Why Nancy Pelosi must step aside for a radical transformation
The midterm elections have proven to be a relative success for Democrats intent on taking down Trump. With a net gain of 40 seats in the House of Representatives, the political paradigm is shifting to introduce a resistance to the president.
Nancy Pelosi, the former House Minority Leader, has been voted by her caucus to helm the U.S House as Speaker, beginning in January. To some progressives, like myself, the notion of Pelosi entering the speakership for a second time causes grave concern for the Democratic party. With the Republican party moribund under Trump, the opposing team must stage a substantive intervention from their own mistakes to oust a barbaric administration.
Pelosi has been at the forefront of the Democratic house for a while now. Her centrist stance and deal-making prowess meant she was lauded by a now defunct “New Democrats” leadership. Since 2010, her party has been the minority in the house. With socialism becoming a trend and centrism being old news, Pelosi’s political positions seem unfit in ever-evolving American politics. Her former colleague in the House, left-leaning Jim McDermott, once told Newsweek that he wished Pelosi would “tilt a little more our way from time to time”. In her unopposed contest this week, Pelosi lost the support of 32 Democrats. Some rebels sent a letter to the leadership to express their disapproval of Pelosi becoming speaker. Congresswoman Kathleen Rice of New York, stated that her concerns were “dismissed outright” when she discussed with Nany a possible transition of power.
I, similar to the 32 Democrats who have expressed disdain, believe that a new leadership for the Democrats is vital in tackling an alt-right Republican party. We don’t live in normal political times anymore. The amoral president and his complacent cronies residing in the capital means traditional politics has been in critical decline since the 2016 election. Washington D.C has become more tribal than ever before. To counter-attack and provide an alternative to the incumbent government, Democrats must radically change their ethos.
