Democrats are wrong to throw Nancy Pelosi under the bus

There is a very public debate going on inside the Democratic Party. The debate arises around the direction and leadership of the party. There are critics who have called for the party to move farther to the left and embrace the more liberal wing of the party. There have been calls by many to disband the current leadership and reinvent the party in the wake of President Trump. These issues are certainly worthy of discussion and debate. How Democrats respond the election of Donald Trump will shape the policy debate for generations to come. What Democrats need to avoid, however, is pushing aside party elders and dismissing years of experience and institutional knowledge as “out of tune.”

To be successful in 2018 and 2020, the Democratic Party must be a reflection of the people it would like to attract. Democrats need young people. Democrats need minorities. Democrats need everything under the rainbow to compete with the demographic domination Republicans have when it comes to the rural white vote. Expertise has value. Experience has value. No one in the Democratic Party has more experience and a better understanding of Washington politics than Nancy Pelosi. She has been a pillar of the party. The congresswoman from California has championed issues like reproductive rights, voting rights and equal pay. As the party defines itself over the next two years, Democrats need the insight of political warriors like Pelosi.

{mosads}Democrats can learn lessons from her battles with Republican leadership and her ability to outlast politicians from both sides of the aisle. Pelosi has wrangled votes with the best of them, kept her caucus in lockstep and helped to usher in the biggest change to our healthcare system since the new deal. Pelosi is the first woman in America to become the Speaker of the House and has undoubtedly etched her name in the history books. It’s not a stretch to say that her career has been legendary. As such, Democrats should honor Pelosi, not push her aside in a craven power grab.

Pelosi has repeatedly acknowledged that if Hillary Clinton had won the election, she would have retired from public office. But with the election of Trump, Pelosi has only grown more stubborn. She is itching for a fight. Pelosi has earned the right for a final battle. As a strong, outspoken and candid woman, Pelosi represents everything that our president pushes back against. Pelosi has spent her entire life championing women’s rights and equality in the workplace while the president has denigrated and humiliated many of the women he’s come in contact with. Pelosi’s work isn’t done. She’s primed for one last fight.

Furthermore, pushing aside the current Democratic leadership without a clear line of succession would plunge the party into complete disarray. It would lead to jockeying for political position and infighting within the party. Democrats can not afford to lose focus from the real threat, which is Trump and his conservative agenda. Democrats cannot afford to take their eyes off the ball to make waves in 2018 and 2020.

Pelosi has been the proverbial franchise player for the Democrats. Much like the Los Angeles Lakers did as Kobe Bryant’s illustrious career began to wrap up, Democrats should begin the process of identifying the next generation of leaders. Party leadership should create more leadership positions that introduce new faces to the national scene. The next generation of Democrats needs an opportunity to hone their political skills. Members of Congress, like Linda Sanchez, who say that they want what’s best for the party, should work with the leadership to place up and coming members of the party on powerful congressional committees. Tangible experience has meaningful value.

Who would you rather perform surgery on you? The experienced doctor who has done that exact surgery dozens of times before or the new eager doctor with exceptional credentials but no actual experience? Democrats should be creating a farm system to build up our bench of superstars, not threatening to cut our franchise player and send her off into the sunset. If anyone knows how to win back a Democratic majority, it’s Pelosi. She ushered in a wave election for Democrats in 2006, setting the stage for Democrats to control the House, the Senate and the White House in 2008. Since entering Democratic leadership in 2002, Pelosi has raised nearly $568 million. If Democrats want to compete with the record fundraising hauls of the Republicans, they will need Pelosi’s help.

This is going to be a rebuilding process, not an overnight fix. Democrats need to be patient. Democrats need to be deliberate. Democrats need all hands on deck to rebuild the party. Democrats need someone who understands inside the beltway politics and can speak to outside the beltway concerns. Democrats need Pelosi. She has earned the right to go out on her terms. She has earned the right to finish what she started.

Michael Starr Hopkins is an attorney and former member of the presidential campaigns of Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. He regularly appears on Fox News and CNN to talk about national politics. You can follow him on Twitter @TheOnlyHonest.