Obama says Democrats should make sure Ocasio-Cortez has a platform

Former President Obama suggests in a new interview that the Democratic Party should give younger voices like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-CortezAlexandria Ocasio-CortezObama: You’re Losing People With ‘Catchy’ Slogans Like ‘Defund The Police’ Left Turn Against Freedom: Curb Speech, Ban Books, Make ‘Enemy List ” Manchin: Ocasio-Cortez ‘more active on Twitter than anything else’ MORE (DN.Y.) a bigger platform regardless of ideology.

“The Democratic National Convention which I thought was really a success given the pandemic, and really put the technology to good use,” Obama said in an interview with Vanity Fair contributor Peter Hamby for his Snapchat show ” Good Luck America “.

“But, you know, the fact that an AOC gets it, what? Three or five minutes? When she speaks to a wide range of young people who are interested in what she has to say, even if they don’t agree with everything she says, ”continued Obama. “You give it a platform, just like there may be other young Democrats who come from more conservative regions who have a different point of view. But new blood is always good.

Some House Democrats, many of whom reversed longtime GOP districts in 2018, blamed their 2020 underperformance on the Ocasio-Cortez National Platform, arguing that the self-identified Democratic Socialist alienates the moderates.

While Obama defended giving Ocasio-Cortez a platform, he also echoed similar criticisms from the same more moderate Democrats who called for police stripping have hampered outreach efforts.

“If you think, like me, that we should be able to reform the criminal justice system so that it is unbiased and treats everyone fairly, I guess you can use a catchy slogan, like Defund The Police but, you know, you’ve lost a great following the minute you say it, making it much less likely that you’re actually getting the changes you want, ”he says.

Ocasio-Cortez fended off intra-party backlash, most notably with a tweet Tuesday responding to the senator’s criticism. Joe manchinJoseph (Joe) ManchinPressure Prepares For Coronavirus Relief Without Clear Path To Treat Overnight Health Care: CDC Committee Recommends Who Gets Vaccinated First | McConnell Proposes New Relief Bill | Hahn downplays White House meeting on vaccines Bipartisan, bicameral group unveils $ 8 billion plus coronavirus proposal (DW.Va.).

“I find it amusing when politicians try to downplay our political work, grassroots organization and fundraising for ‘she just tweets’, as if ‘serious’ politics are just happening. ‘begging the CEOs of companies through wax-sealed envelopes delivered by raven, ”she wrote.