AOC's gaffe and the American Democracy
December 20 2021 By Abiodun Giwa
Alexandra Ocasio Cortez, AOC, needs no introduction as a frontline member of the far left caucus of the Democratic Party. She is as famous as anyone you can mention in the United States Congress. Therefore, it is not unexpected that she is in the forefront of the defense of President Joe Biden's Build Back Better program, currently embroiled in uncertainty from Senator Joe Manchin's decision to oppose.
In her effort to convince observers on MSNBC's Morning Joe television show, AOC gaffed, saying the number of people in Manchin's constituency in West Virginia is numerically lesser than her constituency in New York. Thereby, unknowingly puts fact-checkers to work. The truth came out to be that Manchin's constituency has more people than AOC's. West Virginia's Manchin's constituency population is over one million, while the people of the area of New York represented by AOC are less than a million.
"The House of Representatives, and that is even with the gerrymandering, is the only majority that most reliably delivers the actual will of the majority of people and voters of the United States of America. That is why they call this people's house. It is extremely difficult to hold together a House majority, especially with the razor-thin margin that we have around this agenda. So, the idea that Joe Manchin says he cannot explain this back home to his people is a farce. I mean it is a farce in term of plain democracy, because I represent more, or just as many or more people than Joe Manchin does. Perhaps more," Alexandria Ocasio said in an MSNBC interview.
Why did not AOC get her facts right before coming out to talk critically about a senator who has only said he would not vote for the Build Back Better program? Is it compelling that all members of a party in Congress should vote following a party line and not their conscience? Is it part of a direct democracy as claimed by AOC to forcibly make members of Congress vote against their will? Is the American democracy now run like a caucus, and members are bound to go along with their party's decisions?
One of the reasons that AOC has the support staff is to avoid working in a vacuum. Her staff is their to help her get the facts. But when she decides as she has done to throw caution to the wind to disregard facts leaves much to be desired. Even her office should be shocked at what she has done - touting falsehood as the truth. It will cause people who don't know her well to ask if that is the way she operates. Especially, people who views the American Democracy as exceptional and in the public interest.
With the unnecessary argument over the Build Back Better program instead of reaching out to iron out issues, especially the near tantrum from the progressive members of the Democratic Party against Manchin, the BBB's survival is doubtful. Democracy should be about reaching out, collaborating, disagreeing, reconciling, and not gangsterism.
Jen Psaki puts it right in answer at the White House Press briefing on Monday about a need for reconciliation and reminds the press corps of her moderate statement about what the BBB program is set to achieve.
In her effort to convince observers on MSNBC's Morning Joe television show, AOC gaffed, saying the number of people in Manchin's constituency in West Virginia is numerically lesser than her constituency in New York. Thereby, unknowingly puts fact-checkers to work. The truth came out to be that Manchin's constituency has more people than AOC's. West Virginia's Manchin's constituency population is over one million, while the people of the area of New York represented by AOC are less than a million.
"The House of Representatives, and that is even with the gerrymandering, is the only majority that most reliably delivers the actual will of the majority of people and voters of the United States of America. That is why they call this people's house. It is extremely difficult to hold together a House majority, especially with the razor-thin margin that we have around this agenda. So, the idea that Joe Manchin says he cannot explain this back home to his people is a farce. I mean it is a farce in term of plain democracy, because I represent more, or just as many or more people than Joe Manchin does. Perhaps more," Alexandria Ocasio said in an MSNBC interview.
Why did not AOC get her facts right before coming out to talk critically about a senator who has only said he would not vote for the Build Back Better program? Is it compelling that all members of a party in Congress should vote following a party line and not their conscience? Is it part of a direct democracy as claimed by AOC to forcibly make members of Congress vote against their will? Is the American democracy now run like a caucus, and members are bound to go along with their party's decisions?
One of the reasons that AOC has the support staff is to avoid working in a vacuum. Her staff is their to help her get the facts. But when she decides as she has done to throw caution to the wind to disregard facts leaves much to be desired. Even her office should be shocked at what she has done - touting falsehood as the truth. It will cause people who don't know her well to ask if that is the way she operates. Especially, people who views the American Democracy as exceptional and in the public interest.
With the unnecessary argument over the Build Back Better program instead of reaching out to iron out issues, especially the near tantrum from the progressive members of the Democratic Party against Manchin, the BBB's survival is doubtful. Democracy should be about reaching out, collaborating, disagreeing, reconciling, and not gangsterism.
Jen Psaki puts it right in answer at the White House Press briefing on Monday about a need for reconciliation and reminds the press corps of her moderate statement about what the BBB program is set to achieve.
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