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"?
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Democrats can't afford to lose her: Tuesday was bad, says Patricia Murphy at Politics Daily, but Pelosi is still a fundraising powerhouse — she has raked in $231 million for other Dems since 2002. She commands fierce loyalty from liberal interest groups and has a "mastery" of the redistricting process that Democrats will need in a GOP-controlled House.
"Nancy Pelosi out as Democratic leader? Not so fast, some Dems say"
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.