When you’ve lost Nancy Pelosi, you might as well clear out your desk.

Amid all the chaos and whiplash in US politics over the past few weeks, one law remained constant: Pelosi is uniquely influential and has the power to make or break careers – even those of American presidents.

The former House speaker did more than anyone else to re-engineer the race for the White House, breathing new life into her Democratic party and sending Donald Trump’s Republicans into a tailspin.

Pelosi, 84, publicly encouraged 81-year-old Joe Biden to make a decision about his re-election campaign when he had already insisted he had no plans to step aside. Once he did drop out and endorse Kamala Harris, Pelosi scored another victory when former congressman Tim Walz was named as running mate.

  • Viking_Hippie@lemmy.world
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    1 month ago

    Ultimate power sounds kinda nefarious

    Deservedly so. She didn’t get where she is by NOT currying favor with and doing the bidding of the ultra-rich and their corporations.

    her job has got to be like herding cats, and she clearly does it will.

    Nah, her job is to receive and carry out the wishes of the owner donors. That’s why she originally supported Biden staying in: the wealthy patrons were still on his side. It was only when THEY started pulling their support that she used her power to oust him.

    • BradleyUffner@lemmy.world
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      1 month ago

      If her job is to carry out someone else’s wishes, then she doesn’t really have “ultimate power”. It’s just like, penultimate power, best case.

      • Viking_Hippie@lemmy.world
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        1 month ago

        Dammit, that’s actually a good point lol. She’s mostly a vessel through which even richer, even more powerful, and even more corrupt people exert their will on the public.

        She’s damn effective and brutal about it, though, making her chief amongst corrupt middle managers.

      • Viking_Hippie@lemmy.world
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        1 month ago

        They do. As do Republican, third party, and politically neutral elites.

        In a system specifically designed to reward greed, ruthlessness, and authoritarian tendencies, you don’t get to be one of the elites without being an awful person.