It’s no secret that the more people hear from freshman Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the more they grow to dislike the Democratic-socialist from New York.
But after personally wrecking New York City’s lucrative deal to bring in a new Amazon headquarters, Ocasio-Cortez is losing support from her own backyard. In fact, a recent poll indicates that more New York voters view President Donald Trump favorably than Ocasio-Cortez.
The bigger they come, the harder they fall
A Siena College Research Institute poll conducted from March 10-14 found that 36 percent of registered voters in New York view President Trump favorably, compared to just 31 percent who view Ocasio-Cortez favorably. In a solidly Democratic state like New York, the growing gap in support between and Trump and Ocasio-Cortez spells trouble for members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, whose increasingly radical proposals are beginning to alienate the average voter.
With national approval ratings hovering around 50 percent, Trump currently enjoys more support from likely voters than his predecessor, President Barack Obama, received during the same period of his first term in office.
While more New Yorkers approve of Trump’s performance, a larger group of voters, 60 percent, expressed disapproval with his administration, compared to just 44 percent who dislike the way Ocasio-Cortez has legislated so far. However, such a disparity is expected in a progressive stronghold like New York when 90 percent of establishment news coverage of the president is negative.
“[T]his is the most progressive state in the United States of America,” New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) bragged in 2018. And yet, the perpetually villainized Republican president commands greater favorability throughout the state than Ocasio-Cortez, New York’s own progressive queen.
Fans of the Democratic socialist might point out that AOC continues to poll overwhelmingly positive in New York City, while voters who view her unfavorably come from upstate and downstate districts where Republicans typically perform better. However, the Siena College poll looked at New Yorkers who have registered to vote, and just 22 percent of state voters identify as Republican, compared to 50 percent who are listed as Democrats.
Trump attracted more support than Ocasio-Cortez in a state where Democrats outnumber Republicans two-to-one.
The Amazon fiasco
The reason so many progressives are turning their backs on AOC is undoubtedly tied to her pivotal decision in February to oppose the opening of a second Amazon headquarters in Queens. New York lost out on $27.5 billion in tax revenue, as well as tens of thousands of high-paying jobs, when Amazon decided to pull the plug on the deal.
“A number of state and local politicians have made it clear that they oppose our presence and will not work with us to build the type of relationships that are required to go forward with the project,” a statement from the tech firm read.
Although a majority of New Yorkers supported the Amazon deal, Ocasio-Cortez was overjoyed to learn that it failed.
Anything is possible: today was the day a group of dedicated, everyday New Yorkers & their neighbors defeated Amazon’s corporate greed, its worker exploitation, and the power of the richest man in the world. https://t.co/nyvm5vtH9k
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) February 14, 2019
A majority of New York voters disagree with Ocasio-Cortez that Amazon’s pullout was a positive development. The same Siena College poll found that 67 percent of respondents believe the company’s exit was a detrimental move for the state, while 40 percent of voters believe that AOC bears responsibility as a “villain” in the aborted deal.
As the Democratic Party is pushed inexorably to the left, progressive lawmakers are alienating their base and forcing moderates to look elsewhere for candidates who represent their values. If New York is any indication, the 2020 presidential race could be full of surprises that will shock the Democratic Party establishment.
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