by Jonathan Hobratsch

The amount of press coverage that Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez gets is unprecedented for a US Rep (or soon-to-be US Rep). In regards to media coverage, her parallel is Trump.

Progressives promote and idealize her and nationalist conservatives vilify and satirize her much in the same way nationalist conservatives promote and idealize Trump and progressives vilify and satirize him. Both energize allies and enemies. Both are inexperienced and perhaps gather attentions because they are novelties. How often do we get a 70-year old politically inexperienced, strange looking, attention seeker with no editing mechanism for president? How often do we get any elected national politician in their 20’s, especially one that is a woman, Latina, fearless, vocal, and an advocate for democratic socialism?

However, they’re symbolically different. Trump symbolizes an effort to return to an idealized past while Ocasio-Cortez symbolizes an idealized future and possibly a repressed present.

In the comparison of parallels, Ocasio-Cortez is in the better position for her party. She probably has 50+ years to shape the country, gather experience, fine-tune her issue knowledge (especially economics), gain political skill, and rise in the ranks of her party. Meanwhile, she is just what Democrats need to help turn out the youth vote.

I expect a variety Ocasio-Cortez’s to run in 2020 for Congress, securing election with the help of the youth vote. Trump’s party lacks this youthful energy. This will be obvious in 2020. 

The Democratic nominee, whomever it may be, must win Ocasio-Cortez’s emphatic endorsement to maximize this turnout in 2020 since she is likely the pathfinder for a new an invigorated Democratic party.