AFTER AN initial burst of enthusiasm for Democratic Party presidential hopeful Kamala Harris, more recent polling suggests that the gap between her and rival Donald Trump has narrowed to the point that the presidential race remains too close to call.
It may well be the closeness of the contest that led to Democratic Party congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to launch a scathing attack on Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein. She accused Stein of being 'predatory' because she only emerged to contest presidential elections while, between presidential elections, she struggled to grow support for the Green Party at the grassroots level.
Said AOC: 'If you run for years in a row, and your party has not grown, has not added city council seats, down ballot seats and state electives, that's bad leadership. And that to me is what's upsetting.'
What drove AOC to launch such an attack is her concern that Stein could cost Harris valuable votes and, in a worst-case scenario, hand Donald Trump the keys to the White House. Indeed, recent polling suggests that Stein is leading Harris among Muslim voters in three of the significant battleground states.
The Muslim community is incensed that the Biden administration has allowed Israel to wage its genocidal war in Gaza. While Harris has called for a ceasefire, she has also said that the United States, under her presidency, would continue to arm Israel. In contrast, Jill Stein wants to see an end to the United States backing Israel, both economically and militarily.
AOC's critical support for Harris, which saw her given a prime time speaking spot at the recent Democratic Party convention, has attracted the ire of those on the American left who regard the Democratic Party as a political graveyard for the left's aspirations. But AOC's fractious relationship with the left has been brewing for some months, even with her own organisation, the Democratic Socialists of America. In July the national leadership of the DSA announced it was withdrawing its endorsement for AOC because of her stance on Israel and Palestine. In a statement, it said:
'A national DSA endorsement comes with a serious commitment to the movement for Palestine and our collective socialist project. To build a socialist movement that is capable of defeating capitalism, we must demand more from our leadership within the movement.'
The decision of the DSA leadership has not, however, been fully supported within the DSA itself. While AOC reportedly reacted angrily to the decision of the DSA national executive, she also knows she retains the full backing of her own New York section of the DSA, which she has a close working relationship with. In a statement, the New York DSA said:
'AOC is one of the most prominent voices for democratic socialism in the country and an elected official whom our members widely supported re-endorsing.'
AOC is vehemently opposed to Israel's war in Gaza and, unlike Kamala Harris, has accused Israel of committing genocide.
She told CNN's Jake Tapper in July: 'If you want to know what an unfolding genocide looks like, open your eyes.'
Many potential Democratic Party voters, angry with the Biden's administration's continued support for Israel, may well be considering voting for Jill Stein and some may well decide not to vote at all. In her role as the American left's most prominent and influential figure, AOC is encouraging left wing activists to swing in behind Harris in order to keep Donald Trump out of the White House, just as it did with Joe Biden in 2020. But whether it's prepared to swallow another 'dead rat' remains to be seen.
AOC though is walking a tightrope. Her commitment to her socialist politics remains undimmed. But she remains vulnerable to the accusation that her desire to defeat Donald Trump and the far-right has only increased her concern to stay in the good graces of the Democratic Party establishment.
It may well be the closeness of the contest that led to Democratic Party congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to launch a scathing attack on Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein. She accused Stein of being 'predatory' because she only emerged to contest presidential elections while, between presidential elections, she struggled to grow support for the Green Party at the grassroots level.
Said AOC: 'If you run for years in a row, and your party has not grown, has not added city council seats, down ballot seats and state electives, that's bad leadership. And that to me is what's upsetting.'
What drove AOC to launch such an attack is her concern that Stein could cost Harris valuable votes and, in a worst-case scenario, hand Donald Trump the keys to the White House. Indeed, recent polling suggests that Stein is leading Harris among Muslim voters in three of the significant battleground states.
The Muslim community is incensed that the Biden administration has allowed Israel to wage its genocidal war in Gaza. While Harris has called for a ceasefire, she has also said that the United States, under her presidency, would continue to arm Israel. In contrast, Jill Stein wants to see an end to the United States backing Israel, both economically and militarily.
AOC's critical support for Harris, which saw her given a prime time speaking spot at the recent Democratic Party convention, has attracted the ire of those on the American left who regard the Democratic Party as a political graveyard for the left's aspirations. But AOC's fractious relationship with the left has been brewing for some months, even with her own organisation, the Democratic Socialists of America. In July the national leadership of the DSA announced it was withdrawing its endorsement for AOC because of her stance on Israel and Palestine. In a statement, it said:
'A national DSA endorsement comes with a serious commitment to the movement for Palestine and our collective socialist project. To build a socialist movement that is capable of defeating capitalism, we must demand more from our leadership within the movement.'
The decision of the DSA leadership has not, however, been fully supported within the DSA itself. While AOC reportedly reacted angrily to the decision of the DSA national executive, she also knows she retains the full backing of her own New York section of the DSA, which she has a close working relationship with. In a statement, the New York DSA said:
'AOC is one of the most prominent voices for democratic socialism in the country and an elected official whom our members widely supported re-endorsing.'
AOC is vehemently opposed to Israel's war in Gaza and, unlike Kamala Harris, has accused Israel of committing genocide.
She told CNN's Jake Tapper in July: 'If you want to know what an unfolding genocide looks like, open your eyes.'
Many potential Democratic Party voters, angry with the Biden's administration's continued support for Israel, may well be considering voting for Jill Stein and some may well decide not to vote at all. In her role as the American left's most prominent and influential figure, AOC is encouraging left wing activists to swing in behind Harris in order to keep Donald Trump out of the White House, just as it did with Joe Biden in 2020. But whether it's prepared to swallow another 'dead rat' remains to be seen.
AOC though is walking a tightrope. Her commitment to her socialist politics remains undimmed. But she remains vulnerable to the accusation that her desire to defeat Donald Trump and the far-right has only increased her concern to stay in the good graces of the Democratic Party establishment.
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