Hey DU! May I ask your opinion of Pelosi? Is she a good leader?

[BigBearJohn]

Just curious what other DU'ers think.

[BuyingThyme]

1. No.

She doesn't want to rattle the cage, which is what a leader is supposed to do.

[saltpoint]

2. I'm a fan. I hope she's the next Speaker of the House.

I respected Dick Gephardt but I'm much happier with Congresswoman Pelosi.

[Lexingtonian]

3. Yes.

She's done a hell of a lot smarter and better job than the selfabsorbed people around here tend to realize.

[wake.up.america]

4. For some, she does not move quickly and emphatically enough

[Lexingtonian]

5. For those some,

no human being can live up to their demands. They expect magic deeds.

[greekspeak]

8. yeah, I expect all kinds of magic deeds from her!

Leadership! Aberacadabera! Screeching like a howler monkey at the heinous crimes against the American people that the Administration is doing! Hocus Pocus! Alacazam. Scary magic tricks. Instead, we get the woman on TV yesterday with Tim Russert, who trips her up. I wish I had a magic wand and could give her a backbone.

[ixion]

6. Nope... she's been nothing but a lapdog, IMO

remember that she's been the minority leader for several years now, through one of the worst periods in Dem history.

She's one of the reasons dems are spineless these days.

[Disturbed]

7. No.

She is wimpy and looks like she is going to weep all the time. Maybe it's her facelift that gives her that appearance?

[Coexist]

9. Yes.

[Upfront]

10. No

[peacetalksforall]

11. Newt Gingrich once praised Pelosi as a natural and strong leader.

This was stated by someone on tv yesterday - sorry I half listened a good part of the day - can't name the program or person.

There was even more to the praise - I don't remember it all.

[American Tragedy]

13. Interesting...of course it's hard to judge the meaning of such praise

Does he genuinely consider her to be an objectively good leader, or does he merely feel she's appropriately ineffectual representation for the other side? In other words, is she somebody he would like to have on his team?

Gingrich is no fool, and he's been impressively insightful recently, but he's also not exactly an unbiased source of wisdom.

[peacetalksforall]

17. I know - we spend a lot of time trying to figure out what is genuine. But

this was said before she became Minority Leader. Gives it a little credence.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

12. Yes. She's a helluva lot better than Rose Garden Gephardt.

Considering the number of timid "I'm not a liberal" Dems she has to contend with, she's doing a pretty good job. I'd much prefer Cynthia McKinney, Maxine Waters, Dennis Kucinich, or a few others, in her job, but at least she's not some red state appeaser.

[lonestarnot]

14. She's an egg walker.

[madokie]

15. I love the Senator.

[mdmc]

16. Fine for the DLC crowd

She is a good, democratic party leader.

[slackmaster]

18. She's technically a carpetbagger

She and her husband have roots in the Napa Valley. They rent a condo in downtown San Francisco in order to establish residency in California's 8th district.

It's not an uncommon practice, but I question its ethics. That is how Randy "Duke" Cunningham came to represent a district in San Diego County.

[marions ghost]

19. Pelosi is good by comparison--

can't have perfection. She's sharp and does her best. If the country weren't in an extraordinary unprecedented crisis, we'd probably think she was fine. She's walking a delicate tightrope. I know, I know, we need kung fu fighters and all we've got are these dreary equivocating politicos. They probably didn't think their job description included 'saving democracy.' But it does.

[Hidden Stillness]

20. Not Impressed at First; She is Getting Better

I was unimpressed with her after she won the leadership when it was down to her and Martin Frost. I liked her openly liberal and feminist support for citizens and programs etc., but I wondered how much we lost by losing Frost's tough fighting spirit against corrupt Republicans. Then the illegal redistricting cost Martin Frost and others their seats in Congress, and you knew we were dealing with real viciousness here. She was so giggly and "bi-partisan" at first, "We all support our President," etc., that it made me sick, but a lot of it was probably necessary as the (temporarily) minority Party, to avoid a concerted Republican/corporate media attack and slander. Lately, (because of Bush's all-time low polls?), she has been much better, reassured that it won't backfire, and many recent victories by Pelosi, Sen. Harry Reid, the Party generally, etc., have been extremely impressive considering we are still minority. She is getting better, less nervous, more willing to take charge (and more comfortable with it), and she is very intelligent. I don't believe any of them are as intimidated by the murderous Republican bastards anymore--even the violent, abusive Cheney is so hated, that criticizing Cheney is now safe to do. They are all too corporate and bi-partisan for me; I want real, Republican-hating Democrats again, so we can get some real progress in the country.

[Alamom]

21. Yes, I like her.....

I think she's done exceptionally well under Republican Oppression.

We had a great president prior to this one who could have done much more had he not had to fight Republicans throughout his terms.

I think we will see many more great Democrats "SHINE" when they are no longer oppressed and everything they try to do is no longer "shot down" by this Republican Controlled Country.


I had one other thought this past week-end with the P. Kennedy incident being covered 24/7 by the MSM as if nothing else was going on in the world.

Most of our Dem. politicians must be living like Saints.
In 5 years, there has been very little smut or wrong doing found on any of them, while Rep. politicans and office holders are being investigated, arrested and indicted for everything under the sun almost every day....And this is only what we do know. Can we even imagine what they are doing that we don't know.....yet.

Where is that list of arrests and indictments? I would like to see it updated with this last round up of internet sex criminals who are in public office...



Bringing Morality back to the White House...my :kick:






Sorry, BBJ, I think I got on a mini-rant here. I do find it hard to be critical of any of our Dems. who are at least, TRYING. (and are not being investigated or arrested for anything)

:rant:




edit spelling

[ChrisdemW]

22. Shes okay. Me, I'd rather see Obama.

Pelosi took the ball forward from where it was, you've got to admit. Will she take it the next ten yards or start trying to be "safe"? Thats what I'm watching for.

[Seabiscuit]

23. Better than Feinstein; worse than Boxer.

[johnfunk]

24. So-so, better than 6 mos. ago, but needs more spine!

Here's one example: read what my man Bob Fertik has to say about Nancy Pelosi's appearance on MTP where she equivocated about impeachment:

next time a TV pundit grills you about impeachment, try some of these answers:

• Well Tim, should a President be able to lie to Congress and the American people to start a war that takes the lives of 2,400 of our bravest sons and daughters?
• Well Tim, should a President be able to wiretap thousands or millions of law-abiding American citizens without a warrant?
• Well Tim, should a President be able to defy U.S. and international law by authorizing torture and even murder of prisoners?
• Well Tim, should a President be able to lock away an American citizen without charges or access to a lawyer forever?
• Well Tim, should a President be able to nullify 750 laws through signing statements?

Answers like these will accomplish a multiplicity of goals:

• They will open the eyes of millions of Americans who are completely unaware of these crimes because they get all their news from TV, especially FOX
• They will show Americans that you are smart as a whip - and tough as nails
• They will make rightwingers' heads explode
• They will make the pundit's head explode - and guarantee that no pundit will ask you about impeachment ever again

Now go read the entire enchilada!

[OregonBlue]

25. She's one tough lady but makes me nervous. Very twitchy.

I thought her performance on MTP was shaky. Wish she'd come out swinging, yes, we're going to investigate, investigate why gas prices are really so high, why Repugs refused to let the government negotiate with pharmaceutical companies for lower prices, etc., etc.

[napi21]

26. I think she's a great Dem and a great Rep for her district, but not

a great leader. She never sounds sure of herself in an interview, and always seems afraid to take a strong opposition stand on much of anything!

I don't want to name who else I feel would be better, but I think, a great leader...and what the Dems desperately need right now...needs to be articulate, strong on the Dem positions, and willing to take the smacks upside the head that would definately come from the Pubs.

Something similar to the way Murtha took a stand on pulling troops out of Iraq. He was hit from all sides, but he stood his ground, and NOW seems to have a number of supporters...even if many of them are still in hiding!