Biden And I Shouldn't Even Be In The Same Party, AOC Says

In a recent profile in New York Magazine, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez doesn’t hold back on her thoughts about the contemporary Democratic Party: “There is a tea party of the left, but it’s on the right edges, the most conservative parts of the Democratic Party.” For those that follow and subscribe to Ocasio-Cortez’ politics, her remarks aren’t particularly unexpected – but for those who only know of her in passing, her views on Democrats might be shocking.

When asked about a possible presidency under former Vice President Joe Biden, the freshman Democratic representative seemed less than enthusiastic. “In any other country, Joe Biden and I would not be in the same party, but in America, we are,” Ocasio-Cortez told NY Magazine. She believes Biden and others who have been in the Democratic Party for decades may be more closely aligned with Republicans and conservatives than progressives like herself.

Ocasio-Cortez has consistently derided the “middle ground approach” to politics being touted by Biden and other presidential nominee hopefuls. She views the nomination process as a battle for “the soul of the Democratic Party. I think it’s a referendum on whether we think everything was fine before Trump … They think Hillary was the problem. But it’s much deeper than that.”

While Biden has applauded the energy and enthusiasm displayed by Ocasio-Cortez and the other members of the Squad – consisting of the freshman congresswoman and three others – he has said that “they are the exception rather than the rule … that's not the majority of Democrats who got elected last time.”

Last month, Ocasio-Cortez threw her support behind Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.). Her endorsement has been seen as breathing new life into Sanders’ campaign, as it recently claimed the largest fourth quarter donation haul at $26 million following a fundraising surge in December.

Although she has yet to finish her first term in the House, Ocasio-Cortez is without a doubt the swiftest rising star in the Democratic Party. Her bold policies, such as the Green New Deal, and her outspokenness have endeared her to many left-wing Americans. Her growing popularity is such that there have been rumblings that Ocasio-Cortez could be a contender in a future presidential race.