term of the existing president. If in 2018 the Democrats take the House the best Nancy Pelosi could hope for is the Speaker of the House

...favorite boogie men, and often comes up for criticism on the Left. Or at least some of the Left at DU, don't ask me why. Perhaps because instead of magically forcing the entire progressive wish list thru the House, she counts votes and know what will pass and what won't.

Pelosi is the best speaker this country has seen in years. She can get the votes she needs. No, she's not charismatic or warm and fuzzy so she couldn't win a national election but LBJ was (except Vietnam) one of the most consequential presidents ever. Had it not been for Vietnam we'd have him up there with FDR. His list of accomplishments in the war on poverty and civil rights is astonishingly impressive. LBJ did it because he could whip the Senate from his many years there. The called him the Master of the Senate. She's most certainly the Master of the House.

I tell ya, it could work and is my favorite day dream of the week.

Her image is tainted and she would be a hard sell.

Not by anyone I respect.

But she has become the bogeyman for the right. Too many on the left won't support her because of the damage done by rightwing media. In other words they have created doubt about her in the minds of many Americans through their fake news.

by huge landslides?

I don't care what the right wing says about her. I am get very tired of worrying about what the far left says. How many times do they get to screw over this party?

It's the perceived image. Many of the undecideds have heard the propaganda about her. Many believe it. We need a candidate that can win. I'm not sure that she can. I doubt that she would run.

And she has no need to fear the BS that is spewed.

We need someone younger, from the South or Midwest.

How?

If the Freedom Caucus crowd (backed by Trump) tries to force Ryan out, and the Republicans engage in open civil war as a result, it could split the vote among Republicans for a successor and the united Democrats could elect the speaker. I don't really think that could happen, but it is theoretically possible.

I love her, but that seems unlikely

He'll be 77 in two years. (But since women live longer, and she appears to be in great shape, we'll given them an even on that, okay?). Most people here had no problem with that. Is there something different about a woman being past 75 and a man being past 75? Curious minds want to know.

others might be a tougher sell.

I think it's a line of succession thing. Pretty far-fetched, but could happen if: (1) Trump is impeached or resigns, leaving Pence prexy; (2) The Democrats take leadership of the House in 2018; and (3) Pence is impeached or resigns. Pelosi would then become the president automatically.

Whomever pence had nominated for vp would get it instead of nancy.

Link to tweet

As for Pelosi, I'm not at all fond of her, but it would be somewhat amusing if things could play out with Dems taking the House in 2018 and somehow both Trump and Pence get removed and she become President. Sort of a fork in the eyes of all the Republicans.

My problem with her is that she's far too "establishment" and has gone along with Republican agendas far too easily, rather than consistently sticking up for real Democratic/progressive values.

election, we have 50 separate ones.

The electoral college has spoken.

The constitutional remedy is impeachment.

there is NO provision in the Constitution to nullify the election. There's nothing in any of it about a right to a duly elected representative government.

Please reread it.

2018 election, when the newly elected dem house/senate take office

whoever is speaker at the time becomes president. could be pelosi

doesn't even have to be a sitting member of congress, right?

KGOPers are talking Gingrich right now

Not to mention the terrible precedent of junking the constitution "because its an emergency"

I can think of a lot of situations where that precedent could come back and bite us on the ass.

Better to stick with the Constituion.

But "President Pelosi" works, too!

There is no realistic scenario in which Trump and Pence are removed from office simultaneously. No matter what happens in November 2018, it is simply not realistic to envision a situation where 2/3 of the Senate would vote to convict both simultaneously. Each would get their own impeachment trial and they wouldn't run concurrently. If Trump were ousted first, Pence would immediately succeed to the presidency and there would be a vote to fill the VP vacancy. I don't see a realistic scenario where Pelosi is that person. If Pence is ousted first, same thing.

Plus, the most realistic scenario is that if there is any real likelihood of one or the other being removed from office, a deal will be involving resignation of one or both with someone brought in to be a caretaker president.

if we retake the house in '18, we could just pull a Garland and refuse to confirm Pence's replacement as VP....

Will be campaigning. They will not want this to muddy the waters

its possible

She is a woman. She's in her 70's. She is hated by the alt-left and alt-right. She has acquired some baggage (as all politicians have) over her career. I'm not an ageist, but those are the reasons (except being a woman) why we need a young candidate.

I'll hate to see her go, but I imagine she's likely to retire soon.