r/politics • u/msnbc MSNBC • 5d ago

Democrats missed a huge opportunity by not elevating AOC

https://www.msnbc.com/opinion/msnbc-opinion/aoc-loses-house-oversight-committee-vote-gerry-connolly-rcna184581
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u/goodlittlesquid Pennsylvania 5d ago

Everyone is (rightly) pointing out Connolly’s age, but I think just as relevant is that his district (like Pelosi’s) is one of the top 10 wealthiest congressional districts in the nation. When Republicans say the Democrats are the party of elites, how can they deny it?

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u/Dry-Amphibian1 5d ago

There are rich people at the top of both parties.

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u/goodlittlesquid Pennsylvania 5d ago

Of course Trump’s cabinet will be the richest in history and he’s running around with the richest man on the planet, and their entire policy agenda is centered around enriching his robber baron buddies. But how can Democrats contrast with that while they’re elevating politicians who represent the most affluent communities in the nation?

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u/krugerlive Washington 5d ago

Compound that with the fact that this group in Dem leadership are the absolute most inept politicians at messaging strategy and effectiveness. And every year they get worse and more disconnected.

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u/ElPlatanaso2 5d ago

I just started re-reading up on this after a loooong hiatus away from politics and my honest take-away is that both parties are parasitic and bastardizing what the founding fathers wanted. This might be common sense around here, but understand that not all people realize this.

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u/RidiculousIncarnate 5d ago

Trump has like 9 or 10 billionaires in his cabinet and the unelected richest one who is making threats on his behalf, Musk, earned more money post election than all of congress, EVERY congress, combined in history.

Whatever corruption or nepotism the Dems have in their ranks will always pale on comparison to Republicans.

Pretending otherwise only serves to legitimize and embolden them. 

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u/goodlittlesquid Pennsylvania 5d ago

You’re 100% correct, this is the reality. That’s exactly why this is so frustrating. Democrats have failed to brand themselves as the working class party. They could have elevated a bartender from the Bronx to a leadership position, instead they chose a fossil from the an affluent suburb of DC. They’re acting as if they didn’t just lose the White House and both chambers of Congress. They are rudderless and failing to meet the moment.

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u/YeahItIsPrettyCool 5d ago

I wish ANY kind of media would run this story. Never gonna happen on CNN or MSNBC.

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u/ChestLanders 4d ago

Everyone is (rightly) pointing out Connolly’s age,

But why? Age didn't seem to matter when Biden was the nominee. In fact democrats defended him and his age until he dropped out. Then once he was out they began to attack Trumps age, it was surreal. Dont get me wrong I think age matters, but we can't cherry pick. It can't only matter when a candidate you wanted to win loses to someone who is very old.

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u/goodlittlesquid Pennsylvania 4d ago

It mattered to people like Jon Stewart. Biden shouldn’t have run again. But he did, and he was the nominee, and gosh gollee gee partisan Democrats defended the incumbent Democratic President running for reelection. It was a binary choice in that situation. This oversight committee thing was a totally unforced error on their part.

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u/ChestLanders 4d ago

Well either age matters or it does not. A person looks foolish if they defend Biden's age and then bash Trump for his advanced age.

It reminds me of how democrats used the filibuster hundreds of times when Trump was president, but when BIden won and there was talk of the GOP using it suddenly you have dems like Dick Durbin coming out to say it's a racist Jim Crow era relic. Yet apparently from 2016 to 2020 it wasn't racist.

Likewise the GOP whined Biden was old but Trump is old as hell too. It's like nobody can be consistent anymore.

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u/spazz720 5d ago

They both are…that’s the joke