Maybe I'm nuts but I thought of an election strategy that MIGHT help us

[karlrschneider]

next month.

What if Nancy Pelosi called a press conference and announced that, if the Dems take the House, she
would pledge to NOT seek or accept the Speakership? Whatever most DUers think of her (I personally am
pretty much ambivalent) it's no secret that she evokes a lot of negative feelings not only (obviously) from Repugs but also from a lot of moderates. I'm just trying to think pragmatically here vis a vis
winning back the Congress. Whadda you guys think about this?

[babylonsister]

1. I think anyone in her position would be treated the way she's being

treated, so imo it doesn't much matter who is the minority leader of the house, they'd be lambasted by the right.
Appoint someone else, and the same thing would happen.

[DURHAM D]

2. Sorry Karl - no go. Attacks on her are just

ordinary everyday garden variety sexist.

[karlrschneider]

3. Well sure, they are that too, but the phrase "San Francisco Liberal"

gets tossed around an awful lot. And I think it's something the knuckledraggers embrace. Like I said, I'm just thinking of ways to minimize the possibility of the bastards stealing yet another election.
Just a idea...probably not a good one. :-)

[DURHAM D]

9. I don't know you Karl but if the minority leader was

Norman Pelosi would this idea even cross your mind - much less, would you have posted it for discussion.

[karlrschneider]

12. Yes, I absolutely would...if "Norman" had been tarred with the

"San Francisco Liberal (the unspoken code word GAY is clear) label. I might be a lot of things, but I'm no misogynist. :D

[DURHAM D]

13. So your concern is "San Francisco", "Liberal" or "Gay" ?

I don't hold geography against anyone.

Liberal is a good thing.

Must be the "Gay" image you don't like.

But stepping down...? Big sacrifice.

[karlrschneider]

16. I'm afraid you have missed my point.

I'm a liberal
I'm gay
I love San Francisco

A lot of people, not only Repuglicans, hate all those things.
:eyes:

[DURHAM D]

23. Bless you Karl - looks like you live near Muskogee. n/t

[karlrschneider]

25. Very near...I lived IN Muskogee for 12 years back in the 1970s.

I was chief pilot for the company owned by Senator Tom Coburn's father...I left there and moved to
Tampa when the old man croaked and the company was being sold, came back to the area in 95 because
I have family in Tulsa. I'm semi-retired live on Ft. Gibson lake but still do a few charter flights
a month when one of several companies come up short an airplane driver.

[DURHAM D]

26. Did you notice that Senator Coburn's director of communications

was "outed" today? You can read about it at blogactive.com. I think Mike did it on Ed Schultz this pm but not sure.

[karlrschneider]

28. Well, maybe. I looked at the blogactive story and it doesn't seem

to be bulletproof but of course it might be true. Tom is the goofy one in the Coburn family, his dad was a real rounder...he had mistresses all over the country. I felt bad for his wife, a very sweet
lady, I'm sure she knew about his dalliances but put up with it for some reason. Tom's brothers are totally unlike him...the youngest is a good guy, no fundy by any stretch...and the older one is a clone of Papa (except business-wise...he's a randy slut but has failed at half a dozen businesses like Chimp) :D

[DURHAM D]

29. Mike has never been wrong - he is the guy who originally

outed Drudge. He was supposed to be on Schultz but don't know if he made it today - might not be on until next Monday. Mike made The List that details dozens of Repug closeted staff and legislators.

He outed Senator Craigslist.

[DURHAM D]

43. The audio from yesterday's Ed Schultz interview

is now up on blogactive.com.

[SharonAnn]

39. Yes, you're "nuts"

[karlrschneider]

40. Well, at least -that- is settled!

:D

[EST]

4. Doesn't matter who's potential speaker.

The attacks are the manifestation of their fears.
If she stepped sideways, they would consider it a minor victory and we would acheive nothing but an erosion of public opinion.

[Ian David]

5. Imagine their surprise (and horror) at Speaker of the House...

BARNEY FRANK!

[DURHAM D]

14. Thanks - made be laugh.

Don't forget - he is on Bill Maher tonight.

[Joe Chi Minh]

6. Haven't you noticed how far to the right so-called moderates

have positioned themselves in recent years?

Why throw pearls before swine, because the swine want you to? Particularly, as they approach a certain cliff.

There will always be a hard core of right-wingers - actually, a soft underbelly - who must never on any account be pandered to, because they are themselves incorrigible. It may sound practical politics to you to do so, but it isn't. Certainly not in this situation.

[karlrschneider]

19. I absolutely noticed it, which is precisely why I tossed out the idea.

That being the case, why would it not be practical politics? I'm not trying to be obtuse, I just wonder why you apparently think it'd be a bad political move...
:-)

[Joe Chi Minh]

42. Because it's based on a false premise. That Pelosi's political

stance would be a liability with the electorate.

[NanceGreggs]

7. Never thought I'd find a quote from the 'other side' ...

... an appropriate response. But here's my take on this idea:

"We do not negotiate with terrorists."

[karlrschneider]

10. Well, I don't embrace that philosophy no matter which side uses it.

I guess a lot of people think NK and Iran are mostly terrorists but it seems insane to me to not engage them at some diplomatic point. Negotiation doesn't necessarily mean appeasement.

Right now I'm more concerned with electoral victory than quibbling over sound bites. Coincidentally I'm seeing this woman Melanie Morgan right this instant on Tweety saying "does anybody really want Nancy Pelosi wielding power in Washington?"...

I think that scares a lot of people. It's unfortunate but it's a fact.

[DURHAM D]

15. I think Nance was referring to the Repugs as terrorists. n/t

[karlrschneider]

17. Of course, I noticed that.

Thank you.

[NanceGreggs]

41. I was only using that quote in response to ...

... the concept of ousting Pelosi to appease those who 'dislike' her, the 'terrorists' in this case being those Republican voters the OP seems to imply we should 'negotiate' with.

Perhaps subtlety is just another casualty in the current war of words.

[Bitwit1234]

8. Nancy Pelosi

There's absolutely nothing wrong with Nancy Pelosi. The thing is, if she wasn't doing her job, the republicans wouldn't be upset....CORRECT..

[karlrschneider]

11. I don't care about the Republicans, they all hate her anyway.

I do care about the uncommited, undecided, and uneducated...many of whom will vote.

[gulliver]

18. I'm sure it would help, but we would need someone like Murtha ...

... to stand up for the job.

Pelosi just doesn't strike me as much of a leader. Good thinker, good legislator probably. But she always comes across as nervous and uncomfortable on camera. It's not that she is so liberal she is unacceptable; she just doesn't represent the cause very well.

But who else? I like Murtha or Rangel, maybe Waxman or Conyers.

[karlrschneider]

21. I believe Murtha has already expressed an interest in being Speaker.

Thanks for not savaging me, I don't have any problem with Nancy's politics, it's just the "conventional impression" she projects that regretfully is perceived negatively by a lot of the body politic.

Rangel and Conyers are both fine men but they do have (again, unfortunately) a built-in disadvantage when it comes to MOR voters. NOT to me, I'm just admitting to the reality.

In any case, under my scenario, it wouldn't really even be necessary to put forth any particular
person as a most-likely or front-runner before the elections. Just take it under the radar for the
nonce. :-)

[DURHAM D]

22. Murtha has too many skeletons in his closet .

Also, I have come to the conclusion he is a one note wonder.

Rangel and Conyers will be attacked (in fact already are being attacked because of the committees they will chair) due to basic racism. Pelosi - basic sexism.

Repugs are succeeding to some extent because we have a thread on DU discussing the ridiculous idea that anyone with a D after their name will not suffer scathing attacks by the Reich and will somehow be acceptable to them. Fuck them - why try and please them.

Their basic garden variety bully act is wearing thin with the American public.

[magnolia]

20. You've got to be kidding!!

I can't imagine anything that would make the dems look weaker than to agree to pick a speaker that the republicans will approve of!!!

[karlrschneider]

24. Uh, I didn't say that. And anyway, what Dem do you think the Repugs

WOULD approve of? I don't give a shit about them anyway, I'm interested in the undecided (or MOR) voters.

[cadmium]

27. I wouldn't like that

That would be a capitulation and would immediately be spun as a victory for Fox, right wing radio, and the Republican congress

[David Zephyr]

30. Actually, I think the spotlighting of Pelosi by the GOP will backfire.

The first woman as House Speaker. I think they are the ones making the mistake.

[karlrschneider]

31. Well, I hope you aren't underestimating the misogyny that seems to

be still pandemic in the USA. And I also hope I'm overestimating it.
:-)

[David Zephyr]

33. Don't think I am.

I think that great grandmothers, grandmoms, moms and daughters are just about at the tipping point. My god-mom who is 80 just said the other evening, "it's time for a woman president". She was an Orange County Republican's Republican for what seems like forever. She's now anti-Bush and speaking out that men have messed things up a lot.

Women power!

[karlrschneider]

34. You may well be right. My mom is 90, Still very sharp mentally

and was a Republican until around 25 years ago...she voted for Ronnie Raygun and regretted it, now she hates Chimp with a passion. Heck, she calls him names even I rarely use! :D

[David Zephyr]

36. Congrats. My mom will be 90 next year.

Also a Republican, but now says that George W. is a boy who tries to "act like a man". She also says that "we must swallow our damned pride and bring our soldiers home." She despises Bush.:-)

[rucky]

32. Speaker Kucinich does have a nice ring to it. n/t

[randr]

35. She will be fine

She will expose the fear of women that repugs have buried deep in their spineless souls.

[Imagevision]

37. We will get the house the senate & speaker of the house Pelosi

ez-money!!!!!!!!!!!

[SharonAnn]

38. A large part of why we're doing well is her leadership. Why would

we have a woman do all the hard work and the give the speakership to a man?

That would be, like, sexist. We should show women, more than 50% of whom vote Democratic, that we recognize talent from women as well as from men.

She's a great politician and a great leader. And if you think you could do better, than you just trying keeping more than 200 Democratic legislators together.

She's done an awesome job and i can't wait for her to be speaker.

If the GOP doesn't like her, then I'll explain how I don't like Hastert, DeLay, Boehner, etc.

[sampsonblk]

44. That is not a strategy, its a tactic.

A bad one at that.

[mitchtv]

45. Not for me

First that would only look like surrender and weakness, second; #2 man is Steny Hoyer a useless DLC clone. Third , it is because of her leadership that we are doing good(somewhat anyway). There are many reasons more I'm sure , but your idea reaks of "one more Dem apologizing".