The lead up to outright civil war within the Democratic party continues apace.
Nancy Pelosi appeared on 60 minutes to receive the usual softballs and kid glove treatment. I hear they took her out for ice cream afterward as well. CNN has assured us that she likes her chocolate “unadulterated.”
During this interview, Pelosi hit AOC on several fronts. You’ll recall she’s been dismissive in the past, joking about the name of the Green New Deal.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi mocks socialist Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez:
Lesley Stahl: “You have these wings– AOC, and her group on one side”
Pelosi: “That’s like five people”pic.twitter.com/G2XhUD32Ey
— Ryan Saavedra (@RealSaavedra) April 15, 2019
When asked about AOC and her “wing,” Pelosi snaps back that it’s only like “five people.” You can see the annoyance on her face when the interviewer challenges her.
Later she was asked about socialism and had this to say.
“I do reject socialism as an economic system. If people have that view, that’s their view. That is not the view of the Democratic Party.”
— Reily @ 🏡 (@reilyseanconn) April 15, 2019
If it’s not the view of the Democratic party, someone should let every person from their 2020 primary know that. All of them are running on complete takeovers of the healthcare system, including a public option, which is by its very definition socialism. You’ve also got Bernie Sanders leading the field (since Biden hasn’t declared) and he’s an outright communist, well, except when it comes to making millions off of book sales to buy three houses. Then he’s cool with cashing in.
AOC’s former top advisor immediately went to calling Pelosi a racist.
That's quite a way to welcome a new generation of mostly progressive women of color entering the Democratic Party who are activating young people, people of color, and working-class voters of all backgrounds.
— “Ideas That Are Lying Around” (@_waleedshahid) April 14, 2019
The fractures we are seeing are only going to get worse. Pelosi represents the old guard and they are dying off. I mean that quite literally as the years pass. There is no young, moderate Democratic party movement. That’s not to say there aren’t moderates in the House who are young and newly elected. There is actually a segment of them who got elected in Republican districts. But they have no power, no exposure, no face, and no influence. They might as well not exist. Try to think of a single new Democrat elected in 2018 who would be considered more mainstream. I bet you can’t, but you know who AOC is. You know who Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib are. That’s who’s leading the Democratic party at this point, whether Pelosi likes it or not.
I think it’s pretty safe to predict that the “fresh faces” aren’t going away. Pelosi’s generation is. We can all hope that helps lead the Democratic party to its ruin because the direction AOC and others want to take us in is profoundly damaging to the country.
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