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Why is AOC a big deal? She just speaks common sense and calls out absurdity. Have we really gone that far off the rails where we don't do it ourselves? (lemmy.world)
submitted 19 hours ago by to c/nostupidquestions@lemmy.world
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[–] 1 point 4 hours ago (1 child)

She’s not a great speaker but she gets a lot of coverage from left-wing influencers because there’s no one else to promote.

She's fine. There are definitely better orators. But she stays on message, advances popular policies, and is generally well-received by her constituents. There are plenty of other aspiring AOCs that don't perform half as well. And you won't be able to name them because they don't win elected office - much less survive multiple hostile intra-party primary bids and smear campaigns - or fundraise effectively or get promoted via social media so aggressively.

There are definitely other people to promote. We just watched Graham Platner's star rise largely on his personal charisma and ability to build a crowd. We've seen Al Franken and Anthony Weiner and John Edwards all come and go along similar trajectories. AOC might demonstrate better staying power simply because she's not a giant sex pest.

So she’s everywhere even though she’s kind of bland in my opinion (compared with European left at least).

Compared to Corbyn or Mélenchon or Reichinnek? I'd say she's par for the course.

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  • [–] 0 points 4 hours ago (1 child)

    She’s fine.

    Absolutely. She's a capable politician and party member. I just don't think she deserved to get the kind of attention she's getting. For example many people talk about presidency and I think she's not even close to this level. There's simply no one else out there.

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  • [–] 1 point 3 hours ago (1 child)

    I just don’t think she deserved to get the kind of attention she’s getting.

    A lot of it boils down to her fundraising numbers. Among all the members of The Squad, she outperforms to the point that the rest of the party needs to periodically come to her with hands out for a cup of money. That extends her influence within party leadership and allows her to effectively lobby for legislative amendments and rally support in her caucus to vote against certain other bills.

    For example many people talk about presidency and I think she’s not even close to this level.

    I think she's better positioned to work on her bid in 2026 than Obama was twenty years earlier.

    Of course, I also think she'd function better as a candidate for NY Governor. Building a hard base of DSA-aligned Democrats inside New York and advancing progressive policy at the state level sounds much more appealing than taking a stab at the White House, only to get the entire country's problems dumped in your lap.

    There’s simply no one else out there.

    There's Pritzker in Illinois and Andy Beshear in Kentucky. Chris Murphy of Connecticut and Mark Kelly of Arizona are also strong contenders. But, again, anyone taking the Presidency in 2028 is going to inherit an absolute shitshow. I wouldn't want the job and I think you kinda have to be crazy if you do. I also don't think AOC would do well under the degree of pressure the office will apply. You really need someone coming in there with a crowbar and an eye for kneecaps. That's not her style of politics.

    I could almost stomach four years of Gavin Newsom if I believed he'd spend his time running down Trump Admin hacks and bankrupting them. Where's Elliot Spitzer when you need him? But I know Newsom would sell out twice as hard as Trump just to prove he's better at it, so that's a no-go.

    I don't think there are any good candidates for President in 2028, AOC included. But that's more thanks to the deep endemic corruption of the office and the spinelessness of the Dem Party as a whole. If the only thing you care about is winning a popularity contest, though? AOC's a top contender.

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  • [–] 1 point 3 hours ago

    I also don’t think AOC would do well under the degree of pressure the office will apply.

    I don't even think she would do well under the pressure of the presidential campaign.

    Of course, I also think she’d function better as a candidate for NY Governor. Building a hard base of DSA-aligned Democrats inside New York and advancing progressive policy at the state level

    100% agree. Ideally they would the couple of strong contenders for presidency and bunch of AOCs advancing things at a local level. The fact that people propose AOC for presidents shows how bad the state of the party is.

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