Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

[lpetrich]

She also talked about how much of the US is solidly Democratic or solidly Republican, and how that can lead politicians to neglect their districts because those politicians take getting elected for granted.

It can also lead to extremists primarying more moderate incumbents and nevertheless winning the general election comfortably because the seat is so safe.
Sandy and the rest of her "squad" mates would never have been elected if not for extremely safe Dem districts.

Maybe. But let's check out Joseph Crowley - Ballotpedia, the Goliath for AOC's David.

1. 2018: 78.2% (Dem: AOC, Working Families: JC - JC omitted: 83.7%, JC to AOC: 84.8%)
2. 2016: 82.9%
3. 2014: 88.2% (74.7%)
4. 2012: 83.2% (70.6%)
5. 2010: 87.1% (72.7%)
6. 2008: 85.5% (62.5%)
7. 2006: 85.3% (64.3%)
8. 2004: 82.1% (58.8%)
9. 2002: 74.8% (48.9%)
10. 2000: 71.7% (51.0%)
11. 1998: 69.0% (49.5%)

(write-ins and blank/void ballots omitted; count with them is in ()'s)

AOC won with roughly the same margin that JC won in most previous elections. Though the Working Families Party endorsed AOC, JC stayed on the ballot as that party's candidate.

 

[Loren Pechtel]

She also talked about how much of the US is solidly Democratic or solidly Republican, and how that can lead politicians to neglect their districts because those politicians take getting elected for granted.

It can also lead to extremists primarying more moderate incumbents and nevertheless winning the general election comfortably because the seat is so safe.
Sandy and the rest of her "squad" mates would never have been elected if not for extremely safe Dem districts.

Yup, but this works both ways. The GOP has suffered a lot of problems with extremists winning the primaries whether or not they can go on to win the general.

 

[angelo]

There are rusted on party voters who always vote for their party of choice no matter what, or how good or bad a certain candidate may be. What decides most elections are the roughly 20-25% of swinging voters. AOC didn't win because of her intellect surely. She won because she seemed the better choice against a tired and unpopular incumbent. Not to mention her gender and what many consider her looks. Now that people have seen what a complete idiot she is and cares little about her constituents and only about herself , and providing a fairly good to average opponent runs against her, she'll vanish from the scene.

 

[lpetrich]

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@ocasio2018) • Instagram photos and videos - goes back all the way to 2012. I'll look for highlights. When one is at an Instagram picture/video, it's easy to scroll through with the arrows on each side.

https://www.instagram.com/p/kG2nw/ - 2012 Jan 23 - AOC's first ever Instagram: a chess set.

https://www.instagram.com/p/HKKHbWyhdn/ https://www.instagram.com/p/HKRhAkShfK/ - 2012 Feb 18 - AOC takes a flying lesson. She's taken a lot of flak for doing that over the past year, with the GND supposedly wanting to phase out air travel in favor of high-speed trains. She does take Amtrak between NYC and DC, and she says that it's less stressful even if it takes longer.

https://www.instagram.com/p/H6eON4yhbM/ - 2012 Mar 8 - in Castle Hill, the Bronx: mural of Frederick Douglass: "Education is the pathway to freedom". I recall from "Girls Who Code" I think that she wasn't the greatest in her K-12 years, but that she liked to learn on her own.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Iz1a4-ShUC/ - 2012 Mar 30 - "Thanks to @nycedc, social good startups have a place to call home in the BX. Thanks! @sunshineny" - that was when she tried to start a book-publishing company - Brook Avenue Press - YouTube

"Social good startups" - seems like her ideal of capitalism, as opposed to winning at whatever the cost. She has been rather muddled about capitalism vs. socialism.

https://www.instagram.com/p/JzoT8LyhQZ/ - 2012 Apr 24 - "Inspiration on 86th & Lex" - "Become Your Dream"

That one was followed by some pictures from a trip to Puerto Rico, going by air and all. Mentioned "my newest friend", a crab. Then back home, with some little children and a receipt with "Sandy". Some beer(?) called "High pH Ionized Reconstructed Water". A fortune cookie: "A purpose is the eternal condition for success." "Your sweetheart may be too beautiful for words but not for arguments."

https://www.instagram.com/p/RWcBE4yhbA/ - 2012 Oct 28 - "Most wanted hurricane item: ...bananas?" - Hurricane Sandy hit NYC around then. Someone made this snide comment: "This image is the epitome of socialism. If you continue to push your propaganda, I'm afraid all our supermarkets will look like this." The next picture was of some dominoes: "Hurricane games". "Found in BK" (Brooklyn): "I can't afford to (heart) NY"

https://www.instagram.com/p/VrUzBvyhaq/ - 2013 Feb 13 - "Sneak peek of @brookavepress' first project - an alphabet poster for kids in the BX! We need your help, friends - especially with ideas for city objects for letters E, G, H I J K O Q V W X Y. Comment with your idea if you come up with something (even if you think it's silly) - thanks!" - F fire hydrant, S subway, D deli dog, L laundromat, M metrocard, N newspaper

Then "Zierra's creative interpretation of my name." - "Sandy Ocasio" rather awkwardly fit in

 

[lpetrich]

https://www.instagram.com/p/YBZ9OKShV4/ - 2013 Apr 12 - an iMac(?) displaying the Brook Avenue Press logo

Then "In Solidarity with 11 Million Undocumented Immigrants" and "3D printing a small army of bioplastic astronauts." "Samy" on a cup.

https://www.instagram.com/p/bzi6F6yhS7/ - 2013 Jul 15 - "'Female Flava: Celebration of Multi-Tasking Women' - Found in #SouthBronx." - showing a woman with multiple arms doing lots of things.

https://www.instagram.com/p/eAScQaShSJ/ - 2013 Sep 6 - "Sunday morning meditation" - a piano with a computer tablet on it displaying sheet music for Debussy's "Clair de Lune"

https://www.instagram.com/p/l_bqR-ShTq/ - 2014 Mar 25 - "First painting in a while." - rather abstract sort of art.

A quote from William Faulkner, then a Pac-Man mural with "Never Give Up": "To all my friends working on their dreams - found in LIC, Queens"

https://www.instagram.com/p/xCtEUxShSr/ - 2014 Dec 25 - "Nerd Christmas. #yaaaaaaas" - Thomas Piketty's "Capital in the Twenty-First Century" - why we are in such a rut. Then a Buddha statue in front of a big painting of a rose.

https://www.instagram.com/p/4ZZDeSShX9/ - 2015 Jun 26 - "...with liberty and justice for all." - "Same-Sex Marriage is a Right, Supreme Court Rules."

https://www.instagram.com/p/7YRP5YShdj/ - 2015 Sep 6 - "A few years ago @wander_luster, myself, and many @bualumni friends spent our free time in college talking about how to build a greater world. Today I had the honor of being with her to ring the #NASDAQ opening bell with @newstorycharity, the crowdfunding platform she co-founded that has funded over 100 new homes for Haitians in the last 100 days. It brings me so much joy to know that those lofty conversations were not naïve or flimsy dreams, but the seeds of a cohort dedicated to making the world a better place. Congrats to Allie and the New Story team. Here's to the road ahead. cc: @juwiling @superkim_tendo @nmoawed @justpriest @laurenep @kennmore @dosmanos"

https://www.instagram.com/p/BLya9ulA4lY/ - 2016 Oct 20 - "If you've taken any time at all talking about this election, you should know who your local reps are. Take five seconds to Google your ballot. You might be surprised with what you find. http://bit.ly/2eKfzN7 " - showing a screenshot of OSX Chrome with Google: who's on my ballot?

 

[lpetrich]

AOC didn't win because of her intellect surely. She won because she seemed the better choice against a tired and unpopular incumbent. Not to mention her gender and what many consider her looks. Now that people have seen what a complete idiot she is and cares little about her constituents and only about herself , and providing a fairly good to average opponent runs against her, she'll vanish from the scene.

She disagrees. She likes to visit her constituents, and she tells us that they like how she's fighting for them, even if she doesn't always get very far. Given how yellow-dog-Democrat her district is, her only electoral vulnerability is to being primaried, what she herself had done.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Has Super Powers - 2019 Jan 13 - "Has a freshman member of Congress ever gotten this much attention?"

But as Ocasio-Cortez sailed through the general election an into Washington, she has shown some unusual skills, ones that seem to be driving Republicans absolutely nuts. Despite the occasional misstep, she seems earnest and even joyful (a rare quality), and has become a social media star. She has 2.4 million followers on Twitter and another 1.8 million on Instagram, where she mixes politics, policy, and humor in an appealing combination that few politicians can match.

Then pointing out that over the last three decades, Democrats have suffered big defeats and have ended up like whipped dogs, cowardly and unassertive.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is too young to have been shaped by the traumas of the 1980s and 1990s, so she represents the next step in the Democratic evolution beyond them. Not only is she not afraid of being attacked by Republicans, she's eager to advocate policies like single-payer health care and dramatically higher taxes for the wealthy despite the fact that she knows Republicans will react in horror.

She grew up watching the cowardice of many Democrats as they let the Republicans define their images, like with birtherism. She prefers confronting them and saying "You ... look ... ridiculous".

The author also noted that "... there are so few politicians who actually seem like interesting people." Which is what AOC is, at least to me.

 

[lpetrich]

Her epic journey to Standing Rock.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BONGcHRAqVi/ - 2016 Dec 19 - "Playing with / testing our GoPro Gimbal before we head to #StandingRock. Thanks [MENTION=410]Jesse[/MENTION]korman for the tip! ............. Gift the Sioux a $5 bundle of wood and more here: www.gofundme.com/road-to-standing-rock "

https://www.instagram.com/p/BOOHR58gs9e/ - 2016 Dec 19 - in front of a map of Pennsylvania on a wall at some office. The two people on the left were her companions in the trip, (?) and Maria.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BOPx8vzgug3/ - 2016 Dec 20 - "Just arrived in Flint, MI. #roadtostandingrock #flintmichigan #flint // Donate here: GoFundMe.com/road-to-standing-rock " - "Flint Housing Commission", with "FHC" forming a house-shaped visual pun.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BOSG6v_A2cT/ - 2016 Dec 21 - "St. Cloud, MN"

https://www.instagram.com/p/BOV_JJQANpj/ - 2016 Dec 22 - "The Dome (donated by @markruffalo) where many communal organizing meetings take place - there are women's and men's meetings, LGBTQ, security, general camp gatherings, etc. conducted here. Attended an incredible women's meeting here today debating how we honor tradition and future progress in our dress."

https://www.instagram.com/p/BOYPQ54g0Fe/ - 2016 Dec 23 - "Direct Action Principles are posted throughout camp. Oceti Sakowin is dedicated to nonviolent action and trains all frontline warriors in prayerful demonstration before any actions are taken. I spoke with a woman in her 70s who uses a cane and was arrested while in prayer. She was put in a dog kennel during her 3-day detainment. Another Rosebud tribe member was shot at with rubber bullets while trying to pull wounded people off Turtle Mountain." "#standingrock #ocetisakowin #directaction #nodapl"

Direct Action Principles

• We are (strikethrough) protestors (/strikethrough) protectors.
• We are peaceful and prayerful.
• "___isms" have no place here.
• (underline) We are non-violent. (/underline)
• Respect the locals.
• We are proud to stand. No masks(?)
• No weapons. (Or what could be considered one)
• Property damage does not get us closer to our goal.
• All campers must get an orientation.
• Direct action training required for all taking action.
• No children in potentially dangerous situations.
• We keep each other accountable to these principles.
• This is a ceremony. Act accordingly.

AOC has described elsewhere how she was greatly impressed by the activists' commitment to nonviolence. It showed her how ordinary people can make a difference in politics.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BOaEuUUgpHp/ - 2016 Dec 24 - "Thank you all for joining us on this journey. It has been an incredible and transformative experience that leaves @swishthedish, [MENTION=2]Jo[/MENTION]shua.pereira.photography and I with a renewed sense of hope and dedication for our collective future. There is more video and content to come, but until then check out our send-off video: https://www.facebook.com/alexandria.ocasiocortez/videos/10207637984812569/ #nodapl" - showing a picture of the gamp with some teepees. I look at them and I think:

This is what our Paleolithic ancestors lived in. What we had lived in for nearly all of our history as a species. This sort of structure: tents and huts and the like. Most of the time not caves. Caves are pure preservation bias.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BOf6_ucgkED/ - 2016 Dec 26 - "Merry Christmas everybody! This is one of the Veteran camps at Standing Rock. There are so many vets from different military branches represented on camp. A blizzard was set to hit them on Christmas Day and today - here's wishing them well and hoping everyone has had a happy and healthy holiday "

 

[lpetrich]

https://www.instagram.com/p/BOtR3UgAcJy/ - 2016 Dec 31 - "Happy New Year's everyone! Flew in just in time to celebrate with family, which includes lots of dominoes and chicken soup at midnight for good health. "

https://www.instagram.com/p/BOx5669AH-5/ - 2017 Jan 2 - "As the economic crisis hallows out some elements of Puerto Rican life, other locales evolve in the hands of artists. My parents were married in a church that is now surrounded by abandoned buildings whose facades are covered in large-scale pieces like this one."

https://www.instagram.com/p/BP1HyGkgKxB/ - 2017 Jan 28 - " "Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!" // Inscription on the Statue of Liberty (New Colossus, by Emma Lazarus) " - a picture of the Statue of Liberty with Manhattan in the background.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez: Netflix "Knock Down The House" End Scene - YouTube - AOC describes how when she was a little girl, her father and some friends went on a road trip. She begged to go along, and they did so - 4 grown men and 1 5-year-old girl. She tearfully described her father pointing out the Washington Monument, the reflecting pool, and other sights, and saying that it all belongs to us. She also described the last thing her father said to her: "Make me proud". She then said "And I finally think I did. I hope."

Something like Woody Guthrie's "This Land Is Your Land", which she and others sang at a GND-activist conference earlier this year. Nice to see a left-wing sort of patriotism.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BR_GB63DSWL/ - 2017 Mar 23 - "16th & Union Square West " - "Be the change you wish to see in the world"

https://www.instagram.com/p/BSb3hKJlICS/ - 2017 Apr 3 - "In case you haven't heard, I've been nominated to run for office! U.S. Congress to be specific. Thank you all for the incredible support so far - we're going to need it for this wild ride to come. Special thanks to Rachel & Robin for giving me the honor of holding my first campaign baby and having him stuff a dandelion up my nose #brandnewcongress"

Next was a FEC statement of candidacy.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BUM3AxhF5Vx/ - 2017 May 17 - "I still can't believe this is happening, but it must. We need real people driven by authentic values in Congress, and I am so proud to join #brandnewcongress in a unified effort to transform New York and America in 2018. Moreover, I am forever grateful to the friends and digital family out there acting on their support in ways big and small. I see you, I love you, and this is just the beginning of a long and crazy ride. Thank you - join us as Ocasio2018.com. (Link in bio)"

Then about her candidacy got 2nd place in small donations.

 

[lpetrich]

Republican challengers rushing to unseat Ocasio-Cortez - for publicity, if nothing else.

"You can choose courage or you can choose comfort, but you cannot have both" - Brené Brown, quote in AOC's Instagram page. She mentioned reading his book "Rising Strong" about resilience. Then a T-shirt with her early campaign graphics.

The first part of AOC's campaign was wrapping up around then: getting Independent voters to reregister as Democrats so that they could vote for her in the primary.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BU-WOoqFKr4/ - 2017 Jun 5 - "Niece keeping me strong. #fuel #thinkhappythoughts" - "Titi Sandy, I thank god for you. Think happy things. Thnink happy thoughts Titi. I love you!"

https://www.instagram.com/p/BVr6nYzFX0u/ - 2017 Jun 23 - "Women like me aren't supposed to run for office.
I wasn’t born into a rich or powerful family. My dad died when I was a teenager. I’ve waitressed my way through hard times and dealt with disappointment. The dress I'm wearing is from a thrift shop. The ring on my hand is my mother’s - a reminder of every floor she's mopped so that her daughter could have a chance.
I have been told to wait my turn; that I'm not savvy enough, connected enough, experienced enough; that I say too much for a political candidate. I don’t sugar-coat, spin, or filter. I try to keep things as real as possible, because I believe that's what people deserve and that honesty is a highest form of respect.
The reality of my run for Congress is that we have started on small odds and a lot of faith. It will take an effort of Herculean proportions to face off with one of NYC’s most corrupt political machines - one that profits off foreclosure and despair. But those paying attention can feel the tremble of our groundswell.
I know that this machine will do everything in its power to intimidate, belittle, and stop me. They will try to make us all feel small. But I am focused on the goal and driven by a universal sense of justice. And so are the supporters of Ocasio2018.
I believe in my heart of hearts that we are the only campaign in this race truly fighting for working families in Queens and the Bronx. I don't hedge my moves on "what will win" or what is popular. I speak up for what's right. I believe that standing for the dignity of our neighbors is our only option and an eternally enduring cause.
I am running for Congress because not caring is not an option anymore. Change is up to us, and it's up to you. Don't let anyone trick you into believing you need to be more than who you are in this moment. You are enough to pursue your dreams. It takes courage. It takes being the only one in the room.
This campaign has gained momentum because the truth resonates, honesty echoes, and love conquers all.
Eventually we must realize that we are the only ones who can answer the call in our hearts. We are the best shot we've got. --
: by supporter [MENTION=2]Jo[/MENTION]sealvarado. Thank you so much."

Evidently an early version of her campaign pitch.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BVzwJh_lXSB/ - 2017 Jun 26 - "Wanted to wish all our brothers and sisters out there a belated Eid Mubarak!
Here are a few scenes from last week's Iftar dinner with Muslims for Progress. It was so lovely to sit down, break bread, and share some thoughts with Muslims for Progress in Queens.
Photos once again courtesy of talented supporter: [MENTION=2]Jo[/MENTION]sealvarado"

AOC had been reaching out to Muslims long before she got to know Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar.

 

[lpetrich]

There are 7 Republicans with an 8th one considering, and they have this campaign pitch:

Most of the Republicans are running for office for the first time, and they’re honing similar attacks on Ocasio-Cortez: She's a socialist; she opposed the since-scuttled plans to build an Amazon headquarters in Queens; she supports the Green New Deal that Republicans warn will bankrupt the Treasury.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BWi9ajVlAsK/ - 2017 Jul 14 - "How rad is this meme by [MENTION=990]CO[/MENTION]oties.zine? Thanks ladies! I loved interviewing with them and was definitely feeling the #girlboss vibe of their first issue: "Ladies of NYC." Fun fact: my good friend @katelyn_kope was featured in the zine too and we didn't even know until the day it launched!" - "Ultimately feminism is about women choosing the destiny that they want for themselves. If a woman wants to choose to stay at home with her children, that should be a choice that she can pursue. On the flipside, if a woman wants to chose an entirely different life for herself, we need to make that possible as well."

https://www.instagram.com/p/BXG5ezJFhF8/ - 2017 Jul 28 - "Last week, I took time off the campaign trail to serve as an Educational Director for @nhi_news' Collegiate World Series. There I met over 150 inspiring and high achieving youth willing to take on the challenge of college and community leadership. I learned so much from them! It's up to us to build up our communities by investing the time and energy necessary for growth." - That was for the National Hispanic Institute, and I found it on their site. But this gringo loves what she's doing.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BXOeVhpFUkk/ - 2017 Jul 31 - "Every day is a work in progress. " - her changing her shoes on a sidewalk, between running shoes and high heels. She's showed some other such behind-the-scenes scenes.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BX0p7VmFgWF/ - 2017 Aug 15 - "Going to Standing Rock changed my life. Watch @millionhoodies4justice and I discuss climate change and corporate influence on @cspan (Special thank you to water protectors there for welcoming me as a relative) #standingrock #mniwiconi #climatechange #climatejustice" - the video shows her describing how she was there and up against a "militarized corporation". Sort of like a real-life version of some cyberpunk dystopia.

Then something on "Medicare for All"

https://www.instagram.com/p/BZUjq4llH67/ - 2017 Sep 21 - "Signing bills and asking questions since Pre-K " - she's left-handed.

She urges New Yorkers to register for being eligible to vote in upcoming primaries.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BaXM2OEF3Xs/ - 2017 Oct 17 - "Today I finally got around to framing my news clipping from @womensmarch.
.

At the time, I had just gotten back from spending time in Standing Rock and Puerto Rico. My ancestors were preparing me. I didn’t know that I was in the midst of a series of events that would eventually lead to running for office.
There’s always going to be 100 reasons not to follow your instinct. You may not have a 5-year plan or a big picture strategy. You may not feel prepared or good enough. And that’s okay.
Ultimately, you only need one reason to pursue what your gut is telling you: because it’s what you are born to do. (And many of us are born to do more than one thing.) Special thanks to dear friends like @swishthedish & @tkubeda for taking those early journeys with me."

https://www.instagram.com/p/BasAsMGlCX9/ - 2017 Oct 25 - "People-powered through and through Photo by friend, photographer, and Ocasio2018 supporter [MENTION=410]Jesse[/MENTION]korman " - A great picture of AOC

https://www.instagram.com/p/Ba4aRYulLMj/ - 2017 Oct 30 - " Ever-amazing new outlet @wnyc is featuring Ocasio2018 in their series, “The People’s Guide to Power!” I had such a great time hanging out with them and making this fun video. Watch it now - link in bio! " - some video of AOC campaigning, leaving ads and ringing doors.

 

[lpetrich]

https://www.instagram.com/p/BbAGQGElXJZ/ - 2018 Nov 2 - "BOOM. In @wnyc & @bberginradio’s final piece on the Queens Machine, we find the Queens Dem party is awash in Trump’s circle of real estate funds - and that for the 1st time in 14 years, he will face a challenger: @Ocasio2018. Listen now. Link in bio." - So Queens Democrats shared in the real-estate corruption rot that Donald Trump had been involved in.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bbf1i_8lRws/ - 2018 Nov 14 - "The funny thing about beginnings is that you rarely know you’re in them. My beginning felt like a dead end. My beginning was losing a parent to cancer, working a hard job in the wake of that loss, and complete uncertainty about the future of my family.
This whole campaign started because the Bronx and Queens deserves leadership that is accountable to people over profits, and dares to pursue the most ambitious plan possible for our children’s future.
I fight for Medicare for All because I know what it’s like to feel like you’re one accident away from everything falling apart.
I push for Cradle-to-College + trade school education FOR ALL because I know that it’s wrong to have your destiny determined by your zip code.
And lastly, I don’t take a dime from corporations because I know it’s the only way we get it done. No favors, no kickbacks, no short-changing working families and selling our futures to major corporations. Not ever. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Everyday Americans deserve better. We deserve a nation of opportunity for all. Of justice for all. Of dignity for all. And we will get it. #Ocasio2018 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
: [MENTION=2]Jo[/MENTION]sealvarado" - has a picture of AOC working as a bartender at Flats Fix

Right-wingers like to say MABA - Make AOC Bartend Again - and I've seen a cartoon of her as a bartender offering socialist and Marxist drinks. More seriously, this talk triggers right wingers. They feel hurt by the suggestion that they are apologists for economic elitism, so they like to present themselves as having ignoble birth, proletarian class origins, and the like. They seem to enjoy whining about what exploited and oppressed workers they are.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bbw2Z1ZFsZT/ - 2017 Nov 21 - " “This is no joke y’all. They are going to come after you. We are going into the belly of the beast.” Documentary team Knock Down the House is following our battle to take down money in politics in the 2018 midterm elections. Let’s show them we will win. Join our movement at Ocasio2018.com. Link in bio. "

https://www.instagram.com/p/BcncenKFeVZ/ - 2017 Dec 12 - "Ocasio2018 is teaming up with @thebronxnative to turn political parties on their head!
.
No high dollar plate prices, just good vibes, poetry, remarks from me and some folks in the community, and a mini money bomb at the end. Come through - all are welcome." - a lot of politicians raise funds by having dinners where the participants may spend several hundred dollars per plate - or even several thousand dollars.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BcsXhyllkhM/ - 2017 Dec 14 - " Wall Street Journal just called us “the first serious challenger in years.”
.
This is a major accomplishment because we did it by breaking all the rules. We put trust in the community and that’s IT - not a DIME from corporations. We did this all with people power. And we’re only going to get stronger.
.
From the bottom of my heart, thank you. - Alexandria "

By the end of 2017, AOC's campaign was starting to get some visibility in the news media.

 

[lpetrich]

Ted Cruz on Twitter: "Snowflake, believing online propaganda: "OMG w/o net neutrality, the Internet is gone!" Informed observer: "You know, the FCC issued that rule in 2015. The Internet grew up wonderfully free from govt regulation & this restores the status quo ante." Snowflake: "Uh, never mind..."" / Twitter
then
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Twitter: "“Snowflake?” Aren’t you a sitting Senator?
Also, Comcast paid you $36k to write this tweet. Campaign contributions are public record. https://t.co/sWFX1Vux9k" / Twitter

At the end of 2017, AOC posted on how her most-viewed posts were in the last six months - an accelerated pace.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BdtY3Jil1X8/ -2018 Jan 8 - "2018 is finally here. For the next six months, we must work non-stop on this campaign.
.
Join us by making calls to Bronx and Queens voters this weekend. You can do it from anywhere, or even host a few friends and make it a party. RSVP now - link in bio. : [MENTION=2]Jo[/MENTION]sealvarado" - Because that's what'll be necessary to defeat Joe Crowley, the "King of Queens".

Then ads for MLK Day and the Women's March.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BePOZY1lxCZ/ - 2018 Jan 21 - "We run to win. " - not to make a statement, not to push establishment candidates leftward. She hopes to push NY politics leftward.

From 250 Twitter followers in Jul 2017 to 10,000 in Jan 2018. AOC's campaign was both door-to-door and in social media. Then a visit to a local Democratic club. Then a Q&A on running for office.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BeoFmAsl9sF/ - 2018 Jan 31 - "There’s enough for all of us. Don’t allow the few to divide the many. .
Thank you @peopleforbernie for featuring us! "
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Twitter: "In the US there are:
- more empty homes than homeless
- more food wasted than hungry stomachs
- more skilled jobs than educational opportunity
- more profit margins than living wage
- more MX immigrants leaving than coming
There is enough. Scarcity isn’t the problem - greed is." / Twitter

 

[lpetrich]

Her campaigning included house parties where she could meet with ordinary people, not $2,500/plate dinners. Someone baked a cake for her with her campaign graphics on it. Initially a star with squares around it, presumably representing Congress.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BfMgiVwljo5/ - 2018 Feb 14 - "The Wall Street Journal gave us a Valentine today! I’m still in shock.
.
Young people are what’s going to change this world for the better. No matter what you’re doing or where you’re doing it, the fact of the matter is that WE must roll up our sleeves to create the future we need.
.
WE must vote - even if for the first time. WE must volunteer. WE must knock on doors. WE must create the art to inspire the vision. It’s on US, because no one else is going to be around in a few decades but us and our children. The time to make it right is NOW." - an article about "The Millennials Shaking Up New York Politics. Their targets this year aren't Republican adversaries, they're veteran Democratic incumbents."

In a townful of yellow-dog Democrats, that's what one has to do.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bf_0JN1l7Jg/ - 2018 Mar 6 - "Speechwriting on the 6 train."

https://www.instagram.com/p/BgIALgJD-6-/ - 2018 Mar 9 - "Growing up, I never saw women like me in positions of power - and that’s if I ever saw women in positions of power at all. I’m trying to be the person I needed growing up.
.
It was such an honor to speak at @holatrenza’s La Futura event with @the.wing and get very real about our history and culture, from our African and Indigenous identity to our embrace of gender across the spectrum in the movement forward." - reminds me of Whoopi Goldberg describing how excited she was to see Lt. Uhura on the ST:TOS - "There's a black lady on TV and she ain't a maid!"

https://www.instagram.com/p/BhCR_hWlwwh/ - 2018 Apr 1 - "Happy Easter Out with today’s petition squad in Astoria-Ditmars! "

https://www.instagram.com/p/BhU3wY8lgks/ - 2018 Apr 8 - "Oh SNAP! That moment when you’re scrolling through Facebook and suddenly see our campaign covered by @ajplus!
.
Check it out - this is why you got to show up and believe, people! Our movement is gaining national attention because of everyone putting in the WORK " - Joe Crowley's response: "Do they belong to a Democratic club? Do they understand what a primary is? Do they know that that's not necessarily the end-all, that there's a general election?" - AOC had an easy time in portraying him as out of touch.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BhhPianlMGL/ - 2018 Apr 13 - "WE DID IT. This Bronx girl is running for CONGRESS! *
Ocasio2018 volunteers made history yesterday:
- FIRST NY-14 primary in 14 years
- FIRST Democrat to make it to the NY-14 ballot with % volunteer effort (no hired guns)
- ONLY Democrat to run with NO LOBBYIST . That means no developer money driving up rents!
- ONLY person of color to run for NY-14 in a generation (our community is 70% PoC!)
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1250 signatures were required in 5 bitterly cold weeks marked by 5 snowstorms. 5,480 signatures were turned in, collected by 141 volunteer witnesses (helped by even more people!).
.
All I can say is thank you. Thank you to everyone who believes in this movement. Thank you for understanding what positive change asks of us: that we MAKE it happen, not WAIT to happen.
.
Thank you ALL. Now the real race begins. Join us at Ocasio2018.com/volunteer. If you’re short on time, help us stack up for the battle at Ocasio2018.com/donate"

Thus ended the second phase of AOC's campaign.

 

[Derec]

She disagrees. She likes to visit her constituents, and she tells us that they like how she's fighting for them,

How exactly is she fighting for her constituents? Name specific examples.

even if she doesn't always get very far. Given how yellow-dog-Democrat her district is, her only electoral vulnerability is to being primaried, what she herself had done.

And I hope she does get primaried!

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Has Super Powers - 2019 Jan 13 - "Has a freshman member of Congress ever gotten this much attention?"

It's starting to look a lot like a cult of personality.

Then pointing out that over the last three decades, Democrats have suffered big defeats and have ended up like whipped dogs, cowardly and unassertive.

The Dem defeats were most pronounced in the 70s and 80s. 70s and more than three decades ago, and there have been big wins for Dems in 1990s and late 2000s into 2010s. Furthermore, Democrats suffered very close defeats in presidential elections in 2000 and 2016.
So, I would only call 1970s and 1980s the era of "big defeats" for Democrats and those defeats were the result of Democrats nominating very left-wing candidates such as George McGovern.

Now, that's a big defeat! And it didn't come about because Democrats nominated somebody too moderate.
In fact, the Democratic successes of 1990s came directly from the fact that Dems nominated Bill Clinton who moved back to the middle.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is too young to have been shaped by the traumas of the 1980s and 1990s,

What traumas? Sure, Democrats had electoral disasters with Mondale 1984 and Dukakis 1988, but the country did well. And both the country and the Dems did well in the 1990s.

so she represents the next step in the Democratic evolution beyond them.

More like devolution to the time of McDind'tGovern.

Not only is she not afraid of being attacked by Republicans,

Benefits of living in a virtually ideologically pure fiefdom.

She prefers confronting them and saying "You ... look ... ridiculous".

She should look in the mirror. Or is that another piece of home tech she'd be absolutely baffled by like garbage disposals and color film existing in the 1980s.

The author also noted that "... there are so few politicians who actually seem like interesting people." Which is what AOC is, at least to me.

"May you be ruled by interesting politicians" should be a sort of corollary to that well known (but quite probably apocryphal) Chinese curse. I mean, Trump is very interesting too.

 

[Derec]

Her epic journey to Standing Rock.

Yeah, I have already explained why that "protest" was so idiotic.

Gift the Sioux a $5 bundle of wood and more here: www.gofundme.com/road-to-standing-rock "

Wood is not exactly a clean-burning fuel. And hauling it for hundreds of miles (if she picks it up somewhere along the way and doesn't but it in NY) at least makes the environmental balance of it even worse.

"The Dome (donated by @markruffalo) where many communal organizing meetings take place

That wall looks extra thin - you can see shadows from other tents from the outside. That means nigh zero thermal insulation, which means you have to burn much more fuel to keep warm. Not very environmental.

Attended an incredible women's meeting here today debating how we honor tradition and future progress in our dress."

"Future progress in our dress"? The hell is that supposed to even mean?

"Direct Action Principles are posted throughout camp.

It says no "property damage". And yet they did just that. It says no weapons, but they did weaponize propane canisters.
An Indian woman (with previous felony convictions so unable to legally possess a gun) discharged a firearm three times while being arrested at the illegal "frontline" camp.
Denver woman gets prison for firing gun during pipeline protest

Oceti Sakowin is dedicated to nonviolent action and trains all frontline warriors

"Nonviolent action" and "frontline warriors" are mutually exclusive concepts.

AOC has described elsewhere how she was greatly impressed by the activists' commitment to nonviolence.

Except that the protests were not really non-violent.

It showed her how ordinary people can make a difference in politics.

Luckily, the no-DAPL idiots failed and oil is happily flowing through the pipeline as we speak. If only Hawaii was as steadfast in opposing idiots trying to block construction as North Dakota had been!

This is what our Paleolithic ancestors lived in.

And we have progressed since then.

What we had lived in for nearly all of our history as a species.

True but irrelevant. Hunters following herds of prey animals had good reason to live in tents. They were not trying to blockade an infrastructure project like AOC and her friends were trying to do.

 

[lpetrich]

How exactly is she fighting for her constituents? Name specific examples.

Like trying to expose the horrible conditions of the border camps.

And I hope she does get primaried!

Nobody seems to want to do so. Anyone who tries will likely run as "I'll be a better AOC than AOC!" Derec, would you want that?

In fact, the Democratic successes of 1990s came directly from the fact that Dems nominated Bill Clinton who moved back to the middle.

Clinton was President for 8 years, but he was relentlessly attacked from the Right, and all he did was whimper "Please don't kick me! Please don't kick me! Please don't kick me!"

 Party divisions of United States Congresses - He had a Democratic majority in Congress for the first two years, then a Republican majority for the remaining six years. During that time, Newt Gingrich was the Speaker of the House, and he acted like some de facto Prime Minister.

Not only is she not afraid of being attacked by Republicans,

Benefits of living in a virtually ideologically pure fiefdom.

Ideologically pure?

She prefers confronting them and saying "You ... look ... ridiculous".

She should look in the mirror. Or is that another piece of home tech she'd be absolutely baffled by like garbage disposals and color film existing in the 1980s.

The Courage to Change | Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez - YouTube - there is a part in it with her and a mirror. "I looked at this thing and I saw some woman in it. She moved when I moved, she turned her head when I turned her head, she moved her hands when I moved my hands, ..." - Derec, watch that video and see for yourself if that is how she reacted.

 

[Derec]

Like trying to expose the horrible conditions of the border camps.

Using hyperbolic and Godwinesque language is not exactly "exposing". Also, I asked how she was fighting for her constituents. Illegals from Honduras or Guatemala are not her constituents.

Nobody seems to want to do so. Anyone who tries will likely run as "I'll be a better AOC than AOC!" Derec, would you want that?

I am hoping that some sanity will prevail but I do admit we live in quite insane times!

Clinton was President for 8 years, but he was relentlessly attacked from the Right, and all he did was whimper "Please don't kick me! Please don't kick me! Please don't kick me!"

You remember 90s differently than I do. Except for his disastrous decision to take the side of Islamist Shiptars in 1999, his presidency was overall a good one. The fact that he had to work with Republican house probably helped his legacy. He managed to reform welfare for example and pass a crime bill, something that the likes of AOC would never support.

During that time, Newt Gingrich was the Speaker of the House, and he acted like some de facto Prime Minister.

He was in a similar position as Nancy Pelosi is right now. While the Speaker of the House is a powerful position, its power is hardly like that of a PM and House being in another party's hands can hardly be described as a "trauma".

Ideologically pure?

Well not literally, but you know what I mean. There is a snowball's chance in hell that crowd elects a Republican no matter whom the Dems nominate.

Derec, watch that video and see for yourself if that is how she reacted.

It was a joke, but your AOC monologue was right on. I read it in her annoying voice too.

 

[lpetrich]

Using hyperbolic and Godwinesque language is not exactly "exposing". Also, I asked how she was fighting for her constituents. Illegals from Honduras or Guatemala are not her constituents.

Asylum seekers != illegal immigrants, and illegal immigrants ought to be deported, not tortured.

Her district is about 1/2 immigrant, and I recall her saying that her constituents wanted her to vote against the Senate bill for border-camp funding that Nancy Pelosi supported. She wanted a purely humanitarian bill, not one with additional militarization, so she and some others voted against it.

Derec, watch that video and see for yourself if that is how she reacted.

It was a joke, but your AOC monologue was right on. I read it in her annoying voice too.

I was inspired by  Mirror test. You can find a lot of video online of dogs and cats looking at themselves in mirrors.

 

[bilby]

Wikipedia tells me that the NY 14th district has a population of 691,715 (2016 estimate).

Australian federal divisions have about 100,000 voters, (the Northern Territory has the fewest voters per division, with two divisions each of around 70,000 voters; South Australia's ten divisions average around 120,000 voters each). This equates to a population of about 150,000 people per division (as about 1/3 of the population is ineligible to vote, mostly due to being children).

Federal Representatives here are not really able to engage directly with most of the voters in their division; There are simply too many of them. A five minute conversation with each eligible voter would take about four years, working 40 hours a week, and doing nothing else; And the maximum term between elections is only three years.

How someone like AOC (much less any of her less actively engaged colleagues) could directly engage with a significant proportion of her district's ~500,000 residents who are eligible to vote is beyond me.

I guess it's a good thing that most citizens are disinterested and disengaged from their representatives.

 

[Derec]

Asylum seekers != illegal immigrants, and illegal immigrants ought to be deported, not tortured.

For the millionth time, bogus asylum claims are used as a vehicle for illegals to gain entry into the country. They saw how successful that tactic has been in Europe, where once a migrant enters EU territory and claims "asylum" he is virtually impossible to deport even if he is a pure economic migrant from a safe country like Bangladesh or Pakistan.

And I agree there needs to be swifter deportations of illegals (including bogus asylum seekers) but that is thwarted by laws that give them too many protections. And I also agree that conditions in detention centers should be improved, but I acknowledge that this is difficult to do when 100,000 people show up at the border each month, demanding to be let in. Family separation was also necessitated by a court decision that made it impossible to detain adults and children together. So it's a difficult situation, and much of it is caused by pro-illegal politicians passing laws that make the work of border enforcement more difficult.

As to bogs asylum seeking: take the example of that Oscar guy who drowned with his young daughter. His mother admitted he was only trying to migrate to make more money, not because of safety, much less any real persecution that would be a legit grounds for asylum. Nevertheless, he and his wife applied for asylum.
'I Didn't Want Them to Go': Salvadoran Family Grieves for Father and Daughter Who Drowned

Her district is about 1/2 immigrant, and I recall her saying that her constituents wanted her to vote against the Senate bill for border-camp funding that Nancy Pelosi supported. She wanted a purely humanitarian bill, not one with additional militarization, so she and some others voted against it.

Non-citizens (such as say illegal aliens) can't vote. And in politics one must compromise. Besides, what's wrong with more border enforcement? It's sorely needed!

You can find a lot of video online of dogs and cats looking at themselves in mirrors.

That was my first thought when I mentioned the mirror!