Schumer just got re-elected by the Senate Democrats.
I’ve known women Pelosi’s age who still do things like going wading in Antarctica. For some people, that’s too old, and for others, it’s not. Pelosi herself is the best judge for when she’s too old for the job. When she wants to step down and retire, by all means, let her. But there’s no need to force her out before then.
I’m agnostic on Pelosi, but I wonder how many posters here are declaring her too old at 78, but (like me) praying for two more years for 85-year-old Ruth Ginsburg.
I’m not sure that’s a contradiction. We’re praying for Ginsberg because she needs prayers, or at least can really use them.
Also, we’re praying for RBG because if she has to quit in the next two years, her replacement would be yet another Gorsuch or Kavanaugh.
I don’t support a non-member of the House being Speaker as a general rule. It’s not an absolute but I don’t recall any of the arguments when it comes up in specific cases being anywhere close to convincing me.
I like Pelosi as Speaker and I’m a Republican. Okay so I’m a swing voting touch right of center Republican who votes for a lot of blue-dog and Third Way Democrats when they are on my ballot. I did not like Pelosi as a Representative. She’s way left of me hanging out on the far left side of her caucus’ positions. Before she ascended to party leadership there was a very high correlation between her mouth moving and me vehemently disagreeing with her. Then she got selected to lead her caucus. I was pleasantly surprised to see her move towards the midpoint of her caucus to represent the entirety of her party. I was also pleasantly surprised to see her be able to overcome strict partisanship to advance the party’s and nation’s interests. She didn’t pull punches opposing Bush…but delivered enough Democrats in the House to narrowly pass one of his campaign priorities, Medicare prescription druge coverage, as Minority Leader. She has a proven ability to make a deal across party lines and deliver on it.
We have some issues where there’s some bipartisan support even in today’s climate. Infrastructure is one. Attempts to regulate prescription drug prices is another. Less doable perhaps, but both parties have a significant chunk of votes that have an interest in reining in presidential power with respect to trade and tariffs. Those are all hard tasks in our current environment. Pelosi might have a chance to get something done other than making Trump a one-term President. I don’t see any of the other names that have as good a shot as she does. None are even close IMO.
I don’t like Pelosi’s politics. She’s experienced and capable as Speaker, though. I’d hate to trade down to an OJT Speaker with all the other issues we’ve got right now.
Caucus rules for Democrats still use seniority to drive appointment to chair positions; the GOP effectively “term limits” the chair role in their rules creating a different decision. That leaves a number of relatively senior and experienced Democratic reps just a touch lower in seniority looking at no chance of a chair position in the foreseeable future. Those people can, however, make a reasonable case of being ready to be Speaker.
Hey, I get it. (That’s why I said “like me.”) And I know the SOTH and SCJ play different roles. Just pointing out that maybe Pelosi’s age is one thing people shouldn’t be holding against her.
So is anyone serious in the ring other than Pelosi. Remember, the things truly needed in a speaker are:
- Long in seniority
- Utterly safe seat - you don’t need a speaker worrying about reelection based on Speaker decisions
- Tremendous fundraiser
Is there anyone out there capable of competing with Pelosi on those three qualifications?
If RBG would magically be replaced by a brilliant and equally liberal woman 30 years younger if she stepped down, I’d want her to do so.
It’s looking like Marcia Fudge is the prime contender, at the moment, though it’s unclear whether she was pushed into it and may back down or if she simply moved levers to make it look that way.
For how she rates on your metrics:
- In office for 10+ years.
- Ohio’s 11th District has been Democratic since 1983 and 52.66% of its residents are black. Short of a gerrymandering restriction that precludes racial inclusion, we can probably expect the district to stay Democratic. (Though, of course, there’s currently a reasonably big move against gerrymandering.)
- Doesn’t look like it. She’s been taking in half the House average. https://www.opensecrets.org/members-of-congress/summary?cid=N00030490
66 years old. Not exactly a member of the “young” wing of the party.
It looks like Ohio 11 was the result of gerrymandering by Republicans, to pack Democrats, rather than by Democrats to maintain a safe seat.
ftr
“Young” and “seniority” are mutually exclusive.
I read an article somewhere - The Atlantic? - that suggested this very thing and it seems an excellent idea to me. Keeps Pelosi kicking ass, taking names and raising money for two more years, trains up some of the younger folks, and most members of the party should be able to rally around it (except Hoyer and his friends, I guess).
ETA: It’s such a good idea that I have no doubt the Dems will never do it, sod them.
Cheri Bustos:
- In office for 6 years. (57 years old)
- Her district voted for a Democrat in 18 of 19 of the last elections, and is 73.3% urban, so reasonably likely to stick.
- Solid earner: https://www.opensecrets.org/members-of-congress/summary?cid=N00033390&cycle=2018
Tulsi Gabbard looks like she might be a good pick for the Problem Solvers’ Caucus to back as their candidate to challenge Pelosi and bring her to the table for their House rules fixes. I assume that if any credible threat came out against Pelosi, that she would fold, so I don’t expect Miss Gabbard to win, but it wouldn’t be impossible and it would certainly raise her image nationally.
- In office for 5 years.
- Her district has never voted for a Republican, with a history dating back to 1970.
- Average earner. https://www.opensecrets.org/search?q=Gabbard
Sorry, let me explain my thinking some more:
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Gabbard looks like she could deal with Trump pretty effectively. She wouldn’t be entirely opposed to him from a policy standpoint, yet we can all trust that she isn’t his fan or liable to get cozy with him, she’ll call him a “fucking moron” if he acts like it, and Trump would probably respect that because he respects people for being jerks, and of course she has military cred and way more military cred than him.
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She seems to be a political centrist. From the view of the Problem Solvers’ Caucus, she’s about perfect so far as a Speaker could ever be, I’d venture to guess. They’re not compromising themselves to favor her. They would likely all be very happy to back her and liable to stay strong holding the line with her as their chosen candidate.
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If the Democrats are split, the Republicans start to get a say in who the speaker is. Gabbard could, potentially, get the entire Republican vote - some because they like her and the rest because they want to screw with the Democrats and think that electing Gabbard would do that. (I think they’d be wrong - the Democrats would end up better, under Trump, with Gabbard than with Pelosi - but most of them would fail to recognize that.) If you add the entire Republican voting body to the Democratic Problem Solvers, then suddenly you’ve got a real competition against Pelosi. She could viably win, even with a minority of Democrats.
Gabbard has no chance whatsoever. She’s managed to piss off a good chunk of the Democratic Party, which is kinda hard to do for an obscure representative.
She went full Bernie Bro when almost all the rest of congress supported Hillary. She also has too much of a fondness for Syria’s Assad. She’s also been all over the place on LGBT issues and support for same sex marriage.
Tulsi Gabbard isn’t the person that will draw millions of fundraising dollars nor do I think she’s got the skills to ram bills through the House.
Tulsi Gabbard Tweet from earlier today…
I don’t like Gabbard generally, but I do like the idea of Speaker who’s a veteran and calls Trump a bitch.
The idea that Trump respects other people who are a jerk towards him is contrary to reality. He dishes it out, but he can’t take it, and will go after anyone who says anything mean about him, no matter how petty. He only in any way likes you if you kiss up to him.
I also don’t see a Centrist doing any good. That’s the right wing end of the Democratic party. You need someone in the middle, a Liberal.