At the risk of being called a sexist, it is my belief that Nancy Pelosi — for the good of the party and indeed, the country — should step aside as minority leader, following last night’s and last November’s rather demoralizing electoral defeats. She appears, unfortunately, to have become an obstacle for Democrats trying to win in races where winning is a possibility. And in saying this, I am echoing some perspectives that I have recently read in a NY Times analysis, in which some are calling for a “shake-up at the top of the party.”
Of course, though, Pelosi appears to be digging in.
Ms. Pelosi, of California, has consistently rejected calls to step down and there was little indication on Wednesday that her leadership post was at risk. A top aide dismissed the idea that her lightning-rod status might have hurt the Democratic effort in Georgia, and pointed out that in some polls the Republican speaker, Paul D. Ryan, is viewed even more dismally.
Any Democratic leader would become a target for the right, said the aide, Drew Hammill, Ms. Pelosi’s deputy chief of staff.
“Republicans blew through millions to keep a ruby red seat and in their desperate rush to stop the hemorrhaging, they’ve returned to demonizing the party’s strongest fund-raiser and consensus builder,” he said. “They don’t have Clinton or Obama so this is what they do.”
Her top aide is clueless and self-serving. How many more defeats will it take before there is widespread recognition that what has been done as far as party strategy is not working? How much longer will it be before the sense that a change of direction is needed takes hold?
I would also like to offer a simple suggestion about messaging. I would suggest as our slogan the following: “Make America fair again.” This of course would play off of the Trump slogan, but would also highlight — in a bumper sticker length statement — what the Democratic Party and its candidates should be standing for. Surely we can rally around such a message. Particularly given how unfair the policies of Trump and the GOP will be.