Federalist senior contributor Benjamin Weingarten on Wednesday issued a sarcastic call for Democrats to emulate New York congressional candidate Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s campaign, saying running on socialism nationwide would ultimately benefit Republicans in the midterms.
“I encourage the Democrats to go with the most progressive candidates possible around the country and run Ocasio-Cortez-like campaigns everywhere. That rhetoric is going to scare Republican voters,” Weingarten told Hill.TV’s Buck Sexton and Krystal Ball on “Rising,” adding that he wants liberals to go as “as far left as possible.”
Weingarten’s comments come as Ocasio-Cortez, who identifies as a democratic socialist, gains prominence within the Democratic Party.
She scored a surprise victory against longtime Rep. Joseph Crowley (D) in New York’s 14th Congressional District’s Democratic primary last month.
However, some Democrats, including Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) have cautioned against Ocasio-Cortez’s campaign message, saying it will not be received well in certain parts of the U.S.
“I think it’s the future of the party in the Bronx, where she is,” Duckworth said in early July.
“I think that you can’t win the White House without the Midwest and I don’t think you can go too far to the left and still win the Midwest,” she continued.
Ocasio-Cortez hit back against Duckworth’s remarks, saying her message resonated outside of the Bronx.
With respect to the Senator, strong, clear advocacy for working class Americans isn’t just for the Bronx.
Sen. Sanders won:
– Michigan
– Minnesota
– Kansas
– Nebraska
– Wisconsin
– IndianaWe then lost several of those states in the general. What’s the plan to prevent a repeat? https://t.co/99K08qr7SH
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@Ocasio2018) July 1, 2018
— Julia Manchester
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