# Why is conservative media obsessed with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [November 21, 2018, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-conservative-media-obsessed-with-alexandria-ocasio-cortez/824906 "2018-11-21T17:44:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 14
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2018, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-conservative-media-obsessed-with-alexandria-ocasio-cortez/824906/261 "2018-11-28T20:19:52Z")
This is so silly, All public figures misspeak once in a while, regardless of ideology, party, age, experience, sex, race, social class, or education. The one way to avoid it completely is to make like Clarence Thomas and clam up forever, and then people call you a mute. There are hundreds of Congresscritters. There are dozens of new Congresscritters. All of them occasionally say silly things. All of them. AOC is in the news more because she’s a socialist (and in NYC, & telegenic–and a girl to scare the sexists, I guess). So are her gaffes. If we picked a Congressperson at random and put them in the news, we’d get a few dubious statements. Restrict your pool to persons first elected to office in the last few years, we’d get a number of gaffes from each similar to AOC’s. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2018, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-conservative-media-obsessed-with-alexandria-ocasio-cortez/824906/262 "2018-11-28T20:20:58Z")
> [@Slash1972](#): > > It seems to me that you have a borderline unhealthy obsession with the “bartender” aspect. Strange. Borderline unhealthy? How do you think this might affect my health, Doctor? ---
**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 28, 2018, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-conservative-media-obsessed-with-alexandria-ocasio-cortez/824906/263 "2018-11-28T20:28:17Z")
> [@CarnalK](#): > > Borderline unhealthy? How do you think this might affect my health, Doctor? It’s making ME sick! 🙂 You just seem to keep mentioning it. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2018, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-conservative-media-obsessed-with-alexandria-ocasio-cortez/824906/264 "2018-11-28T20:28:23Z")
One of the best things a potential politician could learn while being a bartender is how to converse with people of wildly different viewpoints in a congenial manner. I’m not convinced this is something AOC learned in her tenure on that side of the oak. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2018, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-conservative-media-obsessed-with-alexandria-ocasio-cortez/824906/265 "2018-11-28T20:35:34Z")
> [@Sanderista primaries out 10-term Dem Congressman](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sanderista-primaries-out-10-term-dem-congressman/816850/256): > > I do suspect that she is going to find the going tough once she gets into the House. Somehow I don’t think the experienced members of the current progressive caucus will just fall into line behind her plans and bow to her as leader, which is really what that bit comes off as what she is expecting to happen. > > And IF she does advocate for holding the rest of the party, including other progressives who do not sign on as members her hoped for “sub-caucus”, hostage … give us what we want or we prevent you from doing anything … then she would be horrible both for the party and the for the country. You can rest easy for now. Ocasio-Cortez has said [she will back Nancy Pelosi for Speaker of the House](https://www.cnn.com/2018/11/21/politics/alexandria-ocasio--cortez-nancy-pelosi-house-speaker/index.html). As it happens the Dems just [voted to nominate Nancy Pelosi as Speaker of the House](https://www.foxnews.com/politics/nancy-pelosi-wins-party-nod-for-speaker-but-faces-uncertain-floor-vote) when they seat the new crowd next year. The vote was 203 - 32. Pelosi needs 218 votes to become speaker so she needs to find 15 votes between now and when the new House gets seated. So it seems the insurgent part of the Democrats is not being lead by Ocasio-Cortez. I have no doubt she will find those votes. She will spread around a few promises and be good to go most likely. Personally I think putting Pelosi back as Speaker is a mistake. I’d be open to other suggestions (and of course not O-C) but not Pelosi. Debate for another thread though. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2018, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-conservative-media-obsessed-with-alexandria-ocasio-cortez/824906/266 "2018-11-28T20:40:07Z")
For fairness sake, I must remind that is a DSeid quote from a different thread before the election. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2018, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-conservative-media-obsessed-with-alexandria-ocasio-cortez/824906/267 "2018-11-28T20:41:22Z")
> [@CarnalK](#): > > For fairness sake, I must remind that is a DSeid quote from a different thread before the election. Whoops…my bad. My points still stand but I do not know if **DSeid’s** opinion has changed. ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2018, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-conservative-media-obsessed-with-alexandria-ocasio-cortez/824906/268 "2018-11-28T20:53:37Z")
> [@eschereal](#): > > [Here is one](https://www.newsweek.com/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-tells-lindsey-graham-visit-african-american-history-1233768) where she just got shredded: > > AO-C:_Asking to be considered a refugee & applying for status isn’t a crime. It wasn’t for Jewish families fleeing Germany. It wasn’t for targeted families fleeing Rwanda. It wasn’t for communities fleeing war-torn Syria. And it isn’t for those fleeing violence in Central America._ > > The response was devastating: > > Lindsay G:_I recommend she take a tour of the Holocaust Museum in DC. Might help her better understand the differences between the Holocaust and the caravan in Tijuana._ > > Oh, there _was_ a sort of [follow-up](https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/418487-auschwitz-museum-says-its-important-to-remember-holocaust-did). > > Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum:_When we look at Auschwitz we see the end of the process. It’s important to remember that the Holocaust actually did not start from gas chambers. This hatred gradually developed from words, stereotypes & prejudice through legal exclusion, dehumanization & escalating violence._ > > So, they put her in her place. Sounds to me like they were supporting her. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2018, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-conservative-media-obsessed-with-alexandria-ocasio-cortez/824906/269 "2018-11-28T21:26:03Z")
> [@foolsguinea](#): > > AOC is in the news more because she’s a socialist (and in NYC, & telegenic–and a girl to scare the sexists, I guess). AOC is not a socialist. It may seem a nitpick but it isn’t. Marketing matters on these things. AOC is a self described [democratic socialist](https://www.dsausa.org/about-us/what-is-democratic-socialism/). They are distinctly NOT socialists. That said she isn’t really a democratic socialist either but rather a social democrat. There is a distinct difference there too. Yeah, I know she and Sanders call themselves democratic socialists but the polices they propose are much more akin to a Finland/Norway/Sweden model which are distinctly [social democracies](https://jacobinmag.com/2018/08/democratic-socialism-social-democracy-nordic-countries) and are also different from democratic socialists. I think it is just loose use of the language and it is unfortunate since there are real distinctions to be made. Sadly democratic socialist is often used interchangeably with social democrat. ---
**Author:** ![Dacien](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dacien/32/5663_2.png) [@Dacien](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dacien)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2018, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-conservative-media-obsessed-with-alexandria-ocasio-cortez/824906/270 "2018-11-28T23:29:12Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > Sorry, but you’re not moving these goalposts. The assertion was “hilariously ill-informed” not “continual missteps” and thus far you have shown zero things that meet that low bar. You’re right, I should have said “hilariously ill-informed statements and continual missteps.” So here’s my amended argument: “She keeps saying hilariously ill-informed things and making continual missteps, so of course she’s continually catapulted into the public eye.” I had forgotten how extremely precise and all-inclusive one needs to be in order to avoid having one’s argument picked apart on semantics. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Economist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c89c15/32.png) [@Evil\_Economist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Economist)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2018, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-conservative-media-obsessed-with-alexandria-ocasio-cortez/824906/271 "2018-11-28T23:36:23Z")
> [@Dacien](#): > > “She keeps saying hilariously ill-informed things and making continual missteps, so of course she’s continually catapulted into the public eye.” By way of comparison: What would you say about Trump? ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2018, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-conservative-media-obsessed-with-alexandria-ocasio-cortez/824906/272 "2018-11-28T23:38:48Z")
Most of her misstatements are rather common misconceptions or pretty ordinary mumbles of meaning. Shes also doing a lot more national media than your average Congresperson. I stand by my earlier position that if you find them particularly hilarious or outrageous, you’re trying hard to justify an already set opinion. ---
**Author:** ![Dacien](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dacien/32/5663_2.png) [@Dacien](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dacien)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2018, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-conservative-media-obsessed-with-alexandria-ocasio-cortez/824906/273 "2018-11-28T23:39:55Z")
> [@Evil\_Economist](#): > > By way of comparison: What would you say about Trump? That he’s a thousand times worse? > [@CarnalK](#): > > Most of her misstatements are rather common misconceptions or pretty ordinary mumbles of meaning. Shes also doing a lot more national media than your average Congresperson. I stand by my earlier position that if you find them particularly hilarious or outrageous, you’re trying hard to justify an already set opinion. “Mumbles of Meaning” sounds like a great band name. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Economist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c89c15/32.png) [@Evil\_Economist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Economist)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2018, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-conservative-media-obsessed-with-alexandria-ocasio-cortez/824906/274 "2018-11-28T23:44:32Z")
> [@Dacien](#): > > That he’s a thousand times worse? Have you made a thousand times as many posts about trump’s misstatements as you have about AOC? A hundred times? The same amount? Substantially fewer? ---
**Author:** ![Dacien](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dacien/32/5663_2.png) [@Dacien](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dacien)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2018, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-conservative-media-obsessed-with-alexandria-ocasio-cortez/824906/275 "2018-11-28T23:47:07Z")
No, I mostly just grimace at Trump’s stuff. It’s not like the world needs yet another voice explaining the nature of Trump’s buffoonery. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2018, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-conservative-media-obsessed-with-alexandria-ocasio-cortez/824906/276 "2018-11-29T00:43:53Z")
> [@Dacien](#): > > “She keeps saying hilariously ill-informed things and making continual missteps, so of course she’s continually catapulted into the public eye.” She’s young and new to politics. She has not mastered the art most politicians master of having words come out of their mouth without actually saying anything of substance. I also suspect if she said, “Puppies are cute,” that you’d accuse her of a misstep for not mentioning that kittens are also cute. ---
**Author:** ![Dacien](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dacien/32/5663_2.png) [@Dacien](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dacien)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2018, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-conservative-media-obsessed-with-alexandria-ocasio-cortez/824906/277 "2018-11-29T00:54:47Z")
No, but if she said that her adorable puppy was going to grow up to be a ferocious feline someday, I would. And hey, look, I’m human, I make mistakes, I’m no better or worse all things being equal. God knows if I post enough I’m probably going to eventually say something monumentally stupid. But if we’re talking about why the right focuses on her, all these missteps, gaffes, and misinformed statements one after another are a big reason is all I’m saying. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2018, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-conservative-media-obsessed-with-alexandria-ocasio-cortez/824906/278 "2018-11-29T00:59:46Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > Whoops…my bad. > > My points still stand but I do not know if **DSeid’s** opinion has changed. It has not. We have yet to see if she plays well with others in Congress, specifically how well she integrates with the experienced members of the progressive caucus. Supporting the … well only … candidate for leadership against an ill-defined threat from those right of her? I don’t read much into that of significance. The question will be answered when items are to be brought forward and possibly voted on. Does she in the future, for example, argue for a sub-caucus to demand, say Medicare for all rather than a phase-in of freedom to opt in from 55 years old plus (that being the more incremental approach that, say, a president Sherrod Brown would push for) with a promise to vote against anything less, dooming the bill? That sort of action was the sort of power she expressed wanting her proposed sub-caucus to exercise. IF that then not good, IMHO. I don’t see anything yet that leads me to rest easy of that concern. We’ll see but we have not seen yet. My guess is that she would want to but that she won’t succeed in getting others to follow her lead. That’s the tougher going than she expects that I expect. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2018, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-conservative-media-obsessed-with-alexandria-ocasio-cortez/824906/279 "2018-11-29T01:06:34Z")
> [@Dacien](#): > > But if we’re talking about why the right focuses on her, all these missteps, gaffes, and misinformed statements one after another are a big reason is all I’m saying. Is there a list of all these mistakes she’s made? You keep making this assertion but I have not seen more than a few anecdotes (if I missed it my apologies). ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2018, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-conservative-media-obsessed-with-alexandria-ocasio-cortez/824906/280 "2018-11-29T03:42:08Z")
> [@CarnalK](#): > > Oh, and here’s a soupçon from this very thread: > How dare he? How dare he think a bartender is not fully equipped to be a mover and shaker in Congress. Elitism!! Trumpist!! You prolly don’t understand that you aren’t helping your position any with posts like this: the only person fixated on her employment as a bartender is you, and you consistently use it to try and denigrate her. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-conservative-media-obsessed-with-alexandria-ocasio-cortez/824906.md?page=13) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-conservative-media-obsessed-with-alexandria-ocasio-cortez/824906.md?page=15)