Should Democrats ditch Pelosi?

Some party members say Nancy Pelosi would not be able to secure the moderate candidates necessary for the Democrats to win back the House in 2012.

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last updated 8 January 2015

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is reportedly putting out feelers to see whether humbled Democrats want to keep her as their leader. Rep. Heath Shuler (D-N.C.), for one, says Dems must replace her if they want to recruit moderate candidates who can help them win back the House — and he's vowing to challenge Pelosi if she runs for minority leader unless a "viable alternative" emerges. Should Democrats dump Pelosi? (Watch an ABC report about Pelosi's next move)

They'd be crazy to keep her: The GOP just clobbered Democrats, says Allahpundit at Hot Air, thanks to a campaign targeting Nancy Pelosi "above all other Democrats (Obama included) as the archvillain of the Beltway." She's as "toxic" with independents as Sarah Palin is among Democrats. Why would anyone, even diehard lefties, cling to this "dead weight"?

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Moving forward, Pelosi will become less toxic: As minority leader, Pelosi probably wouldn't be the "liability for Democrats" in future elections that she was this year, says Steve Kornacki at Salon. As House speaker, she was "the public face of a chronically maligned institution at a time of immense popular anxiety." It will be harder for Republicans to demonize her now that they're in the hot seat.

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