AOC only a ‘phantom of the media’ with out actual affect, ex-Gov. Paterson says
Former New York Gov. David Paterson dismissed US Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s affect as a “phantom of the media” after left-wing candidates endorsed by the socialist firebrand suffered brutal losses in final week’s primaries.
“AOC are simply three letters within the alphabet,” the 68-year-old Democrat mentioned in an interview on WABC radio’s “The Cats Roundtable” aired Sunday.
Paterson was requested by host John Catsimatidis concerning the Tuesday major outcomes through which nearly all of left-wing state Meeting contenders have been unsuccessful of their efforts to broaden their presence in Albany by ousting extra average Democrats.
Requested if the losses represented “the rise and fall of AOC,” the Democratic former governor replied, “I don’t know if there ever was an increase, John.”
“I believe AOC, who defeated a congressman who was notably absent from his district rather a lot, so she outworked him and she or he beat him, after which she turned this in a single day, nationwide success,” Paterson mentioned, referring to longtime ex-US Rep. Joe Crowley, who AOC toppled in a serious upset within the June 2018 Democratic major for the Queens and Bronx Home seat.
“However actually, there’s no proof that it had any coattails, not on this 2022 major, however not even within the 2020 elections,” he added. “I believe she is mostly a phantom of the media, the media tasks her.”
Representatives for Ocasio-Cortez didn’t reply to a request for remark.
In final week’s major elections, AOC-endorsed state Meeting hopefuls Samy Nemir Olivares Keron Alleyne, Illapa Sairitupac and Vanessa Agudelo, amongst others, have been all defeated by institution Democrats.
Paterson cited the statewide contest — through which Hochul and her handpicked Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado cruised to victory — as proof that New Yorkers aren’t shopping for what AOC-aligned politicians are promoting.
“In the event you have a look at the gubernatorial major, Hochul bought 66{7f51ac40f6214d9cc962c00cd1c80ca1639aba1a1e3c5bebbfbfbe6307cdff68}, [New York City Public Advocate] Jumaane Williams will get 16{7f51ac40f6214d9cc962c00cd1c80ca1639aba1a1e3c5bebbfbfbe6307cdff68}, and so she beat the progressive by 50 factors, and the opposite 18{7f51ac40f6214d9cc962c00cd1c80ca1639aba1a1e3c5bebbfbfbe6307cdff68} or so went to [moderate US Rep.] Tom Suozzi,” he instructed Catsimatidis.
Ocasio-Cortez, 32, gave her stamp of approval to Williams’ working mate Ana María Archila, however didn’t weigh in on the governor’s race.
Paterson additionally forged doubt on the narrative that Ocasio-Cortez’s opposition was largely answerable for driving Amazon to again out in February 2019 of its beforehand introduced plan to construct a brand new campus in Lengthy Island Metropolis.
“She was given credit score for stopping Amazon from coming into New York. It had nothing to do together with her,” mentioned the previous state senator. “It needed to do with the legislators being indignant that Governor [Andrew] Cuomo had by no means instructed them that he was negotiating with them, and took all of the credit score for himself.”
“My general thought to your unique query about AOC,” Paterson mentioned, “is [that] AOC are simply three letters within the alphabet.”