Joe Biden said in a new interview that Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez — while “brilliant” and “bright” — does not represent Democrats who can win a general election in a competitive district or state.
The Democratic presidential front-runner, in an interview with CNN, expressed profound skepticism of the leftward tilt of his party, arguing that the majority of Dems are “center-left” — not “way left.”
It was apparent during the interview that Biden does not feel the need to swing to the left to capture the Democratic base and, instead, hopes to set himself apart with his moderation.
Biden pointed to the 2018 midterm elections, where several swing districts were won by more moderate Democrats.
“That’s what this election is about. I’m happy to debate that issue and all those issues with my friends because guess what, look who won the races. Look who won last time out,” Biden said.
“By the way, I think Ocasio-Cortez is a brilliant, bright woman, but she won a primary. In the general election fights, who won? Mainstream Democrats who are very progressive on social issues and very strong on education and health care.”
AOC has risen to liberal stardom after she won a surprising victory against Democratic Rep. Joe Crowley in New York’s 14th Congressional District primary in 2018.
After winning the general election easily, the New York progressive darling has swept into Congress and pushed a bevy of progressive policies — all while attracting considerable media attention and making waves on social media.
“I wish I’d been labeled as moderate when I was running in Delaware back in the day,” Biden joked on CNN.
Describing the party, he said, “Look, it’s center-left, that’s where I am. Where it’s not is way left.”