SALENA ZITO: Democrats’ Biggest Liability Wears 4-Inch Heels.
When House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi made history last week for the longest speech delivered on the House floor, she deserved praise for two things: her stamina in the eight-hour talkfest and her ability to do it in 4-inch spike heels.
But politically, she likely did little more than create another attack ad for Republicans to run against Democratic candidates around the country.
Pelosi’s speech, mostly stories about “Dreamers” — the people who were brought to the U.S. illegally as children by their parents and are caught in a political firestorm between both parties — was red meat for the Democratic base. But perorations on behalf of immigrants who are in the country illegally are unlikely to excite the independents, and swing Republicans and centrist Democrats whose votes will determine control of Congress.
Similarly tone-deaf were her warnings last year that the Republican tax-cut bill is the apocalypse. “It is the end of the world,” Pelosi told reporters after the bill passed. “This is Armageddon.”
And calling the $1,000 bonuses that more than 3 million American workers have received over the past few weeks as a result of the bill “crumbs” was also not helpful.
Pelosi has never enjoyed the common touch, as they say, but for the last year or so she’s been more tin-eared than ever.