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Political parties shifting towards next generation of leadership
After House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced she’d step down this week, some political analysts say it signals that both parties appear to be shifting their attention towards the next generation of rising stars of their party. LaMonica Peters reports
SAN JOSE, Calif. - After House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced she’d step down this week, some political analysts say it signals that both parties appear to be shifting their attention towards the next generation of rising stars of their party.
"If it was ageism, those folks wouldn’t get nominated. Those folks wouldn’t win elections," said Melissa Michelson, a political scientist educator at Menlo College.
On Sunday, President Biden celebrated his 80th birthday, becoming the first person to serve as president at that age. Former President Trump is 78 years old and will be 80 years old when he runs for President in 2024.
"You don’t want to dismiss their experience, and their wisdom and their reputation, but you have to eventually come up with a new generation of leaders," said Michelson.
Michelson says both Democrats and Republicans will have to make tough decisions about which candidate to back in the 2024 election. She believes the staying power of former Vice President Mike Pence and the rising popularity of Florida Governor Ron De Santis suggests people are more willing to hold on to some of Trump’s political ideals.
"If they can have ‘Trumpism’, if they can have the policies without Trump, I think for many Republicans that’s very appealing. Ron DeSantis seems to be somebody who can give them that," Michelson said.
After House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced she would step down from leadership roles, Democratic Congressman Hakeem Jeffries’ threw his name in the ring to be the next Minority House leader. At 52 years old, Jeffries would become the first African American man to hold the position.
"It’s a recognition that Black voters are probably the most loyal component of the Democratic Party. Given that they’ve been loyal Democrats for so long, of course they should be in leadership positions; in the Supreme Court, the Vice Presidency and now in the leadership of the House. Even people who aren’t Black who are Democrats, see that," Michelson said.
Michelson says the 2024 election is still quite some time away and things may change by then. In the meantime, she expects that President Biden and former President Trump will continue to be in the spotlight of their perspective parties.