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[Joinfortmill]

1. The choice is ours.

[Mr.WeRP]

3. I used to believe that.

It’s pretty clear the choice is not ours.

[W_HAMILTON]

36. Oh, lord, here we go.

[Mr.WeRP]

44. Yup, here we go.

[W_HAMILTON]

49. "My candidate cannot lose, they can only be screwed over by everyone in a grand conspiracy."

[Hassin Bin Sober]

58. Stop mocking Secretary Clinton. She was screwed by Russia. We support Democrats here. Stop with the nonsense

[W_HAMILTON]

60. Yeah, hence it wasn't a fucking conspiracy theory since IT ACTUALLY HAPPENED.

Nice to see you actually come to Hillary's defense, though!

[enough]

2. No.

[Irish_Dem]

4. Nancy Pelosi was a Nepo/legacy politician and she is one of the all time greats.

Better than her politician dad.

There is something to be said for knowing the ropes before hand.

[Mr.WeRP]

6. Like making millions in stock trades on information only Congress has?

Those kind of ropes?

[Irish_Dem]

13. You don't have to be a nepo baby to be corrupt.

Yes we have corruption in our Senate.
This is common knowledge and not news.

You are acting like this is the first time you have heard of it.

[Mr.WeRP]

17. Oh, how so?

Been following Pelosi’s trades for a while. You know you can make money doing that?

[fujiyamasan]

32. There's even an ETF out there called NANC

Not sure how closely it follows her trades, but it has outperformed the GOP equivalent ticker, GOP.

[CousinIT]

5. It depends. Pelosi was a very effective congressperson and leader. Her daughter *may* be as well.

Bush was a nepo politician as well. I have much less confidence in anyone from that family, though. And the Trumps - zero - they are all only effective at being evil, criminal, and greedy.

So - it depends.

[Mr.WeRP]

8. She was a good leader, I agree. But she also created major issues

Like gaining millions in the market on info only Congress had. Yes, not illegal, but certainly not ethical.

[CousinIT]

14. Can't argue with that. If Congress had any balls and wasn't on the take all the time...

...we could pass laws against Congressional insider trading.

[RandySF]

7. Nobody is pushing anyone

And Christine Pelosi is not running for Congress. Get your facts straight because you sound like a troll.

[Mr.WeRP]

9. She is running for State Senate in CA. That's significant

[RandySF]

12. So what?

I know her and she’s a solid, capable person in her her own right.

[Mr.WeRP]

20. So being the daughter of a renowned politician is credibility and credentials?

[W_HAMILTON]

38. If people spent half as much time actually researching these candidates as they do conjuring up conspiracies...

[Deuxcents]

28. I'm sure the ballot will have choices that better suit you.

[Sympthsical]

18. I asked friends in California politics about this one

Because it actually was a little bit of a surprise the younger Pelosi isn't running for the seat. The long understanding was the Speaker would stay long enough to smooth the path for her daughter.

But there was one surprise this year. Scott Wiener went full insubordination and announced his run before Pelosi announced retirement. That was something that is just not done. Yes, fringe candidates have always run, but an actual Democrat of weight and substance who is charismatic and popular?

So that was considered a little bit of a shove, and Wiener seems to think he had support enough to challenge Pelosi's machine.

And then the calculations changed.

Through the grapevine (and my friends are higher campaign people in Bay Area politics who work on S.F. and Oakland mayoral and state legislature races), is that there was push back against Christine and the idea dynasty politics would go against a popular - and gay - progressive in San Francisco. The LGBT community is itching for some representation in one of the most LGBT districts in the nation, and the claws would've come out on this one.

Which kind of would've been academically interesting. A big gay civil war, lol.

There was just no taste for this fight once it was known Wiener was not going to bow before dynastic politics. The expectation was Pelosi would retire and knees would be bent for Christine. That didn't happen.

So, maybe Governor in ten years? Or maybe she doesn't want it. Who knows. But Wiener upended the apple cart on this one. God love him for it. And this does open a door, because others might see more of an opportunity now that the Pelosis are out. And it will be interesting to see if they endorse Wiener in the primary, because again, he kind of shoved them.

[Mr.WeRP]

33. That is excellent to hear and it gives me hope.

[fujiyamasan]

34. Thanks for the insight

There’s been some rumors that she may get behind Connie Chan, a city supervisor. Did your friends mention anything about her?

Good to see your post! Had not seen any is quite some time.

[RandySF]

48. Connie is more progressive than Scott.

[Sympthsical]

52. Yeah, that is part of the opportunities

Because people who did not have a mind to run out of deference and loyalty to Speaker Pelosi now have to have a think.

Wiener is not a shoo in by any means if people like Chan decide to go in. He just opened that floodgate. All that was required was one substantive Democrat to go, "A'right, tired of waiting." And it was super interesting timing, because he isn't termed out until 2028. He could've waited another cycle. So you have to think he wanted to catch the Pelosis flat-footed. And that may definitely play a role in primary endorsements.

It will be an interesting primary, because there are a lot of good Democrats with their own bases of support who have been waiting years for this chance to arrive. And with Christine out of the equation, you've gotta figure this is a now or never moment for more than a few local politicians. They can now run and not worry about stepping on any toes or committing acts of lèse-majesté.

[RandySF]

47. Scott is more moderate than people realize

He’s terrible on housing and development.

[Sympthsical]

53. Honestly, that is probably his biggest weakness

Agreed there.

[Midwestern Democrat]

42. I'm surprised - I've been hearing for years that Christine was going to inherit her mother's seat - although I always

suspected there would be too much strong competition in that district for her to just be handed it.

[Sympthsical]

55. Yep. I was literally telling people this last week

"Pelosi's retiring so her daughter can run." It's just been set up and understood for so long.

That's why I got in touch with people who would know more than me, because I couldn't figure out what changed.

I've only gotten a tiny bit from my limited sources such as they are. I am dying of curiosity to know if more went on behind the scenes. I think it'll come out during the primary.

[cornball 24]

10. HELL, NO!!!!!

[lapfog_1]

11. So you are saying you really did not like

Senator Ted Kennedy or Senator Robert F. Kennedy.

Speaking of going into the family business.

Got it.

[Mr.WeRP]

16. Lol how about that RFK Jr?!

[lapfog_1]

24. I'm sorry, what elected office has RFK, Jr ( Insane worm brain )

been elected to?

I thought we were talking about nepo-politicians that enter into politics because a close family member is in politics.

The argument is that Nancy Pelosi's daughter should not run for a House seat just because her mother was in the House and was Speaker of the House.

Everyone chimed in about the Bushes ( a whole bunch of them either ran for or won office btw ), but did not mention the Kennedys or for that matter, the Clintons.

I don't have an issue with the relatives of successful politicians running for elected office. The voters can always reject them.

But if you are against the concept of family members entering politics, that's fine, but don't be hypocrites about it.

[W_HAMILTON]

39. Gee, it's almost like we should evaluate the candidates on a candidate-by-candidate basis...

Something only you suggested we should not do and instead reject these two women outright simply based on who their mothers are.

[Rebl2]

25. I question why

John Kennedy picked his brother for attorney general while he was president. Personally find that questionable.

[muriel_volestrangler]

15. Stefany Shaheen opposes the deal her mom made

Democratic candidate for Congress criticizes deal to end shutdown – which her mother voted to advance

A Democratic congressional candidate who posted to social media criticism of the bipartisan deal that looks set to end the government shutdown omitted to mention that her mother was among the party’s rebel senators who voted to approve it.

Stefany Shaheen, who is seeking to represent New Hampshire in the US House of Representatives, said in the post to X that she “cannot support this deal when [House] Speaker [Mike] Johnson refuses to even allow a vote to extend health care tax credits”.
...
“Clearly we had different approaches here,” Stefany Shaheen said in an interview Monday, reported by the New York Times, after questions arose over her post. “I can’t speak for her. I think she did what she believes is right.”
...
“Your mom just ruined your career,” one user on X posted, while another said: “We don’t vote for the children of traitors”.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/nov/10/democrat-candidate-congress-criticizes-deal-end-shutdown-mother

[NNadir]

19. Al Gore Jr. was the son of a Senator, Al Gore Sr...

...and the best Congressperson I ever had, Rush Holt, was the son of a Senator, whose name he also shared.

John Quincy Adams although he is often ignored by historians, was as President and then as a Congressman a powerful voice for abolition.

Not every case is Bush 1 and Bush 2.

These women have a right to run as they were raised around first class Democrats.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

21. "These women have a right to run as they were raised around first class Democrats." Rights that depend on bloodlines

are the stuff of kings lol.

[NNadir]

27. Good luck with getting the Constitutional amendment banning the children of politicians from citizenship.

Their rights are not erased by their parents jobs.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

51. Who said anything about banning? What I object to is believing people have an inherent "right" to run *in addition to

the rights afforded under the constitution.*

[NNadir]

56. I believe I understand the connotation despite the wiggles.

[W_HAMILTON]

41. Not when they have to win the nomination and then the general.

But, yes, if you ignore the fact that it is ultimately up to the voters in a democratic process, it's EXACTLY like the stuff of kings!

[MichMan]

22. Name recognition has a lot of influence with low information voters

I've seen it happen in SE Michigan for decades

[LexVegas]

23. I don't give a shit. nt

[Justice]

26. "No Kings" also means no royalty

[riversedge]

29. More power to them.

[Ping Tung]

30. It depends on what kind of persons they are and they're principles.

“The danger is not that a particular class is unfit to govern. Every class is unfit to govern.”

Lord Acton

[jfz9580m]

45. OT: Lord Acton was an interesting figure

I remember my mother telling me about him.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Dalberg-Acton,_1st_Baron_Acton

I didn’t realize that quote “absolute power absolutely corrupts” is sourced to him.
Today’s libertarians would in their braindead way (if we had a real press that shit would be called out explicitly more) cherrypick this part:

His works consistently emphasised the importance of limiting governmental and institutional power in favour of individual rights and personal liberty.[2][3][4]

I know little about Acton, but he is clearly from a different time. At a time when reckless libertarians (who would make Norquist look like a Big Govt type) are trying to take over everything and with no irony the biggest threat to individual liberty, that is so absurd.

I also find unbearable the hijacking of Orwell ( or for that matter anyone honest enough to criticize flaws on the left, as there can be flaws in any ideology absent other checks).

No one who has read Orwell’s characteristically emotionally restrained but very moving writing in “Down and Out in Paris and London” can mistake him for a right winger. It is a clear sighted take on the realities of poverty and deserves to be as well known as 1984 imo.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Down_and_Out_in_Paris_and_London

Sadly rereading it in 2025 when life is in flames all around us it has less of an impact.

[Ping Tung]

57. Orwell fought WITH communists and anarchists against the fascists in the Spanish Civil War.

Last edited Tue Nov 11, 2025, 04:01 PM - Edit history (1)

[vanessa_ca]

31. I don't like coronations, but if they earn it and convince me they'll represent me

and there isn't a better candidate running, they can get my vote.

[Ocelot II]

35. That's pretty common in politics.

Anybody remember the Kennedys? There were some pretty good politicians and public servants in that clan; a few, not so much... It's a foot in the door, it's name recognition. But sometimes even the family realizes that one of its members should find another line of work. RFK Jr. is a prime example of the success of a complete dingbat only because of the family name. But nepotism in politics is a thing, always has been, the kid gets their start because of the family name. Sometimes their advantage pushes them into a position they can't handle (RFK Jr., Bush II). But it's up to voters not to be fooled into thinking the political skills of a parent are always inherited.

[JI7]

37. How about Grijalva ?

[Quiet Em]

40. First, these women are not being pushed. They are running on their own accord

Second, do you know anything about them other than who their mothers' are? They are both great candidates in their own right.

You aren't even mentioning any policy issues differences you have.

[JustAnotherGen]

43. I think

Primaries are healthy.

[Torchlight]

46. I think the idea of rejecting a candidate solely due to blood

is as meritless as supporting a candidate solely due to blood.

[Vogon_Glory]

50. Shaheen and Pelosi aren't the first politicians to be succeeded by their children and won't be the last

Democratic politicians have backed their children before. It’s nothing new.

My concern these days is whether they’d be competent and if they have backbones. As angry as I am at the Vichy Eight, more of ours show guts than their Republican Party counterparts do.

[Raven123]

54. If they are qualified, I don't care.

[Mike Nelson]

59. It happens...

... a lot - in many professions. Hopefully, they will prove themselves and show they own their careers. Yes, it opens a door that not everyone gets open. That is not fair. But, what will you do when you get in? Do it better than anyone else and earn the boost you received.