Former Vice President Joe Biden made a case for sticking with moderate Democratic candidates during an interview on CNN that aired Friday.
Biden claimed that while there were a few progressive Democrats, like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), with mass appeal who seem to have ushered in a new era of Democratic socialism, the midterm elections were mostly won by moderate Democrats in swing states.
“That’s what this election is about. I’m happy to debate that issue and all those issues with my friends because guess what, look who won the races. Look who won last time out,” Biden said. “By the way, I think Ocasio-Cortez is a brilliant, bright woman, but she won a primary. In the general election fights, who won? Mainstream Democrats who are very progressive on social issues and very strong on education and health care.”
Biden: AOC is "brilliant" but she "won a primary." pic.twitter.com/zA75Vo29wz
— TPM Livewire (@TPMLiveWire) July 5, 2019
He’s right, of course.
Not only did AOC lose in the general, she is neither progressive on social issues nor strong on education and health care.
She’s doomed in the next primary and will never, ever make it to a general election.
Well I am unmoved by Biden’s popularity. The only thing I can see is that he simply has not been paying attention to the last 20 or so years in politics. Joe… PLEASE point out one instance of GOP bipartisanship in the last 20 years.
Jerry Falwell Jr. He’s bi, partisan, and has a ship.
Hey! That was going to be my line. I guess it was a slow pitch over the plate.
I don’t see Biden’s comments as negative to AOC, but simply pointing out that the House and Senate are won not in solidly blue districts but in swing districts. The Democrats who turned those districts in 2018 tended to have a different ideological profile than Ocasio-Cortez.