According to a new poll by The Heartland Institute and Rasmussen Reports, media darling Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) is not very popular among likely voters, including Democrats and those who favor socialism.
The poll of 1,000 likely voters, conducted December 6-7, 2020, shows that most Americans are not fond of the self-avowed socialist, who has skyrocketed to fame since she became a member of Congress a few years ago.
When asked, “Do you have a very favorable, somewhat favorable, somewhat unfavorable or very unfavorable impression of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez?,” only 18 percent said “very favorable,” while 19 percent said “somewhat favorable.” On the other hand, 38 percent of likely voters said they have a “very unfavorable” impression of AOC, and 10 percent said they have a “somewhat unfavorable” impression of her.
Among Democrats, only 34 percent said they have a “very favorable” opinion of Ocasio-Cortez. Of those respondents who said they favor socialism over a free-market economic system, 44 percent said they have a “very favorable” opinion of her. This indicates strongly that even among the far left, Ocasio-Cortez isn’t beloved.
That doesn’t mean a majority of left-wing voters don’t at least somewhat like her, however. A majority of both Democrats and those favoring socialism said they have at least a “somewhat favorable” opinion of the young congresswoman, but only small proportion of “moderates” (36 percent) and respondents who said their party identification is “other” (31 percent) said they have a “somewhat favorable” or “very favorable” view of AOC.
Perhaps likely voters have a low opinion of AOC because they understand that her radial rhetoric and socialistic policies are not in line with America’s principles and values. For instance, AOC is a strong proponent of Medicare for All, the Green New Deal, a universal basic income, and many more policies that would reduce freedom, increase federal government power, and supersize the nation’s bureaucracy.
Moreover, many believe AOC’s my-way-or-the-highway approach is out of tune with America’s tradition of finding common ground and political compromise. (Even if conservatives and liberals can’t find that common ground, surely people within the Democratic Party should be able to, right?)
It’s not shocking that AOC is unpopular. What is shocking, however, is that despite the fact so many dislike her policies and the way she conducts herself in Congress, the media continues to treat Ocasio-Cortez as though she’s wildly popular and influential. The only explanation for this is that the media is trying to make her popular by speaking and writing the idea into existence, not because it’s reflective of reality.
Chris Talgo ([email protected]) is the editorial director and a research fellow at The Heartland Institute, as well as a researcher and contributing editor at StoppingSocialism.com.
Justin Haskins is editor-in-chief of StoppingSocialism.com, a New York Times bestselling author, and the director of the Socialism Research Center at The Heartland Institute. Follow him on social media @JustinTHaskins.
