Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

[lpetrich]

Ocasio-Cortez ain't Democrat, bullies journalists — Michelle Caruso-Cabrera - Parkchester Times | Parkchester News and Marketplace - what a big baby MCC is.

AOC meets Caruso-Cabrera, Khan face-to-face six days to primary - Parkchester Times | Parkchester News and Marketplace - the moderator: Gary Axelbank. Six media people were also in the Golden Palace room.

MCC: “Alexandria is M.I.A. I will have a constituency office in the district from day one. I will speak to people face to face not on Twitter. With Alexandria, you get divisiveness, polarization but with me, you will get unity.”

Except that AOC has often shown up in person in her district. MCC must have been watching too much Fox News.

AOC: “Caruso is so obsessed with the six days that I got sick in March during the COVID-19 when I stayed home. Even then, I continued to march forward. I continued to do my work from home for our community. I managed to raise about $1 million for our community. Caruso on the other hand, lived in Trump tower until six months ago. She is financed by Trump donors. Be careful. Before you give someone your vote, ask yourself a question: Have I seen this woman before in my constituency?”

I find it curious that MCC didn't object that AOC was doing guilt by association. But then again, she has done little to dissociate herself from her former landlord.

BK: “I have been in this community for a long time. I take donations, only from my people in the district. This is why I believe we need more jobs in the Bronx. That’s what I am looking for. When I walk on Westchester Avenue, I see shops closed. We need to bring jobs into our community.”

BK: “Most police officers don’t need guns. We should look at making sure people have a better life after they serve their time in prison and that’s not happening right now. When we take money out of the police, it needs to go into education for those in jail. We need to make sure prisoners make a minimum wage not the 60 cents they get. We have to equip them on how to survive in society”

MCC: “We need to get to the heart of why what happened to George Floyd happened. That is why, when I’m elected, I will work with Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Alexandria doesn’t do this. She works against Nancy, she works against governor Cuomo. She doesn’t support Biden, but that’s not how you get things done. We need to make sure we sit at the table with everyone. Police reforms need to happen.” Then AOC burst in “Excuse me! I have said multiple times that I will be voting for Vice President Joe Biden.”

AOC: “We need to put some of that money used to fund the police into community services. It can be done quite simply, without destroying families and making sure that the communities are safe. I support the end of qualified immunity. We have to make sure we are objective about it.”

About the failed Amazon deal,

AOC: “There was no independent assessment on the 25,000 jobs, what we had were statistics from Amazon itself. It is very important that we deal with facts when it comes to this issue. One other thing is that this is a state level deal and I’m a member of congress. We asked that warehouse workers needed to be unionized but Amazon said no! We have to be wary when huge corporations come into our community and refuse to unionize their work staff.”

So AOC is saying that those numbers are empty promises.

Then about US policy in the Middle East. BK wants Palestine to be an independent state, MCC said that the US ought to preserve its relationship with Israel and that China ought to be its biggest foreign-policy concern, and AOC: “I believe in fundamental human rights and the US should not be financing the incarceration of children. We have to stand up for human rights everywhere. We have to make sure human rights are preserved.”

AOC made a well-publicized flub about the Israel-Palestine issue not long after she won the 2018 primary election. She expressed outrage at Israeli soldiers killing some Palestinian protesters, and when she was asked about that in an interview, she said that she viewed the issue from the standpoint of a human-rights advocate. She struggled with what a broader policy should be, and then said that she isn't an expert on that.

 

[lpetrich]

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Twitter: "Wall Street is pouring *millions of dollars* to unseat me in this Tuesday’s election.
That’s what happens when you put people before profit. But take it from me: we CANNOT take this seat for granted.
NY14: VOTE TODAY or this Tuesday. Bring friends + fam: https://t.co/K2L7BQ8pIy" / Twitter
noting
Business Insider on Twitter: "Wall Street giants including the CEOs of Goldman and Blackstone are pouring money into the campaign to defeat AOC in a June primary https://t.co/6VZXyttcC3" / Twitter
noting
Wall Street giants including the CEOs of Goldman and Blackstone are pouring money into the campaign to defeat AOC in a June primary | Markets Insider - what I'd linked to earlier.

Josue Madera on Twitter: "@businessinsider Doesnt this give ppl more reason to vote for AOC?? None of those corporate giants fund or put money into anything unless it benefits them. So it tells you that AOC is not catering to them and getting under their skin" / Twitter

Akinaw Bulcha on Twitter: "@businessinsider I never really liked AOC but if Wall Street is this terrified of her, she must be good for America." / Twitter

Modern Crusaders by Enigma on Twitter: "@businessinsider Rich Wall Street pricks hate her. Good for her. I wish I lived in that area so could give her my vote" / Twitter

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Twitter: "Ugh sorry y’all the link always autocorrects wrong - here’s the right one: https://t.co/dVZwJAic7m" / Twitter
with this nice response:
Henroid on Twitter: "@AOC It's refreshing to see someone in the government admit to something like this. There's a lot of other elected officials who kinda... get weird about simple mistakes. Don't sweat it Ms Ocasio-Cortez!" / Twitter

AOC also admitted a mistake when she referred to economist "Milton Keynes" a few months back in an Instagram story. She posted an update that she meant "John Maynard Keynes".

 

[lpetrich]

James Fontanella-Khan on Twitter: "Is Wall Street scared of @AOC? Seems so. Chiefs at Goldman Sachs, Blackstone and many other top financiers spent millions of dollars to oust the Queens/Bronx Congresswoman. Chances they will succeed? Locals say slim. w/ @sindap @DatumFan @christinezhang https://t.co/6lRtYfY8IA" / Twitter
noting
Wall Street takes aim at Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in party primary | Financial Times - the article I'd discussed earlier.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Twitter: "A better world is not only possible, it is within our reach.
From mutual aid in our communities to solidarity in the streets, the people of New York have already started to reshape our future.
It’s time to bring the movement to the voting booth.
VOTE this Tuesday, June 23rd. https://t.co/boXm0U4sZ4" / Twitter

She has a shorter version of that video ad on YouTube:
Systemic Change | Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez - YouTube
She deleted an earlier-uploaded version of it and replaced it, for some strange reason.

Right now, New York is experiencing three concurrent crises. A crisis of health with COVID-19, the economic crisis of mass unemployment, and the crisis of racism in our systems of law enforcement.

*The crisis in New York reaching a critical mass*

All three of these crises have something crucial in common. They haven't presented us new problems, but they've set on fire existing ones. But what if these broken systems weren't built to last in the first place? What if a better world is possible? These are systemic problems, and I'm proud to have been fighting for systemic solutions, like Medicare For All, a federal jobs guarantee, and the end to mass incarceration.

*Today is a big day for people who have been left behind.*

People are coming together in an unprecedented movement to build this better future, and a better world. And whether its delivering thousands of groceries to our neighbors, introducing transformative legislation, or standing up to corrupt interests in Washington, it has been the honor of my life to fight for the Bronx and Queens in the halls of Congress, and we're just getting started.

It's time to bring the movement to the voting booth and that's why I'm asking for your vote on June 23rd.

Paid for by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez for Congress.
Approved by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

 

[lpetrich]

Telemundo on Twitter: ".@AOC: “Nuestra voz es nuestro voto ..." / Twitter

.@AOC: “Nuestra voz es nuestro voto y si no usamos ese derecho vamos a tener problemas”.
Vía @TelemundoNews (link)

. @AOC : "Our voice is our vote and if we do not use that right we will have problems."
Via @TelemundoNews (link)

Ocasio-Cortez: “Nuestra voz es nuestro voto y si no usamos ese derecho vamos a tener problemas” | Telemundo

Ocasio Cortez celebra fallo a favor de DACA

Ocasio-Cortez: "Nuestra voz es nuestro voto y si no usamos ese derecho vamos a tener problemas"

De acuerdo a la congresista por el estado de Nueva York, si bien la decisión de la Corte Suprema es un triunfo para los jóvenes dreamers, todavía quedan muchas acciones que tomar para lograr que legalicen su estatus. Aquí la entrevista.

Ocasio Cortez celebrates ruling in favor of DACA

Ocasio-Cortez: "Our voice is our vote and if we do not use that right we will have problems"

According to the New York state congresswoman, while the Supreme Court decision is a triumph for young dreamers, there are still many actions to take to legalize their status. Here the interview.

 

[lpetrich]

AOC points out a certain double standard about "free stuff":

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Twitter: "Ever notice that when we talk about having a healthcare system where people don’t pay at the point of service, it’s “Free stuff is irresponsible & wrong!” but when it comes to raining military equip on undertrained police across the country it’s “Hey don’t worry it’s free stuff”" / Twitter
noting
Jaime Baker on Twitter: "The Moundsville Police Department has added a vehicle to the fleet! I’ll tell you everything this MRAP offers- and explain how the department get it for free- tonight on @WTOV9 https://t.co/qveCV7X1i9" / Twitter
A sort of heavy armored van designed to survive land mines exploding. This is Moundsville WV, with a population of 11,000. WTOV9 serves Steubenville OH & Wheeling WV.

 

[lpetrich]

Michelle Caruso Cabrera and AOC Debate: Parkchester Times - YouTube - MCC has the third debate on her site also. Like the earlier video of it, its sound is also bad, but its camera angle is even worse than that earlier one, and the view was sometimes obstructed by another cameraman. So I've had to turn up the sound for it.

The debate started with the candidates introducing themselves. AOC started by introducing how she campaigned and what she has done. She mentioned that she was the youngest woman ever elected to Congress, something that neither she herself nor much of the news coverage of her has mentioned much over the last year. BK was next, describing some problems that NY-14 faces, and advocating Universal Basic Income, $1000/month. MCC, after briefly introducing herself, then denounced AOC as MIA. She bragged that she would open a district office in the Bronx itself, and that AOC doesn't have one there. AOC responded by describing how busy she was when she was stuck in DC, her campaign's check-in calls and donations, and an attack on MCC as being a carpetbagger who is financed by Trump donors. BK then chimed in, describing how familiar she is with the district.

The debate proceeded with the moderator asking questions of all the candidates. First was what can be done to improve Bronxites' standards of living. AOC went first, describing the Bronx-burning period of the 1980's and connecting it to placing profit above everything else, including human lives. She then advocated M4A and ending mass incarceration, and also a Federal jobs guarantee and her Green New Deal, proposing some 20 million well-paid jobs. Also labor unions. BK advocated small businesses, also affordable housing and more after-school programs and the like. MCC claimed that she was for jobs. Then something about some advisory committee for a Sunnyside Yards development that AOC quit. She repeated yet again that AOC is MIA, polarizing, divisive. AOC said about that committee that most elected officials have left out of big concerns out of process. BK wanted a train station in that area.

AOC's figure is was for the entire nation. Scaling from the US population of 328.2 M to NYC's population of 8.4 M gives 0.5 M and to the NYC metro area's population of 20.3 M gives 1.2 M. Some 1/40 of Americans lives in NYC and 1/12 in the NYC metro area.

Then a question of cutting police budgets. BK wants the money to go to assist people who come out of prison after they have served their time. Also, prisoners need to earn more for their work. MCC conceded that criminal justice reform is long overdue. AOC stated that this moment shows the power of protest, the power of direct action. She proposes using the money for various community services. She notes that the NYPD replaces every retiring cop on a 1-by-1 basis, without anything corresponding for teachers. Also ending transfer of military equipment and of qualified immunity.

Then what the district needs. MCC talked about masks and hand sanitizer and long lines of people waiting at a hospital. She then said that she was for unity before attacking AOC yet again as divisive and absent in her luxury DC apartment and voting against aid for hospitals for the sake of her fame. BK talked about getting aid to people. AOC read the bill that she voted against and learned of its flaws. But she voted for a later bill, the HEROES Act, one that contained more of what she wanted. Then MCC denounced AOC yet again for being out of step. BK noted that many mom-and-pop stores didn't get any PPP relief funding.

Then they got into the Amazon deal. AOC argued that such tax-giveaway boondoggles don't usually have a good return. She also said that 25,000 jobs is an unverified number from an Amazon press release. Also, where Amazon has a HQ2 spot in northern Virginia, rents have become very high. AOC claims that some state legislators demanded that Amazon allow labor unions in its warehouses. Amazon officials refused. Mentioned an Amazon warehouse whistleblower being fired. She proposed investing the money in small businesses. BK doesn't object to a big business coming in, but she wants some arriving big business to finance a lot of local infrastructure. MCC then talked about all the small businesses that went away, all the jobs that went away because of rejection of the Amazon deal, something she blamed on AOC.

MCC then got into how some labor unions gave up a lot of pay to negotiate good medical-insurance benefits, and how M4A would take away from them what they negotiated for. Then how he didn't get onto the Working Families Party ballot - too few signatures. Then how AOC is MIA.

AOC responded that her Bronx district office is shared with Assemblywoman Karines Reyes's district office (AOC recently endorsed her landlady KR for re-election) - it's in Parkchester, the Bronx, very near a subway-train station.

Then into foreign policy. BK: Palestine should be an independent state. MCC: Israel is the US's most important Middle-Eastern ally, and ought to stay that way - its democracy, LGBT rights, etc. Some manufacturing should be brought back into the US from places like China. AOC wishes to address human-rights violence, like US concentration camps for migrants, and what Palestinians are suffering in Israel. We must also oppose authoritarian leaders like Modi in India.

In conclusion, AOC talked about standing up for people who suffer injustices, BK said that the district is her home and that she will return to it and that she is a grassroots campaigner, and MCC couldn't help but slam AOC again, saying that she is good and AOC is bad. MCC: AOC is MIA. Also pledging to be a good Democratic apparatchik.

It was rather painful having to listen to its poor sound quality. But it was fun to hear MCC repeating "AOC is MIA" several times.

 

[lpetrich]

A.O.C. JUSTICE STAR. ALEXANDRIA OCASIO-CORTEZ - YouTube -- I checked, and that was a speech that she gave when she visited LA back in 2018 during her main-election campaign. One thing interesting about her is that she didn't meet any Hollywood entertainment executives or even any big Hollywood celebrities -- only activists.

Parkchester Times Debate 6-17-2020 - YouTube - he posted a bad-sound version on Facebook and Twitter, and he comes out with a good-sound version here. Seems like the next link:
Michelle Caruso-Cabrera and AOC Debate - Parkchester Times - YouTube - That debate again, with much higher sound quality and with good views of the participants. I watched it again, and it seemed that AOC and BK were willing to discuss some real issues, while MCC was mainly interested in denouncing AOC. She also sometimes seemed desperate for Nancy Pelosi's endorsement.

Toward the end, AOC dropped a name that I couldn't catch earlier: Bolsonaro of Brazil, just before Modi of India.

Democracy Now! on Twitter: "AOC vs. Wall Street: CEOs of Goldman Sachs & Blackstone Back Ex-GOPer in Dem Primary https://t.co/KcnyuI08yj" / Twitter
noting
AOC vs. Wall Street: CEOs of Goldman Sachs & Blackstone Back Ex-GOPer in Dem Primary | Democracy Now!
then
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Twitter: "Wall St CEOs & lobbyists are FLOODING my district w/ millions of dollars right before Tuesday’s election.
It’s a bit flattering, actually: they wouldn’t target me if I wasn’t effective
Join us for the home stretch. Vol, call, or donate this weekend: https://t.co/BZgTRnGWK1" / Twitter
then
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Twitter: "Donation link here
The average donation to my campaign is about 24 bucks. Everyday people have made my candidacy a possibility since day one.
That’s who I work for, now & always - these billionaires are just mad they’ve found something they can’t buy. https://t.co/OwNfE7AG70" / Twitter

 

[lpetrich]

AOC seems very confident that she can take them on. Despite her high profile, there is a lack of publicized polls of the district race. Data for Progress has polls on NY-15, NY-16, and NY-17, but not on any other NYC-area district, including hers.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez isn’t running as a fire-starter - The Washington Post - June 3 - Celinda Lake in May: 79% favorable, 73% for her in the primary
The Squad in the spotlight: AOC, progressive peers face primary challenges of their own - Reuters - "A May poll conducted for her campaign gave Ocasio-Cortez a 73%-11% lead. Pollster Celinda Lake said the survey also showed most constituents “think of her as fighting for them.”"

Pollsters Weigh In On NY-14 Primary Surprise | WAMC - 2018 Jul 6
Pictures of several Joe Crowley mailers
"NY-14: "These are the mailers I’ve gotten to my personal mailbox alone. " ~ Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez - from her Twitter feed

Jefrey Pollock is Founding Partner and President of Global Strategy Group, which released a poll three weeks before the primary that had Crowley ahead by 35 points. "None of us know the answer as to what happened. We'll know a little bit more when all of the voter file data is in meaning who voted and who didn't. As for the polling, one of the things that people have to understand is that in campaign polling, we don't walk in and say you have a 30-point lead, 40-point lead or 10-point lead. That's not the way it works. In fact, the first poll that was done for the Congressman showed him below 50 percent in the polling, and for a long-term incumbent, that tends to signal that there is a problem, and so in fact, from the earliest poll that was done for the campaign, the notion was, that we were not in nearly as good enough shape as we should have been."

So JC was much more vulnerable than he might have seemed.

Don Levy, Director of the Siena College Research Institute, says primaries are especially difficult to poll. "Before anyone criticizes the polls, we should look at what events took place, how big was the turnout, what may have changed between the moment at which the polling was done and the election took place. And the one that you're talking about, in Queens and a portion of the Bronx, it was an especially low-turnout election, and certainly when the turnout is quite low, a small, highly-motivated cadre of voters can have a dramatic effect on the election, and that is certainly what appears to have happened in that race."

I think that he's correct. AOC and her followers were certainly dedicated.

 

[lpetrich]

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez On History Of Juneteenth, Racism In America + Upcoming Election - YouTube

AOC gets into removing pictures of House Speakers who served in the Confederacy. Republicans have retreated from "it's our history, our heritage" to "we must remember who did those atrocities". Then why not pictures and statues of abolitionists and rebels like Nat Turner?

Then on racial and ethnic stereotypes and prejudices, including unconscious ones. Like colorism: light skin is better than dark skin. Also hair texture: straight vs. tight curls. AOC concedes that being light-skinned helps her.

Then on her primary election. MCC has lots of conservative views and she was a Republican until 2018 or so. Then on why MCC's Wall Street supporters are so desperate to take her down. To show who's boss?

As to Jamaal Bowman, if he can have his job for 20 years in the Bronx, then he can do well in Congress. AOC says that Congress is a lot like middle school.

She said that it would be a BFD if she (NY-14), Jamaal Bowman (NY-16), and Mondaire Jones (NY-17) all won.

She talked about having the long view - what might one think some decades from now about what one does.


She didn't mention the other progressive candidates in NYC-district races, like Melanie D'Arrigo (NY-03) against Tom Suozzi, Shaniyat Chowdhury (NY-05) against Gregory Meeks, Melquiades Gagarin (NY-06) against Grace Meng (AOC seems to get along well with her), Lindsey Boylan (NY-10) against Jerrold Nadler (AOC endorsed him), Lauren Ashcraft, Peter Harrison (NY-12) against Carolyn Maloney (she's AOC's boss on the Oversight Committee, and the two seem to get along), and Samelys Lopez (NY-15) (AOC's pick in a competition for a wide-open seat).

 

[lpetrich]

AOC rival calls congresswoman 'temperamental princess' ahead of Tuesday primary | Fox News
noting
Michelle Caruso-Cabrera - Posts - June 17, 8:17 PM (PDT?)

At tonight's Parkchester Times debate, in behavior more appropriate for a temperamental princess than an elected Member of Congress, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez demanded that reporters and audience members leave the room before she took the stage. She left the residents of the 14th District with a malfunctioning Facebook feed that could scarcely be heard.

That was because of restrictions of how many people in a room because of social-distancing requirements. 10 people max, and AOC did allow reporters.

AOC is clearly in favor of censorship. She is not a Democrat. She is not even a Democratic Socialist. She is a Socialist. This conduct would make the Politburo blush. She threw out residents of the 14th Congressional District who wanted to attend this debate. She threw out reporters who have put themselves and their families at risk day and night these past two months covering breaking stories related to COVID and social justice. Like a petulant child, AOC refused to take the stage until all of these individuals were removed from the room. What kind of representative does that?

AOC is acting like a spoiled, out-of-touch Hollywood celebrity. She is obviously unable to defend her record, and frightened that she will lose next week’s Democratic primary. She refused to participate in this debate until journalists shamed her into doing it...and boy, did she get her revenge on all of them tonight by having them tossed out of the debate hall.

A great description of MCC's former landlord.

I called on AOC to say whether or not she would vote for Joe Biden in Tuesday’s primary. AOC refused to answer the question. AOC could not commit to supporting our standard bearer in the Democratic Party. She refuses to work with Speaker Pelosi.

"Mama Bear" Nancy Pelosi? I've seen some people on the left call AOC a sellout.

She denigrates the work of her fellow Democrats and says she cares more than they do. She sure cares more than them about one thing, and that’s herself. She is a joke of a representative, and that’s why I am going to defeat her on Tuesday. It's time to deliver real results for the Bronx and Queens.

There's a big shortage of polling on NY-14, despite that race being a high-profile one.

Michelle Caruso-Cabrera on Twitter: "VIDEO: @AOC demanded reporters leave the debate room.
Reporter: I have to be here.
Event Organizer: Maybe go back forth? Let her come in 1st. She’s [AOC] not coming in if there is more than 15 pp. Let's stay outside. Clear the room.
AOC Staffer: OR she is not coming everybody! https://t.co/ZMzpPYxPyA" / Twitter

 

[lpetrich]

This is what MCC's campaigners have been spending their Wall Street Big Bux on:

Jason on Twitter: "While I’m no fan of Michelle Caruso-Cabrera her team has been incredibly efficient in getting advertisements, mailings & outreach development in ways that I’m not seeing AOC doing lately.... What’s going on?" / Twitter - Jun 4

Allen Ayal on Twitter: "@AOC Your opponent keeps sending me mailings. Start sending yours AOC,!" / Twitter - Jun 7

jason c on Twitter: "@KumarRaoNYC @AOC I live in the district and we are being inundated with leaflets in the mail from Caruso-Cabrera and just about all of it is attacks against AOC" / Twitter - Jun 18
then
Loren Petrich on Twitter: "@jaycarlow @KumarRaoNYC @AOC So MCC doesn't say what she supports? Or present herself as someone who'd make a good Rep for the district?
Have you gotten any mailings from AOC or Badrun Khan?
Have you seen any posters or TV commercials from any of these three?" / Twitter
then
jason c on Twitter: "@lpetrich @KumarRaoNYC @AOC MCC hasn’t really promoted herself in the mail leaflets just attacks, no mail from AOC which I think is a mistake, just a tv Ad and nothing Badrun Khan. AOC should be careful cuz turnout is going to be really low" / Twitter

Seems in character with the three debates. MCC mainly attacked AOC in them, without having much by way of policy positions.

Jon Michael on Twitter: "@AOC 80 postcards written by our fam & mailed out for you. I only see mcc mailers littering the gutter on corona ave." / Twitter - Jun 19
then
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Twitter: "@jnzqns So many thanks to you and your family! Postcarding is one of my favorite modes of indoor field organizing " / Twitter


Sean S on Twitter: "@WyvuMika @FlyThaiMMA AOC has an "ex-Republican" funded by Trump supporting billionaires who is literally flooding the airwaves with negative AOC ads in the entire NY metro area. People in NJ and CT are getting them." / Twitter

Sean S on Twitter: "@WyvuMika @FlyThaiMMA AOC's pollster said her internals had her up 73-11 in May, but I have family in the district and MCC is literally flooding the entire district with nonstop attack ads on television and attack mailers in the mail. Every day it's a new one." / Twitter

 

[lpetrich]

on Twitter: "AOC can make an inspiring ad, and she can do a perfect attack ad. Whew Chile her versatility is scary https://t.co/1Yx5o8SmHo" / Twitter - Jun 20

Logic Politics on Twitter: "Well, we always tell u that Beto is a rare breed. (Attack ad works but not this late. AOC is in trouble.) https://t.co/m652ei0t2E" / Twitter
noting
Jake Tapper on Twitter: "I suspect this is @AOC living the political mantra: run scared or run unopposed. And she’s not running unopposed." / Twitter
noting
Alex Thompson on Twitter: "AOC goes negative against Canruso-Cabrera in the final days of the primary campaign. H/t @freedlander
Interesting she felt the need to after her own polling in May that @daveweigel reported showed her at 73 percent. https://t.co/6Mj3Qr16qN" / Twitter
Simple. AOC doesn't want to take her seat for granted. That was her predecessor's big mistake. The ad:

Michelle Caruso-Cabrera isn't one of us. In 2016, she was a Republican, living in Trump Tower. Her husband is a Republican megadonor. She moved to Queens last year just to run for Congress, and Wall Street is pumping millions into her campaign. She would fight for them, not us. Wall Street and Trump already have enough power in Washington. Michelle Caruso-Cabrera will make it worse.

Ending with AOC herself saying "I'm Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and I approve this message."

Great ad. Very hard-hitting. Shows that AOC isn't afraid to hit hard if she has to. Guilt by association about Trump Tower? Maybe, but MCC hasn't tried very hard to distance herself from her former landlord, and her former residence is a very expensive place.


Lars Casteen on Twitter: "@AlxThomp I live in AOC's district and I'm getting non-stop negative mailers from MCC, so it's not super surprising from my point of view to see some retaliation." / Twitter

Dash on Twitter: "@AlxThomp @daveweigel @freedlander Good for AOC. As one who suffered through years of MC-C odious pontifications on CNBC, it's high time. What caused the Mortgage Crisis? 'Lazy poor people' - check out her past..." / Twitter

Kenny Perschetz on Twitter: "@AlxThomp @freedlander @daveweigel It's accurate. I watched Michelle Caruso-Cabrera for years when she was on CNBC. She's conservative, a Trump defender. She's masquerading as a Democrat to try to take down AOC. (links)" / Twitter

All in character with her book. Badrun Khan brought it up, and asked about abolishing SS and MC. MCC whined that BK quoted it out of context.

 

[lpetrich]

Sam Seder Interviews Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez - YouTube
AOC started with how some Wall Streeters consider her a big threat - she is not dependent on them. She got into MCC, and her bizarre accusations, like that she is never around in her district. She is on most weekends, and there are oodles of evidence of that she is present in her district much of the time.

Then MCC's accusation that she does not get along well with the Democratic Party leadership. She responds, in effect, so what about that? She doesn't want to be some corporatist Democrat who is hard to distinguish from a Republican. The CARES Act was inadequate -- a corporate bailout with some relief added on. Then about the HEROES Act, which she voted for, despite misgivings like supporting COBRA insurance supplements. But it includes support for immigrants, which she liked.

Then about the issue of why Wall Street has had such a strong response to progressive candidates -- to get Wall-Street-friendly candidates into strongly-Democratic seats. She thinks that it's a better use of resources to unseat such corporate-friendly Democrats in such seats. She recalls her own campaign, when her announcement made Joe Crowley support Medicare for All and other progressive policies. The Congressional Progressive Caucus has no entry requirements (M4A, Green New Deal, ...) - and has some un-progressive members.

The Parkchester Times 14th Congressional District Debate on BronxNet TV - YouTube - seems like the same video as posted by Sheikh Musa Drammeh and MCC.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Twitter: "What a day.
As I walked to my early voting site, I realized it was the Sonia Sotomayor Community Center.
When she was named 1st Latina to the SCOTUS, a Bronx Boricua, it made a younger me feel like there was a place for me in the world.
Today I cast my ballot under her name https://t.co/DiyhiXWYf5" / Twitter

Robert Costa on Twitter: ""She's got no sense, no credentials... a little charisma, not much," the president says, taking aim at Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) @AOC" / Twitter
then
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Twitter: "Ah yes - in fact, I’m so uncharismatic and untalented that the President of the United States has dedicated time at multiple rallies over two years to talk about me, a first term member of Congress *" / Twitter
then
Jen Perelman For Congress on Twitter: "@AOC They literally had to hire a Wall Street DINO to run against @AOC.
She’s THAT popular and will only be that much more effective going forward!" / Twitter

It could be a tough fight against MCC, so I don't want to celebrate too soon.

 

[Harry Bosch]

Sam Seder Interviews Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez - YouTube
AOC started with how some Wall Streeters consider her a big threat - she is not dependent on them. She got into MCC, and her bizarre accusations, like that she is never around in her district. She is on most weekends, and there are oodles of evidence of that she is present in her district much of the time.

Then MCC's accusation that she does not get along well with the Democratic Party leadership. She responds, in effect, so what about that? She doesn't want to be some corporatist Democrat who is hard to distinguish from a Republican. The CARES Act was inadequate -- a corporate bailout with some relief added on. Then about the HEROES Act, which she voted for, despite misgivings like supporting COBRA insurance supplements. But it includes support for immigrants, which she liked.

Then about the issue of why Wall Street has had such a strong response to progressive candidates -- to get Wall-Street-friendly candidates into strongly-Democratic seats. She thinks that it's a better use of resources to unseat such corporate-friendly Democrats in such seats. She recalls her own campaign, when her announcement made Joe Crowley support Medicare for All and other progressive policies. The Congressional Progressive Caucus has no entry requirements (M4A, Green New Deal, ...) - and has some un-progressive members.

The Parkchester Times 14th Congressional District Debate on BronxNet TV - YouTube - seems like the same video as posted by Sheikh Musa Drammeh and MCC.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Twitter: "What a day.
As I walked to my early voting site, I realized it was the Sonia Sotomayor Community Center.
When she was named 1st Latina to the SCOTUS, a Bronx Boricua, it made a younger me feel like there was a place for me in the world.
Today I cast my ballot under her name ?????? https://t.co/DiyhiXWYf5" / Twitter

Robert Costa on Twitter: ""She's got no sense, no credentials... a little charisma, not much," the president says, taking aim at Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) @AOC" / Twitter
then
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Twitter: "Ah yes - in fact, I’m so uncharismatic and untalented that the President of the United States has dedicated time at multiple rallies over two years to talk about me, a first term member of Congress ????????????*" / Twitter
then
Jen Perelman For Congress on Twitter: "@AOC They literally had to hire a Wall Street DINO to run against @AOC.
She’s THAT popular and will only be that much more effective going forward!" / Twitter

It could be a tough fight against MCC, so I don't want to celebrate too soon.

Do you find it ironic that AOC is upset that "outsiders" are financing her opponents, when she is helping finance the opponents in other races across the country? Do you not find that hypocritical?

 

[lpetrich]

Do you find it ironic that AOC is upset that "outsiders" are financing her opponents, when she is helping finance the opponents in other races across the country? Do you not find that hypocritical?

Maybe, but the candidates that she chooses to finance aren't carpetbaggers, as far as I can tell. Or Republicans trying to pose as Democrats.

@TheIndypendent on Twitter: "@AOC looking relaxed as she campaigned at the Jackson Heights Greenmarket today. Despite being hit with millions of $ in attack ads from an opponent who previously lived in Trump Tower, AOC is the heavy favorite to win her Democratic primary on Tuesday. Photo: @beafree https://t.co/FQyoMEGKNI" / Twitter
With a picture of her squatting/sitting on a street and blowing soap bubbles with a little kid in front of her.

I'm surprised that MCC isn't grumbling about how AOC is not much more than a baby kisser.

Is there something that she knows that the rest of us don't know? Or does she have some Plan B in case she loses?

Ocasio-Cortez builds political army, and a fundraising machine to match | TheHill

An analysis of the freshman firebrand's prodigious spending shows Ocasio-Cortez has nearly 40 staffers on her campaign, with 30 having been hired in 2020 — a staff size more typical of a top-tier Senate campaign than a congresswoman seeking reelection in a safely progressive seat.

She has spent $6.3 million so far this year, 6th among House candidates, and her total haul so far is $10.5 million, 5th among House candidates. She's beaten only by House GOP whip Steve Scalise (R-LA), House GOP leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), Devin Nunes (R-CA), and Adam Schiff (D-CA). She beats Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) at her own game. NP has raised $8.3 million for her campaign, though she also raises money for the DCCC (Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee).

Her spending hints that Ocasio-Cortez is working to build an even more robust fundraising operation. She has spent almost $1.2 million on Facebook ads that target viewers around the country, ads likely meant to recruit more donors. And she has spent half a million dollars renting email lists and advertising at a Washington-based consulting firm.

Part of this is to fight MCC, someone who has gotten big money from Wall Streeters and the backing of the US Chamber of Commerce. AOC has spent some $60,000 on a polling firm to watch her numbers. Her spokeswoman Lauren Hitt:

“Our challenger has spent millions on this primary race and has the support of three super PACs,” Hitt said in an email. “That’s why you’re seeing the spending you’re seeing. We take nothing for granted.”

AOC isn't repeating her predecessor's big mistake. Joe Crowley didn't think that she was much of a threat until it was too late for him.

Stan Oklobdzija, a postdoctoral fellow at the Claremont McKenna College Policy Lab who researches campaign finance, said star members of Congress with strong digital advertising presences raise and spend a lot of money, even in safe districts. Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas), a rising conservative star, is also high on the congressional campaign finance charts, having raised $6.6 million this cycle and spent $3.5 million, despite being a freshman in a ruby-red district.

AOC is supporting not only herself, but several other candidates, both nationally and locally.

Herrnson said her impressive fundraising could indicate a desire to advance into House leadership, run a statewide race or continue to grow the progressive movement, but regardless, she has national attention and a well-resourced platform from which to wield it.

“She has a national constituency and appears looking to grow it,” Herrnson said. “And that conforms with the notion of someone who has higher political ambitions.”

She's talked about being a little less lonely in Congress and opening the door for others, and she insists that she does not seek positions for the sake of seeking positions. So building a progressive political machine seems to be her priority, at least at the moment.

 

[lpetrich]

So I conclude that AOC is trying to build a progressive political machine. I think that that is the right idea, because that will get her more votes for what she wants. That's something like Brand New Congress's original ambition, to act like a political party inside of the two major political parties. I must note that BNC has been less-than-successful at that, nowadays being yet another PAC that recruits and assists candidates.

There is some precedent for this Plan B: what Amy Vilela and Katie Hill have been doing. Amy Vilela got 9.2% of the vote in the NV-04 D primary in 2018, and she is now involved in Matriarch PAC, sort of like a working-class version of EMILY's List. Katie Hill has founded a PAC called HER Time, and it's supporting several candidates.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Twitter: "To all dads + father figures, past, present, and future -
Your love, attention, and care moves mountains and changes the world. Thank you!
My papá believed in me, coached me, and challenged me. I wouldn’t be me without having had the gift of his love.
Happy Father’s Day https://t.co/D5zw1WmKr2" / Twitter

AOC interview 2020 - instagram ig live - YouTube by HollywoodSnaps
Started off with AOC's early voting - they had plexiglass shields for the staff members and a sterile pen for each voter.

About her opposition, she seems flattered that she should be thought such a big threat -- she must be very effective in Congress. She also says that not accepting corporate PAC money has a big influence on her policies - she doesn't have to please those big donors.

About Charles Booker, she likes how he is unabashedly progressive and rejecting of big money as he campaigns in Kentucky for Mitch McConnell's seat. She does concede that it is important for the Democratic Party to gain House seats, win the Senate, and win the Presidency, but the next question after that is: what kind of a Democratic Party?

The polling-place closures in KY are like those in GA, she says, an attempt to obstruct black voters. One doesn't see that in mostly white areas, she claims.

Then about "defunding" the police, and how it looks like a suburb. Like having nurses and social workers in schools instead of cops, having youth employment instead of letting a lot of young people hang out on the streets, ...

Then about all the TikTok and KPop teens who bought tickets for Trump's recent rally. Trump's campaigners bragged about how big it was going to be, and they reserved both indoor and outdoor space for it. But only about 6,200 people showed up.

Trump claimed in his rally that he slowed down testing to get the numbers down -- and he later claimed that it was a joke. Several Trump Admin people deserve to be impeached, like Atty Gnl Barr, and President Trump could be impeached several times over. As to John Bolton's book, she says "Don't buy it". She is sure that he is doing it for the money -- he didn't show up for the House impeachment proceedings.

As to what she learned in Congress, she thinks that we are at a tipping point for major change. It will nevertheless take a big push, however. It will require *both* voting and activism - one needs both political leadership and activist pressure.

 

[lpetrich]

New York primary: AOC faces test as progressives seek momentum

AOC pours $400,000 into campaign advertising ahead of primary - Axios

Ocasio-Cortez placed a $363,000 ad buy across broadcast, digital and radio June 17–22, according to Advertising Analytics. The Ocasio-Cortez team did not dispute this figure.

By contrast, Caruso-Cabrera invested $18,000 June 7–13, but also loaned herself $1 million for campaign expenditures at the end of last week, per FEC filings.

Lauren Hitt: "We feel very comfortable. It would be difficult for someone to close the gap." and "We don’t take anything for granted. We can afford to be extra safe."

9 things to watch on a huge primary day for Democrats - POLITICO

Ocasio-Cortez is facing a primary challenge of her own: Former CNBC anchor Michelle Caruso-Cabrera, who is challenging the freshman from the center. Caruso-Cabrera has been a strong fundraiser — raising over $2 million with the help of groups like the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which typically backs Republicans — but is still underfunded compared to the massive warchest for the progressive leader.

Still, Caruso-Cabrera kicked in an additional $1 million of her own money in the final days of the race — her first self-funding of the campaign. Ocasio-Cortez launched an attack ad slamming Caruso-Cabrera over the final weekend, a curious move for someone who espouses an inspirational, grassroots brand of politics.

She has released at least two and likely three ads, and only one of them is that attack ad. I like this assessment that I posted earlier: on Twitter: "AOC can make an inspiring ad, and she can do a perfect attack ad. Whew Chile her versatility is scary https://t.co/1Yx5o8SmHo" / Twitter

 

[lpetrich]

NY Democrats brace for primary night stunners | TheHill

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a fundraising powerhouse and one of the progressive left’s biggest stars, is taking her challenge from well-funded TV news anchor Michelle Caruso-Cabrera seriously.

...
Ocasio-Cortez, who rocketed to political stardom after her shocking defeat of former Rep. Joseph Crowley (D-N.Y.), is now defending her Queens district against Caruso-Cabrera, who has the backing of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and has leveraged her business contacts to raise $2 million. Caruso-Cabrera has a high profile from her time as a top correspondent for CNBC.

The progressive star has spent more than $6 million defending her seat this cycle and has one of the largest campaign operations of any House member.

“We take nothing for granted,” Ocasio-Cortez’s campaign spokeswoman Lauren Hitt said in an email to The Hill over the weekend.

AOC's campaign has been doing a lot of phonebanking, including lots of check-in calls: AOC’s Office Is Checking on How Constituents Are Dealing With COVID-19 | Vogue

In an Internet search, I found several announcements for AOC-campaign phonebanking, but I could find nothing comparable for MCC or BK.

 

[lpetrich]

iLovieNY on Instagram: “V T E ! #chalkischeap #chalkart #chalkartist #aoc #nyprimary #vote #voteaoc #democraticprimary #summerjob #bronxartist #parkchester #roaring6 #allerton #whiteplainsroad #thebronx #welcome2thebronx” - some very nice chalk art:

VOTE AC

With flowers and plant stems/leaves drawn around it.

Badrun Khan on Twitter: "A 3rd debate was scheduled for Wednesday w/@ParkchesterTime, but I’ve received word @AOC isn’t showing up. Since she was my actual competition, & #NY14 isn’t falling for “MCC”s Republican-masquerading-as-a-Democrat ploy, with no policies & all theatrics, I’ll sit this one out too" / Twitter
This looks like good news for AOC, since MCC is her most prominent opponent and BK seems far behind.

Nel Nieves on Twitter: "@badrun_khan @ParkchesterTime @AOC You mean #CabreraWhateva. She can go on that debate and repeat "AOC is MIA" all by herself for an hour & still lose this election because that's not a policy, she'd finally be telling the truth about @AOC.
I support your decision @badrun_khan. #YangGangForCongress " / Twitter
Great emojis. #CabreraWhateva - I like that

Badrun Khan on Twitter: "Badrun is getting ready for the big day tomorrow! Please, people of district 14, come out tomorrow Tuesday June 23rd and let’s change the future of our community with #badrunkhan! https://t.co/i3wo1D73Ak" / Twitter - AOC also has a candidate-sign truck, and she spoke some Bengali.

Badrun Khan on Twitter: "#NY14- if you think it’s time for a change in our representation, don’t make the mistake of voting for @MCaruso_Cabrera
She is a right-wing opportunist who JUST moved here.
Trump’s top economic advisor wrote the forward to her book.
Don’t fall for it.
Vote for me. For #NY14" / Twitter

 

[lpetrich]

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez faces primary challenge from Michelle Caruso-Cabrera - CNNPolitics

Ocasio-Cortez told CNN in March in response to accusations she isn't focused on her district, "Really, it just makes the person sound tone deaf because if you think I'm not around, the person who's not around is you, because you don't see us and we're everywhere. But if they want to go out and say things that are not true and run a Trump-ian style campaign, that's on them."

...
During a virtual debate in June, the congresswoman said she has hosted and attended over 200 events in the district, including 17 town halls, and organized 235,000 constituent check-in calls and delivered over 3,000 bags of groceries to constituents during the pandemic.

...
Ocasio-Cortez told CNN in March that "it's everyone's right to enter the race" when asked about primary challengers, but added that "anyone who poses a challenge gets kind of automatically platformed by Republican and far-right publications and they can fundraise off of it."

I must say that there's a kind of attack that neither AOC nor BK has made, as far as I know. Asking if MCC could have had any kind of journalism career with such shoddy "research". But I'm sure that MCC might have a great career on Fox News because of that.