the Republicans have the White House the Senate and the House if they want to do this and if they want to screw over the American people they can do this with their votes in their party that voice cut through the air like a drill hammering across TV screens smartphones and radio speakers nationwide a challenge a blame game a signal flare of sheer unfiltered sore loser energy but also a rallying cry for a certain crowd that eats up every radical big government wealth redistribution idea ever spoonfed to them somewhere far above the night sky over Washington DC was calm the capital building stood tall glowing against the darkness like some ancient marble titan unmoved yet eerily omnisient but something was off in the air not because of some major bill being passed not because of an economic meltdown looming on the horizon no this was different because once again she had said something utterly stupid she wasn't just any politician no this was a phenomenon a whirlwind of headlinew worthy but brain numbing sound bites a tick- tock age fire brand a woman who could single-handedly hijack an entire news cycle with just one dumbass tweet or in this case a line so ridiculous that Republican voters cracked up while half of her own party sighed and quietly switched the channel at a dimly lit bar in Georgetown the TV screen flickered with the broadcast a group of older men nursed their beers listening intently one of them scoffed set his glass down a little too hard and muttered under his breath jesus Christ she talks like she's tied to the railroad tracks and the Republican train is about to flatten her but guess what she's the one who tied the damn rope across town in a cramped Capitol Hill office a young Democratic aid buried his face in his hands his phone buzzed with a message from his boss god damn it not again can she shut the hell up for one godamn second washington is no stranger to bad takes but there are some statements that go beyond mere words they become declarations red flags flapping in the wind signaling exactly where a movement is headed and when those words came from someone like Alexandria Okasio Cortez they weren't just some off-hand remark they were a warning a tremor before the earthquake a gust of wind before the storm that night in dive bars smoky back rooms and the chaotic vortex of Twitter people felt it something was shifting they didn't know exactly what was coming but they damn sure knew it wasn't going to be pretty the CNN studio was buzzing with manufactured excitement producers were barking orders into headsets camera operators zoomed in for the dramatic close-ups and the teleprompter rolled forward like a prophecy already written the newsroom had seen its fair share of political spectacles but this one had a different energy like a game-changing moment had just dropped into their laps ready to be spun into history then came the signal the onair light flashed red a clean shaven anchor hair gelled to corporate perfection flashed his camera ready smile and dove right in the question Democrats have confronted since election day is who actually is leading their party he paused letting the weight of the question settle in then with the smooth confidence of a man who'd rehearsed this moment for hours he continued "Well a new CNN poll out this morning gives us a sense of who Democrats and Democratic leaning voters think best aligns with the party's core values and that person ladies and gentlemen is none other than Alexandria Okasiocortez the studio background morphed into a dramatic display of graphics and charts numbers spinning like a Wall Street stock ticker that's right Alexandria Okasio Cortez the New York Democrat and progressive firebrand who was furious at Senate Democrats for allowing the GOP spending bill to become law has surged to the top of the list the camera cut to another CNN correspondent Manu Raju standing near Capitol Hill he nodded at the anchor the kind of solemn nod that suggested something monumental had just happened now this all comes as a slew of potential Democratic presidential candidates are already testing the waters for 2028 Raju explained but when we look at this poll more closely we see something fascinating the question was who best reflects the core values of the Democratic party and if we break it down by age group it's perhaps no surprise Alexandria Okasiocortez dominates among people under 45 with 15% saying she does that's more than Kla Harris a quick transition back to the studio where the anchor seamlessly continued his voice full of practice gravitas now to be clear there are still many voters who didn't offer a response 30% in fact but make no mistake folks this tells us all we need to know about where the Democratic Party is headed another CNN panelist an older political analyst with the measured tone of a historian watching an empire shift chimed in "Well if that's what the party wants then potentially her rise kind of reminds me of what happened to Republicans after Obama's election in 2008. " he mused back then the loudest voices in the Republican party the Tea Party really gained traction at a time when the GOP was lost and maybe Democrats now find themselves in a similar situation a slight smirk crossed his face an AOC maybe she best represents where Democratic voters are today the camera cut to a final closing shot of the polling numbers the text bold and unapologetic yep alexandria Okasio Cortez has leapfrogged to the top of the list the newsroom fell into a scripted suspenseful silence back in Washington DC in a dimly lit bar packed with Democratic operatives a group of political strategists stared at the screen in stunned disbelief a man in a wrinkled Navy suit sleeves rolled up exhaled slowly he reached for his whiskey glass took a long sip and finally muttered "No godamn way. " Another younger staffer still trying to grasp at some form of logic cleared his throat "Well I mean technically she's not the presidential candidate not yet anyway.
" The older strategist turned his head staring the kid down with the worldweary exhaustion of a man who had seen too many elections go sideways kid we just handed the keys to the asylum you really think they're going to stop here the younger aid had no answer because deep down he already knew this wasn't just another political poll this was the first tremor before the earthquake the first gust of wind before the storm and at the center of it all wearing that self-satisfied grin stood Alexandria Okasio Cortez the new leader of the Democratic Party and if history had taught them anything it was that this wouldn't end well if the Democratic Party was a plane then congratulations the cockpit had just been hijacked not by someone competent of course no that would have been too easy too logical instead they had just handed the controls over to a woman who thought economics was a dirty word and whose greatest political experience involved serving overpriced cocktails to finance bros in Manhattan and now she was here the self-proclaimed queen of the revolution the doors to the private democratic leadership meeting at Capitol Hill swung open and instrued Alexandria Okasiocortez basking in the glow of her own self-importance like she had just descended from Mount Olympus she didn't walk into the room she owned it she had that look in her eye the look of a woman who had convinced herself that she wasn't just leading a political movement but ushering in a new world order schumer Pelosi and Newsome sat stiffly at the table their expressions hovering somewhere between disbelief and barely contained panic this was supposed to be their meeting they were the power brokers they were supposed to be the ones steering the ship but AOC AOC had decided that it was time to set the whole damn ship on fire she threw herself into a chair leaned back like she had just bought the Democratic Party on clearance and flashed a grin so smug it could have powered the entire New York City grid "well I got to say," she mused casually adjusting her blazer "I didn't think you'd all come to terms with reality this fast but hey progress is progress. " Schumer looking like a man who had just realized he was no longer in charge cleared his throat "we need to be careful," he started adjusting his glasses with the nervous energy of a man trying to diffuse a bomb with safety scissors "if we go too far left we're going to lose our moderate voters. " AOC scoffed shaking her head like she was watching a child struggle with basic math "chuck Chuck Chuck," she said voice dripping with mock pity "that's adorable but see that's the old way of thinking that's your problem she leaned forward eyes gleaming i don't care about moderates i don't need them if they don't get on board they can get out of the way nancy Pelosi who had spent decades mastering the art of political survival narrowed her eyes "you don't just toss voters aside," she said isoly "that's not how you build a coalition.
" AOC laughed not a chuckle not a polite dismissive laugh no this was a full-blown villain in a movie kind of laugh oh Nancy she cooed that's why you lost control of the party you keep trying to build coalitions i build movements she waved a hand dramatically have you seen my numbers the people want me i mean I've got the energy i've got the youth i've got the vision and let's be honest I'm the only one in this room who actually excites voters gavin Newsome the failed prince of California folded his arms and smirked "you think your Twitter followers are going to carry you to the presidency? " he said barely hiding his contempt news flash tweets don't win elections "aoc turned on him like a shark smelling blood says the guy who couldn't even keep his own state from becoming a crimeridden hell hole. " Nuome's smirk evaporated let's face it she continued you all had your time you had decades to fix things and look where we are stagnant directionless old she let the last word hang in the air twisting the knife schumer exhaled sharply rubbing his temples this party still belongs to all of us aoc tilted her head pretending to think about it then she smiled yeah number silence pelosi voice low almost a whisper asked "so what happens next?
" AOC tapped her manicured nails on the table "that's easy," she said grinning "you either fall in line or you get out of my way. " Schumer opened his mouth to argue but the decision had already been made one by one the so-called moderates the last vestigages of old school self-serving political manipulation disguised as centism filed out of the room they looked shaken like men who had just realized they were no longer the ones writing the rules in the hallway a senior aid turned to his colleague shaking his head "she's not taking over the party," he murmured he exhaled "she's burning it down. " And just like that the purge began the sky over Washington DC was its usual gray the kind of color that matched the mood of half the political establishment the city had a certain hum to it the background noise of power in motion motorcades zipped through the streets reporters huddled outside Capitol Hill and somewhere in a dimly lit hotel bar a Democratic strategist was likely downing his third whiskey trying to figure out how the hell his party had just been hijacked by a former bartender but inside a sleek non-nonsense office on Capitol Hill the atmosphere was anything but miserable in fact there was laughter a lot of it a private conversation in Josh Holly's office josh Holly leaned back in his chair a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth it wasn't often that politics handed him a gift wrap disaster but today today was one for the books he picked up the latest polling memo casually flipping through the numbers then looked at his staff gathered in the office "all right tell me I'm hallucinating," he said holding up the report "tell me CNN didn't just declare Alexandria Okishawan Yo-Cortez the new face of the Democratic Party.
" His chief of staff a sharpeyed man who had seen too much nonsense in Washington to be surprised by anything shook his head "nope you're not dreaming the Democratic establishment is officially dead and guess who's standing over the corpse with a victory selfie holly chuckled tossing the report onto the table so that's it huh the moderates are gone the corporate Democrats extinct the Clinton era centrists buried 6 feet under another aid a younger woman with a background in campaign strategy scoffed it's worse than that the radicals didn't just take over the party they ate it alive holly raised an eyebrow and let me guess now the DNC is scrambling to pretend this is a good thing she nodded of course but here's the problem this isn't just bad it's worst case scenario bad they've lost total control the activists run the show now and AOC she's the queen of the circus holly leaned forward steepling his fingers so we're looking at a full collapse of the Democratic establishment his chief of staff nodded and here's the best part," he said grinning cnn just compared her rise to Obama's there was a beat of silence then aorious laughter one staffer actually choked on his coffee holly shook his head grinning "You're kidding me they're comparing her to Obama. " The aid who had brought it up held up her phone reading aloud "It's right here aoc's rise within the Democratic Party mirrors the path of Barack Obama as a young and charismatic leader inspiring the progressive base holly burst out laughing again you have got to be kidding me at least Obama could read a teleprompter without sounding like a drunk freshman at an open mic night the room erupted again i mean say what you want about Obama's policies Holly continued shaking his head but at least the guy could sell a bad idea aoc she couldn't debate a brick wall without losing another aid chimed in still grinning kamala Harris looks like freaking Ben Shapiro compared to her that got another round of laughter holly exhaled the amusement fading slightly as he leaned back in his chair "but here's the thing," he said tapping the desk "this isn't just a meme it's a full-blown catastrophe for them. " His chief of staff nodded right because AOC can't pivot she's too far gone she spent years branding herself as a socialist bartender turned radical activists hates capitalism wants open borders push the Green New Deal defund the police the whole works holly rolled his eyes right because just defund the police and your neighborhood will turn into a suburb worked out so well the room erupted again the younger aid crossed her arms how the hell are they going to turn that into a general election strategy holly chuckled they won't they can't that's why they're panicking the Democratic party is imploding right in front of us and the funniest part they did it to themselves his chief of staff nodded yep they let the radicals hijack their entire primary process if you want to win the Democratic nomination you have to pass the woke test there's no room for moderates anymore just a purity contest to see who can pander hardest to the socialist crowd holly stood up stretching well he said grinning i say we let them keep failing in fact let's help someone get this polling data out to every conservative media outlet let's make sure every American knows exactly who's running the Democratic party now his aids nodded already making calls holly smirked shaking his head now let's sit back and watch what she does next whatever it is you know it's going to be insane the moment the words left Josh Holly's mouth it was like he had predicted the future because not even 24 hours after AOC's hostile takeover of the Democratic party she did exactly what everyone with a functioning brain knew she would do launch a full throttle no brakes economy destroying Green New Deal 2.
0 and it was somehow even dumber than the first one the press conference announcing Green New Deal 2. 0 wasn't just another virtue signaling spectacle it was a full-blown economic suicide note the stage was set aoc stood at the podium flashing that signature grin the one that said "I have no idea what I'm talking about but you better clap anyway. " Behind her a brigade of progressive activists climate influencers and Tik Tok celebrities stood in a well-coordinated display of enthusiastic nodding cameras flashed the air buzzed with manufactured urgency she leaned in gripping the sides of the podium like she was delivering the final sermon before the apocalypse and with all the conviction of a cult leader unveiling the final prophecy she declared "We don't have time to wait if we don't act now the earth will be uninhabitable in 10 years.
" She paused letting the words hang in the air like the opening scene of a bad disaster movie the audience gasped as if this wasn't the third time in 5 years she had announced an end of the world deadline then with pure revolutionary zeal she unveiled the plan to save us all i am proud to introduce Green New Deal 2. 0 the boldest most transformative climate legislation in American history she raised a fist in the air like she had just declared independence from logic first we will immediately implement a 75% tax on oil gas and all traditional energy industries because polluters must pay the progressive crowd erupted in shears somewhere in a dimly lit corporate office an Exxon executive had a full-blown panic attack second we will commit 10 trillion to transitioning America into a 100% green energy economy $10 trillion the number echoed through the press room like a funeral bell for the US economy but AOC wasn't done not even close with the confidence of a college sophomore explaining communism after taking one semester of political science she continued "And third we will ensure that every worker displaced by this transition receives universal basic income. " The crowd exploded in applause she lifted her chin eyes ablaze with self-righteous fervor for too long this country has been held hostage by corporate greed well not anymore this is our moment this is the beginning of a new America where the fossil fuel industry dies and our future is green she pounded her fist against the podium for emphasis i will not let conservative billionaires and Republican oil barons destroy this planet they will fight me they will lie they will try to scare you but I say this to them you can't stop the revolution she paused dramatically and to those who stand in my way let me be clear you're either with us or you're against the future the room erupted again the activists chanting AOC AOC AOC exclamation mark like they were at a rock concert instead of a legislative announcement the moment AOC's Green New Deal 2.
0 left her lips the media exploded cnn and MSNBC hailed her as a climate savior throwing around words like historic bold and transformative meanwhile Fox News conservative radio hosts and business networks treated the announcement like an economic extinction level event experts from Wall Street to Main Street flooded the airwaves larry Summers the former Treasury Secretary sat on a CNBC panel looking like he had just watched a train derail in slow motion this This is economic suicide pure and simple ceos and small business owners sounded the alarm oil and gas executives warned of mass layoffs manufacturers predicted energy prices skyrocketing even moderate Democrats those still clinging to reality whispered concerns behind closed doors but it was Josh Holly's reaction that caught the most attention within hours clips of his previous remarks about AOC began circulating online a speech from two years ago where he stood on the Senate floor and mocked the original Green New Deal resurfaced with a vengeance this Holly had said is not a serious policy it's a fairy tale written by people who have never held a real job balanced a budget or passed a high school economics class he had pointed directly at AOCC's infamous economic justice proposals and shredded them this is what happens when you let ideology replace intelligence when you let activists not economists design your country's future alexandria Okasiocortez is not a policymaker she is a product of a failed education system now that speech was everywhere tucker Carlson replayed it on a loop ben Shapiro mocked AOCC's plan calling it Green Leap Forward 2. 0 the public wasn't buying it either aoc out of touch trended nationwide on Twitter stock markets tumbled businesses revolted and under the sheer weight of public backlash Republicans wasted no time within 48 hours Senate Republicans officially called for a hearing the purpose to grill AOC on the economic consequences of her bold vision and the man chosen to lead the questioning Josh Holly it was official the showdown was coming the Senate hearing chamber buzzed with tension outside the halls of Congress cameras flashed reporters jostled for position and the unmistakable hum of a political spectacle filled the air inside it was standing room only every seat was taken staffers lined the back walls even veteran politicians who had seen their fair share of high-profile hearings sat upright aware that this wasn't just another debate it was an event on one side of the room Republicans sat stone-faced their expressions ranging from amusement to outright skepticism on the other side progressive Democrats whispered among themselves some of them looking like they were mentally preparing for war or at least for a PR disaster at the center of it all sat Josh Holly he was calm focused in front of him a neatly stacked folder of notes sat untouched he didn't need them holly had been waiting for this moment since the day AOC first threatened to bankrupt the country in the name of justice and now here she was aoc entered the room with the energy of a revolutionary marching into battle she stroed confidently down the aisle head held high expressions set in defiant determination to her this wasn't a hearing it was a standoff between the old guard and the future she took her seat at the witness table adjusting the microphone her bright white blazer practically glowing under the chamber's lighting holly watched her settle in the slightest smirk flickering across his face this was going to be fun a hush fell over the room as the chairman gave the hearing to order the Senate Committee on Energy and Economic Affairs will now come to order the formality was almost amusing everyone knew what this was this wasn't about policy discussions or rational compromise this was a reckoning and Josh Holly was about to make sure AOC felt every second of it the gavl struck against the wooden podium signaling the official start of the hearing but before anyone else could speak AOC leaned forward adjusted her microphone and fired the first shot "the Republicans have the White House the Senate and the House," she declared her voice dripping with frustration and defiance "if they want to do this and if they want to screw over the American people they can do this with their votes in their party. " The room stiffened a few Republican senators exchanged glances some smirking others shaking their heads josh Holly however simply leaned back in his chair his expression unreadable it wasn't the first time he had seen a witness walk into a hearing with a chip on their shoulder but AOC she didn't just have a chip she had the whole damn lumberyard across the room a few progressive senators nodded approvingly as if she had just delivered the Gettysburg address of left-wing victimhood but for most of the chamber it was clear she was rattled this wasn't the friendly confines of MSNBC or a viral Instagram live this was the Senate floor a place where tweets didn't save you and bad ideas got torn apart in real time holly tapped a pen against the table his smirk almost imperceptible congresswoman Okazio Cortez he said smoothly his voice calm but laced with amusement i see you came ready to give us a speech but I assume you're also ready to answer some questions aoc's jaw tightened she had expected hostility she hadn't expected Josh Holly to look like he was enjoying this i'm always ready to defend the American people from corporate greed and right-wing sabotage she shot back eyes flashing holly nodded as if considering her words "good," he said flipping open his folder "then let's talk about your plan to save America.
" He glanced around the room "congresswoman your Green New Deal 2. 0 proposes a 75% tax on the energy industry a 10 trillion spending plan and a universal basic income for people who lose their jobs because of your policies. " He raised an eyebrow did I get all that right or did I miss an even bigger catastrophe aoc's eyes narrowed the battle had begun josh Holly leaned forward flipping through his notes with the deliberate ease of a man who already knew the answers he glanced back at AOC who was sitting rigidly in her chair arms crossed her expression shifting between annoyance and self-righteous indignation congresswoman he began "Before we even get into the economic suicide mission that is your Green New Deal 2.
0 let's take a moment to acknowledge something bigger," he gestured to the chamber "this isn't just about policy this is about ideology and the ideology that has taken over your party is what's the word absolutely insane. " AOC's eyes flashed with irritation holly smirked let's take a look at what it takes to be a Democrat these days he picked up a paper and read it dramatically abolish ICE defund the police reparations now trans kids need hormones at 6 years old taxpayer funded healthc care for illegal migrants gender affirming surgery for convicted criminals sitting in our prisons he set the paper down and looked up that's your party now Congresswoman that's the litmus test to get past the Democratic primary he tilted his head pretending to look thoughtful tell me does anyone in your party still believe in secure borders or is that considered fascism now do they believe in funding law enforcement or is that white supremacy aocc's jaw clenched senator Holly that is a complete misrepresentation oh no no no holly cut in smoothly it's not a misrepresentation it's your voting record he held up another document congresswoman you have repeatedly advocated for defunding the police you co-sponsored a bill that would gut ICE funding you have supported taxpayer funded healthcare for illegal immigrants and now you're pushing an economic plan that makes Venezuela look responsible aoc sat back in her chair arms still crossed you can twist my words however you want but the American people know the truth she snapped republicans want to keep this country stuck in the past my policies are about progress about equity about moving forward holly chuckled moving forward he repeated congresswoman your party isn't moving forward it's collapsing a few gas could be heard from the audience holly tapped his pen against the desk the moderates have left the centrists have been purged and all that's left is the socialist squad and the Hamas caucus aoc's face darkened that is an offensive it's the truth holly cut in what's left of the Democratic Party aoc David Hog Rashida Tab Ilhan Omar the most radical wing imaginable and the funniest part your party's moving further left while the rest of America is shifting right aoc scoffed that is absolutely false the majority of Americans support my policies they care about climate justice they care about equity holly held up a freshly printed poll then why is your party's approval rating in freef fall why did Latino voters flip Republican in record numbers why did workingclass voters the very people you claimed to champion abandon your party for Donald Trump aoc pressed her lips together clearly restraining herself holly shrugged congresswoman you can push whatever utopian fantasy you want but here's the reality your policies aren't popular the only people buying into them are the same folks who think putting tampons in boys bathrooms is a national priority the room went dead silent aocc's expression was one of pure fury josh Holly took a deep breath letting the room settle after his brutal takedown of the Democratic Party's ideological freefall then he shifted gears right back to the economic disaster AOC was trying to pass off as progress but let's get back to the issue at hand Congresswoman he tapped his pen against the table staring straight at her your so-called Green New Deal 2. 0 you're standing here telling us this is some bold new plan like we haven't seen this train wreck before aoc narrowed her eyes holly leaned forward tell me something Congresswoman do you have amnesia or do you just assume the American people do because we already know what Green New Deal means we've already seen what happens when you push these radical climate policies he raised an eyebrow or did you forget what happened the last time your policies touch reality aoc sat up straighter her hands gripping the table if you're referring to the resistance we face from fossil fuel billionaires oh I'm referring to the reality Americans live through not whatever fantasy world you think you're saving holly interrupted he held up a document gas prices skyrocketed energy costs crippled working-class families small businesses barely survived americans were paying 567 a gallon at the pump while you and your progressive friends were running around Twitter telling them to just buy electric cars aoc's expression tightened that was due to international market disruptions not climate policy holly laughed sure Congresswoman international market disruptions let's pretend that transitioning away from fossil fuels your words had nothing to do with the energy crisis let's pretend your own policies weren't driving up costs killing domestic production and forcing Americans to choose between groceries and filling up their tanks he gestured toward his colleagues ladies and gentlemen welcome to Progressive Economics it's like watching someone set a house on fire and then blame the matches the room chuckled except for the Democrats who shifted uncomfortably in their seats aoc however wasn't going down without a fight you can fearmonger all you want Senator Holly but the fact remains climate change is an existential threat and we cannot afford to sit back while corporate polluters destroy our planet this bill ensures a just transition where we invest in clean energy and take care of the workers impacted by this shift she turned to the rest of the Senate panel what Senator Holly fails to mention is that oil companies have been raking in record profits while everyday Americans suffer they are the ones driving up costs price gouging the public all while Republicans like him defend their greed she folded her arms i refuse to let that continue the progressives in the room nodded approvingly josh Holly just smirked congresswoman I have to hand it to you you really do know how to turn every failure into someone else's fault he picked up another report and held it up for the room chevron Exxon Shell Hell even smaller independent energy producers every single one of them warned about the dangers of excessive regulation price controls and taxation they told you these policies would crush supply and drive up prices and you dismissed them as fear-mongering he let the words hang for a second and now now you stand here pretending you were some innocent bystander while Americans got financially obliterated at the gas pump aoc rolled her eyes of course you're siding with big oil Holly that's what Republicans do holly chuckled shaking his head congresswoman I side with reality he leaned forward again locking eyes with her and the reality is your policies don't just fail they fail catastrophically and you don't learn from it you double down you make the same mistakes and expect different results that's not leadership that's delusion silence aoc opened her mouth then shut it for the first time she looked unsure holly tapped his pen against the desk one last time so tell me Congresswoman what's going to happen when energy costs spike again when the workingclass voters who barely made it through the last round of your policies realize they're about to get crushed all over again who are you going to blame then aoc said nothing because for once she didn't have an answer the moment AOC stormed out of the Senate hearing the media feeding frenzy began within minutes clips of her stammering responses desperate deflections and the moment she was left speechless spread across social media like wildfire aoc debacle trended within an hour late night hosts even the ones who usually cushioned progressive meltdowns couldn't resist one segment on the Greg Gutfeld Show cut between AOCC's fiery speech about corporate greed and the actual economic data disproving her entire argument the audience roared with laughter folks I don't know what's funnier the fact that AOC thinks she's winning or the fact that CNN is still trying to convince us she's smart speaking of CNN they tried oh they tried the morning after the hearing their panel of experts assembled in full damage control mode what we saw yesterday one commentator spun voice dripping with desperation was not AOC struggling it was a calculated attempt to expose Republican hostility toward climate justice another nodded solemnly exactly senator Holly's aggressive questioning only proved that the GOP refuses to engage in goodfaith debates on economic transformation but even CNN couldn't stop what was happening because while they scrambled to paint AOC as a misunderstood visionary something else was shifting beneath the surface moderate Democrats and independent voters people who weren't glued to MSNBC who didn't live inside the progressive echo chamber were watching and for the first time many of them started to see the cracks they saw the arrogance the ignorance the inability to answer simple economic questions and they didn't like what they saw on the ground Democratic strategists felt the shift polling firm started running quiet internal surveys the numbers not good aoc's unfavorability among independent voters jumped five points overnight a former Obama adviser off the record of course summed it up bluntly to a reporter this isn't good if she keeps rising we're handing 2028 to the Republicans on a silver platter in the days that followed Green New Deal 2.
