Why House Democrats Have Fallen in Line and Republicans Haven't

[question everything]

In the expectations game that is American politics, losing is the new winning. Republicans are putting their would-be House speaker, Representative Kevin McCarthy of California, through a grueling series of public tests, with his ultimate fate uncertain. So far, at least five Republicans have said they will oppose McCarthy’s bid when it comes up for a vote of the full House in January. He needs 218 votes.

By contrast, House Democrats have all but anointed their new leaders, a triumvirate of Representatives Hakeem Jeffries of New York, Katherine Clark of Massachusetts and Pete Aguilar of California.

By the end of a process that took place largely in private, over the course of months, the three lawmakers quietly secured overwhelming support and boxed out possible rivals, like Representatives Adam Schiff of California and Pramila Jayapal of Washington. If the election or the leadership transition exposed any major ideological cracks in the Democratic firmament of the House, they are not evident yet.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi stepped aside, as did her lieutenants, Steny Hoyer of Maryland and James Clyburn of South Carolina. Assuming all goes as planned, the average age of the Democrats’ House leadership trio will plummet from 82 to 51 years old.

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/23/us/politics/house-democrats-republicans.html?unlocked_article_code=AYr6oRgAWhWaX7ozik5Sq7ZSjXT3JOFpFmxgX0mT2qKC_6R5vcmHDAY-gatVhHnSstDdro02siPVHYDnmZBb6UE4wgqHJvpPtFiu_ZBhPPVxrTLRBAVCmGoZM95YfJqp8zhagiK3uoGfJO0H9krq3Np6SWMMPw0h7YlV_t5LCExPPrj6We--L_1g8vPclQy41MEaRl3fIxaPjJCx9E95NvunupwA-8LPjvOrb0p9u1MqakBmtyMLgJfk5i4GnPe-2HluK1ezIko80gZDeONY9VKyKn_TZf_8oz5urV34w2hbvx892adHK6WuNTyZT9f3rLjRG8GD_LqBh1Af5rYTgZjik_9UtIILFw&smid=share-url

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[yankee87]

1. Nancy Pelosi Bad Ass

Basically, the entire article background should be, Nancy Pelosi is the greatest speaker ever and set up her party for the future. Meanwhile the Republicans are still playing in the kindergarten sandbox throwing cat poop at each other.

[Skittles]

2. very happy to see the younger leaders emerging

already impressed with them!

[Gaugamela]

3. Two of the three Democratic leaders, Hakeem Jeffries and Katherine Clark,

are members of the House Progressive Caucus. A hopeful sign.

[question everything]

5. Thankfully, some left wingers label him "centrist"

However, he could face some opposition from the most vocal progressives in the House, who labeled him a centrist.

"I'm a Black progressive Democrat concerned with addressing racial and social and economic injustice with the fierce urgency of now. That's been my career, that's been my journey and it will continue to be as I move forward for however long I have an opportunity to serve. There will never be a moment where I bend the knee to hard-left democratic socialism," he told The Atlantic last year.

https://democraticunderground.com/10142996814#post22

And.. not leftist enough for AOC who wanted to primary him with another left winger

[BWdem4life]

4. For her sake I'm happy about Pramila staying out of that situation

The amount of hatred that would have come her way, I would not have wanted to have to watch. It’s been bad enough for her as it is.

https://apnews.com/article/crime-arrests-seattle-hate-crimes-congress-b8d2ac14e8073b5436eba7ce8d0fd828

[SunSeeker]

6. Yes, she has been upbeat, even as she has been forced to endure all that hate from the GOP.

She is already a lightening rod, even without a target on her back from being in a leadership position. I find her incredibly brave and inspiring. She has a great future, even if it's not in House leadership.