Two days ago, Axios ran this thrilling headline: “AOC seizes the moment as Dems seek a new identity.” Great story! It brands Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez as the future of her party — the Once and Future Queen of Liberaldom.
Such effusive praise:
Ocasio-Cortez has been cheered like a political rock star over the past two weeks… Ocasio-Cortez, 35, is among the most popular Democratic politicians… Ocasio-Cortez’s fundraising has surged in the first months of Trump’s administration. She can use the money to help potential allies, build a bigger organization — or save for a 2028 run for president or Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s seat… In the first three months of 2025, she raised $9.6 million — more than double what she’d ever raised in a quarter.
The following days, none other than Fox News followed suit, noting: “Schumer sinks, AOC soars in new poll as liberal voters demand harder line on Trump.” More momentum for AOC!
After the prerequisite gloating over Schumer’s collapse, FNC noted:
…Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s numbers are soaring. Ocasio-Cortez, the four-term Democrat from New York City and a progressive champion, stands at 47% favorable and 33% unfavorable among New York state voters. That’s a jump from 38%-39% the last time Siena asked about Ocasio-Cortez among a statewide sample of respondents, four years ago.
It’s here! At long last, it’s finally here! AOC’s moment has arrived!
IT’S PARTY TIME, BABY!!
Well, recork your champagne and put away your party hats: On April 23, NPR (i.e. what liberals call “free MSNBC”) flipped the script with a totally new story: “The next AOC? Young Democrats are aiming to topple incumbents inside their own party.”
The next AOC?
Garsh, that was fast.
Actor Don Johnson once said his career came in four stages, and he named each stage after the battle cry of the casting director:
- “Who the Hell is Don Johnson?”
- “Get me Don Johnson!”
- “Get me someone like Don Johnson!”
- “Who the Hell is Don Johnson?”
It’s not even May of 2025, and AOC is already at stage #3.
She’s peaked too early.
Pundits and pollsters like Nate Silver are absolutely correct: She’s the current frontrunner for the Democratic Party’s 2028 presidential nomination, and nobody else is even within spitting distance. The far left of their party is animated and motivated, and their preferred candidate will have the highest basement in the primaries. The ONLY candidate who could plausibly run to her left is Bernie Sanders, but she’s smartly co-opted the Bernie Bros and/or Social Movement. It’s hers now.
At this point, it would take a committed communist to run to her left. (Shh. Don’t give ‘em any ideas.)
So her vulnerability isn’t ideological. And the so-called “moderate wing” of the Democratic Party isn’t strong enough to deliver a mortal wound anyway. A few ’28 candidates, including Gov. Gavin Newsom of California, are making a play as the Liberal Uniter — someone who could advance liberal policies without conservative blowback. He stated his case with The Hill yesterday, in a piece entitled, “EXCLUSIVE: Newsom on Democrats: ‘I don’t know what the party is’.”
Newsom has (badly) misread the room. The liberal base is frothing. They’re in a perpetual state of PMS. They don’t want a Unifier! Ha!! That’s the last thing they want.
They want a Destroyer.
They’re pleading for a savior who’ll destroy Donald Trump, smash MAGA into a million pieces, bankrupt Tesla, and deliver a pound of flesh from the bloody, dismembered carcasses of their enemies. If you don’t understand that, you can’t win the Democratic nomination.
Which means, they’re not really looking for a politician. They want an avatar — a vessel for vengeance. They wanna impale MAGA with the hottest iron in the fire.
The trouble is, by the time 2028 rolls around, AOC’s iron will be room temperature.
Being the Next Big Thing has a short shelf life. Eventually, the novelty wears off. And when it does, you’re old news.
Between now and November of 2028, AOC will be giving thousands of speeches, (ghost)writing thousands of op-eds, posting thousands of snarky posts on social media, and making thousands of personal appearances. She’ll also be voting on thousands of bills.
Perhaps we’re underestimating her and she’s a woman of rare substance — a generational political mastermind. If so, maybe she’ll be able to handle the rigors of being a bell-to-bell presidential frontrunner, smoothly pivoting with the headlines to stay one step ahead of liberal expectations.
But if she’s anything less, then this was too much, too soon.
Because, eventually, another Shiny Object will come along.
As for who the Democrats will ultimately select as their party’s nominee, let me give you a hint: If you remember, it wasn’t a politician who forced Joe Biden to step aside. It was actor George Clooney. And the most-discussed political op-ed of 2025 didn’t come from a politician either. It came from comedian Larry David.
Democrats don’t take their advice from the political class anymore. They listen to Hollywood.
The Democratic Party’s 2028 nominee will come from the world of entertainment.
This doesn’t totally kneecap AOC’s chances, since she’s more celebrity than politician. But she’s not the only left-leaning celebrity with the ability to use a teleprompter and recite a speech.
The biggest difference will be, by the time 2028 rolls around, we’ll have heard AOC’s speeches thousands of times. She’ll be old news by then.
And so will she.
This will provide an opportunity for a liberal celeb to jump in at the last minute, be perceived as shiny and new, and become the perfect avatar of leftwing anger.
Maybe it’ll be someone like Stephen A. Smith. (My money is on Jen Psaki, Jon Stewart, or Rachel Maddow.) In all probability, the Democrats’ next nominee is someone you already know, but don’t expect to run.
That’s just how the wind is blowing.
