IS ALEXANDRIA OCASIO-CORTEZ GOING TO BE THE NEXT DEMOCRAT PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE?

And now onto our main discussion, regarding the ever questionable future of the democrat party; and we ought to begin with the question on whether AOC is going to be the next democrat presidential nominee? And as we stated earlier, AOC has recently raised $9.6 million in the first quarter of 2025. This financial success has then fueled speculation about her potential candidacy for the 2028 Democratic presidential nomination. Furthermore, recent polls indicate she is currently polling at 21% in the Democratic primaries, behind Kamala Harris. Despite this, political commentators and her supporters on social media are actively discussing her prospects, although there has been no official confirmation from AOC herself regarding a presidential bid. Nevertheless, let’s address the subject.

So, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez could run for president in 2028 according to The Hill. One Democrat strategist said their party is impressed with AOC’s ability to “cut through the noise and does not talk like Washington.” Well, this off to an interesting start, seeing that this was among the reasons that Donald Trump became such an interesting and popular presidential candidate and figure. In any case, Democrats also believe that the congresswoman has a unique ability to connect with young voters. This, they believe, would allow her to utilize social media and podcasts to help win the election. This is also interesting because this was a significant strategy that Trump implemented to engage and gain young voters – in fact this was especially a strategy that he credited his Son Barron Trump for championing in his 2024 campaign.

SO, thus far, it appears that AOC is considered as a potential nominee because she has the best chance at mimicking or implementing the same strategies that were crucial aspects of Trump’s campaign. Well, there is not something inherently wrong about this, if this is the strategy Democrats prefer; HOWEVER, this approach does not make it clear why AOC is a valuable and winning candidate outside of her youthful appeal. More specifically, Trump had dominant policy narratives that made him stand out – from build a wall, to drill-baby-drill, or removing men in biological women’s sports, deportations, and MAHA – there are a number of dominant policy narratives that we associate with Trump, and that the strategically uses as a yardstick for his efficacy and progress through the White House reports, especially in these 100 days of his presidency.

Therefore, not speaking like a career politician was a selling point – and not the essence of the Trump campaigns. Similarly, engaging the youth through platforms like podcasts was a strategy that the Trump campaign utilised. Both of these things did not replace the vision and policy narratives that he had already been associated with. AOC does not have this. Which is not to say that she has no policy narratives at all – that would be disingenuous; rather, it is to say, she does not have enough dominant policy narratives for her to be an inherently good candidate.

In fact, in the recent polls alluded to earlier, AOC is at 21%, behind Kamala Harris with 28%. Surely, democrats cannot be impervious to the fact that both AOC and Kamala Harris – despite being leading figures – do not have dominant policy narratives that make them appealing to voters; in fact, this is one of the main reasons that Kamala Harris lost the election!

That said, Trump certainly has made genuineness a factor for relatability. The Trump campaign has made it essential and appealing for a presidential candidate to be genuine – despite their differences with the diverse voter demographics they speak to. And not only does this expectation exist exclusively towards Trump as a result of his frankness when he speaks; but now every other politician in contrast, explicitly or implicitly, is now required more than ever also to present themselves in genuine fashion. But, despite trying to replicate this, what the democrats do not realise is that relatability is not based on somatic features and characteristics like a youthful appearance or being a black woman. It comes down to genuineness.

WITH AOC, DEMOCRATS ARE STRUGGLING TO MOVE AWAY FROM IDENTITY POLITICS

But, here’s what I think this exposes from the get go: it exposes that Democrats care more about the optics of a presidential candidate than the substance of what they propagate as policy. This is why Hillary Clinton capitalised on being a woman, despite going up against Trump who was associated with popular policy narratives. This is why Kamala Harris went from being an Indian Senator to a black female vice president, and presidential candidate. Then, AOC is also a young, female congresswoman with Puerto Rican heritage, who lived in the Bronx – which is a textbook image for “relatability” for people who are obsessed with identity politics.

For Democrats, this makes AOC an easy candidate to sell to voters who make choices based on identity politics, as opposed to policy substance. But, obviously, identity politics does not make good policies. It is often the reason why affirmative action laws and associated policies drag out more than they should, it is the reason for aggravating developments like CRT and gender studies, it is also often the reason for the creation of special laws for different races, which ironically perpetuate the same protested principles of segregation. BUT, democrats know this, and they have for a long time. In fact, it is how they went from a party that defended slavery and opposing civil rights for black people to being the party associated with progressive racial policies. This shift is perhaps encapsulated in the words of former US president Lyndon B. Johnson, when he said he’ll have them niggers voting Demcorat for 200 years, in response to black people receiving the right to vote, after Demcorats had fought hard trying to prevent that.

DEMOCRATS PUSHING AOC IS FURTHER PROOF OF HOW LITTLE THEY REGARD PRIMARIES

But, in addition to exposing how Democrats care more about optics than policy, the popularity of AOC also exposes how little the Democrat establishment regards primaries. I say this because in knowing that identity politics do not make good policy, the democrat establishment still pushes this approach to politics! And the reason is because whoever is a presidential candidate is often a placement, and not a genuine choice – all so that this figure can implement the will of the establishment.

For instance, in 2016, Jullian Assange’s WikiLeaks published internal Democratic Party documents that revealed the extent to which the party organisation had interfered in the primaries against Bernie Sanders to tilt the scales in Hillary Clinton’s favour. And not only is Bernie Sanders a victim of their willingness to corrupt the primaries, but Democrats proceeded to manipulate primaries again last year with Joe Biden by instituting a coup against him. And the reason is that the Democrat establishment already has focuses that these figures are supposed to appropriate. For instance, former Overstock CEO Patrick Byrne revealed how he worked with the FBI to arrange an $18 million bribe to Hillary Clinton from a foreign government to allow the deep state to control her in 2016 (although, of course, she thankfully lost that election).

AOC IS ALSO ASSOCIATED WITH UNPOPULAR SOCIALIST INCLINATIONS IN POLICY

Now as alluded to earlier, that AOC does not have a popular or dominant policy narrative is not to say she does not have policies she is known to advocate for. Generally, she advocates for policies that include Medicare for All, tuition-free public colleges, a jobs guarantee, a Green New Deal, abolishing the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and (the arguably most famous) taxing the rich. First, on her most notable advocacy on taxing the rich, it should be noted that at a time when America’s population is feeling the brunt of the economy, this message is not only unpopular, but has further resulted in measures that expectedly have made people desire less to have their wealth adjudicated or regulated by the AMerican government.

Furthermore, on abolishing ICE, this has made AOC necessarily appear as an individual with a clear disregard for law enforcement, especially when illegal immigration became such an obvious issue to security and resource distribution in the US. AOC’s disregard for the law was especially evident when her approach was juxtaposed with that of figures like president Trump and his border tzar, Tom Homan. In essence, Tom Homan appears to be clear on the basics of law enforcement and immigration, which is that if you enter the US illegally, that is a criminal offence, and also that there is nothing wrong with seeking asylum, as long as you utilise the legal process to do this.

But, all of this is not to say that she should be undermined as an actor. I think AOC is smarter than most voters and politicians give her credit for. I say this because, much like Kamala Harris, she is clearly playing a character. In her case, she plays the “seemingly simple-minded, energetic” character to be relatable and get attention and it has worked to her advantage in a number of respects. And she knows this and even talks about it herself.

And in playing this simple-minded relatable character, she seemingly also intends to use this to potentially fool dejected young people the way Obama did in 2008. She has also used this character to gaslight AMericans, and accuse the Trump team of doing what Democrats – including her have been advocating for.

And so, the Trump team needs to focus well on making the MAGA vision so popular and practically undeniable in its benefits, that she never has the chance.

GAVIN NEWSOM IS ALSO NOT A WORTHWHILE CHOICE FOR DEMOCRATS

But, while we’re discussing the ever questionable future of the democrat party, it is also worth looking at Gavin Newsmom, who served as the Governor of California, and why he is also not a good choice for the democrat party. First, in 2024, there was clearly a desperate attempt at rigging election results when political leaders digressed from common sense, and implemented corruption through the law – which is exactly what senate Bill 1174, which was approved by California lawmakers, was about. This approved Senate Bill is about prohibiting voter ID requirements in local elections. And this move overrides Huntington Beach’s voter ID policy, slated for 2026. Meanwhile, in support of the bill, state senator Dave Min argues that voter ID laws suppress turnout, while Republican efforts to exclude illegal immigrants from voting fail.

But, (once again) who EXACTLY is state senator Dave Min concerned about? Who would actually get disincentivised from voting due to a law that requires them to show proof of citizenship in order to vote? Well, someone who not only does NOT have an ID document, but who also also lacks the capacity to get one because they are not a citizen – which then nullifies Dave Min’s concern, because non-citizens should not be voting in a foreign nation’s election anyway! ALl this was was condescension, as we;ve established previously.

Again Newsom has also become notorious for election manipulation through voting machines. In essence, on the voting machines in California, there was a time during the voting period when Trump did NOT even appear on the first screen as an option for President. You had to click a button that says ‘more’ to be able to vote for him. It is atrocious that bias has manifested in the voting machine; however, it certainly is not astounding that this is seen in California. California is the State where Harris served as the attorney general and later the Senator, before her questionable and staged promotion to Vice President. California is also the state governed by Gavin Newsom, who proclamed to implement many laws targeted at elections and voting, including Senate Bill 1174 which prohibits voter ID requirements in local elections.

But, as part of election manipulation, his other laws interestingly also touched on political expression, which in an election period, stiffles political discourse. In particular, Gavin Newsom signed a bill that could essentially make posting memes and parodies illegal in the state. But according to Gavin Newsom, he simply signed a bill to make deep fakes (specifically) illegal in the state of California. In fact, he adds that what the bill means in essence is that people can no longer knowingly distribute an advertisement or other election communications that contain materially deceptive content — including deepfakes.

Well, in addition to all of this, there has now been a requested an investigation into Gavin Newsom’s Medi-Cal scandal. He’s bankrupted the program by giving $10B in free healthcare to illegal immigrants—and there’s strong evidence he illegally tried to get federal Medicaid reimbursements.

Written By Lindokuhle Mabaso