Kennedy backs Pelosi, ‘messy primary’
U.S. Rep. Joseph P. Kennedy III defended controversial House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and traditional Democratic principles yesterday, while calling for a “messy primary” in his party’s 2020 presidential election cycle.
“I still fully support her,” Kennedy said of Pelosi during a sit-down interview at the Herald yesterday. “I think she’s playing a pretty difficult hand.”
Pelosi has been under fire from U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton, who has said it’s time for new, younger leadership. But Kennedy praised Pelosi for keeping Democrats mostly united in the first year of the Trump administration and pointed out that even her critics acknowledge Pelosi is an effective “tactician.” Moulton as recently as Tuesday generated national headlines for calling for Pelosi’s resignation, over her handling of retiring Rep. John Conyers’ harassment scandal.
Kennedy said the criticism he hears is whether Pelosi should be the face of a still-recovering Democratic Party and take over as House speaker if the party wins in the 2018 midterms.
“The one thing I’d say to folks that criticize that is if you have a message that you want to send, if you believe that there should be a different argument put forth and if you believe that you have something else to offer, then go do it,” said Kennedy. “Go ahead, go out there and make your case.”
Kennedy added he’d like to see a “messy primary” for Democrats in 2020, noting both President Trump and U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders were able to tap into populist discontent among voters that conventional pols and pollsters missed.
“Unless you have a field of people out there and can actually do it, you miss it,” said Kennedy. “So I think what Democrats actually need — as much as people would say, ‘Oh my God, we don’t want a messy primary’ — we need a messy primary.”
Kennedy said the Democratic Party should convey that “the government has your back,” regardless of race or religion, and that issues holding back “coal miners in Kentucky and West Virginia” are the same affecting “a single mom in Dorchester.”
Kennedy, Moulton, former Gov. Deval Patrick and U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren are all considered potential 2020 Democratic contenders.
Democratic strategist Phil Johnston said it’s unlikely Kennedy will be satisfied just being a career congressman.
“He’s certainly on an upward trajectory, and where he’ll land is unpredictable,” said Johnston, noting Kennedy could also seek a U.S. Senate seat. “He’ll certainly land in a position of major national leadership.”