Ocasio-Cortez and Maloney trade barbs over Democratic losses in New York

[brooklynite]

CNN

Democratic losses in key House races in New York have given way to a blame game between two of the party’s most prominent members, progressive Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and defeated Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney.

After Ocasio-Cortez placed blame on the state Democratic Party and what she said were “pure moderate” approaches, Maloney, who was tasked with defending the House Democratic majority, told The New York Times, “The last time I ran into A.O.C., we were beating her endorsed candidate two to one in a primary, and I didn’t see her one minute of these midterms helping our House majority. So, I’m not sure what kind of advice she has, but I’m sure she’ll be generous with it.”

He continued, “But let’s be clear, she had almost nothing to do with what turned out to be an historic defense of our majority. Didn’t pay a dollar of dues. Didn’t do anything for our frontline candidates except give them money when they didn’t want it from her.”

“She’s an important voice in our politics. But when it comes to passing our agenda through the Congress, or standing our ground on the political battlefield, she was nowhere to be found,” he added.

[In It to Win It]

1. I just saw a clip of an A.O.C. interview talking about this

I think Maloney is just a little salty that he lost.

[brooklynite]

2. Perhaps; but where did AOC campaign in a race that was competitive?

And if she thinks the Democratic Party is too "moderate", which toss-up seats are winnable by someone she thinks is suitably progressive?

[Dorian Gray]

14. I think there is enough blame to go around

here...

They both have valid points.

Maloney shouldn't have pushed Mondaire jones out. AOC should do more to support Dems in midterm elections.

She's right that the NY STate Democratic apparatus is problematic and needs to be restructured.

She's wrong in that the moderates are who are losing races. While some progressive ideas will flourish, not all of them will. The progressives have got to be willing to build coalitions.

(The above all my opinion only.)

[tishaLA]

40. Yup. Good post. nt

[JI7]

3. So Maloney was too moderate so they went for the more conservative guy

and that's why we need someone more left ?

All of this is because of the redistricting and how NY doesn't allow gerrymandering like many right wing states do .

[nycbos]

5. It's the logic of the far left.

Don't try and follow it.

[betsuni]

10. Heh, yes.

[Nixie]

11. Yeah. It makes no sense, as usual.

[LymphocyteLover]

25. The idea is to give people a real choice--

not a choice between a real conservative and a semi-conservative.

There's some logic to it but IRL it doesn't always work so cleanly.

[JI7]

29. There was no semi conservative.

[LymphocyteLover]

38. Right -- not saying I think that, but that's the argument

[nycbos]

4. Maloney did an amazing job helping Democrats in and extremely challenging environment.

One of the reason why we are in such a surprisingly good position is do Maloney's efforts. There are times when AOC give the appearance that she thinks tweeting is governing.

We need more "baldys"

[Historic NY]

6. Told you she didn't help

She's a lot like those Republicans that want the power.... they talk a good game.

Where was she for the rest of NY State? Invisible.

[SunImp]

23. Here's her side of the story. Don't let you're animosity for her cloud your thinking like some here

Link to tweet

?

AOC maybe a little brash & attention seeking, but she is a good liberal at heart

[LymphocyteLover]

26. I'm a fan of AOC and think she helps attract a lot of young people to the Dems

She's a star and while she has some issues as noted in the OP, I think she's a net positive for the party.

[W_HAMILTON]

30. What is she talking about the DCCC about here?

Hasn't she openly encouraged people not to donate to national Democratic Party organizations like these in the past?

[SunImp]

32. Here

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.politico.com/amp/news/2021/04/02/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-campaign-contributions-478943

DCCC aides gave lawmakers’ wire transfer information to Ocasio-Cortez’s aides without the approval of more senior officials, according to multiple people familiar

Chris Hayden, a spokesman for DCCC declined to comment on the details but said: “We appreciate Rep. Ocasio-Cortez’s ongoing commitment to a Democratic majority. Due to a miscommunication, some transfers were made in error, but that has been addressed.”

[Historic NY]

36. Does California need help?

Her home state could have benefited. Where did she go here? How about Josh Riley, upstate? Her so called star power is on the west coast. NY Is bigger than the city...she hasn't learned than and will never be able to run state wide. Sorry I'm calling the her out but, she knows exactly what she did. California isn't NY there were seats on Long Island and upstate that could have used a push. So the power is a fizzle /

[kansasobama]

7. AOC is not helping the liberals either

AOC does not even allow emails to go to her if you are not in her district. But she likes to talk for the entire nation on Tv. If you do, let others at least email, like the crazy GOP allows. AOC also has to learn the concept, put up a face of moderation on the media and the elections, but legislate left-of-center. She lacks a strategy to win. Does she know she drags down liberals in other states? Just put a moderate face on TV please. What is more important? A better agenda or just talking on TV? To be frank, Biden has done an amazing job of campaigning moderately but pushing sensible ideas on the left tactically. He cannot do everything because of Manchin-Sinema. She should try to help out in other states. Travel and find out how hard it is for us.

[Nixie]

13. +1000, saying random words seems more important

than actually winning.

Maloney really captured this in his comments.

[LymphocyteLover]

27. I don't think that's unreasonable to not let everybody email her and in particular with her high

her staff would get swamped

[panader0]

8. What is the reason for the House seats lost in New York in the election?

Without those losses, the Dems could have kept a majority in the House.

[Polybius]

15. Democrats got a bit greedy & wrote up a heavily gerrymandered map, despite voters banning it in 2014

NY's highest court had no choice but to throw it out. So they were handed a new, fair map, and it favored more Republicans.

[Celerity]

17. The scheme that allowed the Rethug judge to usurp control was Andrew Cuomo's, plus he packed the

courts with conservatives to try and batter the progs.

He prevented Dem control of the NY Senate for years with his Independent Democratic Conference (IDC) scheme. The IDC was a group of members of the New York State Senate from the Democratic Party who were elected as Democrats but formed a coalition to give the Republicans the majority in the chamber.

His never-ending quest for power concentration and hatred of the NYC+ liberal/prog block in the 2 statehouse chambers, especially the Senate, his dodgy, so-called independent redistricting schemes, and his conservative court packing could, could possibly be the coups de grâce that end up costing us control of the US House in 2022.

https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/what-went-wrong-new-yorks-redistricting

In 2014, one of Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s signature accomplishments was the passage of a constitutional amendment that changed the way the state’s political maps are drawn. Instead of the legislature drawing maps, a bipartisan advisory commission would draw maps in the first instance for consideration by the legislature. The amendment also for the first time created legally enforceable protections in state law against partisan gerrymandering.

At the time, Cuomo boasted that the amendment would “permanently reform the redistricting process in New York to once and for all end self-interested partisan gerrymandering.”

New York’s experience contrasts with that of states with more robust reforms like California and Michigan, where maps passed on a bipartisan basis (unanimously in California) and were upheld by courts. Here’s a look at three reasons why the New York process produced less than optimal results.

The 2014 New York reforms did not create a truly independent redistricting process.

Ultimately, most of the problems with how New York’s redistricting played out lie in the design of the 2014 reforms. Despite being described in New York law as “independent,” the changes in reality resulted in a process that remains far more open to political manipulation and is far less independent than those of states that adopted more comprehensive reforms.

The former governor stacked New York’s highest court with conservatives who hijacked the state’s redistricting process.

https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2022/11/2022-midterms-new-york-republicans-cuomo-maloney.html

A year ago, Democrats were wise to the possibility that the midterms might get ugly, but they had high hopes for New York. Red states across the country were redrawing voting districts to a new extreme, shoring up congressional advantages for their party. New York, it seemed, could do the same for Democrats—make the state even bluer, a competitive rejoinder to a redistricting cycle that seemed certain to play to Republicans’ advantage.

The year 2021 marked the first time in a century that the New York Democrats had total control of state government, giving them unimpeded power in redistricting. Party leaders “optimistically predicted that new district lines could safeguard Democrats and imperil as many as five Republican seats,” noted the New York Times. Rumors circulated that Dems could lock in as much as a 23 to 3 advantage. Today, all of that seems like a far-off fantasy.

A startling nine of New York’s 26 congressional seats are currently in play for the GOP; party leaders are flocking to the state to help campaign for Democrats holding on by a thread. Jill Biden announced Thursday that she would campaign for one such Democrat, Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney, who opted to run in an easier, bluer district and was put in charge of House Democrats’ entire national reelection apparatus, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. He’s now on the ropes.

What the hell happened here? And who’s to blame?

Luckily, there’s an easy answer for the last question: Look no further than erstwhile Democratic governor Andrew Cuomo.

If Cuomo is known for anything beyond his miscreant behavior in office, it should be for his willingness to abet the state’s conservative forces for his personal gain, often to his own party’s disadvantage. Nowhere was this more obvious than his judicial appointments, where Cuomo routinely elevated conservative appointees—gleefully scoring points against his progressive opponents in Albany and New York City by moving the judicial branch rapidly to the right.

snip

[Polybius]

20. But the court made the right decision, so I don't blame them for this

The map that was written up was heavily gerrymandered. NYers voted to ban gerrymandering in 2014. The judges who voted to strike it down did the honorable thing and followed NY state law.

I do agree though that Cuomo was the main problem with that map in the first place.

[Celerity]

21. that 2014 vote was mostly on Cuomo, it never should have happened, and now we all pay the price

NY is also not the only Blue state that has bollocksed map drawing. Multiple ones have ceded the field via asymmetrical disarmament. The Rethugs are ruthless when it comes to gerrymandering. We are mad to not counter it, IMHO.


Bipartisan Commissions Cause Redistricting Pain for Democrats

https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/blogs/stateline/2021/11/02/bipartisan-commissions-cause-redistricting-pain-for-democrats

State redistricting commissions, largely pushed by Democrats as a brake on political gerrymandering, now are preventing the party from capitalizing on the past decade’s population boom among city dwellers and minorities, who traditionally vote Democratic. In many Republican-dominated states without such panels, GOP lawmakers are freely drawing maps that would give their party more congressional and state legislative seats. Democrats in some purple or left-leaning states, meanwhile, find themselves hampered by commissions that are giving Republicans political parity that belies the growth in Democratic-leaning populations.

Every 10 years, state legislatures are charged with using census data to redraw both congressional and state legislative districts. It’s routinely an exercise in power wielding, as whichever party controls the statehouse historically has used its might to outline districts in its favor. But in the past few years, some states—most, but not all, controlled by Democrats—have formed bipartisan commissions, with the stated goal of drawing fairer districts that better reflect a state’s political makeup.

There are now 10 states where commissions have primary responsibility for drawing congressional maps, and eight others with advisory or backup commissions, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. The 10 states are Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Michigan, Montana, New Jersey, Virginia and Washington. Six of those states (California, Colorado, Hawaii, New Jersey, Virginia and Washington) have majority-Democratic legislatures and Democratic governors.

Meanwhile, Republicans are firmly in control of 20 states where lawmakers are responsible for drawing the lines—and they have not hesitated to wield that power. In Texas, for example, Republican Gov. Greg Abbott last week signed off on maps Republican legislators drew to blunt population growth among Democratic-leaning minorities. The final maps concentrate or “pack” Democrats in the Austin, Houston and Dallas areas into districts designed to protect nearby Republican districts. Like Texas, Colorado and Virginia are increasingly diverse and urban. But Democrats in those states can’t blame the GOP for drawing new maps that don’t fully reflect Democratic growth.

snip

[Celerity]

18. see post 17

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100217351413#post17

[gratuitous]

9. Rep. Ocasio-Cortez shows up, everyone complains because she's too radical or something

She doesn't show up but gives frontline candidates money, everyone complains. It's almost like . . . Something. I think it starts with an "S". Hmmm.

[W_HAMILTON]

31. Yes, because the preferred way was to donate through the DCCC...

...which would have allowed her to help fundraise for the candidates without them getting direct campaign contributions from her, which is how she went about it and these contributions were used AGAINST the candidate she was supporting since AOC is -- like it or not -- pretty toxic among non-progressive electorates.

It's not that hard to understand.

[ananda]

12. I was once a young liberal (what they call progressive)!

And I'm still a young at heart liberal!

I like AOC!

[Just A Box Of Rain]

16. I was once a young liberal. Now I'm an old liberal.

But some people seem insistent on calling people like me "corporated Democrats" or "establishment Democrats" or "moderates."

Fuck that!

I'm a liberal. And a progressive.

Progressives are people who work to actually advance progress, and the term ought not be used as euphemism for being on the populist left IMO.

I'm sorry Sean Patrick Maloney lost his seat.

[Celerity]

19. AOC's spot on with her critique of Cuomo's historical manipulations that led to the NY redistricting

nightmare:

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100217351413#post17

[Samrob]

22. I sure hate to see this contention within our party. I like both Maloney and AOC. We need them both

but we need them both fighting together not against each other. Neither of them should be saying anything that will spoil their ability to work together.

[SunImp]

24. It doesn't help that some of their supporters fuel the hate between them

Look at this thread for examples

[Hortensis]

28. Malone told it like it is. Must really have been irritated.

😄

Reality is nine out of 10 people in our party are in the mainstream range and we average moderate liberal.

In a democracy, the will of the majority must be sought, respected, and protected. That is literally Maloney’s job.

It’s not Ocasio-Cortez’s job, but it is one she refused to participate in (while well over 200 fellow house Democrats worked themselves beyond exhaustion reelecting themselves and each other).

She’s unhappy Democratic voters reject candidates who don’t represent them? She shouldn’t be. That was competent and UNcrazy of them. Like Maloney, our voters did their job. Just as fringe voters did theirs by voting to primary incumbent Democrats who are too mainstream to suit them.

[panader0]

33. "Average moderate liberals" have to have a central and progressive to be average.

I'm an AOC fan and believe she is the future. The world progresses, people need to keep up.
Women getting the right to vote was progressive. Social Security was progressive. Move forward.

[Hortensis]

34. Yes, those things were progressive and like all

other large progressive advances were created by mainstream majorities when they got their collective act together to do it. Always remember, progress is created by majorities in democracies.

The democratic party is made up of many progressive-minded special interest groups, racial, ideological, geographic, etc., who come together to bcome a majority to make change. THESE are the ones who achieved the progressive advances you’re wrongly crediting to oppositional groups.

Think about it. A special interest group that fights a much larger majority come together to have their way never has and never can but be the one who achieves progress. This is democracy. 10 people voting to agree on something will always prevail over two who oppose. It’s supposed to be that way.

[liberal_mama]

35. Sean Patrick Maloney isn't my rep, but I remember he caused a lot of disabled and immune compromised

people on Twitter and Facebook in New York to get really angry with his "Let it Rip" attitude. If I lived in his district, I would have voted for him as I voted a straight blue ballot, but he doesn't seem like a very good person to me. And not just because of his horrendous disregard for high risk people either. It's a shame and now we have a repub in that seat.

[Historic NY]

37. WTF are you talking about

[link:https://seanmaloney.house.gov/coronavirus-emergency-response/daily-covid-19-updates|/

Let it rip he's been is in my district/

[liberal_mama]

39. Those updates were from a long time ago. Is there anything more recent?

I don't watch Morning Joe so I didn't see it, but in my New York Covid Activism group, apparently he went on the show and threw all the high risk, disabled, and immune compromised people under the bus and wanted all mandates ended. I remember the people in my activism group were really, really mad, especially people in his district.

Besides this, I heard other negative things about him too. I thought I remember hearing that he voted against Obamacare too.

He only lost by a couple thousand votes. I suppose it could have been anything.

I'm just surprised he's giving AOC crap about his loss.