From the perspective of someone who pays attention to website traffic and social media trends, there is a correlation that is readily becoming obvious.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is not only commanding use of social media the way Donald Trump does but is arguably doing it better. This amplified social media presence is artificially inflating her appeal across the Democratic base and it’s making the media cover her and her like-minded allies more.

That means things like the Green New Deal, Democratic Socialism, and other actually wildly unpopular ideas are getting more airtime. The more traditional members of the Democratic Party, particularly in the House, have been keeping their progressive agenda slightly more hidden through the use of innuendo and the guise of social justice.

So with her increased social media and traditional media coverage, the House Democratic leadership sees a problem: How do they combat Trump when AOC is giving away the game and risking whatever anti-Trump sentiment they have to pick up in order to beat him?

The answer: Robert Mueller.

Now, you and I know that Mueller’s investigation is done, and there are no charges being brought against Trump, his children, or anyone else he is affiliated with at this point. The investigation crushed the dreams of Democrats in getting a Russian collusion charge and it has failed to prove to the American public that Trump’s election was legitimate. Therefore, the goalposts have been moved and the new endgame is obstruction and whatever else they can make seem likely.

They are subpoenaing Trump’s tax records, calling for the full release of the Mueller report, and doing everything else in their power to try and score points with the anti-Trump crowd and make it look like there’s a there there.

But there isn’t.

If there was a clear cut there there, then Mueller would have put it in his report, and William Barr would have had no choice but to report those findings to Congress. It is, however, impossible to prove that it happened, and the Democrats are abusing their congressional authority to try and label the president guilty of something they cannot prove he did.

It is pathetic, but it’s understandable that they have to try: They have to make their screeching louder than AOC’s. They have to take back the discussion. They know, without a doubt, that their policy issues won’t win in 2020. There is little appeal in Democratic Socialism among the general American electorate, and coming anywhere close will crush their dreams in 2020.

That’s what is killing them right now. The announced candidates have to run on the usual: social justice, women’s reproductive health, wage equity, and other, carefully word-tested innuendo in order to hide their true designs, and they have to do it while ignoring the very loud elephant (donkey?) in the room.

Ocasio-Cortez, however, believes that her crusade is right and just and will, therefore, preach it from the rooftops. That is a problem, and as she continues to do it, the rest of the Democratic Party will have to try and out-screech her on the anti-Trump issues.

And by the time 2020 rolls around, there will be so much noise the voters will stick with the devil they know and Trump will retain the White House.