General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsSo... I've just finished watching AOC... My thoughts...
Wow... Just wow...
I want a representative like AOC... Perhaps the best display on the floor i've ever seen.
She was assaulted in public... Took it without taking the bait and did her job like a seasoned pro... Got a bullshit non-appology... Then not only put together and delivered.. Just a badass and awesome response but also put together a great team of additional speakers to refute the repubs indecency.
I live in Colorado so I can't vote for her but... I want more candidates like her and I look forward to one day voting for her in a Federal election.
Beakybird
(3,334 posts)jimfields33
(16,145 posts)Japan and other places have them. It will be republicans who do it for sure. I think its coming.
DeminPennswoods
(15,299 posts)as, iirc, back in the 1800's one member of congress beat another with his cane.
CloudWatcher
(1,851 posts)TomSlick
(11,150 posts)In 1837, the Speaker of the Arkansas House of Representatives, John Wilson, attacked Representative Joseph Anthony with a Bowie knife on the House floor, stabbing him in the heart and killing him instantly.
Apparently, Speaker Wilson took exception with comments made by Representative Anthony about the requirements for collecting bounties on wolves.
CloudWatcher
(1,851 posts)And he got away with it!
https://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/entries/wilson-anthony-duel-5664/
TomSlick
(11,150 posts)the best defense to a homicide charge is "the bastard needed killing."
SCantiGOP
(13,878 posts)In 1964, Strom Thurmond and Ralph Yarborough of Texas wrestled to the floor. Both were Democrats of course, but Yarborough was the only Southern Senator to vote for the Civil rights Act and Thurmond had held a 20+ hour filibuster of the act.
raccoon
(31,135 posts)Problem with Sumner, He should have challenged him to a duel. It was cowardly to beat a guy with a cane and the other guy had no cane or weapon of any sort.
Ponietz
(3,080 posts)TheBlackAdder
(28,261 posts).
He's got two inches on Reese Witherspoon.
.
jaxexpat
(6,883 posts)Cracklin Charlie
(12,904 posts)I appreciate her ability to cut through the bullshit to get to the essence.
Throck
(2,520 posts)Every little bit counts.
LizBeth
(9,953 posts)Ohio Joe
(21,776 posts)There are simply too many, I don't have enough hours in the day. My intent here was not even to call out this particular sexist slur... My intent was to applaud the response.
PatrickforO
(14,605 posts)LGBTQ, ethnic or racial, or ageist.
And we need to be supportive when we do it.
I'm a 61 year old white male, raised in suburbia during the 60s and early 70s, whose dad said he'd 'die before I was bused.'
I'm not even going to pretend my family wasn't racist, and my dad wasn't sexist. Because it was and he was. My wife just turned 60, and she's got some horrible stories about some of the sexism she encountered in the 80s in the oil and gas business.
My point: way back when is way back when. I cannot look you in the eye and say I've never done or said anything sexist or racist or anti-gay, because that would be a pure lie. Point is, I don't do or say those things now.
The other point is we need to talk openly about this stuff and try to come to terms with what we've done and find ways to grow into what we could be as a republic. Which is back to your point - call it out when it happens. That's how we learn to live better with each other.
LizBeth
(9,953 posts)you in the eyes and tell you I have NEVER used a racist slur. Which I think is a good point too. For whatever reason, the racist slur is so horrific to many of us and not so much the sexist slur that even women are conditioned to use and defend. I have literally had to work on the habit to not use slurs.
70sEraVet
(3,548 posts)I'm also in my 60's, and I've had to learn to change my behavior and my speech as the workplace has changed. I worked for 30 years in an industry that, in the beginning of my career, had no women 'on the floor'. There were women up in the front of the building (secretaries, receptionists, etc.) but we didn't work with them. The workplace changed; women coworkers, a woman supervisor, a younger workforce (computer literates). We had to learn to change our behavior in the workplace!
I DON'T THINK THAT WE SHOULD EXPECT ANYTHING LESS FROM OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS!
CatLady78
(1,041 posts)certainot
(9,090 posts)since she was elected, calling her shit (commie marxist) all day to 50 mil people a week while dems stuck their ear buds in theirears and walked by, like studying fish without water
Danmark
(39 posts)You tell me, he was gone in no time.
LizBeth
(9,953 posts)onecaliberal
(33,012 posts)unblock
(52,503 posts)Especially after listening to other politicians. Hear her say something and it's like *yes!* why can't other politicians just come out and speak plain truths like that instead of dancing around issues or evading or denying or looking the other way or making it sound like it's complicated when it's not.
I also love her delivery. She makes it seem like she's holding herself back, like there's so much energy and enthusiasm there. but as confrontational as others take her to be, to me she seems like she's always itching to amp it up but is smart enough to keep in reined in.
I find it infectious, very energizing.
volstork
(5,403 posts)you put so eloquently what I was thinking as I was watching AOC.
sop
(10,299 posts)I'd love to have someone like Ocasio-Cortez as my representative.
No, not that kind of Vet but a vet who rammed his arm up cow's asses. He can go back to looking at a horse's ass. I guess he shaves.
burrowowl
(17,656 posts)zentrum
(9,866 posts)Bettie
(16,151 posts)and I, for one, am happy to see it.
madamesilverspurs
(15,821 posts)And my "representative" is the extreme polar opposite of AOC. Ken Buck was our pathetic excuse for DA, and he refused to prosecute an admitted rapist because, in Buck's view, the victim was merely suffering from buyer's remorse. We have an excellent candidate, Ike McCorkle, running against Buck, but in the 4th district there are no unforgiveable sins for republicans.
We need more like AOC.
.
PatrickforO
(14,605 posts)I dislike Buck more every day. McCorkle has a chance, albeit a slim one, because the eastern plains is Limbaugh territory and there are still Kluxers out there. I have hated how my little corner got shoved into Buck's district.
niyad
(113,966 posts)kag
(4,079 posts)I'm fortunate enough to be a bit northwest, and have the excellent Joe Negeuse, but we have donated to both of the Dem challengers in your districts.
niyad
(113,966 posts)PatrickforO
(14,605 posts)He's a miserable excuse for a man and definitely does NOT represent me. I'd LOVE someone AOC.
matt819
(10,749 posts)She raised the question that many of us raise here all the time, or at least think about, when it comes to the RWNJs.
They are racist and sexist. They are nasty and vile. And we wonder how their wives and daughters (or sons, for that matter) think/feel when daddy is called out in public for this sort of racist, sexist, nasty, vile behavior. AOC noted that she is two years younger (or older, can't remember) than Yoho's own daughter. What does that woman think about her father's behavior and non-apology. Is she embarrassed? Or is she, and the other children of RWMJs, a true believer. IOW, daddy is being wrongly accused, his apology (not required because he was wrongly accused) was spot on, and that Hispanic woman is a liberal bitch.
As the saying goes - asking for a friend.
NNadir
(33,587 posts)LastDemocratInSC
(3,657 posts)In a national election.
ananda
(28,914 posts)She started out a bit immature, but she's growing.
Good for her for handling this mess with class.
DanieRains
(4,619 posts)That speaks louder than a vote sometimes. I live in Washington and send her, and many many others money. ActBlueExpress. Makes it easy.
Pepsidog
(6,254 posts)HelpImSurrounded
(441 posts)Blecht
(3,803 posts)Just to let her know that there are lots of people out here who are with her.
Warpy
(111,467 posts)which has for too long been dominated by Milquetoasts who prize decorum over truth.
She's someone who could survive in the Commons. Or the Dáil. That is high praise.
I wish we had more of her, too, although I have to say I'm pretty happy with my own Rep, Haaland.
Dios Mio
(429 posts)mvd
(65,187 posts)I do have a Democratic representative, Madeleine Dean. Considering my area is purple, glad to have her - despite the occasional vote that I dont like (being against the amendment to cut the defense budget by 10% is one of them). But AOC is one of my favorites.
Liberal-Of course
(18 posts)THAT! always raises my hackles. The gop cut the defense budget in the 1930s. Training consisted of throwing bags of flower at trucks labels "TANK"!
Have Putin and Xi suddenly become our BFFs?
Without Hiroshima and Nagasaki as evidence of what just 15-20 kiloton nuclear weapons could do, we'd have fought a nuclear war over Europe; Stalin and Truman would have thought nuclear war couldn't be as bad as lilly-livered scientist predicted. Look at Trump and Covid.
I'd rather spend trillions on defense and never need it than save billions on defense and lose.
In 1942, Japan could have invaded Hawaii and then the west coast of America. But Japan wasted the moment by scooping up the Philippines and going after Australia. Germany could have finished the job by invading our east coast instead of Britain and Russia.
I admit, however, some programs are wasteful and/or ill-managed. The B-1 bomber got Reagan elected. Carter cancelled that program and pissed off California, thus losing California to Reagan ... and the election. Carter cancelled that program because he knew of the B-2 program but couldn't reveal it. The F-22 and F-35 programs have been mismanaged. The problem with the F-35 is we had another McNamara as SecDef and demanded one plane for all branches.
Mariana
(14,863 posts)If you want to talk about the defense budget, please start a new thread to discuss that.
Welcome to DU.
PoindexterOglethorpe
(25,930 posts)for President in 2024, or at the latest 2028.
She will turn 35 shortly before the election of 2024.
TNNurse
(6,933 posts)She is smart and brave and prepared.
zentrum
(9,866 posts).....don't live in her district.
warmfeet
(3,321 posts)I want to vote for her when she runs for POTUS - a few years hence. I hope I am still here to see it.
czarjak
(11,344 posts)Mariana
(14,863 posts)Politicub
(12,165 posts)Just wow.
diva77
(7,684 posts)which candidates they are endorsing.
https://cpc-grijalva.house.gov/
members: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Congressional_Progressive_Caucus#Membership
ALBliberal
(2,362 posts)Buckeye_Democrat
(14,860 posts)It made me a better person.
Trueblue Texan
(2,453 posts)No wonder she scares the Right-wing thugs to death--truth-tellers always do. They will trash her name the way they did Hillary's. She will also make an excellent president someday.
Lucinda
(31,170 posts)cayugafalls
(5,669 posts)The other speakers were awesome as well.
CTyankee
(63,926 posts)Just burn the fucking House down with your anger, pride, disgust, FURY! This shall not stand!
Thank you, strong women! Thank you on behalf of all women, but particularly what you have done for my granddaughters who are now just entering world after college and facing what you have faced. You have given them HOPE.