http://nationaljournal.com/congress/pelosi-announces-she-will-run-for-minority-leader-via-twitter-20101104 I don't see how the Dems can vote for her. She has an 8% approval rating with independents. Who would you Dems like to see as Minority Leader? I think it is between Hoyer and Pelosi.
Given the circumstances, I'm not sure it makes a lot of sense. But in general, I think she's actually a great minority leader. She's very good in her caucus and getting them to work together - we saw that in how much stuff she passed over the last 2 years. She's not so good at working with the other side and leading the House as a whole, though the trend over the last 15+ years has been those kinds of speakers. We don't seem to have the Tip O'Neill types anymore. Boehner's going to run into the same problem as well. The minority leader and House Speaker are just two different jobs these days requiring different skill sets.
I think your numbers are wrong. She has 9% approval from Republicans and 38% from independents. 33% overall. At least according to Rasmussen. Boehner has a 32% approval rating overall. Isn't stopping him from being the House Majority Leader.
I think Pelosi would be a good minority leader. She had great strengths and also glaring weaknesses as Speaker. Minority leader seems to be right up her alley.
She was political poison for Democrats this cycle. They had to try to move away from her in an attempt to keep their seats.
Maybe. Polls have been wrong before. http://www.bostonherald.com/news/opinion/op_ed/view/20101103demographics_arent_all_attitudes_can_change_across_board/ Here is the poll data(I didn't bother to sift through all of it): http://online.wsj.com/public/resources/documents/wsjnbcnewspoll10312010.pdf
It's odd that she has such difficulty reaching across the aisle effectively. Her own son-in-law is very conservative. She should have experience dealing with people who have opposing views.
I don't know that it's so much a problem doing it as much as experience in the minority leader role. In that role, the other side is the "enemy", and after years of that mentality, and of trying to get consensus just within a bunch of people on the same team, I imagine it's probably difficult to change that entire approach and worry about another 200 people with totally different ideology. I think the natural tendency is to say "hey, I can pass this with my majority, so why worry about the other side?"
Doesn't sound like anyone is currently interesting in competing with her. Hoyer is already planning a run for Minority Whip and has no plans to run against Pelosi. I would like to see someone more moderate take a stab at the position. I don't want another 2 years of b****ing for the sake of b****ing. I'd prefer things actually got done...as silly as that sounds. And I don't see it happening with her still in control of the Democrats.
Tip was speaker when there was still a sizable middle. Repubs have declared war on their own moderates and targeted Conservative Dems, while Dems have had a reaction to the wild swing to the right by the Repubs and circled their wagons... making both parties more pure. There's nobody there to work with. Face facts folks... we've got 2 years of politics and gridlock... despite all the clucking and cooing, House Repubs will bring up legislation that Dems hate and won't allow legislation that has even a hint of bipartisanship.
Why not? Pelosi was the minority leader in the House in 2002 to 2006 and plenty got done with Dem support.
yeah.. getting more done = doing more damage does getting more done = doing a better job??? hell the best years were under Clinton when nothing got done! They can't do as much damage that way.
Well here is another poll done back in March. Only 11% of people view her in a favorable light. http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20000937-503544.html
