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Why Ocasio-Cortez Must Be Engaged, Critiqued, And Winsomely Trolled
Townhall.com ^ | December 9, 2018 | Kevin McCullough

Posted on 12/09/2018 6:56:29 AM PST by Kaslin

She threatened to subpoena the son of the President in about a month because he trolled her.

The son of President Trump is Donald Trump Jr. And the she is Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. 

The meme he trolled her with was genuinely humorous.

“Why are you so afraid of socialism?” A more dowdy than generally portrayed Ocasio-Cortez has imposed over her picture.

“Because Americans want to walk their dogs, not eat them,” says a superimposed quote over a picture of President Trump.

It’s a solid troll! 

Incapable of laughing it off (which is likely why Trump Jr published it to begin with) Ocasio-Cortez retorted back:

“I have noticed that Junior here has a habit of posting nonsense about me whenever the Mueller investigation heats up,” she tweeted. “Please, keep it coming Jr - it’s definitely a ‘very, very large brain’ idea to troll a member of a body that will have subpoena power in a month. Have fun!”

And there it is, in all its glory. 

A socialist who hasn’t even taken power yet — already threatening to use to said power to leverage revenge against someone for saying something she can’t laugh off—and willing to threaten the viability of the first amendment in the process.

A lot of my colleagues, guests, and friends believe it is a mistake to go after Ocasio-Cortez.

It’s one of the most fierce debates the center right is having amongst its ranks right now.

The opinion pieces on one side of the debate are numerous. Many of my weekly guests and analysts line up on that side. The thinking is, if we engage her with mere ridicule the center will became more sympathetic to her viewing her largely as a victim. 

This weekend she posted a tweet that brought such sympathy:

“Somewhere along the line, people in positions of influence decided that Flint water, Bronx air, or poor schools WEREN’T acceptable for their children, but could be accepted for someone else’s.

And I will never think that is a reasonable compromise to make.

So #CallMeRadical.”

A mere logical response that challenges whether or not all parents think this way was leveled.

“Good to know... so when you have your kids, you’re going to never buy them anything that their next door neighbor’s kid can’t also have. In fact if I read this right — you’ll personally supply it for them.

Ocasio-Cortez supporters mostly interpreted the response to mean what they wanted it to mean. That the person was assuming it referenced “luxuries” as opposed to “basic needs.” 

But it didn’t. The precision of the response as touted by  people more neutral, praised the bone/marrow divide. All the while not insulting her as a person.

I’ve never witnessed an incoming freshman in the House that has ever had as much force behind them. In spite of a readily evident vapid knowledge of basics, she is a fast adapter, and an emotional and effective communicator and social media consumer.

For all of those reasons we must engage, confront with truth and winsomely dispense with her most emotionally charged but intellectually dishonest ideas.

I’ve wondered at times if she were convinced in a partisan neutral setting, could she be convinced of the validity of truth? She thinks that’s what she’s found. 

She’s revealed that she’s ready to weaponize power to shut down voices that mock her. What if we were willing to weaponize ideas to first confront her, and always in an attempt to win her, help her see the ineptness of progressive “solutions.

All of her political and community organizational experience has led her to the socialist viewpoints that she holds. Claiming power as a popular and in demand lawmaker will do little to reverse that.

However as life changes and people grow more experienced in how living reality measures against ideas they’ve always held it’s not uncommon for someone to be very progressive and liberal in their twenties, and somewhere on the conservative spectrum by age forty. Therefore engagement, solid fact based critique, and accountability are the path we must take. 

We should just never victimize her in the process.

And if we are successful, she’ll know more respect from our side than she’s ever experienced a single day on hers!


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial
KEYWORDS: aoc; democrats; house; newyork; ocasiocortez; socialists
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To: Kaslin

I disagree. She will NEVER think kindly of our side. Better to just trigger her into a full-blown public psychotic episode.


21 posted on 12/09/2018 7:28:45 AM PST by PapaBear3625 ("Those who can make you believe absurdities, can make you commit atrocities." -- Voltaire)
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To: chief lee runamok
correction: "constantly braying barbara maxine waters"
22 posted on 12/09/2018 7:30:27 AM PST by chief lee runamok (expect nothing)
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To: billorites

The scary part is that she is smarter than those who support her and voted for her. She’ll go far. She might even be the new Maxine Waters by 2040. Or even President.


23 posted on 12/09/2018 7:31:04 AM PST by laplata (The Left/Progressives have diseased minds.)
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To: KyCats

Please see my post 23.


24 posted on 12/09/2018 7:32:21 AM PST by laplata (The Left/Progressives have diseased minds.)
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To: morphing libertarian

Vacuum. She’ll have to look it up, beyond the cleaning apparatus.


25 posted on 12/09/2018 7:33:30 AM PST by MortMan (Satan was merely the FIRST politician who pretended to speak for God.)
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To: gov_bean_ counter
I am stinking tired of being told that Democrat politician XYZ is a good person, I just don’t agree with their politics.

In war, soldiers do not consider whether the soldier on the other side is a good person in private life. She has chosen to be a soldier for the socialist side in the culture wars.

26 posted on 12/09/2018 7:34:02 AM PST by PapaBear3625 ("Those who can make you believe absurdities, can make you commit atrocities." -- Voltaire)
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To: DoodleBob

She always looks and sounds like she just got off her shock treatments.


27 posted on 12/09/2018 7:34:19 AM PST by Vaduz (women and children to be impacIQ of chimpsted the most.)
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To: morphing libertarian
Image and video hosting by TinyPic
28 posted on 12/09/2018 7:35:05 AM PST by HotHunt (Reagan was good but TRUMP IS GREAT!)
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To: chief lee runamok
Yes, some day ocasio may change, evolving into a reasonable liberal such as the like of constantly braying barbara waters, or maybe the oily persona of nancy pelosi. Or maybe a father figure like gropin’ joe biden.

Consider Maxine Waters. Being an idiot hasn't hurt her electability over the years.

29 posted on 12/09/2018 7:37:15 AM PST by PapaBear3625 ("Those who can make you believe absurdities, can make you commit atrocities." -- Voltaire)
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To: morphing libertarian
I hear you, and all the ridicule heaped on Sen Warren, Pelosi, Max Max, and every other hater of freedom did NUTHIN to unseat them. I think ridicule works chiefly on a national level, e.g. Centrists thinking of voting against Trump see ridicule-focused memes on the opposition and then realize their candidate has loonies behind them and jump on the Trump Train

This is why I'd prefer we focus on changing hearts and minds vs producing yet another witty meme (though they ARE funny).

30 posted on 12/09/2018 7:37:54 AM PST by DoodleBob
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To: Kaslin
well my point is: Will the voters in her district that elected he reelect her again in 2020, or will they wake up and toss her in the general election.

She's easily one of the top 10 most recognizable politicians in the United States. She's a rockstar. She gets reelected in a landslide. She's not going away for a long time.

FReepers are underestimating the appeal of "democratic socialism" among young and minority voters and they're underestimating Ocasio-Cortez.

31 posted on 12/09/2018 7:39:15 AM PST by Drew68
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To: Kaslin

After re-reading the tweet OC put out about dirty water and then reading McCullough’s tweet response for the fourth time I think I finally get what he was trying to say. It was poorly worded and most likely went over the heads of most people that read it simply because it is so discrete. If this is how we combat ‘OC’ then we have lost.

I prefer ridicule of her vapidness. Not her mind you, but her ill conceived/undeveloped thoughts.


32 posted on 12/09/2018 7:40:10 AM PST by Old Teufel Hunden
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To: Kaslin

She wants to be Evita. She will have the media fully behind her. Her vacuous ignorance will not impede her one bit. Emotional appeal is all she needs and we should never underestimate the power of ignorant people in large numbers.


33 posted on 12/09/2018 7:40:11 AM PST by outofsalt (If history teaches us anything, it's that history rarely teaches us anything.)
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To: Kaslin
I’ve wondered at times if she were convinced in a partisan neutral setting, could she be convinced of the validity of truth? She thinks that’s what she’s found.

It is foolhardy to attempt to reason someone out of a position they were never reasoned into...

34 posted on 12/09/2018 7:43:58 AM PST by rockrr ( Everything is different now...)
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To: Drew68
She's a rock star alright, but there is the possibility that the voters in her district will wake up in 2020 and toss her.

I don't know them and neither do you.

35 posted on 12/09/2018 7:52:46 AM PST by Kaslin
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To: morphing libertarian; IronJack
We need a nickname for her.......

How about Iron Jack's "meter maid?"

I really really like it.

36 posted on 12/09/2018 7:52:47 AM PST by Liz (Our side has 8 trillion bullets; the other side doesn't know which bathroom to use.)
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To: IronJack
That is, unless she truly IS representative of the people who elected her,

That's exactly what she is, just as Marion Barry was the perfect Mayor of Washington DC.

37 posted on 12/09/2018 7:57:44 AM PST by NorthMountain (... the right of the peopIe to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed)
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To: morphing libertarian

Bimbo is a better descriptor.
The great bimbino perhaps.


38 posted on 12/09/2018 8:00:38 AM PST by MrEdd (Caveat Emptor)
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To: Kaslin

Corky makes me sick. I used to think I wasn’t good enough to run for a political office. I now I know I’m too good.


39 posted on 12/09/2018 8:04:57 AM PST by Retvet (Retvet)
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40 posted on 12/09/2018 8:05:51 AM PST by Vendome (I've Gotta Be Me https://youtu.be/wH-pk2vZGw2M)
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