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Pelosi wins battle, but her party is losing war

House of Representatives Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi may well be patting herself on the back. In the process, she should be looking over her shoulder. Change is coming up fast, and she simply is not equipped to handle it.

Pelosi, D-Calif., was re-elected as leader of House Democrats last week. But the vote, 134-63, was the closest she has encountered since she took over leadership in 2002. Another Democrat, Rep. Tim Ryan, challenged Pelosi this time around. He represents a district in northeast Ohio that includes what many would describe as the “working-class” community of Youngstown. It is that group of Americans nationwide who feel most betrayed by Democrat Party policies, as Ryan pointed out. Pelosi has been an outspoken leader of the liberal agenda for many years.

Pelosi has been very effective in using party discipline to keep lawmakers in line. She is a master of the old politics. No doubt Ryan and his supporters in the House will pay a price for opposing Pelosi.

But Ryan is right. Many Americans — including millions of Democrats who voted for Hillary Clinton for president only because they succumbed to fear-mongering about Donald Trump — are fed up with politics as usual. They want allegiance to the many working-class families who see themselves as paying for the liberal agenda, not benefitting from it.

For now, then, Pelosi remains on top. Her brand of politics has worked again. It will not remain infallible for her or her party forever, however.

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