Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s transformation into an establishmentarian is complete. The New York congresswoman, who rose to fame by portraying herself as a political renegade, bowed before her Democratic Party overlords on Sunday and will not run for the US Senate in 2024.
(Also see: WATCH: Libs of TikTok Visits Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez at Her Capitol Office After Hearing Lies)
Per Fox News, Ocasio-Cortez’s spokesperson, Lauren Hitt, has announced that she is not planning to primary Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, a move that was long speculated to be in the works. You may remember Gillibrand as the failed 2020 presidential candidate who was interrupted by a woman looking for ranch dressing. Apparently, Ocasio-Cortez wants no part of that political juggernaut.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., will not primary Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., in 2024.
Lauren Hitt, Ocasio-Cortez’s spokesperson, told Politico Sunday that the representative is “not planning” on a Senate run.
“She is not planning to run for Senate in 2024,” Hitt said. “She is not planning to primary Gillibrand.”
Gillibrand, who took office in 2009, announced her re-election bid in January amid speculations she could face a primary challenge from more left-wing member of her party in the deep-blue state.
I’ve been waiting for a hook for a while to share my thoughts on Ocasio-Cortez’s political future because I think the last two years have been very instructive about who she really is. She cosplays as a revolutionary on television and for fawning magazine spreads, but the congresswoman has quickly morphed into a subservient member of the Democratic Party’s underclass. In other words, she makes a lot of noise about breaking the mold while consenting to dutifully being poured into the current one.
And while she’ll never admit it, that’s her comfort zone. Ocasio-Cortez does what the establishment wants because she’s incredibly weak, seeking the spotlight more than she seeks policy wins. Nancy Pelosi wielded the whip against her, forcing Ocasio-Cortez to fold on a variety of progressive issues, including an expansion of Medicaid. Now, in the face of a possible primary of Gillibrand, who is far from extremely popular within Democrat circles (and would be considered “moderate” compared to Ocasio-Cortez), she backs away at the first sign of a fight.
Why? Because Ocasio-Cortez is scared to rock the boat. At the current moment, she’s a media darling who never gets challenged on anything. She faces zero real opposition within her deep blue district. She can do interviews and post TikTok videos, projecting a sense of broad political power while never actually having to secure it. There’s zero risk in any of it for her.
The moment she gets into a heated primary with someone like Gillibrand, though, that all ends. Suddenly, she’d have to deal with hostile attacks, and she’d have to answer for the most insane parts of her political philosophy. Most importantly, Ocasio-Cortez knows that she’d likely lose a state-wide race, and if that happens, the gravy train ends, not just for her, but her entire “movement.”
So expect these teases about running for higher office to continue, but don’t expect them to happen. She’s not going to primary Chuck Schumer, and I don’t even think she’s going to run for president in 2028. Imagine the humiliation she’d face in a nationalized primary electorate. Does anyone think she’s down for that? No, she’d rather keep posing for Vogue and going on “60 Minutes.” Because that’s what cosplaying revolutionaries do.
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