j4remi wrote:aq_ua wrote:It was related to the climate change plan and that it's something AOC + 3 came up with, not Biden. I tend to agree that I don't see the fascination with AOC, nice back story and everything, but it's hard to build meaningful credibility without much of a track record.
She came up because she was a lead role on Biden's Climate committee. You can hear Stephanie Kelton and AOC's influence in the rhetoric Biden uses toward Green Investments.
AOC's clout comes from a few things. She knocked out the third highest ranking Senate member to win, that's a big deal. She's routinely one of the biggest fundraisers in the party and does it on small dollar donations. Her fundraising power also comes without the need to spend half her time making phone calls to donors. That's translated to her being very good in Committee Hearings; Katie Porter is the only one that's had as many memorable moments in questioning this cycle.
I think "self-promoter" tends to coincide with stances she takes that give voice to activists but that aren't understood more broadly.
- I've seen her tagged with self-promotion for showing up to support the Sunrise Movement...after that she used their input while working on the Green New Deal (and then she shot ads for Ed Markey while his race was still tight with Kennedy).
- Her 70% top tax rate comment blew up and sparked discussions that are worth revisiting from moderates who'd like to defend Biden from the same exact attacks for his top tax rate being attacked for reaching the 60's.
- Her challenges to ICE and visit to the detention center is another place where people tried to ridicule her and say it was a stunt. Except she's one of the few politicians (the rest of the squad too) that continued to push the Abolish ICE concept when the mainstream conversation had moved on to new controversies. This week children being separated from parents was back on the debate stage and a new report accuses ICE agents of torturing African Asylum seekers to get them to sign deportation orders.
- She also had a dust up with the DCCC over paying dues. They had just threatened to blacklist anybody that helped incumbent challengers (an obvious attack on the progressive strategy of the last 5 years or so). Her response was to not pay the dues but to make donations to candidates that fit progressive principles. The Courage to Change PAC's list of endorsements has a number of winners that will absolutely bolster the Squad's numbers and add more weight if they move collectively.
So on Climate Change, Immigration, Taxation and Empowering progressive candidates; she's actually helped us advance causes and improve our positions on the left. She's got holes in her game (foreign policy is a weakness for sure) but I think the idea of "self-promotion" with regards to her has been overblown as hell.
Also to add on to Wingo's post about AOC on Twitch. That's another example where she could be painted a shameless self-promoter. But she called attention to New Yorkers that they can vote for Biden/Harris on the WFP line which will help a progressive organization AND Biden. She discussed what universal healthcare is like in Europe with Hbomberguy (who she supported when he raised money for Transrights as well). She has a bigger platform than anyone could have expected but she's used it to signal boost the causes she always backed and she's been pretty effective on a number of them.
