Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez says she'd be 'hard pressed' to back Biden in primary

[Scurrilous]

<snip>

"Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the progressive US congresswoman and social media sensation, has said she would be “hard pressed” to endorse the frontrunner, Joe Biden, in the Democratic presidential primary.

The statement is the latest sign of the left’s apathy towards the former vice-president, who has surged ahead of the Senator Bernie Sanders and other rivals in recent polls.

Sanders, a self-declared democratic socialist, appears to be the favourite to secure 29-year-old Ocasio-Cortez’s prized endorsement but she said she was still some way off making a decision.

“I’m not close to an endorsement announcement any time soon,” she told the Guardian on Tuesday. “I’m still trying to get a handle on my job. It seems like ages but I’m just five months in and we have quite some time. The debates are in the summer and our first primary election for the entire country isn’t until next year.”

Asked if she would consider endorsing Biden, widely seen as a centrist, Ocasio-Cortez replied: “I’d be hard pressed to see that happen, to be honest, in a primary.”

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/may/21/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-2020-support-democrats-sanders-biden

[rainy]

1. I'm with her on Biden:)

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

63. I think AOC should at least keep an open mind on Biden...

given that he has already apologized and/or evolved on some of his controversial prior actions and issues and, perhaps, will continue to do so in a way that will make him more attractive to progressive voters.

While I'm somewhat skeptical this will happen, Biden is a pretty sharp politician... so, it's certainly a possibility and Biden would be smart to do so.


Bernie & Elizabeth 2020!!!
Welcome to the revolution!!

[Luciferous]

119. To be fair, she said "in a primary." Sounds like she might change her mind if he ends up with

the nomination.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

131. Yes, of course... no question AOC will support the Democratic nominee in the general, whomever it is

I'd be surprised and disappointed if she didn't.


Bernie & Elizabeth 2020!!!
Welcome to the revolution!!

[cstanleytech]

139. Nothing wrong here on the DU with that though I would hope everyone here on the DU will provide

their full support to whatever candidate we finally do pick unlike last time when alot of people stupidly sat out the election due to hurt feelings.

[saidsimplesimon]

151. Our Democratic candidates are

not whining about "hurt feelings". We are united, unless we allow the talking heads to manipulate the narrative. imo

[crazytown]

2. AOC is DSA

Why ask her?

[Cha]

15. She's also JD

Justice Democrats. ... Justice Democrats is an American progressive political action committee founded on January 23, 2017, by Kyle Kulinski of Secular Talk, Cenk Uygur of The Young Turks, and former leadership from the 2016 Bernie Sanders presidential campaign

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justice_Democrats

[Celerity]

96. No she is not JD, she left them almost a year ago, in June 2018

https://www.snopes.com/news/2019/03/07/aoc-chief-of-staff/

In January 2017 Chakrabarti was also co-founder of the “Justice Democrats” PAC, although he was never listed as the committee’s treasurer in FEC filings. He was registered as the entity’s executive director in 2018, although attorneys for Ocasio-Cortez told us he left the board of Justice Democrats in January 2019, and Ocasio-Cortez left the board of directors in June 2018.

But Corbin Trent, the congresswoman’s spokesman, said she left the PAC as soon as she beat Crowley.

“She left the board, I think it was the day after the primary. They just filed the paperwork in D.C. (this month) So there was a change there,” he said.

He also said Ocasio-Cortez sent an email to the Justice Democrats’ lawyer announcing her resignation.

“We all resigned because we thought it was the right thing to do, not because it was the law,” Trent told The Post.

She has no control over what JD does.

Also, Cenk resigned from JD (per your own link) on December 22, 2017, and Kulinski resigned the next day.

[Nuggets]

18. Good question.

Why is the media following this Dem around? Who cared who she endorses? What has she accomplished thus far? Why the Netflix special?

Why is this particular Dem so important our news networks follow her around and not folks like Sharice Davids?

Frankly I find the perpetual MSM attention on this woman weird considering her lack of accomplishments.

[crazytown]

25. The cult of personality attaches to extremists

like...

well I better not say

[Nuggets]

29. Yup

[crazytown]

33. :hi:

'I'm every person you need to be'

[John Fante]

44. You know the Republican propoganda machine has been successful

when AOC is labeled an "extremist".

[crazytown]

45. The DSA is an extreme organization.

AKAIK AOC is still a member. Whether she still stands by their ideology is up to her.

[KPN]

103. Exactly! And you have to wonder ...

[crazytown]

105. I don't have to wonder one minute about the revolutionary left

Whether they call themselves Trotskyites or the DSA, the song remains the same.

[KPN]

106. A little hyperbolic i'd say not to mention incendiary in that

it serves no useful purpose unless one’ goal is to expel those who promote FDR progressive principles.

[crazytown]

109. I would not have said it unless I believed it.

While the policy prescriptions of the progressive left, and the revolutionary left are broadly the same, the rationale is quite different. The progressive left seeks to save capitalism from itself. Both FDR and Elizabeth Warren have said they believe in capitalism. The revolutionary left seeks to replace capitalism with state or democratic authorities such as independent statutory entities, workers councils or popular collectives. The revolutionary left seeks to supplant capitalism, not regulate it or save it from crisis.

To quote the DSA

Socialism means the democratic socialization of the banks and corporations, of industry and agriculture, of the media and culture. Historically this idea has presumed the creation of a working class party, the destruction of the capitalist state, and the creation of a new more democratic government, the nationalization, municipalization, or the cooperitivization of the economy, the democratic elaboration of a national economic plan, and within that plan widespread community control and workers’ power in the workplace. This is not Bernie.

Bernie has often said that he looks back to Democratic President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s “New Deal” for his political model. In fact, FDR’s New Deal of the 1930s–and more important the economic expansion of World War II—established the social compact that saved capitalism. Then, updated in the 1960s by Lyndon B. Johnson’s “Great Society,” it stabilized an increasingly crisis-ridden capitalism for another couple of decades until the Great Recession of 2008. The New Deal and Great Society, of course, were made possible by America’s global economic, political, and military dominance and hegemony by imperialism. The New Deal’s social Keynesianism morphed into military Keynesianism, which underlay much of American prosperity. That is the essential fact of the original New Deal.

https://www.dsausa.org/weekly/a-dialogue-should-dsa-endorse-bernie-sanders-before-the-convention/

A revolutionary left means just that: A revolution to overthrow capitalism in part or in full. It has nothing to do with FDR's new deal.

[Laelth]

144. I honestly don't think there are more than 10,000 "revolutionary" leftists in the United States.

And few, if any, "revolutionary leftists" are elected officials. I think that nearly all of our elected Democrats are liberal, or "progressive," to use your term. They're simply liberals--capitalists who want to save capitalism from its own excesses by ensuring that the benefits of capitalism are more equally distributed throughout society. Bernie Sanders can call himself a socialist all he wants, but he's really a liberal. He's certainly not advocating state ownership of all property. That's a socialist position.

-Laelth

[KPN]

102. AOC an "extremist"? That's helpful to building party cohesion.

Geesh. The extremists are all on the other side in my view.

[Nuggets]

140. Hilarious considering AOC

has been horrible at party cohesion along with her mentor Sanders. Now why would these two spend so much time bashing Democrats? It certainly isn’t cohesive.

[tymorial]

128. Wow I can't believe you went there

I happen to agree but I don't have the balls to say it.

[aidbo]

148. Are you saying that AOC is an extremist?

What makes you say that?

[wasupaloopa]

65. The media needs the "divided Dems" story for the next year and a half.

[crazytown]

75. I doubt AOC will assist the media in a 'divided Dems' narrative.

She is entitled to back any candidate she wants, but unlike Senator Sanders, has not spent a lifetime, outside looking in. She is ambitious woman with a future inside the Party if that is what she chooses. In the House she has seen the enemy, and they are not Democrats.

[wasupaloopa]

111. I am talking about the media turning her story into something it isn't.

[crazytown]

113. I take your point.

‘Righr’ On.

[kstewart33]

77. Bingo, fellow Coloradan.

Charismatic, articulate and smart, yes. But accomplishments? Not so much.

[True Blue American]

87. AOC

Would have faded into the background long ago if the media would quit chasing rainbows.

She had a couple of good questions in hearings but so did the other democrats. Her accomplishments are zero at this time. Let us see how she does.

We have many really accomplished women now in Congress.

[brooklynite]

118. Because, in the news trade, she's "good copy"...

[Honeycombe8]

123. I wonder that, too. Who died and named her the leader of the Democratic Party?

The choice is simple. The Dem Party nominee or Trump (or a replacement Republican). That's it. Is her agenda different from that?

[CentralMass]

57. Why not ?

[Blue_true]

3. She has overplayed her hand on this particular issue.

Unless she does a head scratcher and endorse a Klobuchar, Gillibrand, Harris, Booker, Inslee, her endorsement is going to be a non event. I prefer that she endorses Senator Warren, I think that will help Senator Warren right away and help AOC long term.

[oldsoftie]

4. Next we'll be asking her opinion on the NBA Finals.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

12. LMAO

Warriors!

[SidDithers]

69. Raptors!!...

Sid

[Cha]

13. No kidding..

[Nuggets]

28. Lol 😂

[Arkansas Granny]

5. I'm not concerned who she supports during the primaries as long as she supports

the Democratic nominee in the general.

[rusty quoin]

82. And she will support the nominee in the general.

What’s the big deal? It’s not like we are going communist. It is all about how for 30 years the country has been pulled right.

There is no present danger of AOC, though I wish it.

[Loki Liesmith]

6. Who cares who she backs in a primary?

The general is where I begin to care.

[brush]

71. My thoughts exactly. And who even needs to hear that from her?

[Iliyah]

7. Just don't then.

Simple. Support who you want in the primaries. For right now, it is still a democracy, well at least in the Democrats' circle.

[dalton99a]

8. Ok, Biden is done for.

[True Blue American]

88. Yeah, Right!

[doc03]

9. To me that is a endorsement for Biden nt

[Cha]

10. Don't Care!

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

Scurrilous

[Scurrilous]

11. ...

[nini]

17. Me either

The need for Biden's statesmanship is critical as we try to move forward. I know AOC doesn't seem to get that but more power to her.

Let's hope she keeps working on her job like she said.

[Cha]

26. Mahalo, nini! It's true.. we'd

be fortunate to have Joe Biden as President with all his experience as President Obama's VP, and his own Foreign policy expertise!

[Me.]

21. Yawn...She Was Never My Go To For Advice

[Cha]

27. lol.. ikr..

in fact.. the opposite.

Me

[FloridaBlues]

39. Perhaps getting over her skies too often. We will se what her voters do in Her next election

Just be on board for the general election.
There is no prefect candidate

[Me.]

42. Quite

let's get past that lesser of 2 evils nonsense

[Chin music]

62. The focus should be on trump and his cadre of criminals.

This is too early to be stink eye'in each other. imho. Nothing wrong w Joe.

[Cha]

67. Agree, Chin music!

[SCRUBDASHRUB]

14. Like I give a shat.

[abqtommy]

16. One voice does not

speak to "the left's apathy"!

[Me.]

19. And If He's Our Nominee?

will she pull a Sarandon?

[JI7]

32. she specifically mentioned the primary as where she is unlikely to endorse him

so if he is the nominee i assume that means she would.

if she didn't she would probably lose her election since it's a democratic district.

[BootinUp]

20. funny, that. nt

[oasis]

22. "trying to get a handle on my job"?

Wasn't that AOC who was all over the country helping to primary incumbent Democrats?

[Autumn]

23. Rec, just because.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

56. Bazinga!

[Autumn]

59. You know it!

[sheshe2]

84. OMG!

Is that guy...... never mind.

[Gothmog]

24. Biden will easily win New York without her support

[Cha]

31. Ha! there is

that!

[MustLoveBeagles]

30. I don't care who she supports in the primaries

as long she votes for our nominee in the general no matter who he or she is.

[TwilightZone]

34. "the left's apathy towards the former vice-president"

Right, that's why he's dominating the polls and leading most, if not all, demographic groups.

As for her endorsement or lack thereof, it's not surprising. I wouldn't expect her to endorse Biden.

[JudyM]

47. He may be dominating the polls because the progressive vote is split among great candidates.

[TwilightZone]

50. He has roughly the same support as the next three candidates combined.

That quite clearly cannot be representative of "apathy". It's a silly assertion.

[JudyM]

99. The next 4 after him are quite a bit more progressive/left than he is. When their poll numbers

together beat his (i.e., in every poll that I’ve seen) that says the progressive vote is split and his lead is due to that split.

[Honeycombe8]

125. I don't think so. His numbers have been more than all the others combined, on occasion.

I personally think it's national name recognition and likability. Like a comfortable old shoe. Not dramatic. Not showy. Not scandalous. Good old Joe. Back to normal times.

The debates could show one of the lesser knowns stand out from the crowd. I hope.

[JudyM]

130. A bit of a mystery, I suppose. We'll find out as it all unfolds...

[Honeycombe8]

135. I hope so. I hope there's more of a competition than this.

I hope the numbers get closer. I think the debates may help clarify things.

[jalan48]

35. No surprise. She ran as a Progressive against a Centrist in 2016 and won.

[Lulu KC]

36. No surprise

She hung with Bernie against Sharice Davids, who flipped a Republican incumbent.

[cynatnite]

37. She can support or not support whomever during primary season...

The general election she better have the nominee's back no matter who it is.

[NurseJackie]

38. Oh, he's doomed!

[Green Line]

73. Lol

[DCofVA]

40. She is wise beyond her years.

I wish she was old enough to be President Warren’s VP.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

66. That would make a formidable ticket that would be hard to beat...

but, I have a feeling AOC will make a great Speaker of the House one day, if she doesn't first find herself on a winning ticket for the ultimate office. Until then, I prefer this one...


Bernie & Elizabeth 2020!!!
Welcome to the revolution!!

[Green Line]

74. That ticket

Would go over big in the rust belt, yikes!

[BlueWI]

121. Yeah, too bad we didn't nominated a centrist in 2016.

The rust belt would have been ours!

Wait...

[GulfCoast66]

41. Good. That will help him here in Florida. Other places as well.

Because our Democratic voters are nothing like those in Brooklyn, the Bronx and Queens.

Nothing against her or her voters. She represents them well.

But NYC is not the US.

[4now]

43. I would be 'hard pressed' to care who she supports in primary

[NYMinute]

52. Has she opened her NY office in her district yet?

It has been 6 months and counting ….

Perhaps she should focus on that first.

[BannonsLiver]

112. Why bother with mundane issues like constituent services

[aidbo]

149. Maybe you'd like to go check it out?

74-09 37th Avenue
Suite 305
Jackson Heights, NY 11372
You can call us at 718-662-5970

Below you can find information for the Jackson Heights District office. You are welcome to phone or send a message to us through the U.S. Postal Service. Please note that postal mail is the slowest method for contacting us. All postal mail sent to our offices must be scanned for security purposes, which means it will take an additional two weeks for us to receive it. If you prefer, you may contact us by e-mail.

https://ocasio-cortez.house.gov/contact/offices/jackson-heights-office

[BluesRunTheGame]

150. 12 weeks ago.

But who’s counting?

[Kaleva]

46. Close to 50% of DUers are endorsing other candidates.

[Nanjeanne]

48. Me too AOC. Primaries are for us to vote for candidates we want to win. Nothing

controversial there. Primaries aren’t the general election. So no need to support Biden now. If he’s the nominee, I’m sure she will vote for him - as will I if it comes to that.

[Ferrets are Cool]

49. Neither will I. nt

[Cha]

60. Awesome!

[NYMinute]

51. This will help immensely with centrists and independents

where she is extremely unpopular.

ty AOC

[emmaverybo]

70. Good one!

[EveHammond13]

53. as long as she backs the nominee

[shanny]

54. She definitely shouldn't back him in the primary.

Why would she?

[Cha]

58. Like I said..

I don't care.. it's totally irrelevant.

[democratisphere]

55. Irrelevant.

[Chin music]

61. "In the primary."

Do what you gotta do AOC, but, don't overplay it. We all will choose our darlings in the primary. And then whomever gets picked.

[dem4decades]

64. She probably wouldn't back Obama either.

And i love Obama

[Mike Nelson]

68. I predict...

… she will vote for someone other than Biden in the Primary, then vote for the Democrat in the General Election. That's my prediction nd I'm not wavering.

[onecaliberal]

72. This is exactly the kind of shit we do not need. Wtf is wrong with people.

There will be no country left with another 4 years, and NOTHING will get done to save anyone or anything.

[Linda Ed]

76. She has a right to state her mind

but quite frankly,,,we cannot and SHOULD not put any candidate down ....we need to stick together...Keep her comments to herself and speak highly of ALL our candidates...We all have our opinions who we like and don't like but for her as a representative of our party and of this country she really needs to button the lip...JMHO

[still_one]

78. What I have noticed is the Guardian really seems to go out of its way to cast dispersions on Biden

verses the other Democratic candidates.

and while Rep. Ocasio-Cortez like all of us, are entitled to our candidate preferences, it would be far more prudent in my view for a person in her position to wait until at least the first debates before weighing in on her preference

[RelativelyJones]

79. AOC is convinced that calling out only goes in one direction

I'm always amazed at how she thinks she can dis fellow Dems and not pay a political price for it. She'll certainly find out that her amen choir is not as big as she believes it is.

[NYMinute]

85. It is sort of like a bar

one person makes and serves drinks and all the others drink them.

[Tarheel_Dem]

80. Susan Sarandon was her biggest backer. Is anyone surprised by this? n/t

[KPN]

107. Oh? What basis do you say this on?

[Tarheel_Dem]

110. Did you ever admit that you were wrong about that "online poll"? n/t

[LuvLoogie]

81. I like her answer.

Given who she is. The flip side is that she has not endorsed Bernie, either. I mean what is she waiting for? He could sure use her endorsement right about now.

I just imagine her Big Sister Dems saying, "You do you, honey. We gotchu."

[LongtimeAZDem]

83. That can only help Biden

[Kahuna7]

98. Yep. Whomever she endorses will have to own her socialist views. nt

[myohmy2]

86. understandable...

...I feel the same way...the race has just begun...

...I'm keeping my powder dry...

[GeniusJoy]

89. If a member of congress would have ever said this about Bernie...

His supporters would say that the election was "rigged" and that Bernie was fighting the "establishment."

[Hortensis]

90. Okay. It's the primary and we have several solid candidates

who are ethical, experienced, and competent and who would like to have her endorsement, including Biden.

Time and reactions to Sanders behavior should give her an idea if she could get away with endorsing him, but I'm guessing she may already have decided. He won't be the nominee, he isn't popular with voters in her district, and she needs to get reelected in 2020.

[progressoid]

91. Wow,

considering that the demographic of DU skews toward retirement age, it's interesting to see so few mature responses.

[Kahuna7]

92. Biden to AOC: I'm good.

[RelativelyJones]

97. +1

[NurseJackie]

93. What good purpose does it serve for her to talk that way about the next president?

but she said she was still some way off making a decision.

Sounds like she's already made her decision. Why is she being coy and playing games?

[Celerity]

94. It's the primary, obviously she will support a candidate she prefers, just as she will support the

nominee in the general.

talk about a tempest in a teapot

[Peacetrain]

95. Her record in 2018 was not good..

so I am not worried.. I would support Sanders if got the nod, because the needs of the many are greater than me being right..

[highplainsdem]

100. Most of the party would be hard pressed to care which candidate she prefers.

But it's interesting to see that as a 2016 Sanders campaign organizer, who's been appearing with Sanders lately, she really thinks she's keeping people in suspense.

I do hope she gets a handle on her job soon, since she says she's "still trying" to do that.

[NastyRiffraff]

101. I don't give a shit whom she endorses for the primary

Her endorsement means little compared to some. (I get that she would beg to differ.) I care about whether or not she'll vote for the Democratic nominee, whomever that turns out to be, if she doesn't like him or her. And honestly, I worry about that.

[BannonsLiver]

145. I do too

In fact if the ticket is not to her liking I expect she will complain bitterly to the media who will eat it up like manna from heaven. The rub is I think any ticket that doesn’t include Bernie will elicit that reaction from her.

[KPN]

104. Obviously, some would drum beat her out of the party

if they could. If that’s what they want, they may get their wish and maybe more.

[GulfCoast66]

108. No one wants to drum beat her out of the party!

We’re a big tent party and she represents her district well, I assume.

But when a primary winner, who is insured being elected in a safe Democratic districts goes on the road attempting to primary sitting democratic representatives in districts halfway across the country from hers, it is naive to not expect a cynical reaction as to her commitment to the party.

And part of the blowback is the fault of the conflict driven press. Many of us democrats know that our blue wave in 18 was really a victory of moderate democrats in moderate, often republicans leaning districts. The 50 state strategy. She is not representative of our average freshmen but has happily claimed the face of her freshmen class. I would bet the resentment of her fellow freshmen, many who will have a hard fight in 20, makes the vitriol on DU seem picayune.

[KPN]

116. Baloney! When people here call her

"extremist", a "Trotskyite", they are implicitly saying she represents a bad element. What the hell is that if it isn’t saying she doesn’t belong?

[Honeycombe8]

124. She is actually not representative of the average freshman.

Just wanted to correct that false picture. Most of the freshmen are standard liberals, not Democratic-Socialists.

She gets more air time, though, because she says and does things geared to get her coverage.

[GulfCoast66]

132. Just re-read my post.

That’s the point I made. Most of our Freshmen, having won republican held districts are in the moderate side of our party.

The few progressives get all the attention.

[Honeycombe8]

134. Oh, I think I responded to the wrong post.

We agree, I think.

[GeniusJoy]

114. I like Katie Porter and Katie Hill more

Much more! They are whip smart!

[flamingdem]

142. this

There was no need for her to say this.

[Hortensis]

147. Agree. They're both outstanding and already marked for leadership.

[Partisan D]

115. Who cares?

It's her right. She's just one Congresswoman from a safe Dem district. It's not like she's Barack Obama or Al Gore or Hillary Clinton.

I'd be hard-pressed to back Ocasio-Cortez in a primary. It's not a big deal. Just as long as we all get our s--t together for the general election.

[murielm99]

117. Her "prized" endorsement?

Sez who?

[MrsCoffee]

120. Considering the rate at which Justice Democrat endorsed candidates win,

I don’t think Joe has any problem with this.

[Honeycombe8]

122. What a good Democratic Party representative in an historical time. Not.

Placing her own ideal for perfection above reality for the good of the country...makes me wonder what her goals are.

I don't support Biden, either, and I'm more moderate! So I get it. But the end game may not be Biden vs. her friend Sanders. It may be Biden vs. Trump. Non-support for the Democratic nominee is support for Trump. That's the choice.

She may think she can force Biden to veer left. Not gonna happen. He's stuck in his thing that he has followed for longer than Cortez has been alive.

[redstatebluegirl]

126. Any Democrat who doesn't vote for the nominee is flat out nuts.

I have no use for Bernie, but if he is the nominee I will vote for him because anyone is better than 45. If you don't think that I have serious doubts about you.

[TDale313]

127. So? She's talking the primaries.

There are other candidates closer to her views politically already in. Primaries are where we hash this stuff out. I am kinda with her on Biden- not convinced he’s our best bet against Trump. That said, he gets the nomination, I’m all in.

[Locrian]

129. complete non issue

EVERYONE in the primaries is going to have ONE vote so by definition will support candidate x over candidate y.

[Celerity]

137. bullshit

Outrageous to compare one of our extremely substantive and savvy new Democratic congresswomen to Paris Hilton.



Fucking RW talking point, pure brewed.

[aikoaiko]

136. Not surprising.

[aikoaiko]

138. She ain't the only one.

[Tarheel_Dem]

141. How many of her 2018 endorsements panned out? That might help put the value of her....

endorsement into perspective.

[Laelth]

143. Without regard to her opinion on Vice President Biden, that was beautifully said. n/t

-Laelth

[mtnsnake]

146. Anyone who thinks AOC's voice doesn't matter in a big way is making a big mistake

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has a huge following that's growing all the time and her fans are the enthusiastic type of voters who actually show up to vote in primaries.

Consider this situation which could very well happen. AOC seems to favor Bernie Sanders in a big way even though she hasn't endorsed him yet, right? Let's say Bernie drops out of the race sometime down the road. Who do you think AOC will immediately endorse if that happens? Most likely she'd endorse Elizabeth Warren. If AOC endorses EW, who do you think Bernie's supporters will rally behind? They'll rally behind Elizabeth Warren. When you add Bernie's supporters to the ones Elizabeth already has at that time, it could easily be enough to put EW over the top. AOC can be a game changer in the primary, so it would be a big mistake for anyone to underestimate her influence in this campaign.

[JustAnotherGen]

152. She shouldn't be held up as a litmus test

Look to those Congress People who flipped seats.

Malinowski flipped a seat that had been held by the GOP for 38 years.

This district voted for both Obama and Leonard Lance.


In the Freshman class where the stakes are higher - but have people who had really hard wins . . . Look to them.

AOC is like John Lewis now - the demographics are in her favor - she can never lose.

There is nothing on the line here for her.