# Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Cannot Afford to Move to Washington **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [November 9, 2018, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-cannot-afford-to-move-to-washington/824263 "2018-11-09T21:47:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 20
**Author:** ![Slash1972](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slash1972/32/6461_2.png) [@Slash1972](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slash1972)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2018, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-cannot-afford-to-move-to-washington/824263/381 "2018-11-19T03:09:30Z")
> [@UltraVires](#): > > Do you now see the problem with that? Minorities, who also have character flaws, never correct those flaws because the blame is on whitey. Can you prove this? ---
**Author:** ![Slash1972](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slash1972/32/6461_2.png) [@Slash1972](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slash1972)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2018, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-cannot-afford-to-move-to-washington/824263/382 "2018-11-19T03:18:41Z")
> [@UltraVires](#): > > Let’s say that you are right (and nice job BTW of skirting and avoiding the rule against personal insults). That would mean that it is on me to do some inner soul searching and not try to be that way. > > But if I was black and still had these same character flaws, I could merely bleat that it was solely because of my race, have the left believe that it is absolutely true, suppress any disagreement, and I could go on with my douchebaggery uncorrected. > > Do you now see the problem with that? Minorities, who also have character flaws, never correct those flaws because the blame is on whitey. But you are not black. You should focus on what you should do so people don’t think you are a douche bag. Don’t worry about other people who aren’t you. ---
**Author:** ![Not\_Carlson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/bc79bd/32.png) [@Not\_Carlson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Not_Carlson)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2018, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-cannot-afford-to-move-to-washington/824263/383 "2018-11-19T03:49:25Z")
> [@Bone](#): > > It could certainly be inherent(implicit) bias. The person stopping her or mis directing her could have been an example of sexism, it’s just not enough evidence to conclude that way. I do consider inherent bias (I think you mean implicit?) to be on the spectrum of sexism. Thanks for responding, and you’re probably right about “implicit” being the word I should have used. I also consider implicit bias to be on the spectrum of sexism. But notice how we’re going from “baseless accusations of sexism are bad” to discussing whether Ocasio-Cortez’s short tweet might have been intended to point out a bias existing on a “spectrum of sexism”. And this in a thread that has already pivoted away from the ridiculous accusations that Ocasio-Cortez is financially irresponsible and self-entitled for her comments regarding moving to DC. > [@](#): > > I didn’t follow Clark’s statement. Sure, different people have different experiences. Clark was indicating that, as a women in congress, she’s had similar experiences. At least that was my take. Recognizing that different people have different experiences is nothing more than recognizing the obvious. Recognizing that what seems like no big deal to oneself may actually be more significant to someone with different experience is important. > [@](#): > > Schwartz seems like a jerk in the exchange and in the greater wrong. I’m glad we are in agreement on this. > [@](#): > > As with many charges of racism and sexism, I think weak implications of such do a disservice to actual instances of the same and weaken the charges overall. And I would like to say I’m in agreement with you on this point also, except that I see that argument being used to downplay, dismiss, and flat-out attack justifiable complaints against various forms of sexism and racism perceived to be less important. I _would_ agree that overblown allegations of sexism or racism in response to the slightest perception of such, regardless of evidence or intent, do a disservice to those fighting blatant and malicious discrimination. But I don’t see that in Ocasio-Cortez’s remarks. What I do see is the likes of **WillFarnaby, UltraVires,** and **Sam Stone** making baseless accusations and casting ill aspersions against Ocasio-Cortez without providing evidence. ---
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2018, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-cannot-afford-to-move-to-washington/824263/384 "2018-11-19T06:01:57Z")
> [@k9bfriender](#): > > I did not see anything about you having character flaws in this hypothetical, only that you “appear” to have character flaws based on your appearance. That people presume that you are a person of ill repute, or even worse, a grocery store employee, based on nothing more than what you look like. > > I am sure that when people who are first put off by their initial impressions, and get to know you, they will know that they were wrong to judge you based on your appearance. > > Now, if you are white, you can shave up that beard a bit, run a comb through your hair, put on some deodorant, and people may no longer make presumptions based on your slovenly appearance. > > What would you change if you were black? I might need to change exactly the same things. But why would I do that if I can just hang a claim of racism upon someone? That is my entire point: you assume that the charge against the black person is one of racism when it might just the same be the same charge against me. That is exactly how this conversation has gone: Black me: I was thought to be a criminal defendant just because I am black! Poster 1: How do you know that? Maybe you just need to shave your beard a bit? Poster 2: How dare you minimize the experiences of black people? They are in a better position to judge racism than you. Poster 1: But he has not put forth any evidence that the criticism leveled against him was based upon race. Poster 2: That’s easy for a white guy to say from hundreds of miles away! ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2018, 7:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-cannot-afford-to-move-to-washington/824263/385 "2018-11-19T07:14:12Z")
> [@DSeid](#): > > I gotta say - I am no fan of Ms. Ocasio-Cortez. She quickly came off to me as foolishly believing the hype the press was writing about her and too full of herself. Her apparent desire to create a Tea Party of the Left is stupid. I do not believe it is good for the country or the party. > > But dang the way the Right’s media machine hangs on to her every tweet and word, obsesses over her, is really really weird. > > Are they wanting to tear her down because they somehow are afraid of the movement that she is one pebble of? Or are they hoping to make her and her more left of center positioning the face of the Democratic party and be able to fight those positions more than the more center left positions most who vote Democratic would endorse? > > Why are they so fixated on her? I’d suggest that it’s because a sizable number of Democrats are similarly fixated on her. From the boards, I certainly already knew about AOC before this thread was begun. But I had to go hunting to find Lucy McBath, who won a R+8 district in Georgia and Kendra Horn, who won an R+10 district in Oklahoma. I didn’t hear a thing about Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar, the first two muslim women elected to Congress, either. There are quite a number of impressive women joining Congress this year, but very little has been said about them, whereas AOC was in the national limelight before ever even winning her primaries. Personally, I’d venture to guess that the difference is that Miss Ocasio-Cortez is physically attractive. This whole thread is likely just using politics as an excuse on both sides to salivate. ---
**Author:** ![Not\_Carlson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/bc79bd/32.png) [@Not\_Carlson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Not_Carlson)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2018, 7:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-cannot-afford-to-move-to-washington/824263/386 "2018-11-19T07:44:22Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > Personally, I’d venture to guess that the difference is that Miss Ocasio-Cortez is physically attractive. > > This whole thread is likely just using politics as an excuse on both sides to salivate. While, I can’t speak to the possible Pavlovian responses of other posters, I’ll say that she was already on my radar because TYT has been championing her as a model progressive who successfully primaried a corporate-backed establishment Dem by running a grass-roots campaign. That’s damn impressive. She’s stayed on my radar because Republicans keep saying dumb shit about her. ---
**Author:** ![Banquet\_Bear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banquet_bear/32/373_2.png) [@Banquet\_Bear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banquet_Bear)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2018, 8:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-cannot-afford-to-move-to-washington/824263/387 "2018-11-19T08:07:39Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > Personally, I’d venture to guess that the difference is that Miss Ocasio-Cortez is physically attractive. > > This whole thread is likely just using politics as an excuse on both sides to salivate. …not only is this insulting to Ocasio-Cortez: its insulting to all of the posters taking part in this thread. And its also very very wrong. The only person (that I’m aware of) who has decided to talk about her “attractiveness” is you. That’s not a reflection of “both sides.” Its a reflection of you. ---
**Author:** ![octopus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/octopus/32/3716_2.png) [@octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/octopus)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2018, 9:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-cannot-afford-to-move-to-washington/824263/388 "2018-11-19T09:04:38Z")
> [@Banquet\_Bear](#): > > …not only is this insulting to Ocasio-Cortez: its insulting to all of the posters taking part in this thread. And its also very very wrong. The only person (that I’m aware of) who has decided to talk about her “attractiveness” is you. That’s not a reflection of “both sides.” Its a reflection of you. I doubt the commentary on the appearances of politicians or celebrities will ever be effectively suppressed by either fiat or ostracism. Too much joy is had with witticisms such as the Cheeto in charge. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2018, 9:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-cannot-afford-to-move-to-washington/824263/389 "2018-11-19T09:40:58Z")
[AOC](https://twitter.com/Ocasio2018/status/1064354368256966659): > [@](#): > > Maybe instead of Republicans drooling over every minute of footage of me in slow-mo, waiting to chop up word slips that I correct in real-tomd, they actually step up enough to make the argument they want to make: that they don’t believe people deserve a right to healthcare. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2018, 11:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-cannot-afford-to-move-to-washington/824263/390 "2018-11-19T11:30:45Z")
> [@UltraVires](#): > > But if I was black and still had these same character flaws, I could merely bleat that it was solely because of my race, have the left believe that it is absolutely true, suppress any disagreement, and I could go on with my douchebaggery uncorrected. > > Do you now see the problem with that? Minorities, who also have character flaws, never correct those flaws because the blame is on whitey. i strongly urge you to take a step back from this conversation, read what you wrote, and consider whether one might find a nearly identical post in the most disgusting corners of the Internet. > [@Not\_Carlson](#): > > I mean: would you no longer consider Ocasio-Cortez’s tweet to be a display of “grade A arrogance”? If new information or context came to light, that would be the basis of my apology. ---
**Author:** ![Not\_Carlson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/bc79bd/32.png) [@Not\_Carlson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Not_Carlson)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2018, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-cannot-afford-to-move-to-washington/824263/391 "2018-11-19T13:27:16Z")
> [@Ravenman](#): > > If new information or context came to light, that would be the basis of my apology. Well and good. I suggest that the information presented after your post (#331), while not being certain proof that Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is NOT in her heart of hearts an arrogant race-baiting drama queen, DOES indicate that any such accusation against her is unwarranted at this stage. You exercised critical thinking and raised some good points countering the ridiculous accusations about Ocasio-Cortez’s innocuous remarks regarding her upcoming move to DC. I see **Sam Stone’s** offering of this new line of attack as being equally meritless. Also, I would like to second your words to **UltraVires**. > [@Ravenman](#): > > i strongly urge you to take a step back from this conversation, read what you wrote, and consider whether one might find a nearly identical post in the most disgusting corners of the Internet. Quite so. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2018, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-cannot-afford-to-move-to-washington/824263/392 "2018-11-19T14:10:08Z")
> [@Not\_Carlson](#): > > Well and good. > > I suggest that the information presented after your post (#331), while not being certain proof that Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is NOT in her heart of hearts an arrogant race-baiting drama queen, DOES indicate that any such accusation against her is unwarranted at this stage. To be clear, I don’t think she was directly saying that she was treated poorly by Capitol police or staff because of her race. I think she leveled the accusation of racism at the guy who cast doubt on those things happening because he talked with a Republican congressman about there being no intern events that day. I think she was making a narrow claim that right-wingers doubting her stories were being sorta racist and sexist. In my opinion, her original statements about being thought of as a spouse or intern were just garden-variety arrogance. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2018, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-cannot-afford-to-move-to-washington/824263/393 "2018-11-19T14:22:26Z")
2 reasons she gets lots of publicity - she beat an entrenched incumbent in the primary. she’s from NYC which is the media capital of the US so it’s really easy for her to get on CNN, ABC, CBS, etc ---
**Author:** ![Bone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bone/32/407_2.png) [@Bone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bone)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2018, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-cannot-afford-to-move-to-washington/824263/394 "2018-11-19T14:22:53Z")
Ravenman is reading my mind and posting what I want to before I post it. ---
**Author:** ![Not\_Carlson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/bc79bd/32.png) [@Not\_Carlson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Not_Carlson)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2018, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-cannot-afford-to-move-to-washington/824263/395 "2018-11-19T14:50:36Z")
> [@Ravenman](#): > > In my opinion, her original statements about being thought of as a spouse or intern were just garden-variety arrogance. I wouldn’t assume that this > [@](#): > > **Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez** : > “People keep giving me directions to the spouse and intern events instead of the ones for members of Congress [facepalm]” is any kind of arrogance. (Heck. I complain about my work all the time. And sometimes it’s not even because I’m arrogant.) ---
**Author:** ![Fiddle\_Peghead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddle_peghead/32/3506_2.png) [@Fiddle\_Peghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiddle_Peghead)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2018, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-cannot-afford-to-move-to-washington/824263/396 "2018-11-19T14:58:52Z")
> [@Ravenman](#): > > To be clear, I don’t think she was directly saying that she was treated poorly by Capitol police or staff because of her race. I think she leveled the accusation of racism at the guy who cast doubt on those things happening because he talked with a Republican congressman about there being no intern events that day. I think she was making a narrow claim that right-wingers doubting her stories were being sorta racist and sexist. > > In my opinion, her original statements about being thought of as a spouse or intern were just garden-variety arrogance. Okay, so she said nothing about the Capitol police then. As I said earlier: > [@](#): > > Yes, perhaps she wasn’t talking about the Capitol Police, hence my previous question. As for her supposed self-importance and arrogance, I don’t see it here, and certainly no indication that she felt degraded in any way. How do you get all that from a simple tweet? As you have since mentioned other things, I’ll retract the question about a simple tweet. But I still see no evidence from you that supports your claims of her arrogance, or of being degraded. ETA: removed double quoted passage. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2018, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-cannot-afford-to-move-to-washington/824263/397 "2018-11-19T15:56:49Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > 2 reasons she gets lots of publicity - > > she beat an entrenched incumbent in the primary. > she’s from NYC which is the media capital of the US so it’s really easy for her to get on CNN, ABC, CBS, etc I think there’s at least some degree of truth to Atrios’ frequently stated notion that the media has a tendency to chase down whatever stories conservatives feed them. (For example, the NYT and WaPo had front-page stories on the caravan for 9 or 10 consecutive days, even though it didn’t generate much new news from one day to the next.) Conservatives are having a near-Hillary/Pelosi level reaction to AOC. So she’s in the news. It really doesn’t take much more explaining than that. (I was wondering how long they’d keep working themselves up over Hillary. The answer seems to be, until they could find a suitable female replacement. AOC came along in the nick of time. :)) ---
**Author:** ![squidfood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a87d85/32.png) [@squidfood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squidfood)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2018, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-cannot-afford-to-move-to-washington/824263/398 "2018-11-19T17:32:42Z")
Youngest women and full-of-fresh energy leftist? Those are the ingredients for (1) the media shamelessly latching onto a “fresh-faced media darling goes to Washington” narrative, and (2) the conservative poo-flinging regime switching to high gear. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2018, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-cannot-afford-to-move-to-washington/824263/399 "2018-11-19T19:30:46Z")
I like that she wants to clear out the deadwood in the Dem party in Congress. But I just read she is backing Pelosi for speaker. I wonder what kind of payback she is getting for that? I expect she is going to get her pick of favorite committees for voting for that fossil Pelosi. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2018, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-cannot-afford-to-move-to-washington/824263/400 "2018-11-19T21:56:45Z")
> [@Sam\_Stone](#): > > So, she wasn’t stopped because she’s the youngest member of Congress in history and might therefore confuse someone in a place filled with interns and staffers her age. No, it had to be because she’s a woman and a person of color. Of course. No 29 year old white male would EVER be confused for an intern or staffer, right? If she was in fact sent to the spouses’ luncheon because she was so young, then that just highlights a different sort of sexism: If she’s too young to be a Representative herself, then shouldn’t she also be too young to be the spouse of a Representative? Except that there’s the expectation that successful men will have wives much younger than themselves. And even if that’s accurate, it still reflects a sexist reality. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-cannot-afford-to-move-to-washington/824263.md?page=19) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-cannot-afford-to-move-to-washington/824263.md?page=21)