Nancy Pelosi’s Political Sense

Published in Les Echos
(France) on 25 September 2019
by Sabine Delanglade (link to originallink to original)
Translated from by Hal Swindall. Edited by Helaine Schweitzer.

 

 

The speaker of the House is without a doubt the most powerful woman in the United States. At 79, everyone defers to her political know-how. Up to now, she has resisted initiating impeachment proceedings against the president. Perhaps we would do well to listen to her.

Nancy Pelosi is no beginner. If she has until now resisted launching impeachment proceedings against Donald Trump it is because she knows that never in American history has a president been impeached, and she judges that such an action would only complicate the 2020 presidential election.*

"The country can endure anything, but maybe not two Trump terms. We must therefore do everything to ensure that this doesn't happen, " she stated.

Trump himself also realizes that such a course of action might have a "positive" effect on his reelection campaign. No one can dissect the political undercurrents like the most powerful woman in America. Her father, Thomas D'Alesandro, was mayor of Baltimore, and Franklin Delano Roosevelt nicknamed him "Tommy.” So on the day that his friend was elected president, Tommy went so far as to name his son, born that very day, Franklin D. Roosevelt! This is to say that Nancy, who was born in 1940, has the Democratic Party in her blood. Representing San Francisco since 1987, she became the first female speaker of the House in 2007, saying, "We broke a marble ceiling." In supporting Barack Obama’s health care law, she struggled endlessly, calling on voters individually. According to her daughter, Alexandra, "No one ever won betting against Nancy Pelosi. She's the type who will cut your head off and you won't even know you're bleeding."

Without a doubt, Nancy has waited until this moment to quell the young Turks in her party, who are further to the left. That did not prevent her from becoming speaker of the House speaker for the second time at 79, which was not what those young Turks wished. We have not seen a feat like this in the Capitol for 60 years. We must always listen to Nancy.

*Editor’s note: The House has impeached two presidents, Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton, but both were later acquitted by the Senate, and were not removed from office. Richard Nixon resigned before he could be impeached.


La présidente de la Chambre des représentants est sans doute la femme la plus puissante des Etats-Unis. A 79 ans, tous s'inclinent devant son savoir-faire politique. Elle avait jusque là résisté au lancement d'une procédure de destitution du président. Peut-être aurait-il fallu l'écouter.

Nancy n'est pas une débutante. Si elle a jusque-là résisté au lancement d'une procédure de destitution à l'encontre de Donald Trump c'est qu'elle sait que « jamais » un président n'a été « empêché » dans l'histoire américaine et estime que ce débat ne servirait qu'à occulter le fond de la présidentielle en 2020 : « Le pays peut résister à tout mais peut-être pas à deux mandats de Trump. Nous devons donc tout faire pour que cela n'arrive pas » disait-elle. Trump ne s'y est pas trompé qui attend un effet « positif » de cette action sur sa campagne. Personne ne dissèque mieux la politique et ses ressorts que la femme la plus puissante des Etats-Unis. Son père Thomas D'Alesandro fut maire de Baltimore, Franklin D. Roosevelt le surnommait « Tommy ». Et le jour où son ami fut élu président des Etats-Unis, « Tommy » alla jusqu'à baptiser « Franklin D. Roosevelt », son fils né ce jour-là ! Autant dire que Nancy née en 1940 a le parti démocrate dans le sang. Elue de San Francisco depuis 1987, elle devint la première présidente de la Chambre en 2007 : « Nous avons brisé un plafond de marbre ». Pour l'Obama Care, elle s'est démenée, ne lâche jamais, appelle les votants un par un : « Personne n'a jamais gagné en pariant contre elle a dit sa fille. Elle est du genre à vous arracher la tête sans que vous vous rendiez même compte que vous saignez ». Elle n'est sans doute pas allée jusque-là pour mater les jeunes turcs de son parti plus jeunes, plus à gauche. N'empêche qu'à 78 ans, elle est, contre leur gré, redevenue en 2019 « speaker » pour la deuxième fois. Du jamais vu en 60 ans de Capitole. Il faut toujours écouter Nancy.
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