Does AOC speak for all of America, or just . . .

[Vidal]

New York City?

AOC won her seat in a very liberal district, 78% to 14%, so she can go way far left in all of her policies and proposals. She doesn't need to worry about reelection, as do many of the 40 new Dems who "flipped" red seats in the 2018 midterms.

She is in the press a lot, issuing warnings to Democrats, expressing her opinions about how "establishment" Dems who are too centrist must be primaried so progressives can take over their seats.

But it's not clear to me that she has a handle on what Pelosi and the DCCC did throughout the entire country to take back the House. They were very cautious and centrist, and they won, but now AOC is criticizing them.

I have this suspicion that her prescriptions and remedies, including the advice she gives to 2020 presidential candidates, won't work throughout the country in the swing districts we need to retain House control and also take over the Senate and the presidency.

I do think she's having a positive impact on the discussion of issues, such as the Green New Deal, but I'm not sure that if the Dems follow her advice it will really help them win big in 2020.

What do you think?

[comradebillyboy]

1. She may speak for her district in NY, but not all of NY.

She'd be unelectable here in New Mexico.

[lunatica]

27. Why? NM is solid blue

I would vote for her.

[comradebillyboy]

39. Blue but not all that liberal. She might be competitive

in Santa Fe but no where else in the state...in my humble opinion.

[shanny]

2. I think you are wrong.

I think if we want to win big, we have to think big.

Because lordy, lordy we have BIG problems to address and incremental change ain't gonna do it. However "safe" the moderate choices seem to be, they are the opposite.

[thewhollytoast]

3. Putting "kick me!" signs on people's backs is really fun, isn't highschool a hoot? eom

[Me.]

4. She Doesn't Speak For All Of NYC

just her district and even there she is underwater according to the polls.

[thewhollytoast]

7. And where might one find these polls you reference?

[Me.]

15. The Links Below Tell The Story

AOC Underwater In New York

March 18, 2019 at 2:17 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard 539 Comments
“A new Siena poll in New York finds Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez with 31% favorability and 44% unfavorability with voters across the state while another 26% did not have an opinion.”

https://politicalwire.com/2019/03/18/aoc-underwater-in-new-york/

https://townhall.com/tipsheet/guybenson/2019/03/19/poll-aoc-favorability-underwater-by-double-digitsamong-new-yorkers-who-blame-her-for-amazons-exit-n2543288

https://www.businessinsider.com/ocasio-cortez-blames-poor-approval-rating-numbers-fox-news-2019-3

[Ace Rothstein]

22. Wow, she's under water with white voters, men and Republicans.

Is anyone surprised by that? And did you just really use Townhall as a source? Yikes.

[Me.]

24. Yikes Is Right

Had no idea TownHall is a baddie but google and you'll find lots to replace it

[LanternWaste]

6. What specifically leads you to believe she didn't know the proper form used for regaining the house?

"it's not clear to me that she has a handle on what Pelosi and the DCCC did..."

What specifically leads you to believe she didn't know the proper form used for regaining the house? I'm sure that there's gotta be something that leads one's train of thought from A to B to C. Or just a feeling?

And who of any note is arguing she speaks for all of America?

[highplainsdem]

8. As Pelosi said, AOC won in a district where a glass of water with a "D" would have won.

Like Sanders, AOC's greatest value, if there is any, is as a gadfly bringing up issues that need more attention.

Like Sanders, AOC doesn't begin to speak for all of America, or even all of the Democratic Party.

[lagomorph777]

9. Many of her ideas would work everywhere, but many people aren't ready to believe that.

Many rural people would rather send their money to billionaires and continue to suffer.

[George II]

19. It was proven last summer during the midwest primaries that your premise isn't correct...

She campaigned against moderate Democrats and endorsed "left" Democrats. Almost all of the candidates she endorsed lost their primaries.

Her organization, Justice Democrats, was only 9% successful with endorsed candidates.

[lagomorph777]

20. My premise is that a lot of people aren't ready to vote for those ideas,

regardless of whether such policies would help them.

How is that inconsistent with her poor endorsement results?

[PandoraAwakened]

41. Your premise is not inconsistent at all.

Last edited Sun Jun 28, 2020, 06:19 AM - Edit history (1)

Here's a current example of your premise in action:

Prior to AOC's recent primary win, there was a lot of DU commentary from a small posse who professed support for a particular AOC primary challenger--- one who for the past ten years has been clearly and loudly calling for the abolishment of both Medicare and Social Security.

Never mind that these same persons who advocated for someone who's been drooling for years about taking a wrecking ball to Medicare and Social Security are likely themselves beneficiaries of both Medicare and Social Security.

Oh, and lest we forget---Never mind that both of these social programs have long been stalwart components of the Democratic Party platform.

But, hey, never mind all that. It could be Satan himself running against AOC and knuckleheads would support him because...because...ummm...uhh. Oh yeah, because Satan is anti-AOC! Yeah, that's it! So, vote for Satan!

Luckily for all of us...regardless of whether we live in AOC's district or not...lucky for us that her constituents were smart enough to trounce the anti-Medicare, anti-Social Security candidate with a severe ass-whooping by over 70% of their votes.

So, yes, lagomorph777, as evidenced right here in this thread, I'd say your premise about a certain percentage of the population not being ready to vote for ideas that would benefit themselves is entirely accurate.

The flip side of that very same coin, as seen by the anti-AOC posse example above, is the percentage of the population who fairly consistently advocate against their own best interests even when they themselves are already benefitting from and fully taking advantage of Democratic policies put into place to protect those interests.

[jcgoldie]

10. Why should every democrat be expected to speak for all of America?

AOC was elected in a very liberal district... if she pushes the debate to the left then that's a good thing. She isn't running for president so she doesn't need to speak for Iowa. I do think the handwringing over her use of the term "sashay" and her being too uppity or something trying to tell everyone what to believe borders on sexism. The nerve of that inexperienced girl criticizing a Democratic candidate because he put down her health care plan *clutches pearls*.

[HopeAgain]

11. I think we are a big tent

And if we give a shit about the future of this party we lay off AOC. She represents the thinking of a lot of young people not in NYC.

[lagomorph777]

21. And the thinking of this old person, in a very purple state.

(me)

[50 Shades Of Blue]

12. I live several states away from her and I wish I could vote for her.

[gratuitous]

13. Yes, let's not make any waves

There is absolutely no upside to advocating for very popular ideas like firearm regulation, expanded access to health care, full rights for women, persons of color, and LGBT persons, and a living wage. We might alienate some guy at Cracker Barrel who wouldn't vote for a Democrat if the Republicans were running Satan himself, and everyone knows how vital that vote is!

Boo for progress! Down with government that works for more people! Up with oligarchs!

[Vidal]

25. Biden

Do you know where Biden stands on firearm regulation, expanded access to health care, full rights for women, persons of color, and LGBT persons, and a living wage?

Do you know how his positions differ from AOC on these issues?

[LanternWaste]

29. Per your OP, who is arguing Cortez speaks for all America?

[obnoxiousdrunk]

14. Is there

any Democrat that speaks for all of America ?

[zipplewrath]

38. Any person

I don't think there has ever been a person that spoke for "all America". Heck, Washington had to put down the Whiskey Rebellion.

[stillcool]

16. I don't think anyone

speaks for all Americans. We are easily manipulated, and ready to affix blame to anyone available. Seems like it's getting hard to be human.

[Midnightwalk]

17. We need to win and to control the conversation

I don’t want all Democrats to agree, but I don’t want Democrats squabbling amongst ourselves.

I’m sure most if not all have heard about the “Overton window”. The idea that only a range of ideas is acceptable and that pushing ideas outside that range expands that range.

I want our side pushing ideas that expand what people consider acceptable. That is one of the ways progress happens. It also puts the debate on our terms rather than conservative terms.

We also need to win elections locally and nationaly to make any progress at all. I’d much rather have someone elected who agrees with some of what i want than someone I disagree with completely. That should be obvious.

[live love laugh]

23. Dem bashing. nt

[JudyM]

36. Continuously, many of us have noticed.

[H2O Man]

26. She speaks for me.

And I'm the very definition of an all-American.

[LonePirate]

28. She, like any House member, can push the country in whatever direction she wants.

The press covers her immensely because she is very popular on the left and a lightning rod for the right. Her relative youth, gender and appearance also play a role in the amount of coverage she receives.

[RedParrot]

30. AOC speaks for me

and many others whose voices have long been ignored, the New Deal Democrats

[blogslut]

31. I think she's great.

And I disagree with your premise that Democrats were "very cautious and centrist" during the 2018 elections.

[LakeArenal]

32. Give her time.

She’s young and zealous.

She doesn’t speak for me.....yet.

[Chin music]

33. I think those flipped seats are VERY vulnerable for getting reflipped if we don't fulfill promises.

They were flipped for a lot of reasons. The primary one being disgust w trump. To forget that and make up easy out reasons for doing business as usual, is to lose congress again. If that happens,....I shudder to think. The Blue Wave was a reactionary vote. If there's hardly any "action"....folks who bit their lip and voted Dem instead of gop, may not do it again.
Get BRAVE. DO WHAT YOU PROMISED. And stop shaming the folks who trusted your word. (Looking at you media and several of us here at DU.)
If you have to stay in DC 7 days a week the first year to brain bust, then DO IT. Tomorrow is promised to no one, and we only win when we vote so heavy it overwhelms the gop coded software in the machines (bc....fixing the machines hasnt happened yet...unless someone has some info we haven't heard.). Either way, better save your money.
If you want a second helping, eat whats already on your plate, Mom and Dad said.
I'm sure it's easy to get caught up in the glitz and glamor of DC, but, you're there to do your absolute damn-dest hardest work.
If you need advice, see, Mrs Waters, Mr Raskin, Mr Cicilline, Mr Palone, Mr Clyburn, Mr Jeffries, Mr Swalwell, Mrs Speirs, Mr Cummings, Mr Lynch, Mr Pascrell. Mrs Omar, AOC etc etc etc. These folks are tried and true.
Remember wayyyy back when when something the gop(?) wanted they had cots shipped in and made a huge production out of staying until the job was done? Do that. AND, how's about leading some marches in each of your states? You know, showing up to rally the ground troops. Some do. Not nearly enough in my humbkle opinion.
WARNING...THIS IS JUST AN OPINION. One of thousands here everyday. I'm not bashing anyone, just pointinf out the obvious.

[guillaumeb]

34. She speaks for millions. eom

[Maru Kitteh]

35. How could anyone speak for all of America? That's a strange standard.

[Kaleva]

37. Depends on what you allow her to do.

If you don't pay much attention to what she says, she only speaks for her district.

[Codeine]

40. She represents her district

and speaks for a particular and specific cross-section of Democrats who self-select by giving her views credence. In this respect she is precisely like every other person in the House.

Does anybody speak for all of America? Of course not. Some few have convinced themselves that they do so, and I believe AOC may be counted among that number. The reality is that she doesn’t even speak for all the people who share her political leanings; I agree with many of her views but I think she’s simultaneously bombastic and inarticulate and damages the movement as much as she energizes it.

That’s all just one doofus talking, of course, and I don’t speak for all of America either.