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Galraedia

(5,267 posts)
Wed Mar 12, 2025, 09:06 PM Wednesday

Why Are AOC and Bernie So Much Better at This?

Last month, as Elon Musk’s malevolent influence on Donald Trump’s second term was coming into focus, a friend DM’ed me a clip of Chuck Schumer leading a protest against Musk’s efforts to access sensitive Treasury Department data. “We will win! We will win!” croaked the Senate minority leader, the crowd clearly reluctant to join this confused approximation of what impassioned resistance might look like. My friend wrote, “We’re all gonna die.”

Being uninspired by the Democratic Party is a national pastime, but 2025 has ushered in new levels of loathing, with the party’s approval rating sinking to record lows. Schumer’s efforts have been so limp that a group of liberal governors in January begged him to grow a spine in opposing Trump’s agenda and cabinet nominees. Schumer’s counterpart in the House, Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, has fared no better, alternating between sphinxlike nonresponses to revelations that Trump had essentially bought New York City mayor Eric Adams in a quid-pro-quo deal with the Justice Department and bizarrely menacing anti-GOP diatribes performed in sweats in empty rooms. Congressional Democrats were widely mocked for the little protest paddles they held up during Trump’s State of the Union, while Representative Al Green was kicked out for a disruption that was derided as pathetic and unconvincing.

Meanwhile, California governor Gavin Newsom has started a podcast to interview conservative influencers and throw trans athletes under the bus, Representative Elissa Slotkin’s official rebuttal to Trump’s State of the Union address was a paean to Ronald Reagan, and Connecticut senator Chris Murphy has appeared on any news outlet that will have him speaking in a very loud voice about how mad he is. It can often seem that, when it comes to opposing Trump, Democrats have no idea what to say or how to say it.

This has not been the case, however, with the two most prominent leftists in the broader Democratic tent. Bernie Sanders has spent the first month and a half of Trump’s second presidency doing what you’d expect Bernie Sanders to do: raging against the corrosive influence of billionaires on politics. “I fear very much that under President Trump, we are not seeing a ‘government of the people, by the people, for the people,’ but rather a government of the billionaire class, by the billionaire class, and for the billionaire class,” the 83-year-old warned his Senate colleagues last month. He has sounded the same alarm during his “Fighting Oligarchy” tour, which has drawn thousands of attendees across the Midwest in recent weeks, including 2,600 people at a rally on Saturday in Altoona, Wisconsin, a town of only 10,000.

Read more: https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/why-are-aoc-and-bernie-so-much-better-at-this.html


44 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Why Are AOC and Bernie So Much Better at This? (Original Post) Galraedia Wednesday OP
AOC and Bernie are not owned by billionaires. usonian Wednesday #1
Republican Tom Emmer and Democrat Ritchie Torres Launch the Congressional Crypto Caucus To Boost Pro-crypto Legislation Celerity Thursday #29
Crypyo Bros bought the election. usonian Thursday #33
and Ritchie Torres has morphed into the Crypto Bro's favourite US House Democrat Celerity Thursday #35
Corporate rent-seekers my ass. usonian Thursday #37
You julmur Wednesday #2
Because they're not competing for dollars Schumer, Jeffries... appmanga Wednesday #3
What exactly are you implying here? sheshe2 Wednesday #10
I'm not implying... appmanga Wednesday #15
Lol. sheshe2 Wednesday #16
What do you find so funny? nt PufPuf23 Wednesday #23
They are basically progressive Democrats... SnoopDog Wednesday #4
AOC is a progressive democrat SocialDemocrat61 Wednesday #6
Why is that? FoxNewsSucks Wednesday #24
Sanders is a democratic socialist Tansy_Gold Wednesday #28
Ask Sanders SocialDemocrat61 Thursday #39
They have a real message that resonates with most Democrats, and a good many Republicans as well. sop Wednesday #5
Thanks elleng Wednesday #26
Neither of them are owned. They're not self dealing in the "Markets" either. Tootbsb Wednesday #7
Knr UTUSN Wednesday #8
Recommended. H2O Man Wednesday #9
bernie is a celebrity and star beyond his position in politics. he puts on a good show even if one msongs Wednesday #11
Because they are committed to their beliefs. Baitball Blogger Wednesday #12
This is exactly it. Which is why when they speak they don't have "finess" words so as to please everyone. Nanjeanne Wednesday #14
Because they are doing a campaign designed for 2025 LostOne4Ever Wednesday #13
Dont forget Jasmine Crockett. Amaryllis Wednesday #17
+1 dalton99a Wednesday #20
Because they stand for what they believe JMCKUSICK Wednesday #18
True, neither check the way the wind is blowing or their bank accounts FoxNewsSucks Wednesday #25
They are "coherent and believable" dalton99a Wednesday #19
Because their values are authentic ibegurpard Wednesday #21
Because genuine leftism is a believable contrast to oligarchic capitalist nonsense Prairie Gates Wednesday #22
Because they sincerely believe in what they are saying? displacedvermoter Wednesday #27
Because they're not part of those BartCop used to castigate... regnaD kciN Thursday #30
For starters, check out their opensecrets.org page. SSJVegeta Thursday #31
What Democrats are "restrained by said power" and can't "speak truth to power"? betsuni Thursday #40
Don't know. Do you think that's the case?? SSJVegeta Thursday #41
... betsuni Thursday #42
Im sleepy too SSJVegeta Thursday #43
Because they are the Churchills among the Chamberlains JHB Thursday #32
It's refreshing not to have two people pimping themselves every other minute, being natural and about the message. RoeVWade Thursday #34
I don't know, but it is the biggest problem the Democratic Party has. ReRe Thursday #36
Because they are safe in the bright blue areas they represent. W_HAMILTON Thursday #38
Red herring. Harris, Biden, and Obama were all from deep Blue states. Celerity Thursday #44

usonian

(16,478 posts)
1. AOC and Bernie are not owned by billionaires.
Wed Mar 12, 2025, 09:17 PM
Wednesday

Watch how people behave.

It's "pellucidly" clear which are and which aren't.

And kudos to the others who speak for US.

Celerity

(48,622 posts)
29. Republican Tom Emmer and Democrat Ritchie Torres Launch the Congressional Crypto Caucus To Boost Pro-crypto Legislation
Thu Mar 13, 2025, 12:02 AM
Thursday
https://financefeeds.com/congressional-crypto-caucus/

Tom Emmer (R-MN) and Ritchie Torres (D-NY) launched the Congressional Crypto Caucus as a voting block within Congress to garner support and encourage private innovation within the United States. The bipartisan initiative was launched on March 3, 2025, with the objective of addressing the growing demand for regulatory clarity and support for the cryptocurrency industry.

Rep. Torres announced to the Congressional Crypto Caucus in a post on X that the caucus will form a unified, bipartisan group to cement America’s leadership in the future of digital assets and blockchain technology. Similarly, Rep. Emmer indicated the caucus’s potential to unite lawmakers behind digital asset initiatives, calling it “a bloc vote in Congress—a bipartisan caucus of members who are willing to mobilize to advocate for and protect open, permissionless, and private innovation in the United States.



The Congressional Crypto Caucus

The launch of the Congressional Crypto Caucus is due to tremendous growth in the cryptocurrency market. The newly launched Congressional Crypto Caucus is not the same as the one formed in 2017. The caucus was formed, according to Congressman Emmer, in response to the millions of American voters who voted for representatives that would prioritize the growth of the digital assets space.

On 2nd March 2025, United States President Donald Trump made an announcement for the establishment of a national crypto reserve. The statement increased congressional focus on digital assets as Trump indicated that the reserve will have major tokens like Bitcoin and Ethereum, along with other popular projects like XRP, Solana, and Cardano.

snip

usonian

(16,478 posts)
33. Crypyo Bros bought the election.
Thu Mar 13, 2025, 12:19 AM
Thursday

They want ZERO regulation, and they are getting it.

The master orange money launderer "discovered" crypto as a way to launder money.

Bitcoin is the currency of hackers and human traffickers.

It is (nearly) all dirty. Pigs aim to launder the US Treasury.

usonian

(16,478 posts)
37. Corporate rent-seekers my ass.
Thu Mar 13, 2025, 12:55 AM
Thursday

Real entrepreneurs can bootstrap or find non-oligarch money.

The biggest companies were bootstrapped. Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, others that it's too late to remember. 😁

Thirty years ago, March 1st. 1995, Craig Newmark sent out an email which would destroy the print ad industry, hence the print industry. From a server in his closet.

https://www.gardinercolin.com/p/marketplace-memo-7


julmur

(195 posts)
2. You
Wed Mar 12, 2025, 09:18 PM
Wednesday

need to include congresswoman Crockett also, she is not holding back, we need to see all the democrats as outspoken as these three, the “leadership “ so far as been pathetic, and they wonder why we keep losing elections.

appmanga

(1,054 posts)
3. Because they're not competing for dollars Schumer, Jeffries...
Wed Mar 12, 2025, 09:18 PM
Wednesday

...and House and Senate leaders are in competition for. It was commonplace, and probably still is, for high-dollar campaign contributors to give to both parties, or for party leaders to work to placate big money Democratic donors by not being too anti-business.

AOC and Bernie aren't beholden to those elements, and avoid being so.

And Slotkin is now in the Senate.

appmanga

(1,054 posts)
15. I'm not implying...
Wed Mar 12, 2025, 10:22 PM
Wednesday

...I'm saying: Democratic leaders are more concerned about the competition they have in getting money from donors than they are about being tough on Republicans. I'm not a huge fan of Bernie Sanders or AOC, but they're not playing the game of soft-sell because they're worried about not getting half the money a Republican gets when some big business entity wants to hedge its political bets.

SocialDemocrat61

(3,796 posts)
6. AOC is a progressive democrat
Wed Mar 12, 2025, 09:23 PM
Wednesday

Sanders is still an independent who refuses to become a democrat.

FoxNewsSucks

(11,012 posts)
24. Why is that?
Wed Mar 12, 2025, 11:28 PM
Wednesday

Is the issue because of Sanders' liberal progressive positions and statements or the "Official Party Postion"?

sop

(13,094 posts)
5. They have a real message that resonates with most Democrats, and a good many Republicans as well.
Wed Mar 12, 2025, 09:21 PM
Wednesday

Tootbsb

(65 posts)
7. Neither of them are owned. They're not self dealing in the "Markets" either.
Wed Mar 12, 2025, 09:26 PM
Wednesday

We have ignored that fact to where we are. They’re voting yes on Nazi stuff. Wild.

msongs

(70,822 posts)
11. bernie is a celebrity and star beyond his position in politics. he puts on a good show even if one
Wed Mar 12, 2025, 09:40 PM
Wednesday

disagrees with him. he's a natural and that cannot be taught IMO. glad he is on our side. Maybe he could sign up chuck as his opening act lol nt

Nanjeanne

(5,960 posts)
14. This is exactly it. Which is why when they speak they don't have "finess" words so as to please everyone.
Wed Mar 12, 2025, 10:12 PM
Wednesday

LostOne4Ever

(9,630 posts)
13. Because they are doing a campaign designed for 2025
Wed Mar 12, 2025, 09:59 PM
Wednesday

While the others are still acting like the rules from 1996 still apply…

JMCKUSICK

(1,492 posts)
18. Because they stand for what they believe
Wed Mar 12, 2025, 11:09 PM
Wednesday

And not whatever the latest consultants are spoon feeding them

FoxNewsSucks

(11,012 posts)
25. True, neither check the way the wind is blowing or their bank accounts
Wed Mar 12, 2025, 11:30 PM
Wednesday

before making statements.

I wish other elected politicians were the same.

Prairie Gates

(4,427 posts)
22. Because genuine leftism is a believable contrast to oligarchic capitalist nonsense
Wed Mar 12, 2025, 11:16 PM
Wednesday

Whereas centrism sounds like a milquetoast slightly warmed over version of the latter.

And because people fundamentally know, despite the tens of billions spent every year to convince them otherwise, that their fight is with the capitalist class.

regnaD kciN

(26,842 posts)
30. Because they're not part of those BartCop used to castigate...
Thu Mar 13, 2025, 12:02 AM
Thursday

…as the “scared bunny Democrats.”

SSJVegeta

(92 posts)
31. For starters, check out their opensecrets.org page.
Thu Mar 13, 2025, 12:03 AM
Thursday

Easier to speak truth to power when you aren't restrained by said power.

betsuni

(27,636 posts)
40. What Democrats are "restrained by said power" and can't "speak truth to power"?
Thu Mar 13, 2025, 01:11 AM
Thursday

What are their names? What is the evidence of corruption?

SSJVegeta

(92 posts)
41. Don't know. Do you think that's the case??
Thu Mar 13, 2025, 01:16 AM
Thursday


Just an FYI my post was complimenting two democrats, not putting anybody down. 🤔

SSJVegeta

(92 posts)
43. Im sleepy too
Thu Mar 13, 2025, 01:24 AM
Thursday


In case you wanted to know about other amazing Democrats:

Elizabeth Warren, Ed Markey and Ayanna Pressley (my reps) ALSO do not take any corporate or foreign PAC money! Please elaborate who you are referring to, cause my Reps are awesome!!

JHB

(37,603 posts)
32. Because they are the Churchills among the Chamberlains
Thu Mar 13, 2025, 12:15 AM
Thursday

The current situation is decades in the making, but for the most part, the leadership of the Democratic Party has dismissed people who pegged Republican goals correctly as "conspiracy theorists" to be ignored, even as Republicans proved their predictions right.

RoeVWade

(381 posts)
34. It's refreshing not to have two people pimping themselves every other minute, being natural and about the message.
Thu Mar 13, 2025, 12:23 AM
Thursday

nt*

ReRe

(11,376 posts)
36. I don't know, but it is the biggest problem the Democratic Party has.
Thu Mar 13, 2025, 12:50 AM
Thursday

And it needs to be solved ASAP, because what we have is closing in on "Taxation Without Representation." The People are hurting in all kinds of ways all over this country. The dirty rich are doing absolutely wonderful with their grubby hands in our treasury; slashing and burning our government down FROM WITHIN; and a DOJ that instead of upholding the law, is literally erasing our laws! Every Democrat everywhere all over this country needs to be raising hell every time a camera is pointed in their direction. That includes in both the House and Senate and every hearing on Capitol Hill. And like Bernie & AOC and soon Tim Walz, in town meetings. These wonderful Democrats have the courage of their convictions.

Perhaps some elected officials should stop worrying about Musk primarying them and start worrying about their own constituents primarying them?

W_HAMILTON

(8,798 posts)
38. Because they are safe in the bright blue areas they represent.
Thu Mar 13, 2025, 01:00 AM
Thursday

If they are so great at what they do, surely we could point to their acolytes that have had just as much success as them doing the same thing as elected officials in purple/red areas right?

Names?

Celerity

(48,622 posts)
44. Red herring. Harris, Biden, and Obama were all from deep Blue states.
Thu Mar 13, 2025, 11:17 AM
Thursday

Jeffries, Pelosi, Clyburn, Lieu, Clark, etc etc are from deep Blue districts. Schumer, Durbin, etc are from deep Blue states.

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