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Virginia Rep. Gerry Connolly, who edged out New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) for a top Democratic post in December before stepping down, died from esophageal cancer on Wednesday, becoming the third Democrat to die in office this term.

The late congressman made headlines in December when, with support from former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, he defeated AOC to lead the House Oversight Committee, despite reportedly violating stock trading laws, according to Raw Story. AOC would have been the youngest Democrat to chair a House committee at 35 years old.

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[-] ininewcrow@lemmy.ca 158 points 3 weeks ago

Hilarious .... the only way to beat the old Democratic party is to wait for them to die

[-] Diplomjodler3@lemmy.world 65 points 3 weeks ago

There's always plenty of gerontocrats to take over.

[-] ininewcrow@lemmy.ca 20 points 3 weeks ago

This is sounding more and more like a Lord of the Rings sequel every time

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[-] ceenote@lemmy.world 25 points 3 weeks ago

Let's not pretend super old democrats are the only bad ones.

[-] gAlienLifeform@lemmy.world 22 points 3 weeks ago

Yeah, age isn't so much the issue when we have decent older people like Bernie Sanders and younger douchebags like Josh Gottheimer running around, the problem is that newly elected Democratic party members have all been told that they need to vote for the people who have been in DC the longest and one day eventually it will be their turn

That would be bad enough on its own, but coupled with the destruction of any kind of campaign finance regulations making it a lot easier for moderate Democratic party members to secretly work work with rich donors and Republicans to make sure progressives don't stay in DC for long, we've ended up with a senior group of Democratic lawmakers who have shitty policies their voters hate and only know how to solve their problems through hippie punching

[-] Viking_Hippie@lemmy.dbzer0.com 7 points 3 weeks ago

No, just most of them, including almost all of the ones with the most power.

Name two people under 70 who's amongst the 10 highest ranking in the party leadership.

I'll even give you Hakeem Jeffries for free so you only have to find one.

[-] geneva_convenience@lemmy.ml 155 points 3 weeks ago

Stole the house seat from AOC. Call me Gerry Atric.

DNC death numer three. That's a Gerry Hattrick.

[-] gAlienLifeform@lemmy.world 27 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

Replaced with someone over 70? You know the party's Democratic

[-] Glitterbomb@lemmy.world 12 points 3 weeks ago

I would read your book of poetry

[-] Marighost@lemm.ee 6 points 3 weeks ago
[-] Psycoder@lemmy.world 5 points 3 weeks ago

May he rot in hell...

[-] conditional_soup@lemm.ee 145 points 3 weeks ago
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[-] TransplantedSconie@lemm.ee 99 points 3 weeks ago
[-] Bouzou@lemmy.world 11 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

Did you know that the oldest mummy found was actually found in the United States?

Cue Pelosi...

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[-] ExtantHuman@lemm.ee 66 points 3 weeks ago

So she'll be replacing him, right?!

Or did Democrats just shit themselves in the for again and that seat will now remain empty like they did with that cryptkeeper lady from California who wasn't even different enough to go to Congress and do her job

[-] Brunbrun6766@lemmy.world 51 points 3 weeks ago

They will just hand it to the guy he named in his place "temporarily" and refuse to have new committee elections

[-] Milk_Sheikh@lemm.ee 55 points 3 weeks ago

Stay classy, telling a reporter to “kill yourself” for factually reporting on Connolly publicly announcing his cancer diagnosis.

Why does the party value fealty and seniority so implicitly? There’s a place for the ‘elder statesman’ voice to share institutional wisdom and tribal knowledge, but this man cannot seriously have had more vigor and energy to pour into leadership than someone under half his age…

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[-] carlossurf@lemmy.ca 44 points 3 weeks ago

Whats with these old fucks not stepping down and enjoying what little they have left of their lives. Same with biden

[-] rumba@lemmy.zip 8 points 3 weeks ago

He was somewhat apprehensive about his first term; he just didn't want Trump to get in.

When he came back for round two, he seemed to have unfinished business tho

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[-] eugenevdebs@lemmy.dbzer0.com 41 points 3 weeks ago

So we'll have someone with fresh ideas on how to stop Trump now, right?

Who will below retirement age, and support major refreshment of polices and politicians, right?

And actually do something this time, instead of thinking out loud and acting like that is the same thing as doing something, right?

...Right?

[-] samus12345@sh.itjust.works 25 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

No, next they'll get someone who's...

[-] Randelung@lemmy.world 6 points 3 weeks ago

Well, the others were obviously lacking life experience to manage, so even MORE experience is the only way to go.

[-] MehBlah@lemmy.world 35 points 3 weeks ago

Geriatric democrats trying to keep their grip on their right wing agenda.

[-] BigMacHole@lemm.ee 28 points 3 weeks ago

This is HORRIBLE! There's only So Many OLD WHITE GUYS WITH CANCER we can Appoint to IMPORTANT ROLES before we have LITERALLY NO CHOICE but to Concede LITERALLY EVERY RACE to the Republicans!

[-] buddascrayon@lemmy.world 27 points 3 weeks ago

This is literally the epitaph of the Democratic party.

[-] pyre@lemmy.world 27 points 3 weeks ago

thanks pelosi, you lich. i hope they find your phylactery.

[-] VivianRixia@piefed.social 26 points 3 weeks ago

Ahh, Mr. Guy whose turn it was next.

[-] MBech@feddit.dk 28 points 3 weeks ago

Glad he got to try being useless in an important position before he died.

[-] Gates9@sh.itjust.works 24 points 3 weeks ago

The Democrats are like ancient kings who killed their children for fear of usurping their rule. Now the enemy is at the gates and they have no generals, the few champions they do have were cowed long ago.

[-] gradual@lemmings.world 11 points 3 weeks ago

Almost.

Establishment democrats are still living great lives under trump. They're not enemies because trump doesn't fuck with their money, unlike Bernie.

It's the working class that has to suffer.

[-] Pollo_Jack@lemmy.world 18 points 3 weeks ago

When Alexander the Great died, his empire devolved into infighting and instability. Why would he plan for his successor at such a young age?

These democrats dying in office, leaving no protege nor successor in the wings, are doing the same thing to America but they have no excuse.

[-] lightnsfw@reddthat.com 20 points 3 weeks ago

These ancient centrist fucks are the reason we're in this mess. We don't want their proteges in power. We need new blood that will fight instead of trying to maintain the status quo.

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[-] RedditIsDeddit@lemmy.world 18 points 3 weeks ago

that's what you get for keeping fossils in office the Democrats need to wake the fuck up

[-] mechoman444@lemmy.world 8 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

They don't. They're quite awake. You think that old fart got that position because of ambition? No. He got that position due to politicizing and internal maneuvering.

He was put there specifically so AOC would not have that seat and screw everything and everyone else.

If I recall correctly it was Nancy Pelosi who maneuver to get him into that spot. They knew he had late stage cancer at the time.

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[-] Raiderkev@lemmy.world 16 points 3 weeks ago

But guys, it was his turn! Just like Hillary in '16. Forget what the people want, we need to worry about stroking egos here.

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[-] Neuromorph@lemm.ee 14 points 3 weeks ago

lead to a vote gap in the Budget bill allowing republicans to pass it. Insane!

[-] eugenevdebs@lemmy.dbzer0.com 7 points 3 weeks ago

Gotta love how they push for old bastards to die in office to enable Republican goals, instead of helping the progressives who are on their side.

I'm sure its just a coincidence that it happens constantly.

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[-] Psycoder@lemmy.world 11 points 3 weeks ago
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[-] arin@lemmy.world 6 points 3 weeks ago

Stop waiting & hoping for DNC to do the right thing, create a new party. Democrats are just as corrupt as Republicans

[-] conditional_soup@lemm.ee 11 points 3 weeks ago

I'm a big fan of the hostile takeover proposal.

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this post was submitted on 21 May 2025
600 points (99.3% liked)

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