Pelosi is symbolic for a lot of wayward Democrat voters of all of the things that pushed them away from the family; she was the defensive coordinator and face for the president’s hallmark Obamacare that has savaged their pocketbooks, she stridently supported the unpopular bank bailouts as well as the regulations and trade deals that have contributed to their livelihoods crumbling and their communities suffering.

In short, she represents everything that caused them to start dropping away from the party of their roots and into the arms of the Republicans, and it’s not that they like the Republicans all that much more, but at least they have a message that tells them they have their back.

And while her cosmopolitan roots, wealth and lifestyle are not that dissimilar to the wealth of Republican President-elect Trump, he at least spoke to the voters and offered them a tangible benefit; Pelosi, like Hillary Clinton, spoke at them and ran on her past accomplishments and resume.

Democrats used to be able to win swing districts in states such as Pennsylvania and Ohio, where the Republicans now hold super-majorities in their state’s House delegations. But they won them with moderate New Deal visions and faces such as former representatives’ Jason Altmire of suburban Pittsburgh and Kathy Dahlkemper of Erie.