Ever since Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) burst onto the national spotlight, conservatives have had a heyday making light of the young socialist and her many gaffes. AOC has certainly given them plenty of ammunition – almost every interview she’s in features missteps and inaccuracies that would make a high school civics student roll their eyes in disbelief.
Thus, most of the coverage of Ocasio-Cortez from conservative media has been mocking in nature. There’s a concerning chance, though, that while we are caught up mocking the absurdity of Ocasio-Cortez and her policies, we are missing the real danger that she presents.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is a rising star in the Democratic Party. How quickly she has risen to national fame is simply unprecedented for a freshman Congresswoman. Many have already declared that AOC represents the future of the party, and they may very well be right. If Ocasio-Cortez does go on to become one of the most powerful figures in the Democratic Party, she and her policies will no longer be much of a laughing matter.
Ocasio-Cortez is a radical, unapologetic socialist. Conservatives may snicker when she proposes things such as a 70% tax rate and a federal jobs guarantee, but Ocasio-Cortez isn’t joking – if given the opportunity, she will make these socialist policies a reality.
As a member of the House of Representatives, Ocasio-Cortez is already one of the 435 most powerful, influential people in the United States. Given her level of stardom and media coverage, she’s arguably even more powerful still than the average member of Congress since she has the media platform to get her ideas into the public spotlight.
Ocasio-Cortez isn’t content to stop there, though. Along with Bernie Sanders and an alarming number of other Democrats in Congress, AOC is fighting to push the party further and further to the left, with all-out socialism being the final goal. Add to this Ocasio-Cortez’s own political aspirations, and the Congresswoman certainly isn’t sitting on her hands when it comes to furthering her socialist agenda.
Perhaps the nation is still a long ways away from electing a socialist President. Then again, we might not be that far away from it at all. After all, the Democratic Party came very close to electing Bernie Sanders in the 2016 primary, and socialism continues to enjoy a favorability rating in the United States that is on the rise. This is particularly true among younger voters who, keep in mind, represent the future of democracy in our country.
AOC has all of the right qualities to make a serious run for the White House in 2024 when she turns 35, the minimum age you can be to get elected President. She is a female minority, which automatically wins her a ton of points in the identity politics race. She already enjoys an incredible level of media coverage, and that coverage isn’t likely to go away any time soon.
Most importantly, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has a certain charisma. Her time in front of the camera may be plagued with missteps and blunders, but she is still seen as a likeable outsider dedicated to taking on the Washington establishment. If that profile reminds you of someone else who won the Presidency, you should understand just how serious the threat of President Ocasio-Cortez could one day be.
Of course, it goes without saying that handing over control of the Democratic Party to Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez – whether it be in the form of her rising to a position such as President or Speaker of the House or in the form of her reshaping the party along with her fellow Democratic socialists – would be disastrous for the country.
Medicare for all, a 70% tax rate, free college tuition, a $15 minimum wage, and all of the other socialist policies that AOC is pushing for are things that our economy would not survive. No country in history has managed to survive socialism, and even the United States in all her wealth and might would be no different.
Given the dangerous threat that AOC poses to the future of our country, it’s time for conservatives to start taking her a little more seriously. Rather than simply poking fun at her policies, it is our obligation to bring those policies under the microscope and inform the nation of just how disastrous they would be. If all we do is sit back and laugh while she continues to grow her popularity and her power, it may very well be Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez who gets the last laugh.
