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OPINION

Why Ocasio-Cortez Must Be Engaged, Critiqued, And Winsomely Trolled

The opinions expressed by columnists are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Townhall.com.
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She threatened to subpoena the son of the President in about a month because he trolled her.

The son of President Trump is Donald Trump Jr. And the she is Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. 

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The meme he trolled her with was genuinely humorous.

“Why are you so afraid of socialism?” A more dowdy than generally portrayed Ocasio-Cortez has imposed over her picture.

“Because Americans want to walk their dogs, not eat them,” says a superimposed quote over a picture of President Trump.

It’s a solid troll! 

Incapable of laughing it off (which is likely why Trump Jr published it to begin with) Ocasio-Cortez retorted back:

“I have noticed that Junior here has a habit of posting nonsense about me whenever the Mueller investigation heats up,” she tweeted. “Please, keep it coming Jr - it’s definitely a ‘very, very large brain’ idea to troll a member of a body that will have subpoena power in a month. Have fun!”

And there it is, in all its glory. 

A socialist who hasn’t even taken power yet — already threatening to use to said power to leverage revenge against someone for saying something she can’t laugh off—and willing to threaten the viability of the first amendment in the process.

A lot of my colleagues, guests, and friends believe it is a mistake to go after Ocasio-Cortez.

It’s one of the most fierce debates the center right is having amongst its ranks right now.

The opinion pieces on one side of the debate are numerous. Many of my weekly guests and analysts line up on that side. The thinking is, if we engage her with mere ridicule the center will became more sympathetic to her viewing her largely as a victim. 

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This weekend she posted a tweet that brought such sympathy:


“Somewhere along the line, people in positions of influence decided that Flint water, Bronx air, or poor schools WEREN’T acceptable for their children, but could be accepted for someone else’s.

And I will never think that is a reasonable compromise to make.

So #CallMeRadical.”

A mere logical response that challenges whether or not all parents think this way was leveled.

“Good to know... so when you have your kids, you’re going to never buy them anything that their next door neighbor’s kid can’t also have. In fact if I read this right — you’ll personally supply it for them.”

Ocasio-Cortez supporters mostly interpreted the response to mean what they wanted it to mean. That the person was assuming it referenced “luxuries” as opposed to “basic needs.” 

But it didn’t. The precision of the response as touted by  people more neutral, praised the bone/marrow divide. All the while not insulting her as a person.

I’ve never witnessed an incoming freshman in the House that has ever had as much force behind them. In spite of a readily evident vapid knowledge of basics, she is a fast adapter, and an emotional and effective communicator and social media consumer.

For all of those reasons we must engage, confront with truth and winsomely dispense with her most emotionally charged but intellectually dishonest ideas. 

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I’ve wondered at times if she were convinced in a partisan neutral setting, could she be convinced of the validity of truth? She thinks that’s what she’s found. 

She’s revealed that she’s ready to weaponize power to shut down voices that mock her. What if we were willing to weaponize ideas to first confront her, and always in an attempt to win her, help her see the ineptness of progressive “solutions.”

All of her political and community organizational experience has led her to the socialist viewpoints that she holds. Claiming power as a popular and in demand lawmaker will do little to reverse that.

However as life changes and people grow more experienced in how living reality measures against ideas they’ve always held it’s not uncommon for someone to be very progressive and liberal in their twenties, and somewhere on the conservative spectrum by age forty. Therefore engagement, solid fact based critique, and accountability are the path we must take. 

We should just never victimize her in the process.

And if we are successful, she’ll know more respect from our side than she’s ever experienced a single day on hers!

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