Democrats as we can elect to Congress to take on the RW scum. Most of the 'AOC as out of control youngster' memes have been bullshit as well. The whole 'she is protesting Pelosi' rot was a perfect example. I love her fire in the belly.

district. FOCUS! Otherwise all she will do is fire up the R's, make enemies of her own colleagues instead of friends and partners, and cut her own throat. Members of Congress don't exist in a vaccum. Each is just one of many, and none can be effective if self-isolated.

I appreciate the passion, but she is new and green, and ANY new person needs to slow down and LEARN.

Think of your workplace. What if a brand new person with no experience came in and starting acting all brash, rash, and as if he or she knew it all and started riling things up with some agenda outside his or her exact job description. That person would be put in his or her place damn quick by veteran co-workers and supervisors and if the person didn't shape up quick he or she would be fired. And don't think a member of Congress can't be successfully primaried if he or she BLOWS IT by not focusing on the needs of his or her district and is instead out there on tangents.

My only (possible/likely) regret is that I probably won’t be around to vote for her for president in 20-odd years.

It is irrelevant whether she is new or not. When it comes to congress, it is best when folks just go there with agenda and disregard all “rules” that are not in the US Constitution to push the ideas that got them elected. So far AOC is doing better job than most by sticking to her agenda w/o compromise. We shall see how she does. I wish we had full congress of people like her instead of business as usual, “rules”, “traditions”, “lobbysts”, etc. So far I am seeing that she can’t be bought. What disgusts me is congresspeople who are getting insanely wealthy while working in congress, that should alarm anyone. She is building a following across the entire country which gets new voters registered and the base excited. She is the youngest congresswoman ever elected in the US history. We need many more like her. What’s more, gop is terrified shitless of her.

Last edited Sat Jan 5, 2019, 08:21 AM - Edit history (1)

She needs to take some time to LEARN. Otherwise, all that "bellyfire" is going to do is rile up the R's and their base and she will make enemies of her colleagues instead of friends. She doesn't exist in a vaccum.

being a badge of honour, will come back at her in harder times.

There's nothing she can do to stop that from happening, because it's already happened.

She also doesn't get to dictate what the news media report about her. If a reporter asks her a question, should she refuse to address it? Would that be better than giving an honest answer?

She also doesn't get to control what people on twitter or whatever post about here, or which of those things goes viral and becomes widely known. It's nutty that people are holding stuff like that against her.

phrase from cricket, "you have to play yourself in".

At the very least, she should calm down, learn how Congress works and then move forward. It would also help if her supporters could stop putting pressure with unrealistic expectations, and give AOC the time & space to develop her political career.

Hillary came in as a rock star - bigger than Ocasio-Cortez, but made a point of establishing herself through her work - which she did largely in collaboration with others, rarely alone - not through the media or by making public comments. She did very few interviews and when she did appear at press conferences, she only did so along with other senators and spoke in order of seniority (when she spoke at all). She stayed away from hot button national issues that could have gotten her a lot of attention and, instead, focused on constituent relations and issues that affected her district. She quickly developed a reputation as a serious, hard-working, non-grandstanding senator who earned the respect of her colleagues on both sides of the aisle.

Of course, once she ran for president, Republicans turned on her - largely because they knew how good she was - but even then, they never backed off on their respect or her intellect, work ethic and effectiveness.

I hope AOC is able to follow that course and establish herself as a workhorse whose constituents feel that she cares about and is making a difference for them. Once she does that, she'll have plenty of time and space to be a national player.

You haven't explained how, exactly, she is supposed to prevent the publication of stories and tweets and posts and such about her, and how she should stop people from reading/listening to/watching those stories and talking about her.

For example, what could she have done to cause you to refrain from commenting on this thread about her?

learn the ways to be effective in Congress. Unfortunately for her, many of her supporters have set unrealistic expectations for someone entering the House for the first time. At times it feels like the second coming of Christ, and that's not helping her.

As for me commenting on this thread, I'm always happy to help Democrats.

We have to move quickly. Thankfully, not everyone has waited for governments to take action.

the income redistribution that has occurred under predominantly supply-side policy the past 40 years as well. The .01% already have the vast majority of wealth in the form of assets — and that can’t be reversed by even the most progressive income tax schedule alone. Wealth and income inequality is rapidly destroying the sustainability of democracy and society as we know it.

enough of this incremental change where they move the ball 95 yards and we get 5 back

I think she's the wave of the future - periods in history where the "old guard" hasn't been paying attention to the way the new world works, but think they know better because "that's the way it's done"

(horses vs tanks in ww2 etc, online media vs mainstream media, etc)

Smash the carbonite!

She needs to LEARN. She needs to focus on the needs of HER district, or they may toss her in 2020.

How many times do you need to write that before you feel satisfied that we all get it?

Women can multitask. Do you think the little lady needs to know her place?

Why, she's a Millennial! Everyone knows that means she's ignorant, incompetent, lazy, entitled, etc. etc. etc.

as a Member of congress , right?

AOC is an individual who won her election. Let her choose her own way and use her own unique voice. You're not qualified to advise her.

It's obvious the nasty GOP does given she seems to be #2 on the current hate list. I like her!

I'm not saying she has or will do so. Only that she appears to be to be at risk of doing so. She is part of a team now and needs to develop the skills to work as one toward her goals. I hope she can do so.

There have always been some members, from the bluest districts that stake out positions that are further out than the mainstream party can or will be. However, they are the force that in conjunction with activists move the party towards that position.

On the Green New Deal, the most important thing is the energy and the urgency of dealing with climate change. On the urgency, she is not in a different position than two previous Presidential nominees - Gore and Kerry. The direction is consistent with President Obama and either of his EPA heads, Lisa Jackson or Gina McCarthy. Obama clearly did everything he could with executive orders to move the US to cleaner energy. It would have been better had he been able to do something legislatively, but there simply were not 60 votes in the Senate at any point. (This was frustrating as many nos were Democrats from states that had many coal plants - including some DU favorites like Feingold, who was fantastic on other issues. Notably, Sherrod Brown worked with Kerry on how to economically support the coal states as they transitioned so they did not bear the total burden.)

The next two years, when the best we could do might be to stop additional bad things from passing, AOC and people in agreement with her could work with scientists and policy experts and introduce a bill that includes elements of the Green New Deal. When introduced, it - like any bill - will be sent to the appropriate committee. There it will provide ideas that may be added to the proposals the climate panel proposes. I would expect that the climate panel might pursue BOTH a limited bill that includes things that have support AND a bill that would introduce ideas on what needs to be done to make the ideas more familliar maybe helping their passage in 2021 when we have a Democrat as President.

AOC is not the first activist who entered Congress. Two very different examples, who were if anything more identified as activists than she is. John Lewis, who has become an icon, a undisputed man of integrity AND a powerful Congressman. John Kerry, was an anti-war, pro environment, anti- nuclear weapons activist when he was elected. Kerry has often credited Kennedy for teaching him how relationships in the Senate are essential to accomplishing the goals you have. I would not be surprised if Speaker Pelosi will become her "Ted Kennedy".

My point is that AOC has the charisma, intelligence and passion that could -- if like those two men, she learns how to work in the House, she could become as powerful in government as she now is as an activist.

I certainly do not post "woo" threads, but whoever you've confused me with surely doesn't deserve such attacks either.

validity whatsoever.

thanks, Cha...

Glad to be of service.

whether you agree with everything she says, OAC is helping shake things up.

so her effect on actual legislation will probably be kind of small.

But yeah, you gotta love the youthful enthusiasm and authentic energy she brings to the table.

Instant relief and gratification.
A breath of fresh air.
Resuscitation is not a pretty thing; it is just very effective

The rightists, because she doesn’t apologize for her uncompromising position. The mummies, with their petrified cynicism.