Nancy Pelosi elected Minority Leader in the House of Representatives? Don’t get me wrong, I like her. I think she was extremely effective as Speaker of the House passing landmark legislation during the 111th Congress. But, I also recognize that in doing so, she alienated millions of Americans who had lost their jobs. Whether fair or not, it seemed to the public she did little to help them.
Maybe Tom Perriello, Rick Boucher, and Glenn Nye lost their elections because Democrats stayed home and the Republicans were more energized. The Republicans, and their US Chamber of Commerce co-horts, were artful in connecting Democratic candidates across the country to the Pelosi-Reid liberal agenda. In successfully demonizing Nancy Pelosi as the left-wing, San Francisco liberal that she is, they also demoralized democratic voters who chose to stay home rather than support the candidates they elected in 2008.
So why would House Dems put Pelosi back in a position of power? Some say to hold President Obama’s feet to the fire and keep him center left. Some say because she is such a good fundraiser. Some say because she oversaw the rise of power of the Democrats beginning with the 2006 election.
I ask what about the fall of the Democrats in the 2010 election? If she can be given credit for 2006 and 2008, why can’t she accept responsibility for 2010?
House Democrats, in my opinion, have made a huge tactical error by electing Pelosi as the minority leader. House Democrats have just ensured that Republicans will use the Pelosi-Reid liberal agenda theme from now until 2012. Why wouldn’t they? They just won 60 plus seats with that theme. How many more can they get in 2012 by driving that theme home over the next two years?
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