Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., has been in office a mere six months, yet the 29-year-old New Yorker has arguably done more to re-elect President Donald Trump and even return the U.S. House to Republican control than the entire GOP.
The problems she’s created can be lumped into two categories: Division within the party, and her efforts to steer the party ever further to the left.
Both of these could spell doom for Democrats in 2020 — especially in the presidential race.
Party Division
1. Generational Division: The generational divisiveness began June 26, 2018, when she won a primary election against 10-term Congressman Joe Crowley, who as chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, was the No. 4 House Democrat until his defeat.
Her stunning 57-43 percent primary win for New York’s heavily-Democratic 14th congressional district guaranteed her a victory in the general election, and emboldened her to build further on that initial success. It also marked the divide between the young, brash, far-left Democrat and the party’s old-guard establishment.
Per The New York Times, Ocasio-Cortez "declared it was time for generational, racial and ideological change."
2. Leadership Division: The generational division morphed into a fight for party control, targeting especially House Speaker Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. Ocasio-Cortez, along with three other young, hyper-progressive freshmen Democratic congresswomen calling themselves "The Squad," have already emerged victorious in several battles, resulting in Fox News host Sean Hannity referring to Pelosi as "speaker in name only."
The first leadership battle arose over what was supposed to have been a public censure of Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., for her repeated anti-Semitic rhetoric. Instead, it resulted in a watered down general condemnation of hate speech.
3. Political Division: Ocasio-Cortez is also at the center of her party’s political division, one that demands ideological purity over political consensus-making. She made that clear two months after taking office during an appearance at the Austin, Texas SXSW festival, when she described political moderation as "meh."
"We’ve become so cynical, that we view 'meh' . . . we view cynicism as an intellectually superior attitude, and we view ambition as youthful naiveté when . . . the greatest things we have ever accomplished as a society have been ambitious acts of vision," she said. "And the 'meh' is worshipped now.
"For what? Like, for what?"
Two months later she applied that same attitude to the climate change plan advanced by the current Democratic presidential frontrunner and former Vice President Joe Biden.
"I will be d****d if the same politicians who refused to act then are going to try to come back today and say we need a 'middle of the road' approach to save our lives," Ocasio-Cortez said at a May Green New Deal rally.
4. Racial Division: Ocasio-Cortez’s demand for ideological purity has also led to a rift between her and other far left Democrats on one side, and Congressional Black Caucus members on the other, who now find themselves targets of future primary battles.
One of those targeted is 10-term Rep. Lacy Clay, D-Mo.
Senior CBC member Rep. Gregory Meeks, D-N.Y., told The Hill, "It just seems strange that the social Democrats seem to be targeting members of the Congressional Black Caucus, individuals who have stood and fought to make sure that African Americans are included and part of this process."
Pushing the Narrative of Presidential Politics
Despite her youth and freshman status, Ocasio-Cortez has been forcing Democratic presidential candidates to move further leftward, according to The New York Times, to the point where the large crop of hopefuls are now out-lefting one another to distinguish themselves from the pack.
5. Universal basic income: Ocasio-Cortez supports universal basic income for all Americans, especially those displaced by technology. This issue has spilled over to some presidential candidates, including Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass.
A Gallup poll released last year indicated that 52 percent of voters disagree. Accordingly, the issue isn’t likely to play to voters in 2020.
6. Socialism: Ocasio-Cortez, who, like Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., is a self-described democratic socialist, supports ditching capitalism in favor of socialism. Here again, this won’t play well. Fully 65 percent of voters have a favorable view of capitalism, according to a Pew Research poll released last month.
7. Universal healthcare: Although she, like many in the Democratic presidential lineup, is a fan of universal healthcare, popularly known as Medicare for all, voters have different priorities.
For example, most would want Congress to address excessive medical expenses by lowering drug costs. Only 31 percent want to see Medicare for all implemented.
8. Open borders: While Ocasio-Cortez calls for an end to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) as well as an open border policy, that thinking runs far outside the mainstream. A recent Harvard/Harris poll indicates that 51 percent of voters want to see illegal immigrants arrested and deported.
9. Gun Seizures: Strict gun control, including mandatory seizures, was a central issue of Rep. Eric Swalwell’s failed presidential bid. Other candidates have picked up the issue even though a recent Morning Consult/Politico poll indicates only 9 percent of registered Democrats considered it a priority. Bread and butter issues had a greater importance.
10. Cutting US aid to Israel: Ocasio-Cortez’s 4-woman squad as well as some presidential candidates favor dropping aid to Israel in favor of Palestine. It’s also a losing issue. A recent Gallup poll shows 64 percent of Americans support Israel over Palestine
11. Impeaching Trump: Finally, Ocasio-Cortez wants to see President Donald Trump impeached. Bu voters disagree. Fifty-one percent want to see the president continue, as opposed to 36 percent favoring impeachment, according to a Morning Consult poll.
Ocasio-Cortez may like to say she’s leading her party up a "Stairway to Heaven," but she’s actually taking it down the "Road to Perdition."
The 2020 election will be the proof.
Michael Dorstewitz is a retired lawyer and has been a frequent contributor to BizPac Review and Liberty Unyielding. He’s also a former U.S. Merchant Marine officer and an enthusiastic Second Amendment supporter, who can often be found honing his skills at the range. To read more of his reports — Click Here Now.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.