House of Representatives Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi speaks before she helps unveiling the Harvey Milk Forever Stamp at its dedication ceremony at the White House in Washington May 22, 2014. (REUTERS/Larry Downing)On the one hand, California U.S. Rep. Nancy Pelosi claims that Democrats are not “fear-mongers;” on the other hand, she believes civilization is doomed if Republicans take control of the Senate from Democrats in November.
The former speaker of the House made those dramatic, incongruous statements on “Real Time with Bill Maher,” which aired live from Washington, D.C. Friday.
Maher asked Pelosi about recent polling which shows that the GOP is likely to take over the upper chamber and asked, given gridlock in Washingon, why it matters that Democrats keep control.
“It would be very important for the Democrats to retain control of the Senate,” Pelosi told Maher. “Civilization as we know it today would be in jeopardy if the Republicans win the Senate.”
Democrats currently hold 53 seats in the Senate. Republicans have 45. Two independents caucus with Democrats.
Maher asked about voter turnout for Democrats, which he asserted was too low to carry the party in the mid-term.
“Nobody comes about to vote to say ‘thank you,’” Maher said. “The people who get health care now — they’re the people least likely to vote. The people who come out to vote are the angry people.”
“That’s true,” said Pelosi. “Fear is a motivator, and we are not fear-mongers. The Democrats are messengers of hope, and that’s what we will continue to be.”
Nevertheless, Pelosi said she thinks election models are flawed.
“All of the prognostications are predicated on false, ancient, old, stale assumptions,” she claimed. “We’re in a whole new world of communications now.”
Pelosi pointed out that “prognosticators” initially predicted that former House Majority Leader Eric Cantor would win his GOP primary by 35 points. Instead, he lost by 10, she said.
“They were 45 points long, 90 miles off shore of Washington, D.C.,” Pelosi said of the pollsters.
“So how do they know what’s going on in the heartland of America?” the San Francisco liberal asked.
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