Why Nancy Pelosi Stands Alone [View all]

Why Nancy Pelosi Stands Alone

Rahm Emanuel on the political genius of the retiring former House speaker.

Emanuel noted his appreciation for the realpolitik approach that she brought to making legislative change.

“She doesn’t just talk ideas,” he said. “She knows that winning elections is the only way you can enact those ideas. And sometimes a lot of people in our activist wing don’t understand that winning elections is the route to enacting your policy goals.”

In recent decades, other House speakers from both parties have been ousted, humiliated or pushed out for one reason or another. Her tenure was certainly not flawless, but as she retires after nearly four decades in Congress, Emanuel explains why Pelosi is seen as standing alone in the modern era.