Democratic New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez may have an Amazon-sized problem when she seeks reelection in the state’s 14th District in 2020.
Washington, D.C.-based attorney Dan Backer, founder of the Stop The AOC PAC, spoke to The Daily Caller about recent polling data from the self-proclaimed Democratic Socialist’s home turf.
Backer began by explaining what drove him to create a PAC to challenge Ocasio-Cortez in the first place: “My family came from Russia when I was a baby, and I grew up hearing what they went through. And I have a strong dislike for that ideology.”
Quoting a line often repeated by former President Ronald Reagan — who got it from 18th-century Anglo-Irish statesman Edmund Burke — Backer noted, “‘The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.’ Someone had to stand up and do something. If we don’t challenge socialism, we let it win.”
What Backer did was send people into Ocasio-Cortez’ district. “We did robocalls and text message polling and compared the data. We expected to see some variation, but the data was almost identical.” (RELATED: Ocasio-Cortez Quietly Removed From Board Of PAC She And Top Aide Controlled)
The results, Backer explained, revealed a possible weakness: Ocasio-Cortez’ position on bringing a new Amazon headquarters to Queens.
“We saw that the district is for the Green New Deal and some of her other policies,” Backer said. “But they’re wildly opposed to her with regard to Amazon, the reality of the jobs and the opportunities that she cost them. She screwed over the local economy in a big way, and screwed over her voters.”
Data collected by canvassers for the Stop The AOC PAC, from over 700 homes in her district, indicated that Ocasio-Cortez may have other weaknesses, as well. Despite enjoying a reasonable level of nation-wide fame — or infamy — on-the-ground polling suggested that the freshman lawmaker was not terribly popular or even well-known in her own district.
Familiarity
Familiarity with Rep. Ocasio-Cortez. Image: Stop The AOC PAC
Favorability
Favorability of Rep. Ocasio-Cortez. Image: Stop The AOC PAC
The data showed that over a third of the households surveyed weren’t familiar with Ocasio-Cortez, and 44% had an unfavorable view of her. Only 20% had a favorable view of the freshman lawmaker.
But the issue that truly made her vulnerable, according to Backer, was her vocal opposition to the Amazon HQ deal that was scrapped several months earlier.
Amazon support in Ocasio-Cortez’ district. Image: Stop The AOC PAC
“I think she’s very beatable,” Backer concluded. “Her district — they don’t know her, they don’t like her, they don’t trust her. As long as we give voters the choice, they’re choosing to turn away from her.”
According to a video posted Thursday by Turning Point USA, Ocasio-Cortez may have one additional problem: the “S” word.
WATCH:
Caller alum Benny Johnson roamed through Ocasio-Cortez’ home turf, asking everyone he met how they felt about socialism.
“Socialism is supposed to be like … everybody gets the same amount? I want to do better than people if I work harder,” one gentleman responded.
Another said America already had enough “freeloaders,” and another added, “I like capitalism. I like the fact that I earn my bucks, and I spend them on moi, which I am going to now.”
