Ms. Pelosi celebrated after being elected speaker.CreditDoug Mills/The New York Times Nancy Pelosi has thwarted Donald Trump’s desire to give a State of the Union address in the House during his government shutdown. When Trump attempted to ignore her first dis-invitation and bully her, she simply reiterated that he could not give the State of the Union while the government was shut down. Democrats celebrated her steel and the first curb on Trump by one of our leaders.
Less than five months ago, one of the burning questions among Democratic pundits was whether they should replace Nancy Pelosi. One of the reasons pundits gave for wanting to replace Pelosi was her low poll numbers. These pundits argued that so-called swing and moderate Republican voters viewed Pelosi so negatively that she would prevent Democrats from winning in purple districts. Pelosi did not prevent Democrats from winning. Instead, she has been responsible for Democrats winning.
Considering Pelosi’s obvious qualifications, why were some Democrats so willing to throw her overboard? One reason appears to be identity politics. Some pundits said Pelosi had around too long, a muted way of saying she was too old. And because many of these pundits were young, perhaps they were saying they wanted a leader who was also young. If so, this political calculation is alarming because these pundits did not base it on Pelosi’s abilities. They based their calculations on how little they were “drawn to her.”
Political calculations based on one’s antipathy and feeling instead of the skill and experience of other politicians is narcissistic. Narcissistic interpretations are often the cause of political miscalculation and failure. In the upcoming months, Democrats need to do everything that they can to focus on reality and goals rather than narcissistic feelings.
Less than five months ago, one of the burning questions among Democratic pundits was whether they should replace Nancy Pelosi. One of the reasons pundits gave for wanting to replace Pelosi was her low poll numbers. These pundits argued that so-called swing and moderate Republican voters viewed Pelosi so negatively that she would prevent Democrats from winning in purple districts. Pelosi did not prevent Democrats from winning. Instead, she has been responsible for Democrats winning.
Considering Pelosi’s obvious qualifications, why were some Democrats so willing to throw her overboard? One reason appears to be identity politics. Some pundits said Pelosi had around too long, a muted way of saying she was too old. And because many of these pundits were young, perhaps they were saying they wanted a leader who was also young. If so, this political calculation is alarming because these pundits did not base it on Pelosi’s abilities. They based their calculations on how little they were “drawn to her.”
Political calculations based on one’s antipathy and feeling instead of the skill and experience of other politicians is narcissistic. Narcissistic interpretations are often the cause of political miscalculation and failure. In the upcoming months, Democrats need to do everything that they can to focus on reality and goals rather than narcissistic feelings.
https://www.issuesconnect.com/issues-to-connect/too-far-left
