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Democrats reject AOC – ruining the party’s future

Pabio December 19, 2024

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who is actively working against Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, is the old guard keeping the Democratic Party down.

It appears that Vice President Kamala Harris “We will not go backwas just another political slogan. Within their own party, Democrats seem determined to do exactly what they’ve always done — even if it cost them an election.

On Tuesday, centrist Rep. Gerry Connolly of Virginia defeated Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York for ranking member of the House Oversight and Accountability Committee during a closed-door caucus meeting. It’s a disappointing choice that shows Democrats are more committed to maintaining the status quo than moving the party forward.

This could have been an opportunity for the party to promote someone new, someone bold, someone who has the ideal platform to be the messenger of the party’s future. Instead, it will be the same old playbook: the past.

AOC Snubs Just Another Example of Democrats Being Stuck

Connolly’s victory was presented as if he deserved it. He waited his turn 15 years on committee, ran twice as a ranking member and now, at 74 years oldhe is ready to lead.

Despite this framing, victory was not always guaranteed. Politico reported Earlier this month, the majority of Democrats on the oversight panel supported Ocasio-Cortez, 35.

Connolly, on the other hand, received support from the former Speaker of the House. Nancy Pelosi, who allegedly made calls in his name to party members.

I’m sure Connolly will be fine; I just don’t think it’s an inspired choice, nor does it help define the future of the party.

By rejecting Ocasio-Cortez for the top spot on the Oversight Committee, Democrats are signaling that they will continue to hide behind centrist values instead of passing the baton to younger, more progressive party leaders.

Remember when they hid behind President Joe Biden to kick off the presidential campaign, then tried to focus a little more on the future of the party. 100 days before the elections?

How did it go?

Democrats seem determined to reject progressives

Given how some Democrats threw progressives under the bus after the election, it’s not entirely surprising that Ocasio-Cortez lost her bid to lead the committee. Many Democratic politicians prefer to blame progressive values rather than address the party’s failure to convince voters and the failure to get the message across on the economy.

“Democrats need to stop pandering to the far left,” Rep. Tom Suozzi, D-N.Y., said. told the New York Times after Harris’ defeat. “I don’t want to discriminate against anyone, but I don’t think biological boys should play girls’ sports.”

I don’t know what presidential campaign Suozzi witnessed, but I saw no complacency.

Harris ran a fairly conservative campaign. She rarely spoke about trans issues, except for the moment, the Fox News host Bret Baier asked him about them during an interview. She refused to criticize Biden, a deeply unpopular presidentand did not stray too far from his positions.

This is not about pandering to the far left. It’s the usual.

Will Democrats be ready when Trump fails?

Ocasio-Cortez took Blue skies Monday to express his desire to continue fighting despite defeat.

“WE ARE STILL IN THIS,” she wrote. “Wipe your tears. This is a difficult business of hoping and defying expectations. We don’t give up.

I appreciate that sentiment and recognize that now is not the time to admit defeat. However, his loss remains disappointing.

We are headed toward a second Trump presidency – now is not the time for the Democratic Party to turn away from progressive values or its progressive members. In fact, they should elevate Ocasio-Cortez, the remaining members of “the team“, and other younger members of Congress who are ready to take the party in a bold new direction.

When Trump and the Republicans fail to keep all their promises based on lies, Democrats must be prepared to offer a new alternative. Instead, they cannot be a different side of the same old coin. Did Republicans change when Trump lost in 2020, or did they go full MAGA?

You’d think the Democratic Party would realize that Ocasio-Cortez is a perfect messenger of the values that will win back working-class and young voters after Trump abandoned them in favor of billionaires. She has a platform that the party is underutilizing. Instead, they choose to do things the way they’ve always been done.

We won’t go back? Looks like we won’t be moving forward either.

Follow USA TODAY election columnist Sara Pequeño on X, formerly Twitter: @sara__pequeno