Ralph Nader thinks House minority leader Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.) should resign as leader of the Democratic party after failing to retake the majority for the third straight election cycle.
“Nancy Pelosi, Steny Hoyer and Steve Israel should now recognize the wisdom of baseball’s ‘three strikes and you’re out’ (failure to win control of the House in 2010, 2012, 2014), step down from their posts and invite fresh leadership who can save the country from the ravages of today’s Republican party,” he said.
Nader issued that statement on Election Day, before the full scale of Democratic losses was apparent. Following the Republicans’ historic victory Tuesday, the whispers have spread.
“At least one new Democratic lawmaker, Gwen Graham of Florida, has already said she won’t back Pelosi as leader, although other Pelosi allies have come out in support of her,” Politico notes. “The private grumbling about Pelosi is unusual. Unlike House Republican leaders who have faced a continued threat of rebellion from conservative members, Democrats are far more loyal to Pelosi, in part because of her prolific fundraising prowess.”