Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) may just be the Republican’s secret weapon in the mid-term elections, according to President Donald Trump. “She’s our secret weapon. I just hope they don’t change her,” Trump said during a recent speech.
The House Minority Leader has upset a lot of Americans lately with her ill-timed and insulting comments, which Republicans are anxious to use against the Democrats as an example of what the party would have in store for the people should they be elected to office.
The House Republican Party released an ad that essentially thanked Pelosi for aiding its cause. In it, Pelosi’s most infamous actions and comments are highlighted while speakers point out her misdeeds. The ad ends with “Thanks Nancy” in large, bold letters.
Unpopularity Wins?
Using an unpopular political figure to boost a party’s ratings isn’t a new tactic. Last year, Republicans used the same approach on Democratic candidate Jon Ossoff claiming he would be Pelosi’s lapdog should he be elected. Ossoff lost the special election in Georgia’s 6th House district, which GOP strategists credit to tying him to Pelosi.
Democrats, on the other hand, don’t feel the Pelosi strategy will have the results the Republicans expect. Guy Cecil, the chairman of Priorities USA, the PAC that went big all in for Hillary Clinton, said:
“I just don’t think it’s the silver bullet they say it will be. If it wasn’t Nancy Pelosi, then it’d be Chuck Schumer, the ‘New York liberal.’ It’s not really a new playbook.”
Cecil said the only districts this approach has a chance of making any difference in is where Republicans are already performing well. In districts held by Hillary Clinton in 2016, for example, he said the Republicans “may not be so lucky.”
Crumbs Crossover
Cecil may be severely underestimating the American people’s reaction to Pelosi’s “crumbs” comment where she criticized the tax reform and the bonuses people earned from their employers. The bonuses, pay raises and benefits didn’t only benefit the Republicans. A lot of those beneficiaries were also Democrats of the middle working class where $1,000 was more than just a handful of crumbs. The multi-millionaire politician’s comment insulted people from across the political spectrum.
Pelosi’s eight-hour speech on immigration when a government shutdown was being threatened didn’t go over so well with the people either.
Whether the left wants to admit it, Pelosi is a good weapon against the Democrats – especially for anyone balancing precariously on the political fence.
