AOC: We don't have to choose between these things! We can do better and win!

[melman]

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

[Autumn]

1. What we don't want to do Rep. Jeffries is capitulate. We can and should do better.

Rec.

[mvd]

9. Agreed, K&R

It could be Romney changing parties and running as a Democrat, and they’d still shout socialism. Some want to run away just like they did with the term “liberal.” The RWers are the extremists, as we see yet again with the latest threat to democracy.

I also support the defund the police movement. Of course it has to be looked at case by case - the police in Philly didn’t have enough non-lethal means available when they killed Walter Wallace - but it’s not up to me to change the slogan.

We also need strong environmental and health care solutions.

[qazplm135]

2. But she's not particularly politically popular

not outside progressive circles.

Her favorables aren't really great, less than a quarter of Americans view her favorably, over a third view her unfavorably, the rest don't know who she is.

She's certainly become one of the faces of the left, used by both sides to rally for or against.

But she's not some massively popular political figure. And no she doesn't have all the answers to our ills.

I certainly think she has a significant role in the near future of our party because she does represent a significant percentage of our party, and she brings new ideas that the party should consider. But I find the way she portrays herself in antithesis to a large chunk of the party, and the way she asserts that basically others should step aside and let her lead the way, to not be the way forward.

[OnDoutside]

11. And that's the problem really. To effect the change that everyone wants, you need the House, Senate

and WH. The task of the Democratic Party is to eat into the 70 million that were willing to vote Republican.

In fact, as someone mentioned previously, 70 million Americans were willing to vote for an authoritarian, narcissistic, lying, fraudulent, cruel, thick man baby rather than the Democratic Party.

That said, she is without doubt talented, but this rage against the system only works with a small section of the public.

[RobinA]

31. Also,

in my opinion, rage against the system doesn't work real well when you are part of the system. Once you get into the system you have to figure out how to make it work for you. Bomb throwing time is over at that point. And part of that is understanding that everybody doesn't want the same change.

[Hortensis]

26. :) Certainly not! For good reason. The "Progressive" agenda is

class warfare and replacing capitalism with socialism. Progressivism is not socialism, and restoring national wellbeing and security through progressive government is not their goal.

Happy people don't burn down their own nation.

Which is why "Progressive" Ocasio is so busily attacking the liberal progressive Democratic party. Our success is very bad news for their revolution. That Trump could be followed not by revolution but by good, stabilizing, progressive government threatens death to their dreams, and another 30 years -- at least -- of waiting in obscurity for another opportunity.

Btw, if Ocasio represents a significant part of our party, how come Democratic voters sent only 4 Progressives (one of them has since distanced) to our overwhelmingly liberal progressive house Democratic caucus -- 4 out of 235 members?

She is talented, yes, the way Bernie Sanders and Sarah Palin are talented. But not representative. Capital-P Progressive candidates trying to draw Democratic voters with grievance politics and outrageous lies about who Democrats are were overwhelmingly rejected by our voters in 2016, 2018, and 2020 in favor of Democrats whose goals are their own.

[betsuni]

33. +1

[tulipsandroses]

3. I wish everyone would take a time out and shut the hell up.

If we are supposed to be the big tent party then there's room at the table for varying ideas. That's the beauty of us vs them. We don't all march in lock step. They say something, AOC responds and she ends up being the bad guy. Then everyone piles on her. These other dems don't get flack for starting shit. Everyone needs a time out.

We are being told that we have to find a way to speak to the " working class", the "rust belt folks". If AOC has a way that resonates with a certain populace, why is she being criticized? They all need to stop this madness. We have a senate to win.

[Jedi Guy]

7. I think it's a "consider the source" issue, personally.

She's sitting in a safe district where she can say just about whatever she likes. Not everyone is so fortunate. Speaking fearlessly is great and all, right up until it causes you to get voted out.

There's such a thing as tempering your ideas for your intended audience. What goes down a storm in the Bronx working class population probably won't be received as well by working class folks in, say, Nebraska.

[RobinA]

32. Tempering Ideas

to the intended audience doesn't seem to be a thing with the younger would-be changers these days. Much like the concept of going where the audience is. They will find this out to their detriment.

[caber09]

4. Again Awfully brave for someone in a hugely safe district...

I grew up 2 districts over from where she is in Queens, in what is still a very deep blue district, she is not popular there...we cannot win having these things projected on the rest of our officials, she is doing a disservice to the party, country and the people we need to pass things to help. Her stuff doesnt resonate even close by to her district let alone throughout most districts in the country.

[Demsrule86]

5. I am sick of this and it could cause us trouble in GA...news Flash AOC.

you don't have the Senate, you get nothing period. You are in a very safe district.

[Gothmog]

30. I agree

[George II]

37. I grew up in Grace Meng's District and know a number of Democrats in the 14th....

They are very opinionated about their representative.

[Demsrule86]

6. Trashing

[PatSeg]

8. With less than two years in Congress,

Ocasio-Cortez is going to instruct Democrats who represent diverse constituencies from all over the country, how to run for office and how to govern.

She is a smart, charismatic politician and has a lot to offer, if only she'd learn when to speak up and when to be quiet and listen. We have serious, even dangerous opposition across the aisle and it is urgent that we address that first and foremost. There will be time enough to reshape the party down the road, if the voters are willing. Meanwhile, she has been great in hearings. That is where she tends to shine.

Also I think she could be more effective, if the MSM and social media hadn't tried to make her into a rock star. And by the way, I never refer to her by her initials. That is for people who have been around for a long time with accomplishments under their belts - TR, FDR, JFK, LBJ, RFK. This is usually a designation for legends. AOC is the brand name on my computer monitor. Sorry, it just rubs me the wrong way, though I know she had nothing to do with it. I think its a matter of journalists getting lazy and not wanting to say or spell so many syllables!

[betsuni]

10. "it actually explains a lot about how we got here."

Republicans are "how we got here," actually.

[liskddksil]

15. Not the only reason. I can easily argue incompetent hacks running our campaigns

with the same failed strategies that bring us to defeat over and over,

[betsuni]

16. For example?

I don't know anything about campaigns.

[liskddksil]

20. Poor messaging on economic issues, where we ended up getting blamed for the lack of more stimulus

over Mitch McConnell, and polls showed Trump stronger on the economy than Biden. Constantly letting Republicans set the narrative, instead of our side going on offense and defining the issues on our terms and then pounding those messages into the ground. Also, in regards to Hispanics and African American electorates, we tend to show up during election time and ask for their votes instead of consistently engaging at all times.

[betsuni]

34. Why didn't Democrats stop ______ ?

No.

[liskddksil]

40. ?? nt

[George II]

22. "Incompetent hacks running our campaigns with the same failed strategies that bring us to defeat...

....over and over"?

Let's see:

We have the Presidency (and could have 4 years ago without foreign meddling)
We'd had a majority in the House for two years and now two years more
We're within striking distance of a tie in the Senate (majority with VP Harris)

What are these defeats over and over of which you speak? I don't see them.

[liskddksil]

41. I'd give Tuesday night a C- in that we salvaged the White House

Everything else was a debacle by all objective observers.

[Spazito]

42. LOL!

"objective observers". The only place I have seen the word "debacle" used in relation to the historic win on November 3, 2020 by the Dems was in Politico, the furthest thing from "objective observers" as possible.

[George II]

44. You forgot that we gained two Senate seats (lost one that everyone expected, Jones winning....

....a couple of years ago was a big surprise) and are forcing two runoffs in a red state.

No, this election was far from being a "debacle", especially to objective observers.

[liskddksil]

45. we were expected to win the Senate outright and we did not. That cannot be considered a success.

We were expected to gain house seats and state legislative seats and we lost ground there as well. Also not a success.

[George II]

46. We weren't "expected" to win a majority in the Senate, we were hoping to do so. A couple of seats..

....that we were hoping to get were longshots anyway.

People either underestimated or didn't understand Collins' influence in the northern and "up west" parts of Maine. As it turned out her win was pretty much widespread across Maine - she only lost 2 of the 16 counties.

Iowa was close throughout - Greenfield came up ahead in some polls, Ernst in other. It was pretty much a wash going into Election Day. And who knows, perhaps an ill-advised last minute endorsement may have tipped that one.

We were hoping to defeat both Graham and Tillis, but those were huge longshots.

[sheshe2]

47. No.

liskddksil

45. we were expected to win the Senate outright and we did not.

No. We were not expected to win the Senate.

[Me.]

12. Tiresome

and it leads one to wonder if she's still a justice democrat at heart

[theaocp]

13. Yes, she is.

It's not a smear.

[liskddksil]

14. Yep, I don't see anyone bashing "Moderate" Brad Ashford for endorsing the Republican

when his wife lost the Primary in Nebraska to Kara Eastman, but the Progressive side needs to sit down and shut up or be blamed for any losses. I don't think so.

[BainsBane]

17. AOC again

Someone's got a crush.

[sheshe2]

48. :)

[Steelrolled]

18. The "internet celebrity" phase stung.

[JI7]

24. Sure did

[Boogiemack]

19. I like AOC and I believe she is great to have on our team. But it is a team and she needs to

understand that not every Democrat campaigns from a "safe" district and they do have better insight into what and who their constituents are. I have relatives who are staunch Democrats and always have been since JFK. They work the polls, phone bank, and are very active in local politics where they live (PA, GA, NC, and CA). They have, to a person, said that the "defund the police" meme was a loser and even they don't like it. I would like to find out how many people running on that campaign meme won and how many lost.

We need to spend more time speaking to the people who actually VOTE in state and local elections, no matter how they are gerrymandered. The real power comes with controlling Governorships and state legislatures.

[George II]

21. Why does she call out Democrats more than she does republicans?

[Steelrolled]

28. More internet points.

[melman]

38. She doesn't

Some people just like to pretend that she does.

[NurseJackie]

39. That's an interesting question. I've heard it asked often. It deserves to be answered, I believe.

[JI7]

23. No Thanks, I don't want my elected officials to be internet celebrities .

[DeminPennswoods]

25. Sorry, but she is 100% correct

Those working class voters Dems are perpetually chasing? She's in step with them.

Remember when Andy Barr, R-KY, invited her to speak to the voters of his district? Why do think he then rescinded his invitation? Because he saw she was going to connect with his voters in a way that he couldn't.

For doubters, this piece from the New Yorker is well-worth the read:https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2020/11/02/the-republican-identity-crisis-after-trump

[R B Garr]

27. Every Tweet? Really?

Egos need to take a rest on Twitter.

[Happy Hoosier]

29. With all due respect....

I'd like to see the analysis that supports that. I don't think we're there, personally.

[Autumn]

35. People seem to like progressive policies. Take the ACA and Obamacare.

There was an interview with some people in VA liked and used the ACA but wanted the republicans to end Obamacare.

[DeminPennswoods]

43. Here's a question for you

If Pelosi needed 1 more vote to become Speaker, who do you think would be more likely to provide it, AOC or Conor Lamb, they guy who touts his "independence" of the Democratic party?