To all those who think the election outcome suggests that progressives have been anything less than a godsend for the Democratic Party, AOC’s here to set you straight:
There are folks running around on TV blaming progressivism for Dem underperformance.
I was curious, so I decided to open the hood on struggling campaigns of candidates who are blaming progressives for their problems.
Almost all had awful execution on digital. DURING A PANDEMIC.
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) November 6, 2020
Underinvestment across the board. Some campaigns spent $0 on digital the week before the election. Others who spent did so in very poor ways.
If I spent only $12k on TV the week before an election & then blamed others after, you’d ask questions. That’s how it looks seeing this.
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) November 6, 2020
Ideology + messaging are the spicy convos a lot of people jump to but sometimes it’s about execution and technical capacity.
Digital execution was not good, polls were off, ironically DCCC banned the firms who are the best in the country at Facebook bc they work w progressives!
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) November 6, 2020
Can we stop her there for a sec?
Where is the example of the House progressive candidate who overperformed in a Trump district because of great execution on digital? https://t.co/RH241vEAnz
— Bill Scher (@billscher) November 6, 2020
Margin for House Dem challengers, supportive of M4A, in Trump-won districts
Eastman (NE-02) -4.9
Mitsch Bush (CO-03) -5.9
Siegel (TX-10) -7.2
Kulkarni (TX-22) -7.0
Oliver (TX-25) -14
Imam (TX-31) -9.2Trump voters turned out in Trump districts. Digital wasn't going to save them
— Bill Scher (@billscher) November 6, 2020
OK, moving on:
Also, the decision to stop knocking doors is one people need to grapple with and analyze.@IlhanMN and @RashidaTlaib never stopped and may very well have helped delivered a Biden Presidency bc of it https://t.co/5nweAADmIF
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) November 6, 2020
Let’s hear it for the Squad, you guys.
There are swing seat Dem incumbents who cosponsored the Green New Deal, Medicare for All, etc and if I’m not mistaken every single one won re-election.
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) November 6, 2020
So the whole “progressivism is bad” argument just doesn’t have any compelling evidence that I’ve seen.
When it comes to “Defund” & “Socialism” attacks, people need to realize these are racial resentment attacks. You’re not gonna make that go away. You can make it less effective.
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) November 6, 2020
How do you make it less effective? Invest in year-round deep canvassing. Data shows that this kind of work helps blunt the force of racial resentment at the polls.
If you’re always running away from convos about race, then the only ppl owning it are GOP. You’ll lose.
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) November 6, 2020
And on this hand-wringing about slight POC increases for GOP in some areas – this is also an area w answers.
But honestly when it comes to Latinos the party’s just never seriously made an effort. Mexicans, Central Am, Caribbean, Chicanos – Cubans are not the only impt community
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) November 6, 2020
By the way if white communities are getting more comfortable w overt racism or “cultural resentment” (if that’s what they’re rebranding it now) it’s only gonna get harder for POC turnout to save everyone.
Real organizing & strategy is needed that disarms bigotry, not avoids it.
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) November 6, 2020
You can’t just tell the Black, Brown, & youth organizers riding in to save us every election to be quiet or not have their reps champion them when they need us. Or wonder why they don’t show up for midterms when they’re scolded for existing. Esp when they’re delivering victories.
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) November 6, 2020
And btw I’m happy to cede ground on things that aren’t working in some areas! But finger pointing is not gonna help. There’s real workable & productive paths here if the party is open to us.
(After all, I got here by beating a Dem who outspent me 10-1 who I knew had bad polling)
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) November 6, 2020
AOC has never ceded ground on anything and her finger is permanently pointing, but go off, kween.
Lecturing people about a general election from a D +29 district. https://t.co/WMuA0v2IQT pic.twitter.com/fJYLJ2c8zX
— Patrick Hedger (@PatHedger18) November 6, 2020
LMAO! "Defund the police" and socialism drove MINORITY voters to vote in outsized numbers for Republicans. See, e.g., Florida. https://t.co/J2WF20jyF4
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) November 6, 2020
As usual, she’s pulling “facts” out of her butt.
Thread in summary: Ok Boomer https://t.co/cH8HbWqzSv
— Ben Domenech (@bdomenech) November 6, 2020
You believe in your own worldview too fully to be selfaware or critical.
The people did not vote in progressivism.
As badly as you want your true faith to be accepted, the opposite is objectively true. We are tired of your race essentialism and bigotry and controlling demands. https://t.co/fM09ri2d34
— Chad Felix Greene (@chadfelixg) November 6, 2020
But she’s not gonna stop. She’s far too in love with herself.
Please keep talking! https://t.co/bU8SGBiTSU
— Dodd (@Amuk3) November 6, 2020
The more this dimwit tweets, the more seats Republicans gain in 2022 https://t.co/mybHMprBO8
— Kevin Boyd (@TheKevinBoyd) November 6, 2020