Nancy Pelosi lays down the law
All through the 2018 midterm elections, and even into 2020, Republicans tried to tie House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to their Democratic opponents in every way they could – forcing hopeful candidates in most moderate districts to say whether or not they would vote for her as speaker if they successfully retook the House. It was a pretty idiotic strategy – and not really anything new, as Speaker Pelosi is just one of several powerful women serving in the Democratic Party who the Republicans have propped up as a totem for the entire party – hoping to drive misogynists out of the woodwork to support their candidates.
While it didn’t protect their House majority in 2018 or help them retake the House last year, it did succeed in intimidating congressional hopefuls to maintain a distance from one of the smartest and politically effective legislative leaders we’ve had in decades. Now that COVID relief has passed, which should be seen as the significant legislative victory that it is, Speaker Pelosi has decided to put the bill’s unanimous Republican opposition on notice.
Despite 70% of America supporting the stimulus plan and the significant economic impact it will bring, not one Republican voted for it, but what they will almost certainly do, she pointed out, is take credit for its success when they go home to their districts. This, of course, makes it that much harder for Republicans to actually do this and get away with it, since her prediction is already on video, while giving Democratic challengers a solid talking point to use in 2022 when they run in swing districts.
James Sullivan is the assistant editor of Brain World Magazine and an advocate of science-based policy making