AOC has a formidable primary challenger in journalist Maria Caruso-Cabrera

[iiandyiiii]

I’m fine with her being challenged. If she’s as good as I think she is, she won’t break a sweat on her way to her second term. But we’ll see. Primary challenges in safe blue districts are good for keeping Reps on their toes and from getting complacent.

[ISiddiqui]

@Loach

AOC does appear to be vulnerable in her own district but only if someone pulls an AOC on her in the primary. She won by going grassroots and hitting the pavement. Working hard going door to door and getting supporters out to vote in a low turnout primary. It also helped to have a complacent opponent.

I can’t seem to recall what it is but I think there might be something going on that would keep a grassroots door to door hands on campaign from happening. I think she is safe.

Right, and Crowley basically didn’t campaign at all. I don’t think AOC makes that mistake.

[Damuri_Ajashi]

@iiandyiiii

Having an influential national figure as Rep is almost always good for a locality – influential Reps are more likely to get stuff that benefits their district.

You mean like the new Amazon Headquarters? Oh wait…

[Damuri_Ajashi]

@DrDeth

Explain, please?

She has a million dollars in her PAC. She was going to use it to help other progressive Justice Democrats primary moderates in safe blue districts. She is no longer going to do that.

Shortly after her election:

https://www.politico.com/story/2018/11/17/ocasio-cortez-throws-support-behind-campaign-to-primary-democrats-1000529

More recently:

AOC's Justice Democrats Are Out for Scalps in 2020 Primary Challenges

Ocasio-Cortez Builds Progressive Campaign Arm to Challenge Democrats...

She no longer embraces that tactic:

https://www.politico.com/news/2020/03/30/new-aoc-divides-the-left-150767

[Damuri_Ajashi]

@Loach

AOC does appear to be vulnerable in her own district but only if someone pulls an AOC on her in the primary. She won by going grassroots and hitting the pavement. Working hard going door to door and getting supporters out to vote in a low turnout primary. It also helped to have a complacent opponent.

I can’t seem to recall what it is but I think there might be something going on that would keep a grassroots door to door hands on campaign from happening. I think she is safe.

She won because her opponent didn’t take her seriously.

[Damuri_Ajashi]

@iiandyiiii

I’m fine with her being challenged. If she’s as good as I think she is, she won’t break a sweat on her way to her second term. But we’ll see. Primary challenges in safe blue districts are good for keeping Reps on their toes and from getting complacent.

I suspect it pushes her towards the center and she ends up exactly where Joe Crowley was?

[iiandyiiii]

@Damuri_Ajashi

She won because her opponent didn’t take her seriously.

Good reason to be happy that he’s gone, then – if he sucked so bad as a politician that he didn’t take the election seriously, he deserved to lose. We should be glad when unskilled Democratic politicians who are bad at winning elections are replaced by skilled and talented Democrats who are better at winning elections.

@Damuri_Ajashi

I suspect it pushes her towards the center and she ends up exactly where Joe Crowley was?

I suspect she’ll be much, much less likely to blow off elections than Crowley. On the issues, she’s still significantly more progressive (yay!), and we’ll see how that changes.

[Loach]

@Damuri_Ajashi

She won because her opponent didn’t take her seriously.

She partially won because he didn’t take her seriously. She also won because of voter apathy. She mostly won because she put in a lot of hard and effective work. Love her or hate her, it’s undeniable that she ran a smart and effective campaign against an entrenched incumbent.

In my often wrong opinion the current situation in the world will keep something similar from happening to her.

[DrDeth]

@Damuri_Ajashi

She has a million dollars in her PAC. She was going to use it to help other progressive Justice Democrats primary moderates in safe blue districts. She is no longer going to do that.
…

Well, that’s good, then because infighting does nothing but help the GOP.

[Damuri_Ajashi]

@iiandyiiii

Good reason to be happy that he’s gone, then – if he sucked so bad as a politician that he didn’t take the election seriously, he deserved to lose. We should be glad when unskilled Democratic politicians who are bad at winning elections are replaced by skilled and talented Democrats who are better at winning elections.

In a safe blue district?

Should we have every safe Democrat focused more on doing Democrat things or on making sure that noone is sneaking up behind them during the primary?

I suspect she’ll be much, much less likely to blow off elections than Crowley. On the issues, she’s still significantly more progressive (yay!), and we’ll see how that changes.

Considering how she beat Crowley, yes she is less likely to blow off primary challenges.

[Damuri_Ajashi]

@DrDeth

Well, that’s good, then because infighting does nothing but help the GOP.

Some people (like iiandyiiii) don’t think that’s true. Some people (like iiandyiiii) thinks that infighting is OK as long as it results in moving the party to the left.

[DrDeth]

@Damuri_Ajashi

Some people (like iiandyiiii) don’t think that’s true. Some people (like iiandyiiii) thinks that infighting is OK as long as it results in moving the party to the left.

Honestly, it seems sometimes like they’d rather have trump than a moderate democrat.

[iiandyiiii]

@Damuri_Ajashi

Some people (like iiandyiiii) don’t think that’s true. Some people (like iiandyiiii) thinks that infighting is OK as long as it results in moving the party to the left.

In safe blue districts, this is a great thing, and strengthens the party. Also, if it helps boot the Democrats who are shitty at winning elections, like Crowley. I want a party full of politicians who are very highly skilled at winning elections, and the younger the better. Imagine if every presidential primary candidate (or hell, just 1 or 2) this cycle had the charisma and talent of AOC, and just a bit of her youth! We should be ENCOURAGING young progressives to primary Democrats in safe blue districts! The skilled older Democrats will brush them aside with ease, but the ones with poor skills and effort (like Crowley) will lose and be replaced by more talented Democrats.

Why would anyone prefer a lazy, less skilled old dude over an energetic and talented young person?

[iiandyiiii]

@DrDeth

Honestly, it seems sometimes like they’d rather have trump than a moderate democrat.

Which posts of mine are you referring to? Please be specific.

[iiandyiiii]

Sometimes, it feels like older Democrats want young progressives, also known as the fucking future of the Democratic party, to just disappear. I’d prefer to nail them down and ensure they become Democrats for life.

[madsircool]

@iiandyiiii

Also, if it helps boot the Democrats who are shitty at winning elections, like Crowley. I want a party full of politicians who are very highly skilled at winning elections, and the younger the better. Imagine if every presidential primary candidate (or hell, just 1 or 2) this cycle had the charisma and talent of AOC. We should be ENCOURAGING young progressives to primary Democrats in safe blue districts! The skilled older Democrats will brush them aside with ease, but the ones with poor skills and effort (like Crowley) will lose and be replaced by more talented Democrats.

Why would anyone prefer a lazy, less skilled old dude over an energetic and talented young person?

Talent?? LoL. She took the air out of Pelosis sails just when Nancy thought she was riding the momentum of reclaiming the Speakers chair. AOC is a godsend to Reps in swing states. She is a Twitter hero for the far left and a galvanizing force of goofiness for the moderates/conservatives.

[iiandyiiii]

@madsircool

Talent?? LoL. She took the air out of Pelosis sails just when Nancy thought she was riding the momentum of reclaiming the Speakers chair. AOC is a godsend to Reps in swing states. She is a Twitter hero for the far left and a galvanizing force of goofiness for the moderates/conservatives.

Ha! So was Obama in '07. What a joke!

AOC may not have the talent of Obama (but then again… she’s a lot further along than he was at 29), but being “a godsend to Republicans” was pretty much exactly the same what they (Republicans) said about Obama in '07. We’ll see. I’m very pleased to have her in the party.

[madsircool]

@iiandyiiii

Sometimes, it feels like older Democrats want young progressives, also known as the fucking future of the Democratic party, to just disappear. I’d prefer to nail them down and ensure they become Democrats for life.

Or they disagree with their politics.

[madsircool]

@iiandyiiii

Ha! So was Obama in '07. What a joke!

Had a few? If you think Obama is anywhere near as far left as AOC…

[iiandyiiii]

@madsircool

Had a few? If you think Obama is anywhere near as far left as AOC…

Back in '07, Obama was about as close to the center of the party as AOC is now. Sure, Obama turned out to govern a lot more moderately than his rhetoric, but that’s what we’re talking about – rhetoric.