"Rose with thorns" in American politics

With 203 votes in favor, Ms. Nancy Pelosi was nominated by members of the Democratic Party to be Speaker of the House of Representatives. According to the plan, Ms. Pelosi - the first woman to hold the position of Speaker of the US House of Representatives from 2007 to 2011, will undergo a vote next January when the new Congress begins working.

If the 78-year-old politician wins, she will become the most important person in the Democratic Party in the US - and also the favorite opposition figure of President Donald Trump, up to this point. According to the US Constitution, the Speaker of the House is the third most important politician in this country after the President and Vice President.

Nancy Pelosi was nominated for Speaker of the House. Photo: Getty

No rival

Although she is 78 years old, Nancy Pelosi is still considered the most potential candidate for Speaker of the House of Representatives after the Democratic Party won back the House of Representatives in the recent midterm elections.

Ms. Pelosi has led the Democratic Party in the House of Representatives for 16 years, and was the first female Speaker of the House in US history for 4 years. Although a part of the young Democratic congressmen believe that there needs to be a younger generation of leaders, it is undeniable that Ms. Pelosi's "shadow" in the Democratic Party is too big and few are confident that they can surpass Pelosi.

Tim Ryan, a strong rival of Ms. Pelosi in the race for minority leader two years ago, also recently admitted that he will not challenge the congresswoman again. Hakeem Jeffries, a rising star of the Democratic Party, also said that he did not choose to face Ms. Pelosi because he knew it was unlikely that he would be able to defeat her.

Experience, maturity and the ability to tackle thorny political issues are the factors that make Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi “unrivaled” within the Democratic Party. Nancy Pelosi has been familiar with politics since she was a child.

In other words, politics is in the blood and breath of the congresswoman. She was born and raised in an Italian-American village in Baltimore, in a family with a tradition of politics.

Her father, Thomas D'Alesandro, was a Maryland state representative and mayor of Baltimore from 1947 to 1959. One of her five brothers also served as mayor of Baltimore from 1967 to 1971.

Perhaps family tradition has nurtured this woman's political ambition. From a young age, she used to help her father seal envelopes during his campaign, sometimes she also worked at the reception desk at home to record sad stories and petitions from the people there to pass on to her father.

In 1952, when Pelosi was just 12 years old, she was allowed to attend the Democratic Convention for the first time, where delegates chose their party’s presidential candidate. In later interviews, Polisi said that what impressed her most about her father’s “hearing” about the big issues was the problem of Italian immigrants.

It was these things that inspired her desire to do something to bring the most fairness to all Americans.

Later, when taking up important positions in politics, Ms. Nancy always supported policies for women, support for the poor and the disabled, while raising taxes on the upper class in America. She was also a supporter of immigrant rights, voting against the Border Fence Construction Act.

Unlike her gentle appearance, Nancy Pelosi is considered a decisive and steadfast person. She fights strongly against factional elements, maintaining “discipline” in the Democratic Party. That is why she is considered a “big tree” of the “Green faction” since 2002 when she was elected as the Leader of the Democratic Minority Party in the US Congress.

She has always maintained the position and voice of the Democratic Party against the Republican Party on major national issues such as opposing the overthrow of Saddam Hussein, opposing the CIA's interrogation of terrorists, or later opposing the harsh immigration policy of the Donald Trump administration... This has helped her gain credibility as the leader of the Democratic Party in the House of Representatives for many years.

Challenges for female congressmen

Nancy Pelosi's return to the House Speakership will be a topic of discussion within the Democratic Party until the vote takes place early next year. One of the main concerns is whether her return to House leadership will be a challenge or an advantage for President Donald Trump.

In theory, the Democrats' control of the House of Representatives is a disadvantage for the Republican President. Nancy Pelosi herself declared immediately after the Democrats won the House of Representatives that she would "restore the Constitution and the system of checks and balances on the Trump administration."

Specifically, stopping the Republican and Trump administration’s attack on Medicare and Medicaid…. Democrats will also push for legislation that would expand background checks on gun sales, crack down on money in politics and lobbying, and protect the environment…

Ms. Nancy Pelosi served as Speaker of the US House of Representatives from 2007 to 2011. Photo: AP

According to observers, if Nancy Pelosi becomes Speaker of the House of Representatives, the responsibility will be enormous in creating a foundation to highlight the Democratic Party's vision, as well as creating a launching pad for efforts to overthrow Mr. Trump in the election in 2 years.

In other words, how the power shifts on Capitol Hill over the next two years will depend largely on the position of Speaker of the House.

Another challenge for Ms. Pelosi is to appease a group of Democrats who have turned their backs on her. Many criticize Ms. Pelosi’s agenda as too stale and they need a “fresh breeze” in the party.

If Pelosi’s return becomes a reality, it will also prove that the Democratic Party is seriously lacking young leaders capable of taking up important positions in Congress. In other words, the Democratic Party is facing an aging crisis. This is also the problem that this congresswoman will need to solve if she takes the position of Speaker of the House, in addition to a series of important agenda issues to balance power in the US Congress.