Democratic Leadership Elections

[Okay, maybe Mike Johnson is a competent parliamentarian.]

I think Tim Ryan and Seth are going to fail but I admire and appreciate the effort. We need to go back to the center.

You do realize that the vast majority of the Democratic candidates who flipped House seats this year were Proggresives who supported Medicare for all, Free College, 15 dollar minimum wage, Gun control, Comprehensive Immigration reform, etc, instead of mushy moderate “New Democrats” who obsess over balanced budgets and bipartisanship, right?

Yes, but I also legit want a government that can work together and get things done, and I want to see my party take steps towards that. I don’t want gridlock, I want DC to work.

It will start to "work" when we get the Presidency

But why can’t we try to work with President Trump now?

You're a damn fool if you think that the way to get Trump to take the Democratic Party seriously as "governing partners" or whatever (ugh) is to elevate people like Seth Moulton.

Part of me is actually excited about the possibility of the Democrats shutting down the government more easily now and maybe even using the House's unique ability to initiate revenue bills as a blunt instrument to punish and assert dominance over the antidemocratic right-wing Senate, and feels that turnabout is fair play.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

I think Tim Ryan and Seth are going to fail but I admire and appreciate the effort. We need to go back to the center.

Yes, the Democratic party should go back to the center from the center-right.

[Chancellor Tanterterg]

Is anyone good running a serious campaign against Clyburn for Majority Whip?  Clyburn’s race-baiting apologism for Conyers’ repeated sexual harassment of multiple female staffers was absolutely disgusting. 

[Amenhotep Bakari-Sellers]

Martha Fudge should run for Whip, not Speaker

[ag]

I think Tim Ryan and Seth are going to fail but I admire and appreciate the effort. We need to go back to the center.

You do realize that the vast majority of the Democratic candidates who flipped House seats this year were Proggresives who supported Medicare for all, Free College, 15 dollar minimum wage, Gun control, Comprehensive Immigration reform, etc, instead of mushy moderate “New Democrats” who obsess over balanced budgets and bipartisanship, right?

Yes, but I also legit want a government that can work together and get things done, and I want to see my party take steps towards that. I don’t want gridlock, I want DC to work.

It will start to "work" when we get the Presidency

But why can’t we try to work with President Trump now?

The fundamental objective of President Trump is destruction of America. "Working" with him, at this stage, will eventually qualify as collaboration. Who wants to be a von Papen?

[Torrain]

Is anyone good running a serious campaign against Clyburn for Majority Whip?  Clyburn’s race-baiting apologism for Conyers’ repeated sexual harassment of multiple female staffers was absolutely disgusting. 

Given that Clyburn is likely to invoke the same racial politics against a potential challenge, I think you  need someone like Hakeem Jeffries to step up. I’d favour Joaquin Castro personally, but I’m not sure he’s got the capital, or support to push Clyburn out.

[RogueBeaver]

https://twitter.com/costareports/status/1064563623702466560

[politicallefty]

I’ve been a Pelosi loyalist for a long time and this is exactly why we need her leadership for the next two years. She really is that good. She knows how to get her votes in line and squash her opposition. Pelosi was one of the most powerful Speakers we’ve ever had. If we win the White House and Senate in 2020, I’d really like to see her as Speaker for at least the first year to move through priority legislation. I don’t know anyone who can match her skills.

And if this was actually a serious move to replace the leadership with a younger generation, why has there been no serious effort against Hoyer or Clyburn? This is exactly what it appears to be. It’s a move by centrists to move the party to the right. I also think there is some sexism involved as well by attacking the only female leader in Washington. People seem to have forgotten that Pelosi was a member of the CPC before becoming leader. She only left because she refuses to join an ideological caucus as leader of the entire party.

[RogueBeaver]

https://twitter.com/TPM/status/1064520902241656832

[Zaybay]

https://twitter.com/TPM/status/1064520902241656832

Makes sense. Pelosi just signed a deal with the CPC to give them a lot of power.

[politicallefty]

Ahem.

People seem to have forgotten that Pelosi was a member of the CPC before becoming leader. She only left because she refuses to join an ideological caucus as leader of the entire party.

[nerd73]

Spanberger also doesn't appear to be budging either after meeting Pelosi, she's a hard no vote on the floor.

Spanberger strikes me as someone who could potentially become speaker in the distant future.

The Speaker should never be from a district that is remotely competitive. They're bound to become unpopular both in their districts and nationwide. Same for the Senate leader. Even if her district was shored up in redistricting, it could easily still fall in the next red wave. Any leader should be guaranteed to win by at least 20 points even in the most unfavorable political environment imaginable. Electoral concerns shouldn't even be on their radar at any point.

Tim Ryan is also in a district that could become a headache for Democrats in the near future, especially after redistricting.

[RogueBeaver]

https://twitter.com/BresPolitico/status/1064588067963576322Pelosi has 218 already, and IMO she gets more in January. Almost like she's the best Dem vote counter since Tip.

[Former Kentuckian]

https://twitter.com/BresPolitico/status/1064588067963576322Pelosi has 218 already, and IMO she gets more in January. Almost like she's the best Dem vote counter since Tip.

Politico says she's not quite at 218 yet since there are people who are opposing her who haven't signed the letter (Spanbgerger, Crow, Lamb, etc): https://www.politico.com/story/2018/11/19/pelosis-bid-for-speaker-imperiled-as-public-opposition-grows-1005368

Editing to add: my guess is Pelosi & Co will get those who haven't signed the letter but oppose her to vote "present"

[Amenhotep Bakari-Sellers]

They should of galvanized behind someone other than Martha Fudge, who doesn't have the senority to be Speaker, Tim Ryan or someone else.   Speaker Pelosi sold the Dems out on TARP, but she represents California, the largest congressional delegation.

[beesley]

They should of galvanized behind someone other than Martha Fudge, who doesn't have the senority to be Speaker, Tim Ryan or someone else.   Speaker Pelosi sold the Dems out on TARP, but she represents California, the largest congressional delegation.

Marcia Fudge has no qualifications to be Speaker.

[MAINEiac4434]

Really wish someone would take down Hoyer and Clyburn. Who's going to be Caucus Chair? That's my question.

[Okay, maybe Mike Johnson is a competent parliamentarian.]

Really wish someone would take down Hoyer and Clyburn. Who's going to be Caucus Chair? That's my question.

Is anyone running against Sanchez yet?

[Yank2133]

I think Tim Ryan and Seth are going to fail but I admire and appreciate the effort. We need to go back to the center.

You do realize that the vast majority of the Democratic candidates who flipped House seats this year were Proggresives who supported Medicare for all, Free College, 15 dollar minimum wage, Gun control, Comprehensive Immigration reform, etc, instead of mushy moderate “New Democrats” who obsess over balanced budgets and bipartisanship, right?

Yes, but I also legit want a government that can work together and get things done, and I want to see my party take steps towards that. I don’t want gridlock, I want DC to work.

It will start to "work" when we get the Presidency

But why can’t we try to work with President Trump now?

The fundamental objective of President Trump is destruction of America. "Working" with him, at this stage, will eventually qualify as collaboration. Who wants to be a von Papen?

You have to realize that it is always 2002 for some centrists like Bagel.

[socaldem]

Really wish someone would take down Hoyer and Clyburn. Who's going to be Caucus Chair? That's my question.

Is anyone running against Sanchez yet?

She's not running.

I think this will be the line-up:

Speaker - Nancy Pelosi (CA)
ML - Steny Hoyer (MD)
MW - Jim Clyburn (MS)
Assistant ML - Ben Rey Lujan (NM) or David Cicilline (RI)
Caucus Chair - Barbara Lee (CA) or Hakeem Jeffries (NY)
Caucus VC - Katherine Clark (MA) or Peter Aguilar (CA)
DCCC Chair - Cherie Bustos (IL) or Denny Heck (WA) or Suzanne delBene (WA) or Sean Maloney (NY)

Policy Committee co-chairs: Ted Lieu (CA), Debbie Dingell (MI), Adriano Espillat (NY), Matt Cartwright (PA) or John Garamendi (CA)

I think the Barbara Lee/Jeffries race could be tight. Although we need some younger voices in the caucus, I'm rooting for Barbara Lee in this contest because I don't want Jeffries to get the upperhand against my preferred candidate.

[OneJ]

Really wish someone would take down Hoyer and Clyburn. Who's going to be Caucus Chair? That's my question.

Is anyone running against Sanchez yet?

She's not running.

I think this will be the line-up:

Speaker - Nancy Pelosi (CA)
ML - Steny Hoyer (MD)
MW - Jim Clyburn (MS)
Assistant ML - Ben Rey Lujan (NM) or David Cicilline (RI)
Caucus Chair - Barbara Lee (CA) or Hakeem Jeffries (NY)
Caucus VC - Katherine Clark (MA) or Peter Aguilar (CA)
DCCC Chair - Cherie Bustos (IL) or Denny Heck (WA) or Suzanne delBene (WA) or Sean Maloney (NY)

Policy Committee co-chairs: Ted Lieu (CA), Debbie Dingell (MI), Adriano Espillat (NY), Matt Cartwright (PA) or John Garamendi (CA)

I think the Barbara Lee/Jeffries race could be tight. Although we need some younger voices in the caucus, I'm rooting for Barbara Lee in this contest because I don't want Jeffries to get the upperhand against my preferred candidate.

Minor correction: Clyburn is from SC.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

Ahem.

People seem to have forgotten that Pelosi was a member of the CPC before becoming leader. She only left because she refuses to join an ideological caucus as leader of the entire party.

Wow, 16 years ago Pelosi passed as a progressive. Progressive in 2002 just meant you were against deregulating everything in sight and invading every country at once.

[Fmr. Gov. NickG]

It seems pretty clear that Pelosi could easily sort this out by pledging to only serve two years.

Then Beto can be elected Speaker after winning TX-32 in 2020.

[Yank2133]

It seems pretty clear that Pelosi could easily sort this out by pledging to only serve two years.

Then Beto can be elected Speaker after winning TX-32 in 2020.

Why would Beto even want to be speaker?

You don't want anyone with potential to move up the political ladder to become speaker of the house or senate majority leader.

[Xeuma]

Ahem.

People seem to have forgotten that Pelosi was a member of the CPC before becoming leader. She only left because she refuses to join an ideological caucus as leader of the entire party.

I believe Pelosi was one of the founding members of the Progressive Caucus. What exactly has she done to anger progressives so much?