Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) is the poster girl for what’s ailing Democrats, who are now playing identity politics within their own party. I am no fan of Nancy Pelosi, but her caucus shouldn’t be a runaway train; doing nothing but Trump bashing and bickering amongst themselves. To this end, AOC has been the font of much bickering.
The 29-year-old AOC is mostly a social media myth, who doesn’t distinguish between Twitter followers and congressional support. She is a small-time politician; winning the Democratic primary in New York’s very blue District 14 with only 15,897 votes (because of very low voter turn-out). Chances are she will herself be “primaried” out of office in 2020. I suspect she’s a one-hit wonder.
There’s a big difference between what drives popularity on social media and within the Democratic caucus. AOC has 4,702,126 followers on Twitter, where she live-streams infomercials to her fellow Socialist Democrats. There she stands in her kitchen, chopping veggies and spewing mad-liberal nonsense. Spare yourself the pain and take my word for it: she is a mine of misinformation.
The difference between the social-media world and congressional reality can be simply defined. Representatives in Congress must know the existing laws and submit ideas that hold up under intense cross examination. In this world, AOC is a powder puff because she she is inexperienced and lacks expertise in everything but bar-tending. In comparison, Twitter followers are “followers” because they are already like-minded folks.
I believe AOC arrived in Washington caught up in the moment of her celebrity, which got her off on the wrong foot. She mistakenly believed one vote in the House was significant. That is not the case when the upper chamber and presidency are controlled by the opposition party. Further, her knowledge gaps (e.g. claiming the unemployment rate measures unfilled jobs) were ridiculed by CNN – no less – and her Green New Deal became the go-to joke at Georgetown cocktail parties. AOC has met the harsh reality of Washington hardball.
There’s simply no legislation that’s going to originate from AOC and receive bipartisan support. This realization has invited the anger that is now her modus operandi. Upon her arrival in Washington, Nancy Pelosi celebrated The Squad (AOC, Omar, Tlaib and Pressley) as a “new dawn” and “historic moment.” That was before Ilhan Omar claimed Jewish money undermines America’s foreign policy and AOC claimed racism was behind Pelosi’s disregard for The Squad’s ideas and comments.
It’s obvious nonsense to suggest Nancy Pelosi is a racist. Congressman Lacy Clay, a member of the black caucus, went on Fox News to refute the absurd notion: “You’re getting push back (from Pelosi) so you resort to using the race card? Unbelievable.” In Washington, when a Democrat is called out by a black congressman, it is a most embarrassing moment – the kind of moment that ruins political careers.
AOC’s latest bad idea is to shut down Customs and Border Protection, the Department of Homeland Security, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement – tweeting that GOP members of congress had opposed the creation of the DHS. That is the definition of delusion: claiming solidarity with the very politicians she has belittled and opposed non-stop. That tweet is why no-one takes her seriously in Congress.
AOC should grow up and learn how Washington really works. It will not kill her career to eat some humble pie by asking Speaker Pelosi how to become a helpful back-bencher (perhaps listen more and comment less). However, that approach presumes emotional patience and political maturity – which AOC clearly lacks.
Meanwhile, Republicans love every dumb thing about Ms. Ocasio-Cortez, because she is creating magnificent radio spots and video clips the GOP will broadcast non-stop in 2020 to remind swing voters of the danger lurking in the Democratic party. AOC is madness – and the mad-liberal gift that keeps on giving.