It needs to be bottom up first to get to a critical mass. Then the Speaker uses her clout and skill to pull the rest over the finish line.
But it's not her job - or advisable or probably even possible - for her to try to single-handedly whip a majority of her caucus into impeaching just by putting pressure on them. While she has enormous influence and power, she can't, completely on her own, turn her entire caucus around on a dime.
Shifting the caucus mood takes time and a concerted, strategic effort.
She's dealing with different equities and issues here and each has to be addressed differently. This is how I see it playing out:
Some Members want an impeachment inquiry opened now, their constituents are behind them and they're outspokenly saying it - they have nothing to lose and everything to gain in calling for the opening of an inquiry.
Some Members want an impeachment inquiry now, but their constituents aren't there yet. Just as you think Pelosi needs to push them to support impeachment, they need to conjole their constituents into supporting it. They know their constituents better than anyone and they know what to do to move them. Members are in a district work now and you can bet the Members in this category are working on selling their constituents on impeachment. There is not much that Pelosi can do to help them with this directly but she can - and is - taking fire for them to give them political cover while they work on it.
However if they're not able to move their constituents but their vote isn't really needed to get the necessary numbers to support the opening of an impeachment inquiry, Pelosi may give them a pass in order to protect them in their district - perhaps with a condition that if she really needs their vote further down the line, she'll get it.
Other Members don't support the opening of an inquiry now, but a significant number of their constituents do. In this case, much of the burden lies on the constituents themselves to push their Member to move toward impeachment. But this is also where Pelosi can be effective by helping to pressure them from the top with the help of other Members of the Caucus who are whipping them from within. That Member-to-Member whipping operation is very strategic and comprehensive. I'm sure this is happening even if we don't see it because this is not done in public, but must be handled internally and very delicately.
And, finally, you have the Members who don't support impeachment and whose constituents also don't support it, either.. They're a tough sell and, depending on their numbers, they might not be worth putting too much effort into convincing if their vote isn't needed to move forward.
As this all happens, Pelosi is keeping track of every vote and where it is and where more can be gotten. When they get close but are a little short, and the other Members can't move their colleagues, THAT's when the Speaker steps in and starts cracking her whip.
Most of this the public never sees - but I have no doubt it's happening. This is in play...
FYI, I worked in the House Democratic whip operation, so my assessment comes from direct personal knowledge and experience.
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