# 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:** 5
**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 23, 2018, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-conservative-media-obsessed-with-alexandria-ocasio-cortez/824906/81 "2018-11-23T20:41:58Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > You dont think the GOP would do it? I think a $5 donation from an oil company is meaningless and everyone would agree with me. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2018, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-conservative-media-obsessed-with-alexandria-ocasio-cortez/824906/82 "2018-11-23T20:53:27Z")
> [@CarnalK](#): > > I think a $5 donation from an oil company is meaningless and everyone would agree with me. Sure but AOC wants to ban anyone who takes _any_ money from oil companies from drafting climate legislation. See, she made a stupidly broad statement. ---
**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 23, 2018, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-conservative-media-obsessed-with-alexandria-ocasio-cortez/824906/83 "2018-11-23T20:56:34Z")
> [@senoy](#): > > Underestimating your enemy is the prerogative of the overwhelmingly strong, not the party barely holding one half of one branch of government. > > The conservative media and Republican Party are led by very intelligent people with very long term goals and paths to achieve them. They are constantly looking ahead and talk about policy effects 30 or more years out. Watching CNN this morning they had a Trump economist talking about economic policies with effects in 2050. > > To get back to AOC, we can talk about the right now. Before she was even sworn in, AOC was portrayed as being in a fight with Pelosi. Whose side were you on? My guess is that again, many on our side are siding with a 29 year old bomb-thrower with limited government experience and non-mainstream ideas against proven capable leadership all because of conservative media advancing their narrative. Bomb-thrower? :dubious: By the way, AOC says she will vote for Pelosi for Speaker. ---
**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 23, 2018, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-conservative-media-obsessed-with-alexandria-ocasio-cortez/824906/84 "2018-11-23T21:06:15Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Sure but AOC wants to ban anyone who takes _any_ money from oil companies from drafting climate legislation. > > See, she made a stupidly broad statement. That’s not the stupid that stands out here, imho. ---
**Author:** ![Lance\_Turbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lance_turbo/32/6156_2.png) [@Lance\_Turbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lance_Turbo)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2018, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-conservative-media-obsessed-with-alexandria-ocasio-cortez/824906/85 "2018-11-23T21:07:11Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Sure but AOC wants to ban anyone who takes _any_ money from oil companies from drafting climate legislation. No she doesn’t. She does support some form of campaign finance reform but has yet to give any details. Do you see how different her actual position is from the position you are ascribing her? ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2018, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-conservative-media-obsessed-with-alexandria-ocasio-cortez/824906/86 "2018-11-23T21:44:19Z")
> [@Lance\_Turbo](#): > > No she doesn’t. > > She does support some form of campaign finance reform but has yet to give any details. > > Do you see how different her actual position is from the position you are ascribing her? I used her exact words. ---
**Author:** ![Lance\_Turbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lance_turbo/32/6156_2.png) [@Lance\_Turbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lance_Turbo)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2018, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-conservative-media-obsessed-with-alexandria-ocasio-cortez/824906/87 "2018-11-23T21:56:02Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > I used her exact words. You also used the word “ban” which she never did. She doesn’t want, “to ban anyone who takes _any_ money from oil companies from drafting climate legislation.” Her exact words don’t say that. That’s something you made up. She wants to overturn Citizens United with a constitutional amendment so that oil companies and pharmaceutical companies aren’t allowed to inject money into the political process. Here exact word are, “I don’t think people who are taking money from pharmaceutical companies should be drafting health-care legislation. I don’t think people who are taking money from oil and gas companies should be drafting climate legislation.” She sees this as a problem and her solution to that problem is a constitutional amendment. Not some ban on legislators that you invented. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2018, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-conservative-media-obsessed-with-alexandria-ocasio-cortez/824906/88 "2018-11-23T22:03:47Z")
> [@Lance\_Turbo](#): > > You also used the word “ban” which she never did. > > She doesn’t want, “to ban anyone who takes _any_ money from oil companies from drafting climate legislation.” Her exact words don’t say that. That’s something you made up. > > She wants to overturn Citizens United with a constitutional amendment so that oil companies and pharmaceutical companies aren’t allowed to inject money into the political process. > > Here exact word are, “I don’t think people who are taking money from pharmaceutical companies should be drafting health-care legislation. I don’t think people who are taking money from oil and gas companies should be drafting climate legislation.” She sees this as a problem and her solution to that problem is a constitutional amendment. Not some ban on legislators that you invented. Yes, so then\* I don’t think people who are taking money from oil and gas companies should be drafting climate legislation\* does that not mean that people who do take money from oil and gas companies should NOT be drafting climate legislation? Thus, people who do take said money are indeed “banned”. Simple english. And there is no way in hell that a constitutional amendment could be passed that would overturn Citizens United. Might as well ask for Unicorns that poop frozen yogurt. ---
**Author:** ![Lance\_Turbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lance_turbo/32/6156_2.png) [@Lance\_Turbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lance_Turbo)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2018, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-conservative-media-obsessed-with-alexandria-ocasio-cortez/824906/89 "2018-11-23T22:14:42Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Yes, so then\* I don’t think people who are taking money from oil and gas companies should be drafting climate legislation\* does that not mean that people who do take money from oil and gas companies should NOT be drafting climate legislation? Thus, people who do take said money are indeed “banned”. > > Simple english. > > And there is no way in hell that a constitutional amendment could be passed that would overturn Citizens United. Might as well ask for Unicorns that poop frozen yogurt. She clearly wants to ban the money not the people. You are fighting a straw man and not Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Your argument against the feasibility of a constitutional amendment is much stronger. You are correct that it is very difficult to pass a constitutional amendment. This has the added benefit of actually arguing against AOC. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2018, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-conservative-media-obsessed-with-alexandria-ocasio-cortez/824906/90 "2018-11-23T22:17:42Z")
> [@Lance\_Turbo](#): > > She clearly wants to ban the money not the people. > > You are fighting a straw man and not Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. > > Your argument against the feasibility of a constitutional amendment is much stronger. You are correct that it is very difficult to pass a constitutional amendment. This has the added benefit of actually arguing against AOC. Well, that’s not what she said. But that also can’t be done, unfortunately. Mind you i thought Citizens United was a bit of a stretch. ---
**Author:** ![Lance\_Turbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lance_turbo/32/6156_2.png) [@Lance\_Turbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lance_Turbo)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2018, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-conservative-media-obsessed-with-alexandria-ocasio-cortez/824906/91 "2018-11-23T22:33:02Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Well, that’s not what she said. But that also can’t be done, unfortunately. > > Mind you i thought Citizens United was a bit of a stretch. It is what she said. She said, “I don’t think people who are taking money from pharmaceutical companies should be drafting health-care legislation. I don’t think people who are taking money from oil and gas companies should be drafting climate legislation.” Where she identifies a problem, but does not propose a solution. She also ran a whole campaign where she spoke over and over again about campaign finance reform, overturning Citizens United, getting corporate money out of political campaigns, etc. In context it is obvious that her solution to legislation drafters taking money from corporations is to limit corporations’ ability to donate money to legislators. This idea was a cornerstone of her campaign and came up over and over. Or you could assume she has a position that does not resemble anything else that she, or anyone really, has ever said. That’s another way to go. ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2018, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-conservative-media-obsessed-with-alexandria-ocasio-cortez/824906/92 "2018-11-23T22:33:07Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Well, she may have a great education, but she shoots her mouth off before she thinks. Very Trump-like in that. > > [https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-botches-another-basic-question-about-her-platform](https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-botches-another-basic-question-about-her-platform) > > For example she has been quoted all over the internet as saying:\*“I don’t think people who are taking money from pharmaceutical companies should be drafting health-care legislation. I don’t think people who are taking money from oil and gas companies should be drafting climate legislation,” \* > > Which means the GOP only has to arrange for oil companies to send $5 to each Dem congressman and _viola_- no more climate legislation! Plan won’t work, even if the premise '_no one who takes money from oil or gas companies may draft climate legislation’_ were to be accepted as Democratic Party policy. It won’t work because the Democratic congresspeople don’t have to _accept_ the $5. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2018, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-conservative-media-obsessed-with-alexandria-ocasio-cortez/824906/93 "2018-11-23T22:36:29Z")
> [@Sherrerd](#): > > It won’t work because the Democratic congresspeople don’t have to _accept_ the $5. Oh Hell, you don’t think the GOp dirty tricks could do it? Geez. Shell corps, or have executive or BOD donate it. Geez, the GOp dirty tricks dept would have a field day. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2018, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-conservative-media-obsessed-with-alexandria-ocasio-cortez/824906/94 "2018-11-23T22:43:04Z")
> [@Lance\_Turbo](#): > > It is what she said. > > She said, “I don’t think people who are taking money from pharmaceutical companies should be drafting health-care legislation. I don’t think people who are taking money from oil and gas companies should be drafting climate legislation.” Where she identifies a problem, but does not propose a solution. > > She also ran a whole campaign where she spoke over and over again about campaign finance reform, overturning Citizens United, getting corporate money out of political campaigns, etc. > > In context it is obvious that her solution to legislation drafters taking money from corporations is to limit corporations’ ability to donate money to legislators. This idea was a cornerstone of her campaign and came up over and over. > > Or you could assume she has a position that does not resemble anything else that she, or anyone really, has ever said. That’s another way to go. Then she should have said _“Pharmaceutical companies and oil and gas companies shouldn’t be allowed to donate money to politicians”_- which is hugely different. That’s discriminating vs two industries and a violation of the 1st Ad. _That’s even more stupid. \* That shows she knows nothing about the freaken_ Bill of Rights. \* Now, a Bill passed by Congress, making it so that there’s a conflict of interest when you accept large political donations- that can be done. Perfectly within the Constitution. So I was giving her the benefit of the doubt, assuming she had some possibly intelligent idea that she simply worded in a stupid manner. But you are telling me she is \*completely utterly full of shit \*and has no idea what she is talking about. Great. ---
**Author:** ![Lance\_Turbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lance_turbo/32/6156_2.png) [@Lance\_Turbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lance_Turbo)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2018, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-conservative-media-obsessed-with-alexandria-ocasio-cortez/824906/95 "2018-11-23T22:55:16Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Then she should have said _“Pharmaceutical companies and oil and gas companies shouldn’t be allowed to donate money to politicians”_- which is hugely different. > > That’s discriminating vs two industries and a violation of the 1st Ad. _That’s even more stupid. \* That shows she knows nothing about the freaken_ Bill of Rights. \* She did say this and more on any number of occasions. Furthermore, those two industries named were examples not an exhaustive list. She thinks corporations have too much influence in the political process and she has a perfectly constitutional plan to limit that. A good argument against her is that since her plan requires a constitutional amendment it will almost certainly never come to fruition. A bad argument is making up all sorts of ridiculous positions that she doesn’t, and as far as I can tell no one else, hold, and then excoriating her for holding those fantasy positions. ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2018, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-conservative-media-obsessed-with-alexandria-ocasio-cortez/824906/96 "2018-11-23T22:57:37Z")
> [@senoy](#): > > The conservative media and Republican Party are led by very intelligent people with very long term goals and paths to achieve them. I don’t want to derail this thread, but… If the above quote is true, don’t you think that this represents a dangerous situation where a news organization is helping to craft long-term policy? It’s bad enough today with FOX News helping to dictate short-term policy. And who are these ‘very intelligent people’? > [@senoy](#): > > They are constantly looking ahead and talk about policy effects 30 or more years out. Watching CNN this morning they had a Trump economist talking about economic policies with effects in 2050. I didn’t watch CNN this morning and I find nothing on their website about this. Who was this Trump economist? Can you provide a link to his comments? I’m not an economist and I don’t pretend to know very much about national economic policy, but I’m having a hard time thinking of a policy that directly affected the country 30 years later. Was there something enacted in 1950 that affected us in 1980? Or did Reagan do something in the 1980s that is still affecting us today? ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2018, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-conservative-media-obsessed-with-alexandria-ocasio-cortez/824906/97 "2018-11-23T22:58:13Z")
> [@Lance\_Turbo](#): > > She did say this and more on any number of occasions. Furthermore, those two industries named were examples not an exhaustive list. She thinks corporations have too much influence in the political process and she has a perfectly constitutional plan to limit that. > > A good argument against her is that since her plan requires a constitutional amendment it will almost certainly never come to fruition. > > A bad argument is making up all sorts of ridiculous positions that she doesn’t, and as far as I can tell no one else, hold, and then excoriating her for holding those fantasy positions. I quoted her exact words. But it her plans starts with repealing the 1st Ad, then I hate it. And if it requires a Amendment she might as well shut up about it. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2018, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-conservative-media-obsessed-with-alexandria-ocasio-cortez/824906/98 "2018-11-23T23:03:47Z")
> [@Railer13](#): > > And who are these ‘very intelligent people’? Dick Cheney. Karl Rove. Donald Rumsfeld used be be one, but he is kinda old now.John R. Bolton. There are several quite sharp Republicans. They ain’t dummies. I mean, I can’t say that about Trump, but… ---
**Author:** ![Lance\_Turbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lance_turbo/32/6156_2.png) [@Lance\_Turbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lance_Turbo)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2018, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-conservative-media-obsessed-with-alexandria-ocasio-cortez/824906/99 "2018-11-23T23:11:49Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > I quoted her exact words. You quoted her exact words, and then added a bunch of weird made up interpretations of those words that were not consistent with her many other words on the exact same topic. Now that you know what her position is, will you argue against it, or are you going to continue to argue against your mistaken interpretation of what she said? She thinks corporate money has a corrupting influence on politics and want to limit that influence by legal means up to an including a constitutional amendment. She believes this because, “I don’t think people who are taking money from pharmaceutical companies should be drafting health-care legislation. I don’t think people who are taking money from oil and gas companies should be drafting climate legislation.” Those are a couple examples of the corrupting influence. ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2018, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-conservative-media-obsessed-with-alexandria-ocasio-cortez/824906/100 "2018-11-23T23:13:32Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Dick Cheney. Karl Rove. Donald Rumsfeld used be be one, but he is kinda old now.John R. Bolton. > > There are several quite sharp Republicans. Hm, okay, good examples. I wouldn’t consider any of these leaders of the conservative media, although I do see Karl Rove on FOX regularly. But long-term policy? Karl Rove is great at getting Republicans elected and re-elected, but that’s strictly short-term. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-conservative-media-obsessed-with-alexandria-ocasio-cortez/824906.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-conservative-media-obsessed-with-alexandria-ocasio-cortez/824906.md?page=6)