The Twitterverse is on fire after Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) landed the December cover of Vanity Fair while draped in a $14,000 wardrobe (of course she didn’t get to keep it). Conservatives are charging the freshman congresswoman with a fashion faux pas, citing her admiration of socialist values as a glaring contradiction to wearing such expensive garb.
Perhaps it does seem like mockery when a Democrat politician enjoys a glamourous photo shoot while reminding fellow minorities of their lack of privilege and perpetual oppression. But the cost of what AOC wore during the photoshoot is hardly the issue.
The first thing to ask is how she even landed the Vanity Fair cover story in the first place? After all, this is a publication with some notable prestige. Without sounding like an old person yelling at a cloud, I’d like to know what actual contributions AOC has made to our nation besides being its youngest member who is also a Latina.
At first glance, the interview with Vanity Fair is a “day-in-the-life” style story as she chronicles some tough confrontations (such as her toasty confrontation with Florida Republican colleague Ted Yoho) and notable nuances with other members of the House. But at best, the interview was shallow, portraying the 31-year-old as more of an icon rather than a lawmaker.
Best known for her introduction of the Green New Deal (that we know will never see the light of day) and her fervent support for 2x failed presidential candidate Senator Bernie Sanders, there’s not really much else to know about AOC other than the fact that she aspires to take her career beyond the House of Representatives. (Oh, and that she means business when she’s wearing a bold red lip.) While the feature article appeals to AOC’s large millennial fanbase, there’s noting more to take away from it than that she’s “regular AF.”
AOC wouldn’t be the first Latina nor the first woman to have a seat in the House, and her interviews — including this one — leave much to be desired. It’s not because the story or interviewers are bad. It’s because there really isn’t much to the freshman lawmaker to warrant a photoshoot in $14,000 worth of designer clothing and a front cover in a coveted magazine.
Quite frankly, AOC pales in comparison to other notable women in politics, such as Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) a mother and grandmother who worked her way up from small business owner and book author, to state senator on up while raising a family. Or perhaps Republican nominee for Congress Kimberly Klacik, whose nonprofit helped underserved Baltimore women become financially independent through employment. Or what about… I dunno… the newly confirmed Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett who served as a circuit judge and was a law professor at Notre Dame Law School, all with seven kids in tow?
In the interest of brevity, I will refrain from listing more individuals who I believe are worth such a feature. At best, AOC is a political activist who means well but could do far more. As for her speculations for the “next four years”, let’s start by answering what she accomplished during her first term.
