Democratic Primaries
Related: About this forumAOC breaks with Bernie on how to lead the left
Of the half-dozen incumbent primary challengers Justice Democrats is backing this cycle, Ocasio-Cortez has endorsed just two. Neither was a particularly risky move: Both candidates Jessica Cisneros in Texas and Marie Newman in Illinois were taking on conservative Democrats who oppose abortion rights and later earned the support of several prominent national Democrats.
Ocasio-Cortezs reluctance marks a break with the outsider tactics of the activist left, represented by groups like Justice Democrats. This election cycle, the organization is trying to boot not just conservative Democrats but also some liberal Democrats and to replace them with members who are more left-wing. In other words, to replicate what it pulled off against Rep. Joe Crowley in 2018 by recruiting Ocasio-Cortez.
Ocasio-Cortezs shift coincides with turnover among top aides in her congressional office replacing some outspoken radicals with more traditional political professionals along with a broader reckoning on the left on how to expand Sanders coalition after his failure to significantly do so in the presidential primary. Some progressives have questioned whether Sanders should have softened his anti-establishment rhetoric and tried to build bridges with mainstream Democrats who voted for Hillary Clinton in 2016 rather than betting big on turning out disaffected and first-time voters.
Of the half-dozen incumbent primary challengers Justice Democrats is backing this cycle, Ocasio-Cortez has endorsed just two. Neither was a particularly risky move: Both candidates Jessica Cisneros in Texas and Marie Newman in Illinois were taking on conservative Democrats who oppose abortion rights and later earned the support of several prominent national Democrats.
Ocasio-Cortezs reluctance marks a break with the outsider tactics of the activist left, represented by groups like Justice Democrats. This election cycle, the organization is trying to boot not just conservative Democrats but also some liberal Democrats and to replace them with members who are more left-wing. In other words, to replicate what it pulled off against Rep. Joe Crowley in 2018 by recruiting Ocasio-Cortez.
Ocasio-Cortezs shift coincides with turnover among top aides in her congressional office replacing some outspoken radicals with more traditional political professionals along with a broader reckoning on the left on how to expand Sanders coalition after his failure to significantly do so in the presidential primary. Some progressives have questioned whether Sanders should have softened his anti-establishment rhetoric and tried to build bridges with mainstream Democrats who voted for Hillary Clinton in 2016 rather than betting big on turning out disaffected and first-time voters.
https://www.politico.com/news/2020/03/30/new-aoc-divides-the-left-150767
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
nycbos
(6,360 posts)... how the sausages are made. She is in the room where it happens.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
True Blue American
(18,166 posts)I was surprised how she followed the rule. Times up, she sat down. Impassioned about the virus in her district, but very subdued.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Bleacher Creature
(11,436 posts)You don't effect change by going at it solo and simply criticizing the Democratic Party 24/7, but rather join the party and try to effect change from within.
She's got a bright future.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Indykatie
(3,853 posts)Flame throwers rarely accomplish much except making noise and sowing chaos. Making bad endorsements against sitting congressmen and women is no way to go through a political life. Good on her for figuring it out in her first term. I fear it's too late for some others who are aligned with Bernie.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Bleacher Creature
(11,436 posts)He stepped up and agreed to champion the Green New Deal in the Senate. When it was announced that he was getting primaried, I think she realized that the number of years a person was in office wasn't by itself a reason why they should be replaced.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
RandySF
(70,652 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
ehrnst
(32,640 posts)That was unacceptable to her.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Butterflylady
(3,990 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
The Magistrate
(96,043 posts)She is a sensible young woman who has definitely got the 'X-factor' in abundance.
"From Bernies perspective, dropping out of a race once you have no chance of winning is peculiar behavior that can only be explained by the work of a hidden hand. For most politicians, though, it is actually standard operating procedure. Only Sanders seems to think the normal thing to do once voters have made clear they dont want to nominate you is to continue campaigning anyway."
"When things are not called by their right names, what is said cannot make sense. When what is said does not make sense, what is planned cannot succeed. When plans do not succeed, people become uneasy. When people are uneasy, punishments do not fit crimes. When punishments do not fit crimes, people cannot know where to put hand or foot."
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
redstatebluegirl
(12,482 posts)Thank goodness!!! I liked her at first and then I got very annoyed with her.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Hortensis
(58,785 posts)won't continue as an activist, and she's good at it.
It may be signaling a break (rather than just throwing some weight) with the insurgent, anti-Democratic left, like that nasty nest of hostiles in Justice Dems, and if so I'm very glad to hear it. She has talent, but extremists who can't function in congress always end up killing themselves off, and sometimes not before they sabotage what they claim to support.
(Sanders inevitably coming to mind is not an exception -- he's held onto the gold ring he managed to grab in the 1990 election by abandoning active pursuit of his beliefs to vote what he insists is "corrupt" 95-99%" ever since. Then, of course, came a change of roles.)
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
The Magistrate
(96,043 posts)There is nothing whatever wrong with activism on the left per se. The problem is when such activism becomes infected with nihilism and revolutionary romanticism. 'Bernie' and his wrecking crew display clearly the pug-marks of both these disfiguring traits.
"From Bernies perspective, dropping out of a race once you have no chance of winning is peculiar behavior that can only be explained by the work of a hidden hand. For most politicians, though, it is actually standard operating procedure. Only Sanders seems to think the normal thing to do once voters have made clear they dont want to nominate you is to continue campaigning anyway."
"When things are not called by their right names, what is said cannot make sense. When what is said does not make sense, what is planned cannot succeed. When plans do not succeed, people become uneasy. When people are uneasy, punishments do not fit crimes. When punishments do not fit crimes, people cannot know where to put hand or foot."
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
GemDigger
(4,328 posts)those very, very expensive things Bernie has up his sleeve.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
ehrnst
(32,640 posts)Politicians are mostly managers - they keep the wheels turning, approve budgets, read mounds of paperwork.
Many activists can't sit still for that.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
comradebillyboy
(10,467 posts)and the Democratic Party. She has correctly determined that making enemies of her potential allies would make her an irrelevant back bencher. One can't pass legislation without cooperation and compromise. She's finally figured that out. Now she needs to jump off Sanders sinking ship before it's too late.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
The Velveteen Ocelot
(120,904 posts)and that's not by staking out a position and refusing to budge from it like Bernie.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
George II
(67,782 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
LakeArenal
(29,813 posts)Did she endorse Biden?
Until then I wont read one sentence about her.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Dem4Life1102
(3,974 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
LakeArenal
(29,813 posts)I dont believe any of them at this point.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Celerity
(46,232 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Happy Hoosier
(8,405 posts)And she's figuring that out. Good. There's a time to raise a stink. Right now is the time with work with the caucus to make needed stuff happen fast.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
peggysue2
(11,479 posts)AOC appears to be a quick study learning what works and what doesn't. Bomb throwing does not encourage support or even the willingness to listen. It just pisses people off. Similarly, constant attacks on the party you wish to influence has the opposite effect.
The 'bend the knee' crowd, the Bernie or Bust acolytes have wounded themselves beyond repair. If the article is accurate, AOC apparently understands this and, no doubt, would like to hang onto her own seat.
Building bridges as opposed to burning bridges. What a concept!
Good one on her.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Algernon Moncrieff
(5,945 posts)This is often a time in any Congressional office when the aides that came on at the beginning step aside - either to organize for others, go get other policy-related Washington gigs, or head off to grad school.
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
DinahMoeHum
(22,489 posts). . .potential and otherwise.
Also, not every district is like AOC's, most especially not those in the purple/red states.
The "Berners" should have learned from 2018, when voters in the battleground districts chose relatively moderate candidates over the "Justice Democrats/Our Revolution" types in the primaries and then went on to pulverize the GOP incumbents and win back the House.
AOC's a quick study, thank goodness.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
LizBeth
(10,823 posts)AOC had a couple months with Sanders hand in his face, finger shaking in her face, being pushed to the side, like Sanders consistently does with women. Not something a privilege old man stops, I have found. While sitting among Democrats watching and helping them to fight for the people, life and death, in the last couple months.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Gothmog
(154,590 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden