VICTOR JOECKS: AOC poised to be Democrats’ Trump

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is both radical and unqualified to be president. But she has a clear path to winning the Democrat presidential nomination.

On Tuesday, socialist Zohran Mamdani will likely become the next mayor of New York City. He wants a rent freeze, city-owned grocery stores and a $30-an-hour minimum wage. He once expressed his support for “seizing the means of production.” In 2020, he wrote on Twitter, “The NYPD is racist, anti-queer and a major threat to public safety.” He wants taxpayer-funded gender mutilation surgeries.

His extreme positions haven’t hurt him politically. Polling suggests socialism is what younger liberal voters want. This is what happens when public schools and colleges spend decades indoctrinating students in anti-American ideologies. America’s most credentialed young people don’t understand basic economics. They’ve been told that America is evil, not the greatest country in human history. They’re ignorant of socialism’s long record of failure.

This is where Democratic leaders should have stepped in and rebuked their left flank. Instead, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and New York Gov. Kathy Hochul endorsed Mamdani.

Mamdani’s rise shows Ocasio-Cortez has a clear path to the Democrats’ 2028 presidential nomination if she decides to run.

Look back at the 2020 primary process. Pete Buttigieg won Iowa, but Sen. Bernie Sanders was a close second. Sanders topped the field in New Hampshire. He dominated in Nevada, although Joe Biden came in second. Thanks to decades of work and his tenure as Barack Obama’s vice president, Biden had strong support among Blacks. That powered him to victory in South Carolina. Fearing Sanders would lose to Donald Trump, the Democrat establishment rallied around Biden and secured him the nomination.

Since then, however, Democrats haven’t been repudiating Sanders’ socialism. They’ve sought to implement it. In 2021, Biden signed a stimulus bill that could have been written by a Sanders administration. It led to massive inflation. The party has grown more radical on issues, advocating open borders and supporting men in women’s sports, too.

The endorsements of Mamdani are evidence that establishment Democrats have bent their knees to the socialists. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer went along with a strategically reckless government shutdown for the same reason. He fears his left flank.

And Sanders — who nearly won the 2020 nomination in a less radical party — is passing the torch to AOC.

If she runs, that will likely give her at least 30 percent of the Democrat base once the election gets closer. If she faced a single strong opponent, that wouldn’t be enough to win. But the field looks crowded. Expect Govs. Gavin Newsom, JB Pritzker, Josh Shapiro and Gretchen Whitmer, along with Buttigieg and even Kamala Harris, to test the waters.

The Democratic 2028 presidential primaries could end up like the GOP’s in 2016. Trump captured a sizable portion of the Republican base with his celebrity and hard-line stance on immigration. Initially, his opponents largely went after each other. Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio seemed to believe they could beat Trump one-on-one if they could outlast the other contenders. Instead, Trump racked up victories and unstoppable momentum.

In this scenario, AOC would be like Trump, although his ideas and leadership skills far surpass hers. Newsom would likely beat her head-to-head. But it’s not just Republicans who’ve noticed how sleazy the California governor is. As Newsom faces attacks, Sanders will be hyping AOC. Newsom will fear going after her radicalism and inexperience, worried about offending voters he would need in a general election.

Republicans shouldn’t be laughing too hard. As Trump proved in 2016, it’s a mistake to assume a major party’s nominee has no chance of winning.

Contact Victor Joecks at vjoecks@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-4698. Follow @victorjoecks on X.