AOC's Implosion Continues, Now Considered Biggest 'Villain' in Disastrous Amazon Debacle in New York
When New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez first appeared on the political scene with a surprising primary upset of 10-term incumbent and House Democratic Caucus leader Joe Crowley, the self-proclaimed democratic socialist was heralded by the left and the liberal media as a rising star who would help guide the Democratic Party through the Age of Trump.
Unfortunately for the former bartender, things haven’t been going particularly well for her since she took office. Her unfavorability rating has soared as more Americans become aware of her amid an incessant barrage of absurd tweets, divisive commentary, far-left socialistic proposals and a generally arrogant ignorance about many things that has become exceedingly off-putting for most people.
Case in point is the lead role Ocasio-Cortez took in staunchly opposing, and ultimately killing, a planned deal for Amazon to locate a new headquarters in New York City that would have provided upward of 25,000 new jobs in exchange for generous tax incentives from the city and state.
Those actions have prompted roughly two-thirds of all New Yorkers to label the outspoken congresswoman a “villain” for killing the deal in a new poll, which was discussed briefly Sunday during a segment of Fox Business Network’s “Bulls and Bears” market-focused program.
Host David Asman noted that 38 percent of respondents to the poll had placed the bulk of the blame for the canceled Amazon deal on Ocasio-Cortez — more than those who blamed New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo or even Amazon itself.
Asman asked, “Is the left’s rising star not as popular as they would like to think?”
Fox Business Network correspondent Kristina Partsinevelos replied, “I think we have a situation where somebody has risen to popularity so quickly — what has it been, only three months — that there’s going to be inevitable backlash.”
“However, you do have her weighing in on a lot of policies,” Partsinevelos said. “I respect all the politicians on both sides of the panel — does she respect people that disagree with her, or have different views, so that’s my big question.
“Overall, I wonder what this means for the Democratic Party. Will there be a backlash for people that go really towards the left, the socialist left, like her, or can people survive being the moderate?”
While that certainly doesn’t sound good for Ocasio-Cortez, she would merely dismiss those remarks as having come from the “propaganda machine” — in her view — that is the conservative-leaning Fox. However, can she be similarly dismissive of the not remotely conservative Siena College Research Institute, which conducted the poll that the Fox Business folks referenced?
That poll of registered voters in New York was conducted between March 10-14, and found that 67 percent of New Yorkers thought the cancellation of the Amazon deal was bad news for the state and city.
Further, 61 percent said they would support the deal if Amazon were to reconsider moving to the city once again.
“At least 63 percent of Democrats, Republicans and independents, upstaters and downstaters, men and women, young and old, black and white New Yorkers agree: Amazon pulling out of Queens was bad for New York. Even 56 percent of self-described liberals think it was bad for New York,” Siena College pollster Steven Greenberg said.
“Who do New Yorkers blame? Well, there’s certainly blame enough to go around,” Greenberg said. “More people think that Amazon, Governor Cuomo, Mayor de Blasio, the State Senate, and local Queens activists were villains in this saga than they were heroes. However, voters say the biggest villain was Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Only 12 percent call her hero, while 38 percent label her a villain.
“Amazon itself was seen as the biggest villain among Democrats, but Republicans and independents had Ocasio-Cortez as far and away the largest villain, followed by the local Queens activists.”
As if being considered the “biggest villain” for killing New York’s Amazon deal weren’t bad enough, the poll also offered up some separate bad news for Ocasio-Cortez that matched the bad news the congresswoman had received from a different major polling firm earlier with respect to her growing unfavorability among voters.
“Ocasio-Cortez, with a negative 31-44 percent favorability rating, is as well known to statewide voters after three months in office as (Sen. Kirsten) Gillibrand is after ten years as senator,” Greenberg said. “While Democrats view Ocasio-Cortez favorably, independents view her unfavorably more than two-to-one and Republicans view her unfavorably, 68-6 percent. She is viewed slightly favorably in New York City but strongly unfavorably upstate and in the downstate suburbs.”
Like a rapidly forming star in the depths of outer space, Ocasio-Cortez has shined with immense brightness for a relatively brief moment prior to imploding.
One can only wonder if the Democratic Party will take her sudden rise, peak and fall as a sort of bellwether against moving so quickly toward the far left, a position that most certainly is not supported by a majority of American voters.
Truth and Accuracy
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.
Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. Advertise Today.
