Nancy Pelosi Becomesa Symbol of What Went Wrong
This article addresses the concerns surrounding Nancy Pelosi's place as Democratic minority leader in the House. She has held the position for ten year (2003-2007, 2010-present) and has also served as House Minority Whip and Speaker of the House. Pelosi, a progressive from San Francisco, is being challenged by Tim Ryan from northeastern Ohio. Some politicians feel that it's time for new blood to recapture the working-class voters and regain Congressional dominance, but most feel Ryan isn't the person to do so. What are the benefits and disadvantages of keeping Pelosi? Which person will ultimately strengthen the Democratic party in Congress? Does it say anything that there's opposition for this title?
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The 2016 election really left the Democratic Party in bad shape. People are looking for answers about why this happened, and Nancy Pelosi embodies a lot of the party's issues. First, she's old. Most seventy-six-year-olds are pretty disconnected from the average adult. Also, she does not represent the working class, the group which ultimately determines most elections. The Democratic Party appears old and out of touch. A change in leadership could definitely help, but that would require abandoning a well-respected and experienced leader.
ReplyDeleteA benefit to keeping Pelosi is that she has experience, however as it said n this article many look at her and think she embodies the wealthy. Tim Ryan has a point when he says that the Democrats need to reach out to the working class, especially after the democrats lost the election. The working class makes up a lot of the people voting, so appealing to the working class will defiantly help them in the future.
ReplyDeleteRyan would most likely bring in more blue-collar supporters and appeal to that platform, plus he would be a fresh face in the role which could offer new hope to Democrats. Pelosi, on the other hand, is clearly experienced in the position and has experienced some success during her time serving.
ReplyDeleteIt's not really surprising that there is opposition for this position following such an unpredicted and devastating loss for the Democratic party-- they want to make some changes to ensure something like this doesn't happen again.
Unlike Nancy Pelosi, Tim Ryan has more of a connection to the working class which is more of an important thing to have in these current times. The candidate that appears to the working class gets the votes, it seems. An advantage of Nancy is that she is very experienced and knows her job very well. A disadvantage is that she most likely won't do the best for the working class people. I think that a change if leader is a good idea, but Nancy Pelosi has so much experience that it would be hard to find one of her caliber that also appeals to the working class voters.
ReplyDeleteAlthough Nancy Pelosi has a lot of experience, I think a change in leadership will benefit the Democratic Party. Pelosi does not represent the working class, the group that the Democratic Party tends to cater towards. On the other hand, Ryan will attract more working-class voters, and I think he would provide some much needed help for the Democratic Party after their loss this year.
ReplyDeleteI feel as though the Democrats are going through an identity crisis at the moment. They are no longer the part that wins the support of the every day people. I think new leadership is required in order to properly reconnect with the people. Pelosi has a lot of experience, but there's no promise that she will change the party and advocate for the working class citizens who feel forgotten.
ReplyDeleteI believe that change in congress would be good; the Democratic Party could use a change. Due to the fact that the Republicans have control over every branch of government, it is important now more than ever that the Democrats make their voices heard and influence congress as much as possible.
ReplyDeleteThe obvious benefit to keeping Nancy Pelosi is her experience. However, I agree that someone new might be better suited for the job given the current political environment. The democrats need to reach out to the working class, especially in the aftermath of this election. Trump's victory demonstrates the issues plaguing the Democratic Party in terms of appealing to the average voter.
ReplyDeleteIt may be good to bring in someone new for this position. Many people view Nancy Pelosi as someone who is older and out of touch with the common member of the Democratic Party. Although she has a lot of experience in this position, it would be great to bring someone in who better represents the majority of the party. Ryan seems like a nice change for the position in what is such a hard time for the party.
ReplyDeleteNancy Pelosi has so much experience with the job, which is always useful. However, the current political climate in America might make it useful to bring in some new blood. New leadership can be a good morale boost, and someone that represents the people better might be more effective than Pelosi. While Democrats are clearly struggling in the aftermath of the election, redefining the party a little might be useful in gaining the support necessary to fight the Republican majority.
ReplyDeleteClearly, Nancy Pelosi is very experienced and knows what she is doing; however, she is not the best person to be able to relate to the general public. Her wealth and old age disconnect her from the young demographic that makes up a huge percentage of Democrats. Since Tim Ryan is younger and more representative of the working class, he would likely make a better candidate for someone to represent the Democrats. All in all, despite his disadvantage with regards to experience, I believe that Tim Ryan's leadership could be a welcome change for the Democrats.
ReplyDeleteI wholly agree with Ben that Nancy would not be nearly as able to have the younger democrats relate to her as Tim Ryan would be. Further, Pelosi has already been in positions of authority in the House. I would be interested to see what changes or plans Tim Ryan has for the House.
ReplyDeleteI think the Democratic Party would really benefit from a new minority leader. Although she has years of experience, I think that from the recent blow to the Democratic Party in the last election, change will be very beneficial. Putting a new face on the party is the best step moving forward.
ReplyDeleteI have come to really like Nancy Pelosi, but I'm sure she has her flaws. My personal opinion is that we need progressive democrats leading the party to keep pushing us farther to the left; however, it's such a good point that the Democratic Party has drifted so far away from its position as the party of working class. There will come a time, if there hasn't already, when the working people become fed up with liberal intellectuals. We need to refocus our primary concerns to working class people, not only for their votes and therefore our survival as a party, but because it's what is just.
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ReplyDeleteAlex AndersonJanuary 24, 2017 at 10:38 PM
As much as I would love for everyone to acknowledge the big issues and think logically, people vote their hearts, not their minds. Trump's platform and message resonated more with the working class, simple as that. Pelosi is a perfectly capable leader and politician, but it's time for new blood. If you have a rookie QB going through a rough patch, you can afford to stick it out through the growing pains. However, when you have a 10 year veteran at the helm and he has a bad season (*cough Ryan Fitzpatrick cough*), you're looking for a younger replacement ASAP. Pelosi is Ryan Fitzpatrick while Tim Ryan represents the potential and promise of a QB such as Christian Hackenberg or Deshaun Watson. There must be change.
It's important to recognize the significance that Pelosi's experience warrants her in this situation. The Democratic Party was doing generally pretty well until the 2016 election, and that is to be noted. But in wake of the election, it's also notable that we need a change. It might be very good for the party if a new leader stepped up to handle the difficult years to come.
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