I’m sipping my coffee and reading about Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s multi-day swing through parts of New York State, and I have to say, it’s quite the adventure. She’s meeting with local mayors, stopping at harvest festivals, and packing town halls at Cornell University. I mean, who doesn’t love a good harvest festival? And I’m sure the Cornell students just ate her up – she’s like a rockstar to them. Anyway, her team is saying this is all about building something larger than a congressional operation, while Republicans are using her presence upstate to argue that the Democratic Party is moving further left. Because, you know, that’s not a narrative we’ve heard before.
She’s campaigning with moderate Democratic Rep. Josh Riley, who won his last election by three points, and reaching out to her traditional allies within the Democratic Socialists of America. I mean, it’s not like she’s trying to make a point or anything. Ocasio-Cortez herself is resisting the idea that every move should be viewed through the lens of whether she will run for Senate or president in 2028, telling CNN that for now she’s focused on being reelected to the House. Sure, because that’s exactly what someone who’s not planning a bigger run would say.
Her allies see her tour as evidence that she is building something larger than a congressional operation. Republicans, meanwhile, are using her presence upstate to argue that the Democratic Party is moving further toward the political left. I guess that’s one way to look at it. Buffalo Mayor Sean Ryan told reporters that she has this ability to draw people, and that she’s quite charismatic and friendly. I mean, who wouldn’t want to meet her? She’s like a celebrity or something.
Ocasio-Cortez and the mayor took a tour of City Hall, where a handful of blushing staffers asked for photos. They also went to Gabriel’s Gate, a Buffalo institution where plates of wings and French fries are served piled high. Because, priorities. They talked municipal government, the need for universal childcare, and how the Trump administration’s latest round of tariffs has hurt some businesses in the city. You know, the usual.
At an organizer training session held inside a contemporary art center in Buffalo, organizers talked about the need to focus on voters who have become inactive. Ocasio-Cortez said she was bringing a message about the upcoming midterm elections along with a plan to organize inactive voters in communities across New York. She also said that there are inactive voters everywhere in the country, and that sometimes people put that fault on the voter, but she thinks a lot of it is the fault of a government that hasn’t reached out to people. Fair point, I suppose.
Ocasio-Cortez’s team says the effort will target inactive Democratic voters statewide, including nearly 5,000 in Erie County. Democratic socialist Adam Bojak, who won the Democratic June primary nomination in a three-way race for Buffalo’s 149th Assembly District, also held a private meeting with Ocasio-Cortez. Bojak’s race is seen as the latest sign that DSA’s electoral footprint is extending far beyond New York City. He told CNN that their policies are extremely popular across the political spectrum, and that people know they want universal childcare, universal healthcare, and they want to tax the rich. I mean, who doesn’t want that?
The Republicans, of course, are trying to make hay out of Ocasio-Cortez’s visit, with Erie County Republican Chairman Michael Kracker telling CNN that he sees the Democratic party divide as an opportunity. He said that AOC and Zohran Mamdani are the ideological leaders of today’s Democratic Party, and that puts them out of step with a lot of moderate, old-school Democrats. I guess that’s one way to spin it.
While resisting the 2028 talk, Ocasio-Cortez did make clear to reporters that she saw her brand of politics working in rural areas as well. She said that the whole point of this is to not write off or make assumptions about a single person or a single voter in the state of New York. I mean, that sounds like a plan, I suppose. And who knows, maybe she’ll even convince some of those rural voters to join her cause.
In conclusion, Ocasio-Cortez’s trip to upstate New York was quite the event, with meetings, rallies, and plenty of photo ops. And while we don’t know what her next move will be, one thing’s for sure – she’s definitely making waves. As I finish my coffee, I have to say, it’s been entertaining to watch her tour, and I’m sure we’ll be hearing more about her in the future. And who knows, maybe she’ll even come to my town and shake things up – a guy can dream, right?
Armchair patriot. Believes in the free market, cold beer, and that there’s always a guy named George behind every CNN segment.
Former remote-throwing champion turned #1 couch commentator on liberal panic in the media. Born in Texas (or so his mug says), he earned a degree in Fake Newsology & Beer Philosophy from YouTube University.
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