AOC for VP!
You think I’m wrong
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez turns 35 on October 13 of this year. That makes her eligible to be the President of the United States of America. I would be incredibly pumped if president-in-waiting Kamala Harris would pick AOC as her running mate. I, apparently, am the only person who thinks so.
The common wisdom is “Kamala must pick a straight white man (SWM), preferably from the Midwest, to balance the ticket.”
Fuck that noise.
AOC was the hottest thing in politics when she joined the House of Representatives five years ago. Her name recognition is huge.
She is one of the sharpest, smartest, and savviest politicians to arrive on the scene in decades. Both passionate and compassionate, AOC is young, fresh, and of the moment. Yes, her experience is thin, just five years in Congress, but she’d make a hell of a better president than, say, an old criminal with only four years experience. And think of how ready she’ll be in eight years when Madame President Kamala term-limits out!
AOC is one of the politicians most demonized by the far right, after Hilary Clinton, Nancy Pelosi, and AOC’s fellow squad member Ilhan Omar. Picking AOC for VP will absolutely drive the right wingnuts insane. Heads will explode.
AOC is a natural master of social media and media in general. The Harris campaign is doing surprisingly well on the media front, but just imagine that now multiplied by AOC. Their media savvy alone will offset the perceived negatives of an all-woman ticket and AOC’s progressive politics.
Speaking of progressive politics, 95% of Democrats support the Harris candidacy, including (I imagine) most progressives. But progressives (like Bernie supporters, for example) are a little disappointed that Harris is most definitely a mainstream Democrat. Yes, she supports liberal social and economic policies, but she is NOT going to push for Medicare for All, a Green New Deal, Universal Basic Income, defunding Israel, or breaking up the giant tech monopolies and monopsonies. An AOC ticket would move the Democrats back toward their traditional leftist values, and help cement the progressive base. It would start shifting the Overton Window toward the left for a change, at long last.
Most of all, perhaps, is that an AOC pick will signal that the Harris move is not a fluke. It really is a sign that the Democratic party is back, willing to take bold, risky action to start making things right for the American people. To start moving away from our present oligarchical system, slouching dangerously toward Fascism, and back toward a true democracy.
Joe Biden made a bold and risky choice when he chose Kamala for his VP. He made another bold and risky choice a couple of weeks ago when he stepped aside from his candidacy and turned the 2024 reins over to Harris. Let’s keep that positive and exciting trend going, and have AOC for VP!
Hilary Clinton balanced her ticket with an SWM from the Midwest who nobody ever heard of before. (Can you even name him now?) Look where that got her.
Besides, if Kamala picks an SWM for a running mate, that sets him up for the presidency in eight years. Aren’t you just sick of SWM running the country? I know I am.
ADDENDUM 8/6/2024
