House Democrat Sanchez: 'I think it's time' for Nancy Pelosi and her leadership team to go'

[haele]

69. No, it's because she can count and understands that politics are local.

She keeps in mind what other Democrats face back home, and knows when she has the strength to push someone who's balking, and when to stop pushing when she doesn't have the votes. She's pissed off a lot of Californians because even though she is in general a great representative for her constituents and gets a lot done for progressives, she's not the 100% liberal icon people think party leadership should be.

Look, I'm unhappy that she took incitements of the table when President Obama was elected - however, if you look at everything she's done strategically, she honestly didn't have the votes.
Most people didn't see why she was trying to salvage some of the weak blue dog seats that were going to go red anyway because those locals loved them some faux-Xtian Bush and considered Obama a Kenyan-born usurper - but her tactics kept some other seats relatively blue when the tea party swept in with Koch and Alec money. Similarly, I've sometimes been befuddled why she has taken some public positions, but when I look at who's vulnerable, I see where she comes from and who/what she's trying to protect.

Pelosi cut her teeth in 1980's/90's California GOP politics - she knows that everyone has a different concern that needs to be addressed, and it's a slow slog to ensure everyone makes progress in a hostile environment. Two steps forward, one step back. One step forward, half a step back.

Politics are always local - which means if you've got a big tent party, you're going to have a wide range between liberal and conservative.

The Tim Ryans and Linda Sanchezes (who are equally concerned about raising funds for the party) but more concerned about their personal careers than the party as a whole don't like to think the hard work it takes to make and keep political coalitions.
As for her replacement - I wouldn't trust anyone who is calling for her ouster. That's a move made from politicians who want the Democratic party to be smaller and more controllable - by them.

Frankly, there are a few Democrats around who are ready to take up a coalition leadership position that will ensure we as Democrats all go forward instead of fracturing off into various regionally focused centerists twisting in the wind that will end up losing to the more lockstep nationally funded GOP'ers, but they're also willing work their way to that position - just as Pelosi did.

Just my long-time observation of Pelosi's record from here in California.

As for losing seats - we lose them because the media wants a "Good Guy" and "Bad Guy", and portrays coalitions as "weak tactics" in the current culture which portrays governance as corrupt, protests as whining, and the rugged individual bully who takes matters into "his own hands" as hero.

But the fact is if we don't treat the Democratic Party as a coalition - warts and all - we will be picked off by the Dominionists and the Oligarchs even quicker than we are now.

Haele