The disproportionate attention to Ocasio-Cortez is unhealthy and bad for our election prospects.

[gulliver]

She's great, and I get it. I'm glad she's on our side.

But everyone knows that putting all our eggs in one basket is a very bad idea. We shouldn't put our eggs in one basket, and we shouldn't let anyone else put all our eggs in one basket for us. We need to win this election. Every single one of our candidates is equally valued and needs media attention and support. It would be both foolish and grossly unfair (and ungrateful) to our other candidates to fixate on just one of them.

[PubliusEnigma]

1. The people focused on Ocasio-Cortez aren't Democrats.

You would have never heard of her if she couldn't be used as a Wedge Issue.

[Fred Sanders]

3. On the contrary, way too many democrats are focused on her for the wrong reasons, joining the

right wing in labelling her a "socialist", and cracking eggs to make a socialist omelette to make us all eat up,before Election Day.

You can see the propganda coming from a mile away, again, as it was with the "liberal" label, but that one is worn out.

Stop helping the propaganda, I say, and focus on HER and what she stands for...justice.

[JonLP24]

4. Yes I have seen the same arguments at DU as well as the Daily Caller

[Fred Sanders]

5. Link?...because that is false comment! Why do you not like her? Was it the whole fake

"banned the media" from a listening event thing? Sorry to hear that!

[Hortensis]

11. You're both right. This is fed by Russia, by enemies on

our own right, AND by lingering anger among Democrats from 2016 and after. Fear that we may never get back to where we were on November 7, 2016 doesn't help that last.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

26. I think he is agreeing with you.

[PubliusEnigma]

6. Let her represent her constituents. She needs to put in work before she can be the Face of the Party

[Fred Sanders]

7. Has she ever said she wants to be the Face? Don't folks get that is what the RW is trying to do

and we are falling into yet another propaganda trap ducking headfirst with blind glee?

[PubliusEnigma]

8. That's what I said. Those blowing her up into a national figure aren't Dems.

I think she will do a fine job for her district.

But to let her become a Republican talking point is just silly. We should know better.

[NurseJackie]

19. Those words? "Face of the party" no... but let's not split hairs.

Has she ever said she wants to be the Face?

Those words? "Face of the party" no... but let's not split hairs. Any reasonable person can see that she willingly, eagerly, and intentionally sought out national attention. Ever since her primary win, the message has been "look at me! pay attention to ME!" and now that she has everyone attention (and scrutiny, as candidates often are) she's not liking it so much.

Don't folks get that is what the RW is trying to do

This isn't the fault of the RW. She's brought this all on herself. She got overconfident and jumped into the deep in before she knew how to swim. She's getting bad advice, or she's not very good at choosing who should guide her campaign.

All I'm saying is that every newbie candidate makes mistakes, but NOT every newbie candidate refuses to admit their mistakes and doubles-down on excuse making and blaming of others. I certainly hope she gets better at this and becomes a bit more humble and focused on HER OWN constituency. That's all.

[Fred Sanders]

20. All I can say is...she is as surprised as anyone by her victory and massive media attention and she

is, what...26?

Remember when one was 26? Demanding perfection or even near perfection in how to deal with all
that, socialist, liberal, republican, communist...cut her a break, as one would hope elders would have done for you!

As for your last unsubstantiated paragraph, sorry...gonna have to ask for an example for any comment on that!

Edit - make that also for the first unsubstantiated paragraph.

[NurseJackie]

25. I have much higher standards. We can't afford the luxury...

... of not demanding perfection.

[Wwcd]

12. It is she who calls herself a socialist.

Blame her.

[Fred Sanders]

16. Blame her for what? Not being afraid of labels? Good for her! Why are other democrats so afraid?

No one can answer that.

[OilemFirchen]

17. Blame her for...

labelling (sic) her a "socialist"

She labels herself a Socialist. Why on earth would you have a problem with others doing so? This is bonkers. If she's a Socialist, then she (and you) should welcome others labeling her so.

Why are other democrats so afraid?

Perhaps they don't consider themselves Socialists?

[Fred Sanders]

18. I have no problem with her labelling herself a socialist, isn't that obvious??...why do I bother...

[OilemFirchen]

21. Yes you do.

Did you write this post or not?

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100211019234#post3

On the contrary, way too many democrats are focused on her for the wrong reasons, joining the right wing in labelling (sic) her a "socialist", and cracking eggs to make a socialist omelette to make us all eat up,before Election Day.

You can see the propganda (sic) coming from a mile away, again, as it was with the "liberal" label, but that one is worn out.

Stop helping the propaganda, I say, and focus on HER and what she stands for...justice.

Why do you bother? Great fucking question.

[Fred Sanders]

29. Notice the parenthesis? Really, not hard to see my way of thinking.

Do not fear the word or the label or who is applying the label or the propaganda...hope that is clear now?

Embrace "socialism" because socialism is just a word...WE can DEFINE it and not surrender to the word already being defined...a sword versus having to use a shield.

[Wwcd]

24. Thanks for further clarifying an already simple answer.

Appreciate it. 🙂

[Lee-Lee]

10. To win all the key races we need a lot of non-democrat votes

Without winning then we don’t take back the House.

Both independent and GOP voters who defect are needed.

[empedocles]

13. 'Socialist' is something that does move many

[empedocles]

14. . . . would never have heard of her if not used as a 'wedge issue' . . .

. . . and if AOC didn't do 50 state tours, etc. etc. to call attention to herself 'wedge issue' so what.

BS/AOC/Ghouliani cannot ever seem to get enough 'air time', and feel the limelights.

[elleng]

27. By that logic, many here aren't Democrats.

I'm not pleased with positions many take about her, including making her into a wedge issue.

[MineralMan]

2. If each of us focused on our own state and federal districts,

and worked to get Democrats elected in as many as possible, that would be great. AOC is running for just one of 435 seats in the House of Representatives. The voters in her district will decide.

I'll leave it to her to bring in those votes. There are elections in my own area that I'm focused on, not a district in NYC.

[Yavin4]

9. The vast majority of voters don't even know who she is.

We're political junkies and think that everyone else is as well. Most voters don't know her. They're not even following the Mueller investigation.

[Awsi Dooger]

22. Many more will know by November

Republicans love to motivate their base with fear of strong liberal women in positions of power. It is remarkably effective. They'll have commercials nationwide and also devoted to local races that fixate on Pelosi, Ocasio-Cortez, yes still Hillary, and others.

[Yavin4]

23. Republicans will always motivate their base with lies.

From Farrakhan to Willie Horton to Sista Soulja to Muslims to Reverend Wright, etc., etc., etc. We cannot concern ourselves with the Republican base.

[Awsi Dooger]

28. I'm not saying we should be concerned about it

Merely to anticipate it. I have already seen Ocasio-Cortez prominently attacked on political forums of sports sites. There have been specific threads directed at her and the use of the world socialist. One month ago those posters didn't know she existed.

So it's foolish to pretend this won't spread to November. That's all I'm saying. She has made herself the type of target they prefer, and thrill to abuse.

It wasn't until the mid '90s that Republicans figured out that their base responds moreso to attacks on women. There are many related articles. That's why they loved Hillary as nominee. It was automatic motivation.

[pecosbob]

15. That's why she's now a RW talking point

Making progressivism into a wedge issue...look out, it's the scary socialists...gonna turn us into Venezuela.