Media

Ocasio-Cortez rips Washington Post columnist who compared her to Sarah Palin

by Joe Concha - 01/08/19 11:23 AM ET

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) on Tuesday ripped Max Boot for comparing her to former GOP vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin, calling The Washington Post’s columnist’s piece “resentful.”

“Naturally, the same week we kick-start a nat’l convo on marginal tax rates endorsed by Nobel-Prize winning economists, I’m being described as ‘vacuous,’ ” wrote the freshman congresswoman on Twitter.

“If you’re allowed to characterize female politicians as ‘unlikeable,’ are we allowed to describe takes like these ‘resentful?'” she asked.

Naturally, the same week we kick-start a nat’l convo on marginal tax rates endorsed by Nobel-Prize winning economists, I’m being described as “vacuous.”

If you’re allowed to characterize female politicians as “unlikeable,” are we allowed to describe takes like these “resentful?” https://t.co/cMikVKcJ5U

— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) January 8, 2019

“Let’s refocus our energy and coverage to policies instead of personality,” Ocasio-Cortez said in a subsequent tweet.

“Right now, 800,000 workers are without a paycheck,” she added. “The President is holding gov operations hostage so that he can build a monument to himself on the southern border that the [majority] of Americans don’t want.

{mosads}She initially linked to a tweet from Boot, a staunch critic of President Trump, who said Ocasio-Cortez reminded him of Palin, who he described as “another talented young communicator who made a big splash in national politics before having her lack of knowledge painfully exposed.”

“I feel a little guilty writing this column because ‘AOC’ has already gotten more publicity than she deserves. The very fact that you are likely to know that I am referring to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) — as though she were FDR, JFK or LBJ — is a sign of her success in penetrating the national consciousness in an astonishingly short period,” wrote Boot to kick off his column.

“In some ways, Ocasio-Cortez reminds me of Sarah Palin, a comparison neither woman will appreciate,” Boot added later.

“Palin was another talented young communicator who made a big splash in national politics before having her lack of knowledge painfully exposed. Instead of studying up, Palin gave up any pretense of seriousness and has now disappeared from the debate. This is a cautionary tale for Ocasio-Cortez.”

Ocasio-Cortez has become a media sensation since her stunning primary upset of 10-term Rep. Joseph Crowley in New York’s 14th district. Most recently, she was featured on CBS’s “60 Minutes” on Sunday in just her third day in office.

Ocasio-Cortez, who has more than 2.18 million Twitter followers, surpassed Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) over the weekend. Before the former bartender decided to run for office, her Twitter account had just 250 followers.