In just a few short months on the national political scene, New York congressional candidate Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has distinguished herself as a remarkably effective social media voice, using platforms like Facebook and Twitter to easily demolish right-wing smears and falsehoods while also pushing her positive progressive vision.

“It’s kind of amazing that one of the most naturally talented politicians to emerge in some time also happens to be a highly effective, aggressive, and rather merciless combatant in social media messaging.”
—Glenn Greenwald, The Intercept

By contrast, the Democratic National Committee (DNC)—with midterm elections looming—has a relatively paltry social media presence and is notorious for its horrendous messaging, leading some prominent progressives to suggest that the DNC should immediately hand its accounts over to Ocasio-Cortez, who defeated Rep. Joe Crowley (D-N.Y.) in a landslide upset in June with no establishment support.

Progressives to DNC: It Would Be ‘Insane’ Not to Hand Over Twitter Account to Ocasio-Cortez

The latest example of Ocasio-Cortez’s strength as a progressive social media presence came Thursday night, when the 28-year-old democratic socialist systematically rebutted right-wing provocateur Dinesh D’Souza’s unsubtly racist insinuation that Puerto Rico contributes nothing to the United States.

– Hundreds of thousands of soldiers to the US military
– Nat’l supply of hospital IV bags & medical supplies
– Historically, sugar, coffee, crops
– A strategic port in the Atlantic

& Importantly for the 1%, one of the biggest loophole tax havens for the super-rich. pic.twitter.com/aFglkE3nBA

— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) September 21, 2018

It is revealing that this question:

a) comes from quite the colonial mindset of “what value is this territory providing us anyway?” (Do we ask that about Appalachia, etc?)

b) implies that PR’s current status is somehow an act of charity – also a sentiment rooted in colonialism

— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) September 21, 2018

In response to Ocasio-Cortez’s series of tweets, The Intercept‘s Glenn Greenwald on Friday echoed Huffington Post writer Ashley Feinberg, who suggested last week that the DNC would be “insane” not to give Ocasio-Cortez full control of its Twitter account.

insane that the DNC doesn't just hand over their twitter account to her https://t.co/B5j8Y4W9op

— Ashley Feinberg (ashleyfeinberg.bsky.social) (@ashleyfeinberg) September 15, 2018

“It’s kind of amazing that one of the most naturally talented politicians to emerge in some time also happens to be a highly effective, aggressive, and rather merciless combatant in social media messaging,” Greenwald wrote Friday. “As Ashley Feinberg said, the DNC should just turn over its accounts to her.”

Since her victory in June, Ocasio-Cortez has been the frequent target of hysterical attacks by Fox News and other right-wing outlets, which have often resorted to bizarre smears and outright red-baiting. But because of her clear policy positions and ability to respond sharply to the right-wing onslaught, these attacks have almost always backfired.

One prominent example was Fox News host Sean Hannity’s attempted attack on Ocasio-Cortez’s agenda that inadvertently turned into a free advertisement for her ambitious platform.

Pretty much! pic.twitter.com/73nxk22W55

— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) July 2, 2018

One reason the DNC may ultimately prove reluctant to heed calls to hand over its social media accounts to Ocasio-Cortez is because the young congressional candidate has not hesitated to use social media to call out the Democratic establishment as well as the Republican Party.

After Senate Democrats voted unanimously to approve a $17 billion increase in military spending earlier this week—an increase that only Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and six Republicans voted against—Ocasio-Cortez mockingly responded, “But how do you pay for it?”

This response echoes a question that both centrist Democrats and right-wing pundits often level at those pushing for policies that—unlike massive hikes in military spending—would actually benefit the majority of Americans, like Medicare for All.

As Common Dreams reported earlier this month, the Democratic leadership is already indicating that they will revive the fiscally conservative pay-go rule, which would preemptively hamstring Ocasio-Cortez’s policy agenda.

“But how do you pay for it” https://t.co/njddoqlPKT

— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) September 20, 2018

Ever notice how the “how do you pay for it” argument is selectively employed against working class benefits?

FT: “For those who make politically motivated forecasts of doom for US fiscal health, it may be their own credibility that ends up paying a price.”https://t.co/UW8qH1tld5

— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) July 14, 2018

In July, Ocasio-Cortez was also quick to debunk Sen. Tammy Duckworth’s (D-Ill.) claim that left-wing politics can’t win in the Midwest—an assertion that has been repeated by House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.).

“With respect to the senator, strong, clear advocacy for working class Americans isn’t just for the Bronx,” Ocasio-Cortez wrote on Twitter.

With respect to the Senator, strong, clear advocacy for working class Americans isn’t just for the Bronx.

Sen. Sanders won:
– Michigan
– Minnesota
– Kansas
– Nebraska
– Wisconsin
– Indiana

We then lost several of those states in the general. What’s the plan to prevent a repeat? https://t.co/99K08qr7SH

— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) July 1, 2018

This article was first posted at Common Dreams.