If You Like AOC, Don't Donate To Her Campaign

If You Like AOC, Don't Donate To Her Campaign
Rant #12(Opinion)


Originally March 15, 2020; posted March 16, 2020



I like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. I think that she represents an important voice for both progressives and Millennials. DC definitely could use the new blood. And Fox News' fears of a first-term Congresswoman (who usually get no attention or clout at all) has actually amplified her popularity nationwide. 

Every time I scroll through Facebook, I see these ads about donating to AOC's campaign. This has led me to conclude that if you truly support her and what she stands for, then don't give to her campaign this year! Instead, donate to Democratic campaigns in swing districts. Help Chrissy Houlahan (Chester County's Democratic Congresswoman since 2019); the Democrats cannot hold the House without holding onto seats like hers. She may run on a more moderate platform, but she's there when the Dems need the votes on important legislation. This House has actually passed a lot of that, even though the public has yet to see the fruits of it..Mitch McConnell has obstructed virtually any bill pushed through the House in order to make the Dems look bad. Despite passing over 400 bills, very few have made it past the Senate as they collect dust on the Senate Majority Leader's desk.

In this polarized climate, it may seem like somebody as controversial as AOC might face some serious challengers for her seat backed by big money. The fact is that though New York's 14th district (the one she represents) has never voted lower than 72% for a Democrat in Congressional races going back to 1996 (and that WAS in 1996). Like Nancy Pelosi, who represents a heavily blue district in San Francisco which essentially insures her seat's safety, and other prominent Democratic House leaders, AOC will easily remain in Congress a loooong time so long as she doesn't move on to run for Senator, accept Cabinet positions, etc. She could still be there in 2036, when the House finally votes on a sweeping environmental reform bill, saying "not to say I told you so, but-" to all those GOP climate deniers who can deny it no more. Or in 2040, when enough old people have died that the majority of voters' representatives finally reflect public opinion and endorse Medicare for All. In 2019, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation, 52 to 63% of voters polled wanted Medicare for All, the variation depending on which terminology was used to describe the program) She could be Speaker of the House in 2 decades.

Sure, the Republicans are going to send millions of dollars trying to defeat her, and Fox News will continue to demonize her because she's everything their viewers fear: female, Latinx, Millennial, Democrat, from New York City*, very progressive, not afraid to call it like she sees it. The asterisk is because in Republican messaging, New York City normally works as a way of framing the person as elitist, leftist, amoral, irreligious, out of touch with Americans--ironically, Donald Trump is exempt from this labeling, despite being 4 of those 5 things. At any rate, although the right will try to use their massive might to squash her, she represents in one of the safest districts in America.

Representatives like Chrissy Houlahan are not so safe. Chester County/PA's 6th District has had a Republican Representative since 2003. Despite winning with the 58.9% of the vote in 2018, as of February 28, 2020, the Cook Political Report rates the district as D+2: enough to qualify as a safe seat for Dems according to their metrics, but not by very much. Even significantly more vulnerable seats than this could use even more support--but the fact is AOC needs it the least and if you like her and you like her policies, then help elect or keep in another Representative elsewhere to actually make those ideas possible. 

Works Cited:

-Kaiser Family Foundation, public opinion on Medicare For All.

https://www.kff.org/slideshow/public-opinion-on-single-payer-national-health-plans-and-expanding-access-to-medicare-coverage/

-Cook Political Report, House district election ratings.

https://cookpolitical.com/ratings/house-race-ratings