Is Rookie Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez the Democratic version of President Donald Trump?

Another newbie …
A Susan Walsh/AP image

– Commentary from elsewhere with commentary added by Quincy Quarry News. 

 

Is rookie Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez the Democratic version of President Donald Trump?

 

What are Republicans to do when faced with an inexperienced, woefully underinformed, but charming and social media-savvy political opponent?  This is the challenge facing Republicans in Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, incoming freshman representative from New York’s 14th Congressional district.

 

Republicans face a confounding problem: attack her, and she only becomes more popular.  Ignore her, and in time she may rise up the ranks of the Democratic Party and perhaps so become an even greater threat down the road.

 

Sound familiar?

 

Ultimately, the best strategy for the GOP might be no strategy at all.  Which is to say, learn from the failed attempts to undermine another inexperienced, uninformed, at times charming enough, and social media-savvy politician whose current address is 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

 

Seemingly harmless logo image?
A Twitter image

So far, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has been something of a media darling since her surprise primary upset of ten term Congressman Joe Crowley.  

 

That and offering a fresh alternative to the staid Democratic establishment. 

 

She is telegenic, seen as a believably genuine new face in politics, and possesses a keen eye for social media engagement. 

 

And when someone aims at her on Twitter, she hits back with ferocity and intelligence.

 

But what @AOC has in social media and public relations savvy, she lacks in policy chops as well as the basics of governance.  Ocasio-Cortez has at times struggled to articulate her positions during interviews; for example, when she has been pressed on how to fund and implement her more lofty progressive policy objectives. 

 

Her usual fallback is to note that nobody ever makes Republicans explain how they intend to pay for wars, so they should not similarly scrutinize her domestic priorities.   At best, however, such is a dodge.

 

Not all Hail Caesar
A Facebook meme

Additionally, her constitutional knowledge is Trumpian. 

 

Ocasio-Cortez is also not above threatening private citizens with the might of government. 

 

So what for the fact that an incoming rookie member of the House of Representation is a rookie on a team with a very large roster wherein positions of real power are held by established and battle-scarred veterans, not to mention that the executive branch is where the real power lies.

 

Like Trump, however, none of that matters to her supporters.  And that is a problem for Republicans.

 

Sensing a legitimate threat, or perhaps just seeking to calibrate their attacks on a doe-eyed political neophyte, conservatives have pursued the entirely counterproductive strategy of taking on Ocasio-Cortez directly.

 

Legitimate criticisms of her ignorance of policy and economics, somewhat more tenuous attacks on her claims of poverty, and even her choice of clothes have been lobbed her way.

 

Normally, dunking on democratic socialists who wear nice suits is an easy way to score quick political points.  That and by piling on some of Ocasio-Cortez’s more notable substantive policy gaffes.

 

But conservatives have underestimated the power of her social media halo and so far Ocasio-Cortez has managed to turn the tables on critics. 

 

Sympathetic media coverage has also helped.

 

Plus, surely at least some can spot ultimately other side of the coin displays of Projection when they see it.

 

In any event, simply ignoring Ocasio-Cortez may prove to be just as counterproductive.   Allowing her an unopposed platform will allow her to grow her supporters and lay the groundwork for higher political ambitions down the road which Republicans would likely find hard to undermine.

 

In any event, Quincy Quarry blames social media for most of the messes we are in as a nation, if not also threatening all of humanity.

Source: Ocasio-Cortez’s critics’ mistake: They should learn from how liberals and conservatives failed to bring down Donald Trump – NY Daily News

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