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"What we desperately need right now are fierce advocates for economic, social, and racial justice," wrote Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Friday. (Photo: Ocasio-Cortez '18 Campaign)
'We Need to Talk About the Future of the Democratic Party': Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's Twitter Thread That Every Democrat and Independent Voter Should Read
Ok. Republicans can read it, too.
Jun 22, 2018
Battling to unseat powerful Democrat and incumbent Rep. Joe Crowley from his seat in New York's 14th Congressional District in next week's primary, progressive challenger Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Friday issued a rousing challenge to her party--and its wouldbe voters--as she offered a critique of the status quo and explained why it is time for constituents to demand more and better from their elected leaders.
With less than a week to go, Ocasio-Cortez has an uphill battle in New York's closed Democratic primary against Crowley, a veteran member of Congress who has climbed the ranks of the Democrat's House leadership.
But on Friday, she had a few things to say about the campaign she is running and where she believes the party needs to be heading.
She started by saying, "We need to talk about the future of the Democratic Party." And then it went like this:
\u201cWe need to talk about the future of the Democratic Party.\n\nWe are at a crisis point in our country.\n\nIf we continue to vote for the same leadership & tactics that lost us 1,000 seats, the House, the Senate, AND the Presidency, we will continue to be a nation in decline.\u201d— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez) 1529678056
\u201cWe cannot afford to stay the course and elect the same exact leadership over + over.\n\nPeople ask me, \u201cHow do you plan to change the party?\u201d\n\nCan\u2019t be me. WE have to ELECT a new Democratic Party - one that fights doggedly for working class Americans and stands for the vulnerable.\u201d— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez) 1529678056
\u201cIncumbent Democrats voted to create ICE.\n\nIncumbent Democrats voted to gut Dodd-Frank before passing.\n\nIncumbent Democrats voted to lower the Federal minimum wage in Puerto Rico to $4.25/hour.\n\nWe need to change the Democratic Party because that is what we CAN change.\u201d— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez) 1529678056
\u201cRed to Blue is critically important. But many Red to Blue Dems will always have pressure to be moderate so they can keep their seats.\n\nSafe Blue Dems should be charting the most ambitious visions and ideas for future.\n\nInstead, they are raking in Republican lobbyist cash.\u201d— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez) 1529678056
\u201cWhat we desperately need right now are fierce advocates for economic, social, and racial justice.\n\nExperienced new candidates that present new ideas - Abolish ICE, a Fed Jobs Guarantee - to influence National discourse and ORGANIZE the electorate, not BUY the electorate.\u201d— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez) 1529678056
\u201cAn ORGANIZED electorate is far more powerful, because a purchased electorate does not engage.\n\nORGANIZED electorates win midterms and build power. Purchased electorates remain expensive and don\u2019t push for change in the off-season.\u201d— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez) 1529678056
\u201cWhen I started this race, I pretty much did everything they told you not to do: I engaged non-primary voters, young people, poc, people w/o college degree. \n\nBecause that\u2019s what organizers do.\n\nI refuse to accept that 97% of New Yorkers are \u201cnon-voters.\u201d We are changing that NOW.\u201d— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez) 1529678056
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Battling to unseat powerful Democrat and incumbent Rep. Joe Crowley from his seat in New York's 14th Congressional District in next week's primary, progressive challenger Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Friday issued a rousing challenge to her party--and its wouldbe voters--as she offered a critique of the status quo and explained why it is time for constituents to demand more and better from their elected leaders.
With less than a week to go, Ocasio-Cortez has an uphill battle in New York's closed Democratic primary against Crowley, a veteran member of Congress who has climbed the ranks of the Democrat's House leadership.
But on Friday, she had a few things to say about the campaign she is running and where she believes the party needs to be heading.
She started by saying, "We need to talk about the future of the Democratic Party." And then it went like this:
\u201cWe need to talk about the future of the Democratic Party.\n\nWe are at a crisis point in our country.\n\nIf we continue to vote for the same leadership & tactics that lost us 1,000 seats, the House, the Senate, AND the Presidency, we will continue to be a nation in decline.\u201d— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez) 1529678056
\u201cWe cannot afford to stay the course and elect the same exact leadership over + over.\n\nPeople ask me, \u201cHow do you plan to change the party?\u201d\n\nCan\u2019t be me. WE have to ELECT a new Democratic Party - one that fights doggedly for working class Americans and stands for the vulnerable.\u201d— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez) 1529678056
\u201cIncumbent Democrats voted to create ICE.\n\nIncumbent Democrats voted to gut Dodd-Frank before passing.\n\nIncumbent Democrats voted to lower the Federal minimum wage in Puerto Rico to $4.25/hour.\n\nWe need to change the Democratic Party because that is what we CAN change.\u201d— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez) 1529678056
\u201cRed to Blue is critically important. But many Red to Blue Dems will always have pressure to be moderate so they can keep their seats.\n\nSafe Blue Dems should be charting the most ambitious visions and ideas for future.\n\nInstead, they are raking in Republican lobbyist cash.\u201d— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez) 1529678056
\u201cWhat we desperately need right now are fierce advocates for economic, social, and racial justice.\n\nExperienced new candidates that present new ideas - Abolish ICE, a Fed Jobs Guarantee - to influence National discourse and ORGANIZE the electorate, not BUY the electorate.\u201d— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez) 1529678056
\u201cAn ORGANIZED electorate is far more powerful, because a purchased electorate does not engage.\n\nORGANIZED electorates win midterms and build power. Purchased electorates remain expensive and don\u2019t push for change in the off-season.\u201d— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez) 1529678056
\u201cWhen I started this race, I pretty much did everything they told you not to do: I engaged non-primary voters, young people, poc, people w/o college degree. \n\nBecause that\u2019s what organizers do.\n\nI refuse to accept that 97% of New Yorkers are \u201cnon-voters.\u201d We are changing that NOW.\u201d— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez) 1529678056
Battling to unseat powerful Democrat and incumbent Rep. Joe Crowley from his seat in New York's 14th Congressional District in next week's primary, progressive challenger Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Friday issued a rousing challenge to her party--and its wouldbe voters--as she offered a critique of the status quo and explained why it is time for constituents to demand more and better from their elected leaders.
With less than a week to go, Ocasio-Cortez has an uphill battle in New York's closed Democratic primary against Crowley, a veteran member of Congress who has climbed the ranks of the Democrat's House leadership.
But on Friday, she had a few things to say about the campaign she is running and where she believes the party needs to be heading.
She started by saying, "We need to talk about the future of the Democratic Party." And then it went like this:
\u201cWe need to talk about the future of the Democratic Party.\n\nWe are at a crisis point in our country.\n\nIf we continue to vote for the same leadership & tactics that lost us 1,000 seats, the House, the Senate, AND the Presidency, we will continue to be a nation in decline.\u201d— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez) 1529678056
\u201cWe cannot afford to stay the course and elect the same exact leadership over + over.\n\nPeople ask me, \u201cHow do you plan to change the party?\u201d\n\nCan\u2019t be me. WE have to ELECT a new Democratic Party - one that fights doggedly for working class Americans and stands for the vulnerable.\u201d— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez) 1529678056
\u201cIncumbent Democrats voted to create ICE.\n\nIncumbent Democrats voted to gut Dodd-Frank before passing.\n\nIncumbent Democrats voted to lower the Federal minimum wage in Puerto Rico to $4.25/hour.\n\nWe need to change the Democratic Party because that is what we CAN change.\u201d— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez) 1529678056
\u201cRed to Blue is critically important. But many Red to Blue Dems will always have pressure to be moderate so they can keep their seats.\n\nSafe Blue Dems should be charting the most ambitious visions and ideas for future.\n\nInstead, they are raking in Republican lobbyist cash.\u201d— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez) 1529678056
\u201cWhat we desperately need right now are fierce advocates for economic, social, and racial justice.\n\nExperienced new candidates that present new ideas - Abolish ICE, a Fed Jobs Guarantee - to influence National discourse and ORGANIZE the electorate, not BUY the electorate.\u201d— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez) 1529678056
\u201cAn ORGANIZED electorate is far more powerful, because a purchased electorate does not engage.\n\nORGANIZED electorates win midterms and build power. Purchased electorates remain expensive and don\u2019t push for change in the off-season.\u201d— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez) 1529678056
\u201cWhen I started this race, I pretty much did everything they told you not to do: I engaged non-primary voters, young people, poc, people w/o college degree. \n\nBecause that\u2019s what organizers do.\n\nI refuse to accept that 97% of New Yorkers are \u201cnon-voters.\u201d We are changing that NOW.\u201d— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez) 1529678056
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