I don’t think I’ve ever written this much about a congresswoman-elect, who is now a freshman congresswoman. But Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is worthy of discussion for a lot of reasons. She’s the youngest woman to ever be elected to the House (she’s younger than me, damn), she’s beautiful, she’s a Latina, she’s Millennial, she’s a socialist, and her mere existence is driving right-wing men CRAZY. She’s like catnip for every knuckle-dragging Deplorable. These are some glorious photos of AOC’s first day as a congresswoman. She looked like she was having a ball.
There are so many men – and some women too – who simply cannot compute Rep. Ocasio-Cortez’s whole existence in their tiny little pea-brains. Those men attack her without thought or reason for everything from being working class, to not being “working class enough” to living paycheck-to-paycheck, to… like, wearing nice clothes. So what has the dude-bros riled up this time? Did you know that AOC was a beautiful teenager who liked to do dance-homages to The Breakfast Club? This video initially got published and circulated on right-wing accounts, with one dude adding: “Here is America’s favorite commie know-it-all acting like the clueless nitwit she is…High School video of “Sandy” Ocasio-Cortez.” That guy literally deleted his account. But the video lives on!
…High School video of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez — Congratulations New York! pic.twitter.com/VSKdUImhZj
— Dan Jordan (@realdanjordan) January 2, 2019
IMPEACH! I love that this is offered as proof that AOC is… like, a terrible person? Because she danced in a cute video. Because she was and is cool. Because she has great hair and great moves and a pretty smile? Lord, please let AOC keep doing her thing because by the end of the year, so many heads will have exploded.
Photos courtesy of Getty.
I love that the Q idiot that posted the video deleted his account. The comments were priceless tho. 😂😂😂
I didn’t know he deleted his account! OMG that is hilarious.
People often say that our generation (I’m 32), especially those of us who were the first ones on social media and had no idea of the permanence of things on Facebook etc., is pretty much unelectable cause of how much crap we put on the internet about ourselves.
So if this is all they can find on someone from the same era, we’re not all as screwed as I thought!
Right? If we’re going to dissect a video of a college student dancing (because no one else danced and acted a goof with their friends in college, right?) then we’re in big (big) trouble.
The irony is that Kavanaugh was ‘just a kid’ when he assaulted all those women, so we should just ‘let it go’. But if it’s a woman the right doesn’t like she must be held accountable for daring to have fine while being female and Latina.
yeah, teen drinking with the intent to puke and sexually harassing your classmates is just typical teenage “boys with be boys” stuff.
but OMG DANCING AS A TEEN GIRL AND DOING AN HOMAGE TO A GREAT 80s MOVIE??!?!?!?!!? HANG HER!!!
seriously, when did the GOP become the dad from Footloose?
Whatwhat, IKR? Yesterday I was like wow conservatives who hate dancing? We’re all just acting out 80s movies now?
Right? What’s supposed to be the issue here, exactly? She was a teenager. Dancing and being silly. Is this the best they can do? Talk about manufacturing drama. The right in particular has a habit of selectively treating young girls like adults (sometimes more so based on race)- but only when it’s convenient for them- while treating teenage boys (mostly white ones) like helpless child victims of their own nature and with no basic concept of right and wrong. And she didn’t even do anything wrong. Harmless fun.
But a dude who, in his early twenties, was known for binge-drinking rage fests and sexual harassment or even assault is 100% prime choice beef for the Supreme Court.
Absolutely! It’s crazy to read about this today, because my best friend and I randomly had a conversation last night about how there’s going to have to be so much more of a tolerance for “risqué” (and this video is not risqué) former photos/videos from elected officials. We’re both 31 and way too many dumb college moments were documented. I think it’s just going to be less and less of a big deal as we get older and the later generations grow up.
Hopefully. It’s really sad when you see abusive exes using risque stuff (not this clip) to destroy the careers of girlfriends who are writers or have other jobs where that s really an issue. Especially when learning about how the trauma effects them.
As a society we also need to learn to let stuff go in general. What someone did in High School is probably not a good representation of who they are as an adult. If it’s been 10+ years and they’ve shown they have changed, let’s accept it. Sometimes we will be wrong, but right now it’s just ridiculous what people are having held against them. Not that this video is the type of thing that would normally be held against someone. If she had made this last week, I still wouldn’t really judge her for it.
Its okay – Yes if they’ve shown that they’ve changed. I don’t know how I’d feel about Kavanaugh if he’d grown up to be a decent, thoughtful person, but geezus his coked out whiny privileged testimony erased that possibility.
Bettyrose, I think a semi-sexy rooftop dance is in a whole different league than repetitive violent behaviors…
Babyjane, I assume you’re joking since my post was about Kavanaugh (and the complexities of overlooking past behaviors). Ocasio-Cortez didn’t do anything wrong so there’s nothing to overlook and there’s no comparison to be made.
*clutches pearls*
Right? What a hussy!
I love this video!
She was in university at the time and the video creator thinks at the time she was 20-21. For a friends film class I have done very similar things.
I love how conservatives are up in arms about this playful dancing but recordings of “grab her by the p*****” is okay. Bunch of old bigots.
Between the Right’s obsession with AOC and Tucker Carlson’s recent Faux News pieces on how women succeeding at work is signalling the death knell of American society and ushering in the new Dark Ages (I’m not kidding), has it ever been more clear that “Conservatism” is just a mediocre white man’s fear of meritocracy?
The right is freaking out that so many women of color were elected to Congress.
This this THISSSSSS ^^^^
The photo shoot of Paul Ryan doing his workout taken around the time of when he was Romney’s VP were and still are more embarassing and cringe inducing than AOC’s cute video.
It’s the cutest, dorkiest student film ever. It seems to have been made for a student center that AOC was involved with at BU. If you look at the full-length one on YouTube the kids start dancing with the BU mascot. Even Russell Crowe (!) on his Twitter called it charming. It charmed Russell Crowe!
I admire AOC greatly. She drives these idiots nuts and she as zero Fs to give. Hell, she loves pissing them off and that makes them angrier. We should all be so brave.
It was a great day for all women yesterday!
It was a great day for America yesterday.
My goodness how will she recover from this scandal???
Um, lock her up????
The Neanderthals can’t even get time and place right. Those are the rooftops of Boston University she’s dancing on and that’s Cambridge across the river. College, not high school.
Their obsession with her is beyond ridiculous. The Republic is not in danger because AOC is in Congress.
Meanwhile, in the real world, I expect subpoenas to start flying today, including Richard Neal’s demand for those tax returns.
Right??? It even says BOSTON UNIVERSITY on her shirt. My god these people are idiots.
Yes! Happy Subpoena Friday, everyone.
BU must absolutely love this publicity, along with putting two alumnas, Ayanna Presley being the other, into the House of Representatives yesterday.
Bunch of old farts with sticks up their asses.
And this is meant to be viewed as a negative? Jeez, some people really do live on a different planet.
it’s like that video of Beto skating or the pics from when he was in a band.
the GOP thinks those things are *clutches pearls* just disgusting and embarrassing and would turn people against him…meanwhile, people were like “he did WHAT?! HOW COOL! I love him even more.”
I know, lol. The hot Beto band photo really backfired on them. As did this video. These deplorables are grasping at straws in trying to manufacture some sort of scandal and I kinda love it.
OMG! She’s adorable! In what way is this a negative?
I know, so many far-right Rs are so insane and out of touch with, well, modern life. Look, I don’t agree with all of AOC’s policy positions, I thought she got a bit far out over her skis with some of the campaigning for other people after she won her primary, I expect her to eff up plenty over the course of her political career just like everyone else, but I *love* HER. She, as a person, is hard-working and lovely and warm and relatable — and incredibly intelligent! And, damn, girlfriend can DANCE.
A confident, joyful woman of color enjoying her body and being comfortable and unembarrassed in her own skin. No wonder RWNJs are afraid of her.
It’s not just conservatives that are threatened by her. I’m looking at you McCaskill and other Boomer Dems. I hope AOC has a praying grandmother because she will be tested and as her visibility is so high it’ll come from all sides – especially from w/in her party.
On a shallow note, her COS is so fine.
Yeah I was really disgusted by what McCaskill said.
AOC needs to not go to war with her own party. Threatening to vote against PAYGO, when the alternative is leaving CUTGO in place, because you think it threatens your future bill of Medicare-for-all bill is a rookie mistake.
Ro Khanna also announced he would vote no. I’m not sure I would describe him as a rookie.
But I agree that there’s no reason to cede control of spending offsets to an administration that doesn’t share our progressive goals. That being said, PayGo is still dumb AF and needs to be eradicated. Hopefully when Dems take back the Senate and the presidency.
Those are the only tools she has to try to push the party further left as she has no influence besides her ideals, her mastery of SM, and ability to live in these angry birds’ heads. I actually support her appeal against instituting PAYGO why place limits on our spending NOW when the R party literally spent 2 years rolling around in our coffers and the avg American is broke af barely making it. If the end result is people don’t have to GoFund their insulin injections or cancer surgery, I’m with it.
The current rule is CUTGO, which means any new spending needs to be offset with cuts to existing spending. A rule change to PAYGO would allow for new spending to be offset with new revenue, i.e., taxes.
The Dems needed to change from Cutgo on Day 1. They needed a clean way to change to a new system that would reliably pass. Paygo was the only option, as there was no explaining or persuading to do. If you are looking to advance the democratic agenda, then this was a pragmatic and important move.
I hope I am wrong, but it seems a little Bernie-esque to protest about something as a means to get people worked up, and not because it actually advances your agenda. I agree with AOC in a lot of ways, but sometimes I think she loses sight of the big picture.
Khanna said, “PAYGO is to protect members in vulnerable districts who can say that Democrats are for fiscal responsibility.” It’s a lot more than that, but even if it was that simple…how is that a bad thing? Democrats do have a reputation of being “fiscally irresponsible”. History shows that isn’t true, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t already established as conventional wisdom. I don’t mind being strategic when it comes to roll out of fiscal policy ideas.
@tiffany- I agree on Paygo, but BS the Dems are fiscally irresponsible. That’s just a reputation leveled by RWNJs. The deficit gets raised more under repubs and they are the ones who create financial crises the Dems have to clean up. GOP says it’s for cutting waste, but it just wants to cut social programs and give more money to big businesses through tax cuts for the 1%. And insanely bloated military spending. Along with wasteful investigations into Dems.
As for Ro Khanna, he is a legit expert on trade. I don’t understand why he isn’t on every news program talking about a Democratic alternative to Trump’s destructive trade wars.
Rapunzel, I totally agree that it is BS that Dems are fiscally irresponsible. As I said, we know it isn’t true but we still have to recognize a lot of voters have been fooled by the narrative the GOP has been peddling for decades. Even if it is a lie, it doesn’t mean that we can ignore the reputation that has been established. Ignoring the lies doesn’t make them go away.
I think she should hold off on the fight for now (like, literally, we just got some of the power back, chill), but I also think the media is purposefully blowing the Democratic arguments out of proportion because they love drama among women and minorities. The GOP is far more ideologically fractured right now but slides by because they’re a group of cowards that fall in line under a white supremacist agenda that protects their interests.
The talking point about her is that she is stupid. Over and over in every comment they bash her degree and her intelligence. They rail against the elites but slag her for going to Boston instead of an ivy. They are so transparent in singling out the young Latina for their “must be dumb” campaign. The upside is the comments, they have been gold.
This totally. You’re also describing plenty of people on the Left as well. So tired of hearing her being called dumb or inexperienced simply because she is doing what her constituents asked her to do. She’s a fighter and has a very clear vision of what she wants to accomplish and how she plans to accomplish it.
And look, I get that people want her to fall in line but personally, I support the idea of having progressive candidates that vote their conscience–as long as it doesn’t undermine the Dem’s agenda, i.e. in a deciding vote scenario.
And it’s so weird how Democrats act like there’s no room for people to disagree with the party from time to time. That’s how the Democratic party get votes from Independents (like me), left-leaning nonvoters, and even former Green Party folks–from supporting progressive candidates who may decide to break from the pack on certain issues.
Right wingers don’t believe women can be pretty and smart.
She looks a bit like Amal Clooney?
Sorry… but didnt someone literally just get elected to SCOTUS who was a RAPIST? And people worry about this woman dancing as a teenager? Ok America…………..
SCOTUS & POTUS. But rich white dudes aren’t held to the same standards, which is to say they aren’t held to any standards.
As someone else responded, post a video of what Kavanaugh was doing during his teen years.
Shades of Ted Cruz posting pics of Beto in a rock band. Newsflash, conservatives: Nobody gives a dang! I loved the tweet that said the dude who posted this must be the guy who banned dancing in the town in Footloose. Really sums it up.
Right haha…Thanks for humanizing these candidates for us!
I mean, not that AOC or Beto needed to be humanized. I think they’ve done a great job of that themselves through their use of social media and campaigning…still, it’s like they don’t understand that stuff like this just makes a candidate more likable.
I think both sides need to leave her alone, let her be, and see how she does as a freshman Congresswoman. The right is being ridiculous and over the top in their disdain for her (and as someone pointed out – some older Dems as well) but some on the left are going too far in their ridiculous over the top praise for her. I think it’s great that she got elected but I want to see how she actually does as a Congresswoman before anointing her the best thing ever.
Well said.
Agree 100%
I see what you mean on wanting praise to be earned, but I also want to give you my perspective as a racialized woman who has worked in political spaces to show you why I believe we SHOULD be extra supportive to ACO. These institutions in Washington are AWFUL and super toxic spaces that were created BY hetero white men, FOR hetero white men. So people who are trans, or racialized, or any ‘minority’ really, are constantly pushed out and punished heavily for the same mistakes that a white male elect would’ve made but just coasted on. So I think that when a lot of us on the left show high praise for her, it’s to bring her up and push for her, because the odds are highly stacked against her, and because it will be a daily battle for her to even just exist in this position. A lot of the over-the-top support for her is because we feel that she really needs it being an underdog who receives waaaaaaay more hate and verbal abuse than other elected officials (there are a ton of articles about this online that show the stats). It’s actually an attempt for us to bring some balance and even out the abuses. So I’d say, why not show her the OTT support? To make your point more powerful about her proving herself, I’d rather we all say: Let’s push for her, because she needs it, but if she messes up or doesn’t do what she promised, then let’s hold her accountable.
Exactly
The video is adorable. The couch potatoes are just mad that she is cute AND so smart that she realized that her comatose congressman could be picked off in a primary.
As I wrote in the Speaker Pelosi thread, yesterday was a great day. Today is going to be better, let the subpoenas fly. The Dems haven’t been sitting around since election day, they’ve got a lot of stuff ready to go. I don’t think Bigly can deal with it.
She is so adorable in that video. They really hate that she is charismatic AND incredibly smart and quick.
Girls just wanna have fun!
The initial QAnon tweet accused AOC of “acting” like a clueless nitwit. Meanwhile the Deplorables are fine with the Resident aka Cadet Bonespurs aka the Fanta Menace being an actual clueless nitwit.
The GOP, clutching their pearls …
Did you know Beto used to be a in a rock band? That makes him fundamentally unfit!
AOC once joyously did the Breakfast Club dance in college (not high school, read her shirt dumb-dumbs)? Definitely not congressional material!
And, yet …
We have confirmed documentation that Brett Kavanaugh used to get blackout drunk in high school and has credible allegations of sexual assault from that time period by at least two women, one a well respected professor who risked her reputation and family to testify against him in Congress (and passed a lie detector test regarding her claim), and is still suffering from the repercussions of that decision.
GOP…
THAT WAS A LONG TIME AGO! SHUT UP AND LEAVE HIM ALONE TO GO ABOUT HIS LIFE! HE DESERVES TO BE ON THE SUPREME COURT! YOU PEOPLE ARE MONSTERS TO BRING UP HIS PAST. SO WHAT IF HE REGULARLY DRANK UNDERAGE (a crime) AND LIED ABOUT IT. OH AND, MOST LIKELY ATTEMPTED TO RAPE A WOMEN. HE WAS JUST A KID!
Hey! The evil, scheming Democrats manufactured (credible) claims that RUINED BRETT’S LIFE even though he is now on the USSC and Dr. Blasey Ford is the one who still can’t live in her home and needs security protection! (/s in case it wasn’t clear).
Kavanaugh is the poster child for Kate Manne’s concept of “himpathy” (Manne wrote an article pointing this out, it’s a good read).
S, I wish I could “like” your comment 1,000 times!!! Spot on!!!
OMG, a 20 year old woman dancing in a video!!!!!!!!! *THE HORROR*
meanwhile these assholes voted for a sexual predator for President…their hypocrisy is outstanding!
Add this to her Instagram cooking videos and we’ve got a nuclear bomb of a problem!! The nerve of her being so damn cool and cute and adorable!!!
GAAAAAAAH! {Clutches pearls}
This is so sad it’s funny. Also, she’s a great dancer.
This video makes me want to be friends with her. 😊
She is dealing with what so many WOC deal with on a daily basis. These idiots dont know what to do with her because she goes against every stereotype they have. I’ve had so many people in awe that I speak in complete sentences, went to a well known, highly respected university, and I don’t have any children. It’s like their heads are going to explode. Oh, yeah, I’m quiet which seems to freak WW out. I believe it’s code for “you are not loud and boisterous like all the other black women I know”
When I saw this first saw this story I was semi-bummed “Oh boy, here’s some video of her drunk and half naked in a club….” Wait….it’s a co-ed dancing like a dork in a t-shirt and jeans. SCANDAL.
Eyeroll. It’s absurd, but with the way they are all piling on her I’m not surprised.
GOP, TRY HARDER.
This is just making me love her. LOL
Love AOC. More power to her!
all this video proves is that she hasn’t age A DAY. gorgeous.
I mean, she’s 29 not 59. The video was published in September 2010, a little over 8 years ago. We can hold off this kind of comment for a little while longer, I think, unless you consider 29 year old women to be wizened shells of their 21 year old selves.
why don’t you get a grip. i wasn’t haggard but i most certainly didn’t look like my teenage self when i was 29. it was a compliment. she looks vivacious and confident then and now. if you think pointing that out is negative – sorry for ya
When your counter- argument to a political debate is to wage a PG- rated, student-produced dance video, you’ve already lost. She looks happy & goofy, like anyone would in this video. I hope she continues to succeed and shake off these weird attacks.
I am so sorry to highjack this post, but this is the only site I can find where people actually know that gaslighting is real. Most of the sites that have open posts don’t have very intelligent people posting. If you have experienced it please reply to me. I know this sounds nuts, but if you’ve been in my shoes you know just how people think you are lying or insane. 🙁
Can you give some insight into what specifically is bothering you?
All they are doing is making us like her MORE! I hope all their heads explode.
I am so here for this girl! She’s a breath of fresh air!
About time I say !
There is a Twitter account posting her dancing to every popular song in the last 20 years and it is glorious lol
What’s the handle? I adore the original video and want to see more!
My question is, why are the right-wingers elevating her profile with this vid? What do they think they have to gain? It’s clearly very likeable, and anyone who posted it must know that. We continue to call GOP operatives clueless and crazy at our peril. Their propagandistic methods have been very effective so far. This was put out by an unknown influencer, who then deleted the account. It’s fun, but to me something about its release just doesn’t add up.
OMG Scandalous! That’s it! Shut down congress, this country is going to hell!!!!!!
Like everyone else — I love her more! She looks adorable here!
LOL WHAT
That’s it? THAT’S the video?? A woman dressed in a near-knee length skirt and university shirt putting on silly dance moves with only the vaguest hint of sensuality? Like, what universe are these people even living in where this is a problem? Y’all sitting here clapping for a man who whose only proof of literacy is the ability to sign his own name, and the dumb motherf*cker couldn’t even do that right at the new North American trade signing.
So you can have a president that basically pays women to sleep with him (while married) and has lied through his teeth about EVERYTHING, but this video of a lovey talented 21 year old innocently dancing is a huge deal? You’ve got to be kidding me.
Just came across a funny exchange between an AOC hater and some talk show hosts:
https://youtu.be/RmrzbTrEC-Q
Oh no, the Reverend Shaw Moore disapproves!
What precisely is the issue??? I’m not sure???
Melania Trump posed for soft porn pics. Are they also mentioning that?
Furthermore…I’m glad to see a representative who is actually grounded, in touch, and can relate to every day issues.
I just followed her on instagram :). Can’t wait to see her future accomplishments!
Eh, Consevatives are crying foul on this one. They are challenging the media to back up the claims anyone besides the original poster is outraged by the dance video. Looks like fake news, but AOC seems to be benefiting from it. She looks great in it IMO.
‘A revolution without dancing is not a revolution worth having. If there won’t be dancing at the revolution, I’m not coming.’