Nancy Pelosi uses her gender in effort to become Speaker
18 replies, posted
https://www.politico.com/story/2018/11/12/nancy-pelosi-speakership-984949
Nancy Pelosi is making gender a central part of her bid to reclaim the speaker’s gavel — leaning hard into the pitch that Democrats cannot oust the only woman at their leadership table
following a historic election for women.
In addition to arguing she’s the best qualified for the job, the California Democrat and her allies are also framing a Pelosi victory as a matter of protecting political progress for women
at a critical moment. Push her out, and men may take over the party at a time when more than 100 women are heading to Capitol Hill and after female voters have been thoroughly
alienated by President Donald Trump. Embrace her, and she’ll prioritize legislation empowering women on issues ranging from equal pay to anti-harassment legislation.
“I think it would look ridiculous if we win back the House … we have a pink wave with women who have brought back the House, then you’re going to not elect the leader who led the
way? No,” said Rep. Lois Frankel (D-Fla.), who leads the Democratic Women’s Working Group. “That would be wrong.”
Incoming freshman Veronica Escobar (D-Texas) was blunter: “We have a president who is a misogynist, a president who has been antagonistic to women’s issues… There is no better
person at the very top than” Pelosi. Pelosi has some powerful allies pulling for her.
Emily’s List President Stephanie Schriock and founder Ellen Malcolm have been making calls on Pelosi’s behalf to newly elected lawmakers, according to sources familiar with the
whipping campaign.
The gender-inflected pitch comes as other women in the caucus are at risk of getting big-footed by their male counterparts. Rep. Cheri Bustos, a rising star from a red district in Illinois,
had been carefully laying the groundwork to run for assistant Democratic leader. But after the party’s triumph in the midterms, Pelosi ally and Democratic Congressional Campaign
Committee Chairman Ben Ray Lujan decided to jump into the race, all but forcing her out.
A similar situation is unfolding for California Rep. Barbara Lee, a veteran progressive leader gunning for the No. 5 position next year: Democratic Caucus chair. Lee had been wooing
supporters for months. But after the election, Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, a charismatic New Yorker whom many believe could be speaker one day, declared for the position.
Others are making the same case for her. Incoming House Oversight Committee Chairman Elijah Cummings said on ABC‘s “This Week” that Pelosi has “got my vote” and that it would
be a “damn shame” if the caucus “replaced this fearless leader with a man.”
Pelosi has a narrow margin for error, with at least 10 incumbents or incoming lawmakers committing to vote against her on the House floor.
And there it is. I knew she wouldn't be far off from pulling stupid cards. Whose running against her anyway?
No one at the moment.
Someone probably left a half-eaten chicken sandwich out and now its stealing supporters from her.
shows how much she barely cares about gender as a genuine stance. Only views it as a political tool to further her own goals.
She is one / one millionth Indian too, all the more diverse to have her on!
@ThighHighSuccubi Explain this... If so acting like diehard supporter for her.
There's no major challenger, Beto might have been if he didn't give up his seat to run for Senate.
pelosi is such a tool
Here's an interesting idea for politics:
Stop giving a fuck about stupid shit like gender and actually strive to be qualified for the job.
I'm not even a diehard supporter of her? I just think the hate for her is zealously overblown. I'm fine with her being Speaker of the House and I think she'd be good for the job, my only concern with her being speaker is optics for the party as a whole because she's been turned into this demonic pariah.
Having a strong woman lead the way in this historic moment is a great point. Barbara Lee would make a wonderful speaker.
Identity politics strikes again, and they wonder why so many people are becoming unhappy with it. You're using it to advance your career and any objections are waved as misogyny.
She's incredibly unpopular even among Democrats. The right-wing attacks against her are mostly bullshit like they always are, but that doesn't mean she's a good leader. She's completely out of touch with the electorate. Want a principled woman as Speaker? Barbara Lee.
Pelosi's forcing out people outside her sphere of influence out of Dem leadership positions, including Barbara Lee.
Here's an idea
Make any female Rep the Speaker but her.
Have you learned nothing from Hillary's loss, you dimrod?
Oh who am I kidding, Pelosi's always been more tonedeaf than even Hillary.
