “reasoning” there is. Too bad so many people fall for it.