Ocasio-Cortez on The View: Dems Were Afraid to Back Me Out of Fear Party ‘Machine’ Would Cost Them Their Jobs
On The View on Friday, upset Democrat primary winner Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez sat down to talk about her background, her goals, and her very unexpected win over long-term incumbent and high profile democrat Rep Joe Crowley (D-NY) in New York. And she had some surprising remarks about the powers that be in the party.
Ocasio-Cortez, a self-described “democratic socialist” is a challenge to the party’s power just by being in the race, she suggested. Co-host Joy Behar noted the vast difference in campaign spending (Crowley outspent his challenger by a margin of more than 10-1), and said that the upset sent “shockwaves” through the party.
“Do you think that shows the Democratic Party at the moment does not get it,” Behar asked, “they don’t understand to back people like you?”
Ocasio-Cortez then explained that people in power, and the party “apparatus”, don’t want to give it up.
“Well, I think what we’re dealing with right now is the dynamics of power. Once someone has power, it is so hard to challenge it,” she said. “Even if you think that that other person was right.”
So much so, apparently, that people couldn’t even snap a selfie with her without fearing retaliation from the party.
“I can’t tell you how many times I would talk to people. People were afraid to even take pictures with me in public because of what that could mean,” she said.
“There was a machine and a party apparatus, and you can’t challenge the boss because then my job’s going to be at risk,” explained Ocasio-Cortez. “There were so many people behind closed doors that said, ‘I want to support you. I believe you are what’s best, but I can’t because my job will be at risk.'”
“There is a lot of that going on,” she intriguingly added.
Guest host Tara Setmayer pointedly amended that with “It happens on both sides, trust me.”
Watch the clip above, courtesy of ABC.
[Featured image via screengrab]
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