She's a nasty, abusive, abrasive, unpleasant person. She might have made a good Minority Whip [insert whip-cracking noise here], but she will be a terrible leader. Conservative Democrats will flee from her in droves.
Ford has the courage to stand up to the Democratic Party Leadership--the same people who got Democrats into this mess. He's not part of the established order, he's young, energetic, and willing to take on the idiots at the top. Democrats would be foolish not to make him their most important Representative. He's everything the Democratic Party needs right now.
How hard would it have been for Nancy to say, "I look forward to a vigorous contest with one of the bright young leaders of our Party, and I just hope that I have enough friends to prevail"?
Sounds a lot better than, "Get back in your place, boy", doesn't it?