Dear Joe Cunningham...

Dear Joe,

You know how tickled we all were when you were elected to serve in Congress.  We Dems fought hard for you, even those like me who do not live in your district (I was gerrymandered out).  You ran a great campaign, and your stand on the issues was stellar.  You did not back off on any of those issues Dems in the past have tiptoed around, like women's reproductive rights and gun control.

The only time you blinked was when you caved to the republican's "Operation Nancy Pelosi."  I'm thinking that in the heat of the campaign, you may not have realized that people like Donald Trump are playing with you.  They want you to think opposing Pelosi is your idea, when it is truly what they want you to do more than anything in the world.

You're young and you may not know the history behind the demonizing of Nancy Pelosi, so let me give you a little background.  Back in 2010, Michael Steele, then chairman of the Republican Party (before they threw him under the bus), was the genius behind the "Fire Pelosi" campaign.  It happened after she got Obamacare passed by one vote; given the narcissism and back-biting that was going on it was amazing that she could herd that bunch of cats.  It scared the bejeezus out of republicans.

So Steele decided to create a campaign that turned Nancy Pelosi into the spawn of Satan, i.e., a liberal.  They were the RNC, the Republican National Committee, and they did a bus tour and everything.  Most important, all the republicans got on board, if not the bus, the strategy.  It was the same unified voice that you hear when they talk about Pelosi today.  Because they didn't get rid of her, but they got lots of press, and they taught their base to equate Pelosi with a dirty word.  Of course, it had no basis in fact; they didn't need any.  It worked brilliantly.

It worked so well that Mark Sanford decided it would be more advantageous to run against Pelosi in a 2013 special election than against his real-life opponent, Elizabeth Colbert Busch.  He still reeked from the Appalachian Trail bullshit that he wore when he left the governor's office.  Colbert Busch was smart and sound on the issues.  He could not have beat her.  But Sanford always has a gimmick up his sleeve, and those good ole boys enjoyed the gag.  So he beat Pelosi, or, the republicans' caricature of her.

Joe, I was taken aback when I saw the campaign ad in which you had a white male stereotype say that he was a republican but because you were against Pelosi he was voting for you.  I imagine you -- and a number of Dems that I know -- believe you could not have won if you hadn't thrown Nancy under the bus.  But I believe you were the butt of Michael Steele's scam, the one that has been working on Dems all these years.

A few weeks ago, around the time you and a bunch of young  Dems, mostly men, signed that ridiculous letter urging Pelosi not to run for leadership, Michael Steele was interviewed on AM Joy.  When Reid asked him why his Pelosi strategy worked so well on Democrats he laughed and said, "I don't know; I'm trying to figure that out myself."  Please take two minutes and listen to the video.  It is indeed an eye-opener.

This strategy has worked before.  Mitch McConnell would not be spreading his evil today if Alison Lundergan Grimes had not decided to run from Barack Obama and the Affordable Care Act.  Lord knows, Trump could never have beaten Hillary if she hadn't had thirty years of republicans building her into the kind of evil genius that could do anything; anything, that is except win the presidency.

And they can't -- THEY CAN'T -- do it without the help of Democrats.

Right now, Nancy Pelosi is the nightmare that keeps the republican party -- and Donald Trump -- up at night.  She is smart and masterful.  She believes in the same causes and issues that you believe in.  She will fight, and win, when she is Speaker.  It's not a fantasy.  It is Pelosi's resume.

Stephen Lynch was one of the Dems who signed that silly letter.  He met with Pelosi, and changed his mind.  If that doesn't give you pause, you are not the reasonable man I think you are.

Trump will go down with his wall because he believes that is what gave him his victory.  He doesn't have the capacity to look around and see that he isn't the president of a rally.  He can't put together all the factors that got him to the White House.

Opposing Nancy Pelosi did not win your election, Joe.  Being on the right side of the issues against a woman who was both mean and dumb was what did it.  Oh, and as much as I hate to say it, if she were a mean, dumb white man instead of a woman he would have won.

But the time is right for progressive ideas, and you transported enough people to put you in Congress.  Fight for those progressive ideas, and be sure to make headlines letting us know what you are doing for us.  Keep an eye on Pelosi, because she will teach you how to win, again and again, against all odds.

And Joe, you will need those skills.  Mark Sanford isn't going anywhere.  All he knows how to do is be on the public dole.  We couldn't believe it when he went from disgrace in the governor's office to win back a House seat.  But that is what he does.  He has not stopped running.  He will be there in 2020.  If you don't proudly own being a progressive Democrat, you will just be seen as a watered down republican.  If you throw Nancy Pelosi under the bus, if you fight her on key issues instead of standing by her and helping her win, I can guarantee you will have a short life in Congress.  And that would be a shame.

We had the House in 2010 and the Senate in 2014.  We lost Congress because we wouldn't stand together.  Republicans have the bluster, but we have the causes.  The economy, our standing in the world, our treatment of children, democracy itself for gods' sake, there is no issue we should not stand for proudly.  I can't say enough how important it is -- to the electorate -- to see you all stand together, in strength.  Going up against the most powerful Democratic leader ever is not a good way to start.  So I urge you to do the right thing.  Admit that now that you have seen Pelosi in action, up close, you will be supporting her.

You may have won because just enough republicans voted for you, but if you lose the enthusiasm we Dems felt for you in 2018, you don't have a chance.

Best of luck in your new job.

Sincerely,
The Ironic Cherry