A Kamala Harris and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) presidential ticket is apparently becoming a distinct possibility. Cue the snickering and snide remarks. Activate the insults that involve geography and word salads. Republicans might revel in this seemingly foolish choice and believe any candidate from the Republican Party would win. Well, they might as well shoot themselves in the foot. Trusting the electorate to make the "right" selection is the only thing laughable in this process – and making that mistake has undone the “sure thing” more often than not in our lifetime.
The alliance between Kamala Harris and AOC has the potential to reshape the political landscape, bringing to the national stage the closest thing to a socialist government America has ever seen. They were on the fringe, once, the likes of them and Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) only resonating with a few – but that has changed in recent years. The problem for the GOP is that both ladies are women of color. And one – the former bartender, AOC – is quite popular, especially among the young.
A Different Dimension
Qualifications don’t seem to matter that much anymore. Only a handful of voters research more than the sound bite from the corporate media. Democratic socialists, led by the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), are sweeping the primaries. They offer rent control, free groceries, and taxes only on billionaires. Common sense and centricity are just gone. So, you’re a Nazi? We can work around that. Stupid? Yeah, we can write up easy-to-remember soundbites and sensibilities to make the older voters swoon.
The Big Apple is now run by a socialist Muslim who advocates for unfettered immigration from the Middle East. Yet it was just 25 years ago that a handful of Muslim men from the Middle East perpetrated the worst terrorist attack in US history. What does that have to do with the two leading ladies? “Kamala Harris privately called New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani last week and has been holding lengthy, closed-door meetings with other prominent progressives — including pro-Palestinian activists,” an Axios report revealed.
Nearly every progressive community activist in NYC has won their primary with no resumé of running a budget, a business, or even working in anything more than taking money from a billionaire (ironic) and dispersing it amongst the paid pop-up protesters. There is an unspoken, unpublished endorsement pact for 2028. And the momentum is real. There is no way to stop the insurgence of a movement that is the antithesis of America. Communism is no longer a term that frightens people. But it should. It isn’t an ideology possessed by a handful of university students and holdover hippies. It has a name, a growing party, and is spreading like a bad case of poison ivy that we’ve just continued to scratch.
Has the Republican Party Learned Anything?
It’s really nothing new: It was the election of 1992, and by all rights, incumbent President George Herbert Walker Bush should have sailed into a second term. In March of 1991, Bush received an 89% approval rating, the highest presidential job approval rating ever recorded to that date. Bush held office at a time of global transition, spanning the end of the Cold War, the breakup of the Soviet Union, and the US victory in the first Gulf War. In August 1992, the incumbent still recorded an admirable 54% approval rating.
Out of all the potentially qualified Democratic candidates, it was Bill Clinton, governor of Arkansas, who charmed his way into the White House. Ever the shrewd politician, Clinton asked a question to George H W Bush: “How much is a loaf of bread?” The non-answer practically sealed the deal.
The Danger of Underestimating Harris and AOC
That AOC and Harris will make a run on the White House is an idea that is making heads turn in progressive circles. Harris because she feels cheated; AOC because her lack of knowledge, so well stated, is endearing to the Democratic Party rather than an obstacle. And after two presidents in their 70s and 80s, the young’uns are about to make a comeback. Harris has touted her real-life experiences of growing up middle-class with divorced parents. Can anyone relate? It’s not altogether true, but what politician on either end of the spectrum tells the whole truth? Fact checked or not, the public wants what will feed its voracious appetite. Pandering accents, giant toothy smiles, hyena laughs, and a bad temper can work in her favor. But she needs a wingman.
"Could I be president?" Ocasio-Cortez said to Fox News. "Could I not be president? Maybe, maybe not." That is the question, although no one can really translate precisely what her answer means. Still, she delivered that with a girlish Hello Kitty wide-eyed countenance. The DSA say they would be "thrilled" if Rep. Ocasio-Cortez threw her ballcap in the presidential arena for 2028.
Conservative and moderate critics claim Harris and AOC lack the necessary skills. Yet parties often back candidates regardless of qualifications. To underestimate this duo won’t end well for the GOP.
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