Lay off of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s American dream already.
The representative elect from New York has attracted a monsoon of media coverage because of her clothes, because of her slim bank account, because of her everyman wonderment at coming to Congress. In many ways, the 29-year-old is both a progressive poster child and a picture of “the forgotten men and women” of President Trump’s first inaugural.
Her story is refreshingly different from the country club and trust fund kids who often grow up to become lifelong members of Congress. She is different and can say with credibility “I am the people I work for.”
My dad died when I was 18, my mom scrubbed toilets + drove drove schoolbuses, I bartended to help her, and still won a Congressional primary at 28.
I’ll take my family over a fat bank account any day, and my experience makes me a better legislator.
I am the people I work for. https://t.co/NMWGeUIwNS
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@Ocasio2018) November 20, 2018
This is why the criticism of Ocasio-Cortez often misses the mark. She has blended her story with her beliefs so tightly that cheap shots against her personally blunt legitimate criticism of her discredited socialist ideology. Authenticity coupled with astute political posturing have made her into a martyr-juggernaut before she has even taken the oath of office.
To be sure, her socialism has been shown throughout history to be truly undemocratic, and to cause pain and create poverty. It has just been rebranded in Brooklyn by hipsters. These refurbished ideas deserved to be intellectually gutted and at times mercilessly mocked. So long as ideas are the target, all is fair in the public square.
But Ocasio-Cortez the person shouldn’t be attacked. And while her story isn’t off limits if it turns out she embellished, minus any evidence to the contrary, she should be praised. Does a bartender turned politician have all the geopolitical answers? No. Does a bartender turned politician have a better understanding of her constituents than legacy Democrats with famous last names? Absolutely.
Ocasio-Cortez has some stupid ideas. Ocasio-Cortez has an inspiring story. The Right would be wise then to treat her political philosophy seriously and right to treat her respectfully.
[Read more: The Right is giving Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez the Trump treatment]
