# Courage to Change: another bad AOC idea **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [February 21, 2020, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/courage-to-change-another-bad-aoc-idea/848326 "2020-02-21T21:45:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2020, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/courage-to-change-another-bad-aoc-idea/848326/41 "2020-02-23T13:26:56Z")
> [@dalej42](#): > > Not a damn thing except win a thinly attended primary and then win an overwhelmingly blue congressional district. I was impressed with her asking questions of Michael Cohen. Some other Ds on the Committee used their time just to listen to their own voice. AOC may have identified new leads for prosecutors! When I hear her criticized I hear a redneck voice saying “Uppity bitch don’t know her place; she be needin’ a man give 'er a taste of sumpin.” > [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > Moderates are terrified, and terror sometimes hides itself as contempt. I’m a moderate; and probably disapprove of much of her agenda. But I’m still an admirer. ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2020, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/courage-to-change-another-bad-aoc-idea/848326/42 "2020-02-23T15:10:47Z")
Just in case you’re as behind on the news as I am, several months ago [_ **Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez endorsed Bernie Sanders for President!** _](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d5n1jePo9UU) She seems pretty intelligent to me. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2020, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/courage-to-change-another-bad-aoc-idea/848326/43 "2020-02-23T15:35:33Z")
> [@septimus](#): > > Just in case you’re as behind on the news as I am, several months ago [_ **Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez endorsed Bernie Sanders for President!** _](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d5n1jePo9UU) She seems pretty intelligent to me. and Bernie never endorsed her, which was good since Bernie’s candidates usually lose. ---
**Author:** ![Lantern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d26b3c/32.png) [@Lantern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lantern)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2020, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/courage-to-change-another-bad-aoc-idea/848326/44 "2020-02-23T16:22:29Z")
AOC is the Sarah Palin of the left: highly skilled at rousing the faithful but with little governing ability or broader appeal. Like Palin she drives the other side crazy which is wrongly cited as evidence of her political potency. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2020, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/courage-to-change-another-bad-aoc-idea/848326/45 "2020-02-23T16:25:27Z")
> [@Lantern](#): > > AOC is the Sarah Palin of the left: highly skilled at rousing the faithful but with little governing ability or broader appeal. Like Palin she drives the other side crazy which is wrongly cited as evidence of her political potency. That’s not actually a bad observation. However, AOC has the potential to improve with time and experience whereas Palin doesn’t get that benefit of the doubt. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2020, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/courage-to-change-another-bad-aoc-idea/848326/46 "2020-02-23T16:48:19Z")
> [@Lantern](#): > > …highly skilled at rousing the faithful but with little governing ability or broader appeal. Like Palin she drives the other side crazy which is wrongly cited as evidence of her political potency. Though if you make the other side waste time going after you because “someone’s being wrong on the Internet” that is of some utility. Plus they risk having their followers themselves become convinced that their target IS that important and begin actually paying attention… > [@Ludovic](#): > > That’s not actually a bad observation. However, AOC has the potential to improve with time and experience Which you know that the generation that comes up circa 2040 will call evidence that she’s part of the Establishment and should get out of the way. _Fortune rota volvitur._ ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2020, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/courage-to-change-another-bad-aoc-idea/848326/47 "2020-02-23T18:33:24Z")
> [@Lantern](#): > > AOC is the Sarah Palin of the left: highly skilled at rousing the faithful but with little governing ability or broader appeal. Like Palin she drives the other side crazy which is wrongly cited as evidence of her political potency. That’s nuts. She’s been in office for a year, and she’s barely out of her 20s. ---
**Author:** ![Lantern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d26b3c/32.png) [@Lantern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lantern)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2020, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/courage-to-change-another-bad-aoc-idea/848326/48 "2020-02-23T18:50:23Z")
Well like it or not she has become a major political figure and the face of the progressive wing of the party for many people so I do think it is appropriate to compare her to Palin. I agree it’s nuts that someone with so little experience has achieved such a high profile but blame the people who, for example, call her the “future of the party”. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2020, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/courage-to-change-another-bad-aoc-idea/848326/49 "2020-02-23T18:54:57Z")
> [@Lantern](#): > > Well like it or not she has become a major political figure and the face of the progressive wing of the party for many people so I do think it is appropriate to compare her to Palin. I agree it’s nuts that someone with so little experience has achieved such a high profile but blame the people who, for example, call her the “future of the party”. It’s crazy to compare her to Palin just for being young and popular. If that’s enough to be Palin, then Obama was Palin before Palin! Just ludicrous. Democrats should be excited that such a talented and energetic young politician is an enthusiastic progressive Democrat. ---
**Author:** ![Saintly\_Loser](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saintly_loser/32/4045_2.png) [@Saintly\_Loser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saintly_Loser)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2020, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/courage-to-change-another-bad-aoc-idea/848326/50 "2020-02-23T18:56:04Z")
> [@dalej42](#): > > Not a damn thing except win a thinly attended primary and then win an overwhelmingly blue congressional district. She won a primary against a ten-year incumbent who was chair of the House Democratic Caucus, considered to be the probable successor to Nancy Pelosi as Speaker, and boss of the Queens County Democratic organization. That was no small accomplishment. And yes, her district is overwhelmingly blue (much like, say, Nancy Pelosi’s district), as is just about every district in New York City. So what? I know her district quite well, having grown up there, and spent half my adult life in the district. The people there aren’t idiots, and voters turned out for her rather than the boss who’d held the seat for a decade. She is persuasive. She’s smart and driven and charismatic, and she’s not going away. And, like it or not, she, and others like her, \*are \*the future of the party. The old guard better embrace that, or they’re going to be left behind. ---
**Author:** ![Lantern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d26b3c/32.png) [@Lantern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lantern)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2020, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/courage-to-change-another-bad-aoc-idea/848326/51 "2020-02-23T18:59:51Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > It’s crazy to compare her to Palin just for being young and popular. If that’s enough to be Palin, then Obama was Palin before Palin! > > Just ludicrous. Democrats should be excited that such a talented and energetic young politician is an enthusiastic progressive Democrat. I think she is like Palin in that she is ignorant of major political issues and frequently sounds like an idiot while also having an obvious and instinctive talent for exciting her party base. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2020, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/courage-to-change-another-bad-aoc-idea/848326/52 "2020-02-23T19:02:53Z")
> [@Lantern](#): > > I think she is like Palin in that she is ignorant of major political issues and frequently sounds like an idiot while also having an obvious and instinctive talent at exciting her party base. I’ve seen no evidence that she’s “ignorant” or “frequently sounds like an idiot”. I’ve seen a few mistakes, but every Democrat has made a few rhetorical mistakes. I’ve seen no evidence that she’s said more dumb or ignorant things over the last year or two than most other prominent Democrats. Occasional mistakes aren’t Palinesque. AOC obviously reads and has intellectual curiosity. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2020, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/courage-to-change-another-bad-aoc-idea/848326/53 "2020-02-23T19:24:56Z")
> [@Saintly\_Loser](#): > > She won a primary against a ten-year incumbent who was chair of the House Democratic Caucus, considered to be the probable successor to Nancy Pelosi as Speaker, and boss of the Queens County Democratic organization. > > That was no small accomplishment. > > And yes, her district is overwhelmingly blue (much like, say, Nancy Pelosi’s district), as is just about every district in New York City. So what? > > I know her district quite well, having grown up there, and spent half my adult life in the district. The people there aren’t idiots, and voters turned out for her rather than the boss who’d held the seat for a decade. > > She is persuasive. She’s smart and driven and charismatic, and she’s not going away. And, like it or not, she, and others like her, \*are \*the future of the party. > > The old guard better embrace that, or they’re going to be left behind. What’s her future if Bernie is the nominee and gets destroyed? ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2020, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/courage-to-change-another-bad-aoc-idea/848326/54 "2020-02-23T19:28:07Z")
> [@dalej42](#): > > What’s her future if Bernie is the nominee and gets destroyed? Same as everyone else? Deal with it? ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2020, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/courage-to-change-another-bad-aoc-idea/848326/55 "2020-02-23T21:37:27Z")
Have not read the thread. Don’t have to. Donald Trump is a traitor and a moron that does not care about anyone but himself. That is all that is ALL anyone needs to know before they cast their vote. If you care about the US and/or the world, you will vote against him. It’s not complicated at all. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2020, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/courage-to-change-another-bad-aoc-idea/848326/56 "2020-02-23T21:49:48Z")
> [@dalej42](#): > > What’s her future if Bernie is the nominee and gets destroyed? If Trump gets another term, how much will it matter what her future is? We’ll _all_ be in for a pretty bad future, same as if Biden or Buttigieg is the nominee and gets destroyed. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Ann\_Hedonia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ann_hedonia/32/319_2.png) [@Ann\_Hedonia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ann_Hedonia)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2020, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/courage-to-change-another-bad-aoc-idea/848326/57 "2020-02-23T22:28:42Z")
> [@Unreconstructed\_Man](#): > > This good at _what?_ What has she _actually_ done? Shes really really good at getting people to reach into their pockets and send money. The importance of this skill in politics cannot be overstated. Many politicians find it the most challenging part of their job. Especially those that are new to elected office. Especially those with extreme viewpoints. Yet she does it well and makes it looks easy. This is what I mean by talented. It’s different from skilled, which she isn’t (yet). Shes not bad but has a long way to go. Skills can be learned, though. Talent is more elusive. She’s raised a whole lot of money for her re-election campaign and, I assume her party. And now she has a PAC. [https://www.politico.com/news/2020/01/13/ocasio-cortez-campaign-cash-congress-098018](https://www.politico.com/news/2020/01/13/ocasio-cortez-campaign-cash-congress-098018) I found a couple of articles claiming she had raised more money than any other House Democrat, including Pelosi and Schiff. All the articles were from mainstream conservative sources ( like Fox News and NY Post ), so take it with a grain. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2020, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/courage-to-change-another-bad-aoc-idea/848326/58 "2020-02-23T22:30:58Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > If Trump gets another term, how much will it matter what her future is? We’ll _all_ be in for a pretty bad future, same as if Biden or Buttigieg is the nominee and gets destroyed. > > :rolleyes: Actually it does. Biden rides off into the sunset if he loses either the primary or general. Pete has definitely not hitched his wagon to the Bernie train, he will be a force going forward. AOC is full blown Bernie sis and is trying to get Dems who don’t meet her purity standards primaried. A Sanders thrashing sends her to obscurity overnight. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2020, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/courage-to-change-another-bad-aoc-idea/848326/59 "2020-02-23T22:56:06Z")
> [@dalej42](#): > > Actually it does. Biden rides off into the sunset if he loses either the primary or general. > > Pete has definitely not hitched his wagon to the Bernie train, he will be a force going forward. > > AOC is full blown Bernie sis and is trying to get Dems who don’t meet her purity standards primaried. A Sanders thrashing sends her to obscurity overnight. I think the point is that the country will have far, far bigger fish to fry than the political careers of a few individuals if Trump wins. If Trump wins, we’re screwed. Doesn’t matter how and whom he beats. ---
**Author:** ![Ca3799](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9f8e36/32.png) [@Ca3799](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ca3799)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2020, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/courage-to-change-another-bad-aoc-idea/848326/60 "2020-02-24T02:09:46Z")
I can’t see the Palin comparison other than being female and being popular. “Governor” Palin had a 10 or 20 year political career. AOC didn’t. They are at opposing ends of the political spectrum. Palin was about 50 years old and an “establishment” political figure. AOC was 27, 28, 29 when she ran and is considered “anti-establishment”. I don’t think Plain had/has a college degree. AOC does. And AOC is smart. Palin in just not. “Quitter” Palin did have some media savvy- enough to keep all those clothes the RNC bought her- but also was filmed in front of turkeys being buthered. Ew. Palin was a pretty typical GOP-style grifter. AOC isn’t. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/courage-to-change-another-bad-aoc-idea/848326.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/courage-to-change-another-bad-aoc-idea/848326.md?page=4)