When even FiveThirtyEight dedicates an article to analyzing just how unpopular you are, you really know you’ve made it. FiveThirtyEight describes this politician as “the single least popular one that maintains an active political role.”
You guessed it, we’re talking about Nancy Pelosi, our current Speaker of the House.
But let’s not simply dwell on the recent episodes of Pelosi’s gaffes, in which she, a devout Catholic, recited a fake Bible quote at least 11 times on the House floor. Or how last year she dismissed 9/11 as just “an incident” to claim that Democrats can protect the border better than Republicans. Instead, let’s focus on her politics.
In 2010, Judicial Watch named Pelosi on their list of “Ten Most Wanted Corrupt Politicians.” She has repeatedly been found using Air Force aircraft as personal party planes for herself and her extended family. Taxpayer money has funded everything from her extra family members’ flights to her splurging on food and alcohol, along with who knows what else.
Pelosi has a bad history with money, personally and nationally; it comes as no surprise that her economic policies have failed time and time again. Her cries for reducing home lending standards were the main cause of the 2008 economic crash. She subsequently tried to cover up the government’s role in the collapse. When that didn’t work, she endorsed a stimulus package in the form of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act that not only wasted over $800 billion, but also raised unemployment rates.
And that’s not to mention the fact that she was one of the chief sponsors of the Affordable Care Act, a foolishly noble but poorly written piece of legislation that put tens of millions of families on hold, unable to use their original insurance and unable to afford the expensive new insurance. With all of this in mind, Pelosi still believes firmly in Obamacare.
As for immigration, Pelosi is faring no better. That is, besides supplying laughs with statements like “just because someone is here illegally doesn’t mean they broke any of our laws.” A new bill she endorses would prevent states from cleaning voter rolls of nonresidents or voters registered in more than one state— a ridiculous proposal that needs no further elaboration.
But Pelosi has always prioritized political haggling over her own core principles. When immigrant activists pointed out how she was using DREAMers as a bargaining chip against President Trump, she lost her temper and started yelling “Stop it!” at them. It’s not the first time she has displayed her total lack of respect for people with differing opinions either; she called a Congressman a “stooge” on live TV last year. Perhaps such crudeness and political expediency runs in the family— she is Governor Gavin Newsom’s aunt after all.
So yes, Nancy, “we’ve got to pass the bill to see what’s in it.” And by her own words, there’s nothing she brings to the table that we haven’t tried and rejected already.
