Everyone should read this candid interview with @AOC from start to finish.

[melman]

Link to tweet

[Budi]

1. super human

Lemme put on the waders

[LizBeth]

2. I am not going to start getting in fights and taking sides within the Democratic Party nigh 12 hours

of a win, Aft3er a long, hard, 4 years fight with Trump and ALL Republicans that we are still in right now.

[mvd]

11. I agree. One day after President Elect Biden was elected and this?

I am a Bernie/AOC person, but why can’t we just be happy right now.

[LizBeth]

12. I like AOC. I am good with Sanders staying in his Independent self role. I and too many democrats

are not gonna play this game, and it is a game. It is jockeying. No.

[LizBeth]

14. Also, I will just say here and now. Pelsoi, every step 0of the way. Out of everyone with Trump term,

Pelosi fought the hardest. Tooth and nail. Took flying spittle flecks of covid in the face. She is next House speaker. I am not playing with that one either and it should well be 100% and if not there will be a long time with a red x over that name.

[PTWB]

16. She's responding to attacks being made against her and the progressive wing.

[cilla4progress]

24. Agree.

NYT interviewed her; should she have lied in response to questions?

Honest and unvarnished. She is a truth-teller and the Dem establishment would be wise to listen to her.

[mvd]

26. I'm on her side. I just think it's a shame there are arguments already

The Repukes are the only extremists.

[loyalsister]

61. Not really

When there are Dems more worried about the possibility of hurting white supremacists feelings than they are interested in pursuing equitable policies, we have a problem we need to confront.

[mvd]

76. Completely agree

[comradebillyboy]

3. Maybe if she didn't spend so much

time disparaging her colleagues she might not have that problem.

[TigressDem]

5. Exactly.

I was more harsh earlier.

But I COULD NOT BELIEVE it took such a small amount of time to have that happen.

Why didn't she just TALK to Joe and get assurance? She's on the list of people he would want to keep on his side.

Everything is such a battle right now, we can't have friendly fire and survive.

[redstatebluegirl]

7. She loves the cameras.

[TigressDem]

30. I am ok with that. She's awesome in her own right.

I don't disagree with her goals, just her methods.

UNITY is so important to get the most done in the shortest amount of time so we can get everything on AOC's list.

[Budi]

8. Hear's a speech of brilliance after a near-super-human campaign & win

[PTWB]

17. You know this is a response to attacks being levied against her and the progressive wing, right?

[TigressDem]

33. I am only upset she attacked Biden.

I support the goals, dislike the method.

I just wish she had talked to Joe and used her intelligence and persuasion to make a case and get and give support instead of going on the offensive via the media.

[PTWB]

37. What part of the interview did you interpret as attacking Biden?

I didn't see anything in it that came across that way to me but I'm not sure if I missed something or if we just interpret things differently. In her interview with Jake Tapper on CNN this morning she was quite supportive of and optimistic about Joe.

[TigressDem]

47. ON an earlier thread.

It's the tone of someone who is going lone wolf and thinks Biden isn't worthy of continued support.



Tom McCarthy
Sun 8 Nov 2020 05.21 EST
Last modified on Sun 8 Nov 2020 08.15 EST

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has criticised the Democratic party for incompetence in a no-holds-barred, post-election interview with the New York Times, warning that if the Biden administration does not put progressives in top positions, the party would lose big in the 2022 midterm elections.

Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/nov/08/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-ends-truce-by-warning-incompetent-democratic-party

[Gothmog]

54. Why is Biden leading AOC in her district?

Link to tweet

[Me.]

78. Now THat Is ONe Excellent Question

when apparently he's getting more votes in her district than she is. Should she be the one listening for a change?

[Gothmog]

53. Some candidates in swing districts got a better return

Link to tweet

[qazplm135]

4. Our side does

Way too much hero worship.

[Bettie]

6. Why bother to read the article? It's easier to just say she's terrible and should be more like

John Kasich, who is the current "hero".

Those who have chosen to hate her will continue to do so.

But they love Kasich, Schmidt, George Conway, etc.

But, AOC? Nah, she's too...progressive (which is, of course, icky) and doesn't belong in their party.

[Budi]

15. Here's the real brilliance. A near-super-heroic campaign & win

VP Kamala Harris, loved & admired across the globe.
She comes well equipped with a resume of super stellar creds that will carry her from VP to President in 2024.


Talk about brilliance & super human!

[Gothmog]

55. Vice President Harris is an amazing lady

[KG]

29. the 'wrong kind' of democrat, it seems.

[TigressDem]

40. There IS NO WRONG kind of DEM... We just are who we are.

WE simply need to work better on negotiating our differences.

IF we can do it WITHIN our party, we can spread those techniques outward and make progress on a greater scale.

Find the MAIN items we can agree upon and brainstorm on approaches and find out which ones can work now, with some work and which ones need major change to happen. That gives us short term, mid range and long term goals.

Far progressive ideas require a lot of change and getting there from where we are may take getting a lot of things in place to make them happen. If we can get things increasingly better with those end goals in sight, then it's still progress.

The Senate is so close it is going to be hard to get things done there unless we are united AND can get swing votes.

Our lead in the House has been chipped away, so we still need to be unified AND take into account that the long term goal is to make AS MUCH PROGRESS as possible from where we are right now.

It isn't a question of fully being "against" huge progressive ideals, but of being able to make a path there while keeping each other afloat in the midst of all the Rethug attacks that will surely happen.

[TigressDem]

35. I think that is unfair.

Honestly I don't even know who John Kasich is. I probably should.

All I know is when we fight among ourselves we are doing the work of the REICH Wing.

[Hoyt]

48. I'm trying to figure out why someone alerted on this comment.

[Bettie]

49. Probably because I mentioned

a currently favored Republican.

[Hoyt]

50. Good point. I was really surprised to see the jury. Glad you prevailed.

[Gothmog]

67. Kaisch Is correct about Defund the Police

This an issue that is designed to cause democrats to lose races

Link to tweet

[stopdiggin]

9. taking a look at the election we just (barely) weathered ...

And I have to say, I like this young woman -- quite a bit actually --
but I'm not willing to follow her in jumping off a cliff.

Even more so since we did not see any real blue wave mandate -- that so many of us hoped for. I'm with Joe Biden. And I'm really hoping it's not an either or thing.

[beastie boy]

10. AOC has always impressed me big time

Last edited Sun Nov 8, 2020, 07:09 PM - Edit history (1)

Sadly, she has also impressed me with being too ambitious.

Her saving grace, however, is that she is being ambitious not for her own sake, but for the sake an admirable ideal. Even if she appears to be her worst enemy sometimes, I can't help but admire her.

[Raven123]

23. Too ambitious?

[beastie boy]

28. My point is not that she is too ambitious, but that her ambition sometimes gets in the way of her

advancing her cause. It was not a general characterization of AOC. The way you are posing your question puts my comment a bit out of context.

[Raven123]

32. That's how I interpreted your comment. The clarification helps

[LanternWaste]

36. What specifically leads you to believe that...?

"her ambition sometimes gets in the way of her advancing her cause..."

[beastie boy]

42. AOC herself.

Over time, she has become more tolerant to aligning herself with mainstream Democrats. She has been most successful in achieving results this way, and less so, legislation-wise, when she promotes more ambitious projects like M4A. However, as far as promoting her brand, her ambition works for her, so rest assured, there is no risk of her going full mainstream.

[Bettie]

31. Notice, no one EVER says a man is

Too Ambitious, that is only for women.

[beastie boy]

46. There is context to what I said. Please see #28 for clarification.

[underpants]

44. Remember that she can't lose her seat other than in a primary

That gives her a lot of room to move and do what she wants, say what she wants to say.

[Me.]

79. Actually...New York Is Going To LOse A District

and bets are on the DEms making hers the one to go.

[underpants]

80. Oh. Didn't know that.

Link to tweet

?s=21

[LudwigPastorius]

56. She got where she is by challenging mainstream Dems, so she's going to ride that horse as far as...

it will take her.

I do believe she is sincere in her beliefs, but forecasting/threatening doom in 2022, if the president-elect doesn't appoint a cabinet she approves of - the day after his acceptance speech - is a buzzkiller and presents a disunified front to the public.

Part of me thinks that her statements were a not very tactful way of saying, "oooh oooh pick me!", something that probably should have been addressed directly to Biden instead of through the media.

[Gothmog]

62. She won in a very blue district

I am more impressed by Democrat who win in red districts

Link to tweet

[Demsrule86]

13. No when she can win a moderate seat outside of the Safe Bronx seat she occupies, I would be

interested in what she has to say...she could do much to win hearts and minds if she chooses...her decision. The house is held by moderates and if we lose even a few of those seats, we lose the house. that is the reality. We have not even had an inauguration so her timing is a bit off I think.

[bigtree]

38. beyond moderate is discredited republican politics

...the most dissimilar thing between NY and some 'moderate' state, beyond the fact that her district's landscape is mostly buildings and theirs is mostly dirt, is the population.

What moderate, red states need to get a grip on is that most Americans live in blue 'coastal' states. What moderates believe has nothing to do with geography, and everything to do with self-interest. That's not sacrosanct enough for AOC or any progressive in a blue state to give a damn about if it falls outside of basic human rights, safety, or common decency.

Red state Democrats need to recognize the results of this election where the vast majority of Americans who voted for Joe Biden did not materialize from their communities, but from districts like AOC's and other progressives in our party.

That's not AOC's problem, it's red state moderates' challenge and responsibility to turn them out.

[TigressDem]

45. I am a pragmatist. I have moderate goals AND progressive ideals.

AOC sometimes inspires me to believe more in the possibility of making bigger strides.

I really want progress and yet, with the HUGE resistance, I think we have to get Public WORKS programs going. I understand that if we just paid everyone X amount a month the economy would prosper beyond belief, but people in US think that if you give a man a fish, he eats for a day. Teach a man to fish and he will eat for a lifetime. So having a way to give people the dignity of working and earning their way out of poverty appeals so much more. It may seem stingy to progressives, but it's a trade off that let's people keep their dignity too.

Healthcare for all is great, but the tRumpies are convinced that is the path to socialism which means communism and all rights being taken away. If we can just keep ObamaCare and repair that, eventually we can get more. I guess it's like what can be done in a MASH unit and what can be done in ICU.

[George II]

18. I read the entire thing, but really all I and many Democrats needed to read is this:

"And so we know about extreme vulnerabilities in how Democrats run campaigns.

Some of this is criminal. It’s malpractice. Conor Lamb spent $2,000 on Facebook the week before the election. I don’t think anybody who is not on the internet in a real way in the Year of our Lord 2020 and loses an election can blame anyone else when you’re not even really on the internet."

Conor Lamb didn't lose an election, he WON! He knew what it took to win in HIS district. He did it. And he won. For the third time.

[Budi]

39. Connor Lamb won. This piece is such a poorly written promo ad.

I like politicians who don't rely on promo ads & photo ops to appear more than they are.
😕


Now VP Harris's speech, her creds, her professional resume, her endearing personality & her big brilliant future belongs to her own hard earned efforts.
***********


Spread the faith': Biden and Harris victory speeches offer message of unity - video highlights

Kamala Harris, the first Black woman and first South Asian American woman to become vice-president-elect, began her victory speech by quoting the late congressman and civil rights leader John Lewis, who said, 'Democracy is not a state, it is an act.'

A century after women won the right to vote, Harris, wearing suffragette white, spoke about her late mother, Shyamala Gopalan Harris. 'When she came here from India, at the age of 19, she maybe didn’t quite imagine this moment. But she believed so deeply in an America where a moment like this is possible,' she said.[/b]
'You chose truth': Kamala Harris's historic victory speech in full – video

***********

While AOC snips from the sideline at Dems heels, VP Kamala Harris is already the future of this nation.

All eyes & hearts are on VP Kamala Harris.

#KAMALA2024

[Gothmog]

63. This is what I found impressive

Link to tweet

[Raven123]

19. Maybe she should talk to Hillary. She might get some sage advice.

AOC is brilliant. She demonstrates thoughtful preparedness during Congressional that I would like to see from everyone. She is also young (in politics years) and i think she believed her early success locally and in certain circles would translate nationally a lot easier that has happened. Getting pushback is not new or surprising. Hope she can absorb it and grow.

[cilla4progress]

20. I feel like we can keep

some perspective on this.

I think AOC should have a leadership role in the Democratic party.

Balance, people. Inclusivity, diversity.

[BarackTheVote]

21. She is brilliant

and frankly, she sounds like everyone I have in my peer group and the Zoomers I’ve hung around. She and the Squad ARE the future. What she says basically comes down to “Democrats can’t Meme,” and that’s true—she’s one of the few to transcend that, she’s risen above the noise to become an icon and a beacon for young progressives. Resentment toward her and what she represents won’t win down the line, and rejecting the very real needs that she represents won’t service the people of this nation and this world.

Love you, AOC, I’ll be there when you run for higher office, with bells on!

[AmericanCanuck]

68. ...

[malaise]

22. Agree

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is a breath of fresh air.

[Codeine]

25. "Brilliance and superhuman commitment"?

That’s laying it on rather entirely too thick for a junior congressperson with little in the way of accomplishment, don’t you think?

As was said upthread, we do too much hero worship in this party. Heroes are for comic books.

[Budi]

27. Brilliantly super-human...Here She Stands, Present & Future

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100214507752

With the resume & the creds that brought her to this day.

[BainsBane]

64. +1

You'd think VP would be worth more attention than a congresswoman.

[Gothmog]

74. I love the last picture on that link

[bigtree]

34. remarkable, really, how mainstream Dem she's been so far

...sitting in one of the bluest districts in Congress and she's reached out to the middle, as far as anyone should expect.

[George II]

41. But when some of her Democratic colleagues reach out to the middle she's there to criticize them.

[underpants]

43. I'd be willing go off and start a homestead with her

See! I read the whole thing.

She’s smart. I wasn’t aware of the lack of structure in the DNC. The animosity towards her and to anyone dating to challenge an incumbent is as telling as her observations on the transition team.

[Gothmog]

51. AOC said she might quit politics, as some centrist Democrats blame progressives for House losses

Why read the NYT? I have been boycotting the NY for a long time and I am happy with other sources that did not work to elect trump. I will not open any NYT articles but I found this description of this interview to be interesting and sufficient

Link to tweet

"I don't even know if I want to be in politics," she told The Times. "You know, for real, in the first six months of my term, I didn't even know if I was going to run for re-election this year."

The Bronx native said the Democratic party has been hostile to progressive causes, like Medicare for All and the Movement for Black Lives.

"Externally, there's been a ton of support," she said, according to The Times. "But internally, it's been extremely hostile to anything that even smells progressive."

The interview happened Saturday, shortly after major news networks called the election for President-elect Joe Biden. While Biden won the presidency, Democrats down-ticket didn't fare quite as well, with some centrist party leaders blaming progressive messaging for the loss of House seats.

I am not impressed with her explanation

[George II]

57. By the way, in the 14th District of NY here are the comparative vote tallies:

Biden/Harris

https://web.enrboenyc.us/CND23464.html

111,478

A0C:

105,455

https://web.enrboenyc.us/CD226220.html

[AmericanCanuck]

65. wow -- Biden got more votes than AOC

6,023 voters liked the true progressive more!!

[Gothmog]

77. In her own district

I am not surprised that a good number of voters voted for Joe and not AOC

[AmericanCanuck]

58. No thanks .. I'm busy watching cartoons

[melman]

59. What's the key word?

[AmericanCanuck]

60. That question again - I am puzzled

Is there a hint or an internet link where the answer to the puzzle is?

[Gothmog]

69. I refuse to open NYT articles for a host of reasons

The summary was more than enough

[AmericanCanuck]

70. Some politicians just know how to get ratings and readership

by being notoriously aggressive. They are featured over and over again just for the antics rather than any substance.

Trump for example.

[Gothmog]

71. I have noticed this also

[AmericanCanuck]

72. And they also get a cult like following

One look at Trump supporters and one knows how it works.

[Gothmog]

73. I was a Clinton delegate to the Philadelphia convention

I saw the cult like actions of this group up close at the Philadelphia conventions and it was not fun. My daughter had a visitor pass to the first night of the convention and she was yelled at and called the c-word for not agreeing to get me to change my vote. My whip warned me of planned stunts of booing John Lewis. Elijah Cummings, Stacy Abrams and others and my whip informed me that sanders refused to tell his followers to cut out these planned stunts. There were a ton of other stunts

[pecosbob]

66. Was listening to NPR this morning when the traditional post-election progressive bashing began

The first person they interviewed after Biden's win was a member of the Problem Solvers Caucus. That's not someone from whom I wish to take advice or input.

[Budi]

75. "traditional post-election progressive bashing"

When did it become a tradition?

[Gothmog]

81. Here is my MVP

Link to tweet