Ivanka Trump vs. Ocasio Cortez For 2024 President? Analysts Weigh In

If the Democratic Party doesn't nominate a woman as its presidential bet for 2020, the intriguing question now is, "Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez versus Ivanka Trump in 2024?"

The idea of Ivanka running for presidency was brough up during a guesting on MSNBC's "Facing the Nation." The presidential daughter was asked if she was interested in running for president. To this question, Ivanka replied:

"Gosh, for me the politics is less interesting. The policy and the impact of lifting communities and changing people's lives and the stories I've heard from the people I've met across this nation are just amazing. It's really energizing and I'm deeply passionate but the day I walk into the West Wing and I don't feel a shiver up my spine is the day I've been here too long."

MSNBC's Alex Witt brought up the subject to her two guest analysts on her news program, "Weekends with Alex Witt." Despite Ivanka's apparently non-committal answer, Witt observed, "She didn't exactly say, 'No'."

"What do you make of that," she asked guest Lauren Zelt, a former aide to Mitt Romney. Zelt said if you look, especially among the Republican base, Ivanka's "pretty popular." She said Ivanka's toed a very careful line in her father's administration to have her own voice.

Zelt said it's fun to speculate on an Ivanka presidential run. She also noted Americans love political dynasties. She said "it's anybody's guess" if Ivanka might run.

Zelt also pointed out Ivanka "has done pretty well distancing herself from her father," especially the language he uses and create her own brand.

In Ivanka's favor is her father's endorsement that she'd make a great president. Her dad once commented that if Ivanka wanted to run for president, “she’d be very, very hard to beat."

It's also been reported that some West Wing aides and people who have worked with the Trump family are saying Ivanka harbors ambitions of her own for elected office. There's also this persistent rumor that Ivanka and her husband, Jared, have an agreement to the effect that “the two had made an earnest deal: If sometime in the future the opportunity arose, she’d be the one to run for president.”

The buzz about AOC, the Millennial making a presidential run, perhaps as early as 2024, is currently stronger among Democrats than the buzz is about Ivanka having a go at the presidency among Republicans.

That's because Ocasio Cortez raised her profile immensely among Dems -- especially among Progressives that consider her their champion -- when she endorsed Bernie Sanders in October. Now, as Sander's most visible advocate, AOC is drawing huge crowds to Bernie's rallies.

The more astute among the Dems are saying what better practice can AOC have for a presidential run that being on a presidential test-run campaign herself and learning things the hard way.

AOC continues to draw massive crowds alongside Sanders in Iowa, Nevada, California and New York. Democrats of all political leanings are increasingly saying AOC will inherit the Progressive movement from Sanders one day -- making a run for president all but a given, a Politico piece noted. Pundits note Sanders, 78, and AOC, 30, together have drawn the largest crowds at any Democratic presidential candidate event this year.

“The future of the Democratic Party is not Pete Buttigieg. It’s Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez,” said Will Rodriguez-Kennedy, president of the California Young Democrats that's endorsed Sanders, per Politico. “She has gripped the attention of fellow millennials across the country. The Green New Deal has changed the conversation on environmental action in the Democratic Party.”

“It’s certainly helpful to him to have AOC’s support,” said Ray Buckley, chairman of the New Hampshire Democratic Party, who is neutral in the primary. “It reminded folks of his strength and support that he received in 2016.”

But Ocasio-Cortez, he added, doesn’t need anyone to help her test-run a presidential bid: “I think her talent and her skills are her own, and I think that they speak for something. I don’t think she needs anybody to promote her. She has that ability herself.”

It helps the chemistry between Sanders and AOC remains strong, which is an oddity considering their many differences. Sanders has said that Ocasio-Cortez will “play a very, very important role -- no question” if he becomes president.

“They have an ease of comfort with each other, a personal fondness,” observed Jonathan Tasini, author of “The Essential Bernie Sanders and His Vision for America.”

“Politics is a human endeavor. When people are on the campaign trail, it’s really important for a candidate to be dealing with someone they’re comfortable with.”