Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Profile picture
Nov 6, 2020 11 tweets 3 min read Read on X
There are folks running around on TV blaming progressivism for Dem underperformance.

I was curious, so I decided to open the hood on struggling campaigns of candidates who are blaming progressives for their problems.

Almost all had awful execution on digital. DURING A PANDEMIC.
Underinvestment across the board. Some campaigns spent $0 on digital the week before the election. Others who spent did so in very poor ways.

If I spent only $12k on TV the week before an election & then blamed others after, you’d ask questions. That’s how it looks seeing this.
Ideology + messaging are the spicy convos a lot of people jump to but sometimes it’s about execution and technical capacity.

Digital execution was not good, polls were off, ironically DCCC banned the firms who are the best in the country at Facebook bc they work w progressives!
Also, the decision to stop knocking doors is one people need to grapple with and analyze.

@IlhanMN and @RashidaTlaib never stopped and may very well have helped delivered a Biden Presidency bc of it washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/…
There are swing seat Dem incumbents who cosponsored the Green New Deal, Medicare for All, etc and if I’m not mistaken every single one won re-election.
So the whole “progressivism is bad” argument just doesn’t have any compelling evidence that I’ve seen.

When it comes to “Defund” & “Socialism” attacks, people need to realize these are racial resentment attacks. You’re not gonna make that go away. You can make it less effective.
How do you make it less effective? Invest in year-round deep canvassing. Data shows that this kind of work helps blunt the force of racial resentment at the polls.

If you’re always running away from convos about race, then the only ppl owning it are GOP. You’ll lose.
And on this hand-wringing about slight POC increases for GOP in some areas - this is also an area w answers.

But honestly when it comes to Latinos the party’s just never seriously made an effort. Mexicans, Central Am, Caribbean, Chicanos - Cubans are not the only impt community
By the way if white communities are getting more comfortable w overt racism or “cultural resentment” (if that’s what they’re rebranding it now) it’s only gonna get harder for POC turnout to save everyone.

Real organizing & strategy is needed that disarms bigotry, not avoids it.
You can’t just tell the Black, Brown, & youth organizers riding in to save us every election to be quiet or not have their reps champion them when they need us. Or wonder why they don’t show up for midterms when they’re scolded for existing. Esp when they’re delivering victories.
And btw I’m happy to cede ground on things that aren’t working in some areas! But finger pointing is not gonna help. There’s real workable & productive paths here if the party is open to us.

(After all, I got here by beating a Dem who outspent me 10-1 who I knew had bad polling)

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More from @AOC

May 17
Here’s the problem with “both sidesing” the chaos that was the Republican Oversight hearing.

Republicans VOTED in cmte to allow the rhetoric that was used against Ms. Crockett last night.

Notice that when Dems have the majority, these things don’t happen.

It also gets worse…
Remember: the hearing was about contempt proceedings - otherwise known as a “markup hearing,” where the full committee must vote at the end.

In markups, both parties offer amendments. This is standard. Amendments are voted on and then the full proposal.

Dems had 7 amendments.
This is where the GOP chaos matters.

AFTER the Republican Chair and GOP members broke official House protocol to allow MTG’s horrific opening silo of rhetoric, they THEN made another change to dispense with the legislative process.

THAT part is not getting enough attention.
Read 6 tweets
Jul 29, 2023
There are many reasons for this, one being that the baby boomer gen changed a lot of the norms & structures of Congress (schedule, staff, cola, etc) so the actual job became very unsustainable for newer people who are younger, working class, or parents.

Drives away young talent
Much of this can be traced to the 90s and Contract with America, but much of it is also the influence of lobbyists and rigid ways of thinking that are difficult to challenge meaningfully in a fundraising + seniority system. Class divides in Congress are an unspoken challenge, too
Even simple things like how votes are scheduled (& changed) are often hostile to parents and families.

A lot of small details in this job is pretty much assumes you have a full-time, stay at home spouse. Which makes sense, because many/most did! But if you don’t, it’s a problem
Read 4 tweets
May 4, 2023
I have yet to hear a real explanation from any official hesitating to condemn the killing of Jordan Neely about what makes condemning this violence so “complicated.”

Killing is wrong. Killing the poor is wrong. Killing the mentally ill is wrong. Why is that so hard to say?
Neely’s last words were literally about how going to jail was easier than accessing the social safety net support to get back on his feet and lead a life.

Yet leaders want to raise his record as if that warrants a public execution on the subway?

What have we come to?
I represent Rikers. I cannot tell you how many times I’ve heard from both COs and the incarcerated that there are people who commit petty crimes because their easiest way to get a bed and doctor.

For many vulnerable communities - especially the mentally ill - we make living in… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…
Read 4 tweets
Dec 13, 2022
Breakdown of FTX timeline:

1. Nov 9th: SBF emails the Bahamian AG with an offer to unfreeze FTX withdrawals in the Bahamas

2. On Nov 10, Bahamian gov puts FTX in foreign provisional liquidation. This was the day before FTX was supposed to file bankruptcy in the US.

Then…
3. SBF then makes good on his offer and unfreezes FTX withdrawals just for Bahamas for a 25.5 hour window.

4. Same day, $100 million is withdrawn from FTX by 1500 unknown people in the Bahamas.

5. Nov 16th: Bahamian-appointed liquidator goes to US bankruptcy court and argues…
…their FTX proceedings should be the main one, over FTX’s US bankruptcy filing. (Big red flag 🚩)

6. Yesterday: this explosive information is exposed yesterday when FTX filed a court declaration outlining these emails, withdrawals, & dates w/ US bankruptcy court - around 3-4pm.
Read 6 tweets
Nov 11, 2022
Let’s make something crystal clear:
- SPM courted me for donations to swing races & it was the 1st thing I did this term. Over a quarter million for Dems this cycle, DCCC facilitated some & now he denies it.
- If he isn’t aware of my visit to CA & efforts we put in, that’s on him
- Because of Dem party abandonment in key areas, statewide victories depended HEAVILY on driving up numbers in progressive areas like mine & @nywfp

- To our knowledge, I was the only NYC House Dem in a safe seat to run a full-throated heavy field operation for GOTV
What I love about his claim that we gave frontline members “donations they didn’t want”:

a) the VAST majority were good w/ early financial support to position themselves early

b) for the few who didn’t want our help + got it, where do you think we got the $ info to give? DCCC!
Read 6 tweets
Jul 15, 2022
8 items my office passed + supported today in the House NDAA:

1. Authorizing MDMA & psilocybin as substances for study in therapeutic applications 🍄(FINALLY! Took 3 yrs!)

2. New limits on arms sales to Saudi Arabia + requiring actions related to the death of Jamal Khashoggi 🇸🇦
3. Securing a report on US decontamination + cleanup efforts in Vieques & Culebra post-bombing 🇵🇷

4. Directing the State Dept to report knowledge of Colombian military involvement in assassinations and human rights violations from 1980-2010 🇨🇴
5. Prohibited US funding of aerial crop fumigation in Colombia 🇨🇴

6. Support for debt relief to developing countries 🏦

7. Moving “Block the Box” enforcement out of Defense & into Labor (important criminal justice issue!)👩🏽‍⚖️
Read 5 tweets

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