Monica Crowley: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is a "monster" that Democrats won't be able to control [View all]

[babylonsister]

Oh, brother. I like AOC even more now.

https://www.salon.com/2019/01/18/monica-crowley-alexandria-ocasio-cortez-is-a-monster-that-democrats-wont-be-able-to-control_partner/?fbclid=IwAR0h-BZK3W1z_Fe3Yqaly_8PEbEZIpQBarW2SlgW8qffwAmd4ficsrhWvVk

Monica Crowley: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is a “monster” that Democrats won't be able to control
A far-right journalist slams the newly-elected Democratic socialist as "too big for her britches" in a new op-ed
Alex Henderson
January 18, 2019 5:41PM (UTC)
This article originally appeared on AlterNet.


When a Monica Crowley op-ed with the headline “Newly Elected and Too Big for Her Britches” appeared in the Washington Times this week, it wasn’t hard to guess who the far-right journalist was referring to. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who was sworn into Congress on January 3, has been the subject of countless attack pieces on right-wing websites. And sure enough, AOC is the one Crowley goes after in her op-ed, which expresses her disdain not only for the 29-year-old congresswoman, but the Millennial generation in general.

Ocasio-Cortez, as she sees it, is a prime example of what Crowley calls Tall Poppy Syndrome. Crowley explains, “Tall Poppy Syndrome occurs when someone gets cut down to size after becoming too big for her britches, too important too fast, too superior to those around her. The tall poppy must be pruned back, lest she think she can easily dominate her peers. She must be taught a lesson.”

And Crowley goes about trying to teach Ocasio-Cortez a lesson, employing an abundance of anti-Millennial imagery to make her point.

“With her relative youth, Taylor Swift red lipstick, deft use of social media and unapologetic embrace of socialism,” Crowley writes, Ocasio-Cortez “became an instant political celebrity. The mainstream media panted after her and her radical ideas — Medicare for all, a green ‘new deal,’ a 70% tax rate — her dripping sarcasm on Twitter and even her announcement of a ‘self-care’ break before being sworn in.”

snip//

One older liberal Crowley doesn’t quote in her op-ed is veteran economist and New York Times economist Paul Krugman. On Twitter, the 65-year-old Krugman addressed GOP disdain for Ocasio-Cortez when he posted that Republicans’ “insecurity in the face of a bright, charismatic woman of color is spectacular. I particularly like the constant claims that she’s stupid when, let’s face it, the average GOP House member knows as much about policy as the average house pet.”

Crowley ends her op-ed on an especially overwrought note, characterizing Ocasio-Cortez as a “monster” the Democratic Party will be unable to control.

“The Democratic establishment, which long winked at socialism and encouraged youth activism, now realizes that it’s created a monster it won’t be able to control for much longer,” Crowley insists. “As Ms. Ocasio-Cortez is demonstrating, the Tall Poppy can be pruned back, but it eventually grows back taller than before.”