Left-Leaning Pundits Scramble to Paint AOC as a ‘Moderate’ After She Distances Herself from ‘Woke 1’

Are we seeing the end result of the DSA’s incursion into the Democratic Party? It is looking as if the mounting evidence is that these upstart socialists have far greater and nefarious plans (just listen to their own words). This could lead to a different result within the Democratic system, and this means quite a lot concerning one AOC.

Two things are swirling simultaneously: Some in the DSA leadership keep exposing their extreme agenda, and others are in a mode of recalibration and walking back of prior positions. And some are the very same person doing so.

What has been the latest effort is that as the extreme policies of these upstarts get wilder, previous party extremists are – mainstream? Among those who have been sticking a pin in the hyper-progressive platforms is Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Clearly with an eye on the 2028 race, AOC is now being sold as the calm, rational voice in the party leadership.

Get ready for Alex from the Middle.

As we covered here, AOC sat in with Jonathan Karl on Sunday, and the host sat and nodded sage-like as she tried to brush away past positions by stating what she called “Woke-1” was from a crazy era. Citing the Covid pandemic as the cause, the New York representative tries clearing the whiteboard.

“I have a local city councilman who has a saying, ‘Woke-1 was crazy.’ (Laughing) During this time, and especially during Covid, there was a huge opening of the Overton window… and I think the doors were really opened in trying to entertain any and every policy that was going to get us to a better place. During lockdown, of course, the rhetoric in that time is not rhetoric we would use today.”

Of course, AOC faces two challenges in her effort to blame Covid in order to clear her past like a vape cloud. She held some of these daft positions – such as abolishing prisons – before the pandemic lockdown environment. And today she has been backing many of the DSA candidates pushing wilder policies.

It is not clear how you can say Woke-1 was “crazy”, but then back candidates pushing agendas even further out on the horizon. Undeterred, or more likely recognizing the potential damage, media figures are trying to sell the concept that AOC is the calm and sane voice out there. Yes, I know; I’ll give you a moment to compose yourself after that.

On CNN’s nightly roundtable cage match, John Berman hosted, and Niall Stanage, from The Hill, weighed in with his reframing of that era in 2020, when extreme ideas flourished, but were justified.

But there is a more desperate attempt to be seen. Jessica Tarlov sat in on the podcast with Scott Galloway (who must be thrilled with one DSA policy shot down, as Mamdani’s tax-the-rich economic plan that Scott barked about has been clipped by a court.) Tarlov spoke with Scott about the party favorite for the next presidential run.

Jessica Tarlov claims AOC now is a “Moderate Dem” as compared to the “core DSA wing.”

Scott Galloway agrees that this is a “fair point.”

AOC is a member of NYC DSA.

The gaslighting levels coming in an attempt to rebrand AOC for 2028 are going to be stratospheric. pic.twitter.com/AYypbHSeZu

— Western Lensman (@WesternLensman) August 10, 2026

Just absorb what this says about the current state of the Democratic Party. After watching this year as more extreme candidates find purchase at the polls, it is a party in conflict. They see the challenge with these extremists, but cannot dismiss them when they gain voting bases.

AOC is also in conflict. She wants to be the reasonable voice, and disavow her past Woke-1 opinions, all while supporting those who are pushing for Woke 7.5 today. For this to be sold as her being the “moderate” explains how desperate things have become.

This is an opinion piece. The views expressed in this article are those of just the author.

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