Nancy Pelosi has made it clear that she has no intention of stepping off center stage in politics as she raises funds, gives interviews and promotes Democratic candidates for Senate and the House of Representatives.
Even so, a recent interview gives a bit of insight into her train of thought as she touts her effectiveness and mental capabilities but then forgets Mitch McConnell’s name, an especially notable mental lapse given the fact that Senator McConnell has been in office since 1984, was named Republican Senate Majority Leader in 2014, and has played an outsized role in politics in recent days.
Nancy Pelosi’s recent Rolling Stone interview should have been a breeze. The magazine is known to have a left-of-center bias, and is almost certainly in agreement with many of her positions. Even so, she struggled to deliver basic answers.
When asked about critics who say her positions are too liberal, Rep. Pelosi promptly identified herself as being “LGBTQ.” When questioned about her leadership abilities and the fact that many representatives in her own party want her to step aside should the Democrats win the House of Representatives in the upcoming 2018 mid-term elections, Pelosi said that questions about her leadership capabilities were a bit on the sexist side. It was then that she complained about the fact that no-one questions “what’s his name who heads the Senate?” about his capabilities as a leader. One of her aides who accompanied her for the interview had to remind her that “what’s his name’s” name is Mitch McConnell.
Readers almost immediately took to Twitter to call out the gaffe. Some simply stated that Mrs. Pelosi’s brain must be missing in action for her to forget such important information. Others pointed out that, hopefully, Rep. Pelosi won’t forget the fact that “what’s his name” is on the verge of appointing yet another Supreme Court justice. Still others have noted the fact that Rep. Pelosi is obviously getting on in years. At 78 years of age, it is naturally not surprising that she would forget names and other important information at times; however, what is shocking is that Democrats are still willing to turn a blind eye to her failing capabilities in the hope that everything will turn out alright if the Democrats win the House of Representatives at some point in the near future.
At the same time, there are many within her party who are calling for a change in leadership. They point out that Rep. Pelosi isn’t the only aging leading DNC member; in fact, other leading Democrat representatives such as Steny Hoyer and Jim Clyburn are also in their late 70s. Many party members are clear about the fact that a party that wants to appeal to young voters should put young Democrats in position of leadership. Such individuals accurately note that a younger, lesser-known leader would not be a prime target for Republican attack ads.
At the same time, many young party members want new leadership because they feel Pelosi is simply not liberal enough. As far-left positions such as abolishing ICE, offering universal health care and supporting a Federal Jobs guarantee become more commonplace, the House Minority Leader will likely face a tough choice. She will either need to change with the times and lean even further left than she has, remove herself from power, or inevitably be removed at some point in time by those who want new blood in leadership positions.
Rep. Nancy Pelosi’s recent Rolling Stones interview has left no doubt in the minds of many that it is time for her to retire from public service. However, it also affirmed the fact that Mrs. Pelosi is eager to hold power for as long as possible. While her embarrassing gaffe may quickly be forgotten by a left-leaning news media that hasn’t covered it extensively in the first place, her polarizing position on issues are sure to be remembered by those voting in the upcoming 2018 mid-term elections.
~ Liberty Planet
