Pelosi's bid for speaker puts Democrats in disarray

It's true that Pelosi is highly skilled in the only language that many members of Congress understand: fundraising. She is also the Democrat whom Republicans love to hate, which feeds the legend that she is also the one they fear the most.

Of course, some Democrats may look askance at Pelosi for snagging the not-so-coveted endorsement of President Trump -- a blessing that isn't so surprising when you consider that Trump was, up until a few years ago, a liberal Manhattan Democrat who had given Democrats lots of campaign contributions. According to some political observers, those contributions helped Democrats gain control of the House of Representatives in 2006 -- which, of course, led to Pelosi being named speaker. But Pelosi's backers could also argue that she is in the best position to forge compromises with the White House on common-ground issues, such as repairing America's infrastructure.

However, while Pelosi definitely has her attributes, they were not enough to quell the uprising among Democrats.

Pelosi's defenders glibly claim that those who say she shouldn't be speaker can't say exactly why that is.

Really? I can say.

For one thing, it's not about ageism or sexism -- or any -ism in fact.

Under normal circumstances, the fact that Pelosi is 78 might disqualify her. But, as you have probably noticed, these days, nothing about politics is normal.

For baby boomers, the 70s are the new 40s. Republicans are rallying around a 72-year-old commander in chief. In 2020, Democrats might have to choose between a 73-year-old Hillary Clinton and a 78-year-old Joe Biden.

Then, of course, you have those Pelosi supporters who can't help but play the gender card and insist this latest rebellion is about men not wanting to answer to powerful women. But that argument works better when the glass ceiling is still intact; Pelosi shattered this one 11 years ago, when she became the first female House speaker. Back then, sexism didn't stand a chance. And it wouldn't fare much better now.

There are three better reasons as to why Pelosi shouldn't re-claim the gavel.

--Geography. She's from San Francisco, California -- a liberal city in a dark-blue state. She would do more to broaden her party's appeal if she were from Saginaw, Michigan, or Marion, Ohio.

--Novelty. Democrats have played this game before, and it didn't end well. Pelosi had her turn at bat, and it's hard to imagine that she has a whole new set of legislative priorities to address in the new Congress.

--Consistency. Democrats have been bragging about how they brought into the process young people and minorities, and it would serve them well to elect leaders who reflect that diversity.

Face it, Congressional Democrats are a hot mess. And if they don't choose new and better leaders from this point on, things will only get worse.

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Ruben Navarrette's email address is ruben@rubennavarrette.com. His daily podcast, "Navarrette Nation," is available through every podcast app.