Recent polls present a pretty clear picture – voters aren’t really happy. President Donald Trump has seen his approval ratings fall by nearly double-digits with respect to how he’s handling the economy, even though few prices reflect possible hikes looming on the horizon. It is against this backdrop that the Democrats in Washington have somehow found a way to poll even worse, with just 21% approval ratings for Congressional Democrats, and the survey was conducted even before the decision to fold on the budget ceiling last week. Sen. Chuck Schumer is now little more than a placeholder, his relevant moment tossed aside as a giant gift to Speaker Mike Johnson. Gavin Newsom beguiles everyone by hosting dorky podcasts as the nation’s most powerful governor. Most people couldn’t pick the earnest Hakeem Jeffries out of a lineup. And Bernie isn’t getting any younger… Or more mainstream. To say that the stage is set for new Democratic leadership is cute only because there is no stage, no concert date, and no instruments. Democrats are, however, not wholly without potential stars, and it is time for the biggest to step up. There won’t be another window like this one – Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez should make her move, now, no polling needed.
Like many political stars before her, AOC has spent a period personally symbolizing everything hated by the Right. But unlike so many others, she benefits from the fact that very few on either side have actually sat down and listened to her being interviewed, much less make a speech. She catches people off guard with a probing mind that is enhanced by common sense and a humble tone. Perhaps only Pete Buttigieg comes close to so calmly laying out a position, one that invites the listener to push back – confidently inviting more engagement. Upon seeing her, viewers quickly forget their convenient labels and find themselves actually listening to her answer. Now would be the perfect time for her to speak as part of the leadership of a new Democratic party for 2026. She shouldn’t wait for the invite.
Others have noticed and are making the same point. In a new report brought to us by The Wrap:
A recent CNN poll showing Congresswoman Alexandria Ocascio-Cortez is gaining popularity among Democrats does not come as much of a surprise, Axios reporter Alex Isenstadt said on “Inside Politics Sunday” this morning. Isenstadt explained that in some ways, AOC’s political rise “reminds me of what happened to Republicans after Obama’s election in 2008.”
After he was asked if there is “a path for AOC in 2028,” Isenstadt said, “Well, if that’s what the party wants, then potentially … you know, her rise kind of reminds me of what happened to Republicans after Obama’s election in 2008 where it was the loudest voices of the Republican Party, the Tea Party, that really gained traction at a time when the Republican Party was lost.
“And maybe Democrats now find themselves in a similar situation and AOC maybe she best represents Democratic voters on it,
Before the nation even considers AOC and how she may factor into the 2028 equation, there is a more pressing need to take care of the here and now. The only plans Democrats should currently address are those associated with elevating their approval rating above one in every four Americans. Everything occurring since the DNC Convention last summer to today has fed the free fall to get here.
Democrats had a chance to enlist AOC’s popularity and power by installing her as ranking member of the powerful House Judiciary committee. Instead, the Democrats stayed conservative and put in an experienced Pelosi acolyte in the 74 year old Rep. Gerry Connolly – a move that is part and parcel baked in to that historically low rating. Anyone wanting to say that it would be 18% but for the fact that they kept AOC off the Judiciary Committee needs a new assignment. The point is that Congressional Democrats are unlikely to make a smart appointment. She needs to grab it herself.
What might that look like? AOC already had the idea and it’s one she should strongly consider implementing. Just a week ago, amidst talk that Republicans were canceling or forgoing town halls, AOC tweeted that she would travel to red districts to talk to Republican voters even if they disagree on everything. She needs to take herself up on this offer:
.@AOC: "Listen, if your representative is not doing a town hall, give me a ring… I'll say it right here, right now: if a deep red Republican district wants to have an honest conversation, even if it's with someone they disagree with, I'm willing to do that." pic.twitter.com/jcWg6yVBmr
— Brian Tyler Cohen (@briantylercohen) March 7, 2025
Similar to the way that Bernie Sanders has an easier time engaging the typical Trump supporter, so – too, would AOC. People sniff out and turn away posers, pretenders. She may be a lot of things but AOC is not pretending, nor is she presenting anything but what she truly believes. Similar to Sanders, people appreciate that she’s there with her agenda as is – no hiding the ball. She would likely do fairly well in red districts talking about economic policy. It may not earn her votes but it would earn respect, it would increase her visibility, provide invaluable experience, and set an example for other Democrats. Go to the voters. Don’t try calling them to you. Back to the interview:
“Think of it this way,” he said. “If you’re a voter 30 and under, you’ve only participated in three elections, two of them Donald Trump won, one of them Joe Biden won. They’re all over 70 years old when they won. There [are] millions of voters out there craving something new, something younger, something closer to them.”
Democrats are almost entirely leaderless on a national level with perhaps only Pete Buttigieg similarly situated. But Pete isn’t even in office. This is her moment, her window – and she really should go. She is engaging, intelligent, now-experienced, profoundly liberal while equally pragmatic, still young enough to engage Gen Z, and lots of time left to grow with her voters. Democrats in Washington are washed up such that they have very little to lose, even less to offer – there are no “positions” to fill. For now, all one can really ask of other Democrats is that they stay the hell out of her way. To her, however, one just asks; “Please, take the lead.”
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Democrats, the corporate ones at least, prefer to be in the minority.
The work is easy, the pay is the same, and they aren’t in power so they can’t be blamed.
At least not until Chuck Shumer and the rest of the “Treacherous Ten” found a way to fsck that up.
WTF?
Dude, you’ve got the GOP confused with the Democrats. When the Democrats have been in control of Congress, things got done (barring GOP hanky-panky with the filibuster in the Senate). We’ve had GOP control of Congress pretty much since 2022 and they had to rely on the Democrats to get anything going because the GOP couldn’t stop fighting among themselves.
” Bernie isn’t getting any younger… Or more mainstream.”
AOC is a star, absolutely. And she’s a lot younger and prettier than Bernie. But I know she looks up to him and she takes him very seriously. You should too.
Bernie has more positive energy, wisdom and guts than 90% of his senate colleagues, of whatever age. And I’m sorry you haven’t noticed — he IS getting more mainstream. Benrie hasn’t changed, but mainstream sure has.
I am not in or from the US, but I can’t help wondering whether AOC’s political views are close enough to Senator Sanders’ that he would consider her as a possible successor (either by rolling Senator Schumer in New York or by moving to Vermont).
From Alex Isenstadt: “[H]er rise kind of reminds me of what happened to Republicans after Obama’s election in 2008 where it was the loudest voices of the Republican Party, the Tea Party, that really gained traction at a time when the Republican Party was lost.”
Oh, really? And who are the secret billionaires funding this “traction?” Mr Isenstadt seems to forget that the “Tea Party” was a fraud (an “astroturf” movement as progressive journalists described it back then), put together by billionaires led by the Koch Brothers to push their far-right agenda further into the mainstream. And, instead of the GOP mainstream telling these “rebel” Teabaggers to hit the road and try to win elections, the mainstream instead caved because it STUPIDLY believed they could “contain” these upstarts. And now, 15 years later, we see the end results of that.
The Democrats–no matter who they are–do NOT get those same secretive deep-pocket spenders. Kamala ran on one of the most progressive economic agendas in recent memory–with programs that would help the middle class the most–and it didn’t matter. Arab communities in this country were warned what Drumpf would do to the Palestinians and they still voted for him because Biden didn’t punish Israel enough. Latino communities were warned what Drumpf would do and they still voted for him because they thought he was only going after the “illegals.” The middle class was told what Drumpf’s economic plans (especially the tariffs) would do and they still voted for him because “the Dems are just fear-mongering” or “he’s a businessman and he’s just bluffing to get better deals.”
But, yeah. The same folks who decided to vote against Kamala Harris are going to just come out in droves for Democratic Presidential nominee AOC. Granted, we COULD end up with another 2008 situation in 2028 where the general consensus is “ANY Democrat will win the White House because the current GOP president is so despised.” (Of course, for some reason the same folks perpetrating that narrative were simultaneously saying “There’s no way that Hillary Clinton can beat the GOP nominee.”)