Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a Democrat from New York, is facing scrutiny from segments of the progressive and left-leaning media for her recent attempts to downplay the more extreme rhetoric associated with the 'Woke 1' period.
On Tuesday, an article published in The Atlantic, titled 'The Democrat Can't Just Laugh Off 'Woke 1',' directly criticized Ocasio-Cortez. The piece took issue with her characterization of certain past progressive viewpoints she once championed as simply a 'crazy' phase.
During an appearance on ABC's 'This Week,' Ocasio-Cortez remarked, while laughing,
"I have a local city councilman that has this saying, 'Woke 1 was crazy.' And I think that what’s important is that we have to assess what a candidate is saying now."
Warnings from The Atlantic on Shifting Stances
Idrees Kahloon, the author of The Atlantic article, highlighted that Ocasio-Cortez is not alone among Democratic politicians attempting to distance themselves from or temper previously held extreme positions, such as advocating for defunding the police. However, Kahloon cautioned that these efforts to reframe past beliefs could prove counterproductive, particularly as Democratic Socialists of America (DSA)-aligned candidates continue to gain influence.
Kahloon wrote that such
"avoidance strategies could fail. Woke 1 may be over, but progressives have not given up their attempt to take over the Democratic Party apparatus." He added, "Candidates aligned with the Democratic Socialists of America — who have proved ascendant in primary elections this year — still take radical positions."
The writer further suggested that while
"ideas never die, but they can go dormant." He elaborated, "The unwillingness to extirpate wokeness now may result in its resurgence later. The silence of conventional Democrats and the ascent of the DSA could make the party’s 2028 presidential-primary contest resemble the 2020 one."Kahloon concluded by observing that in 2020,
"candidates of all stripes competed to out-left one another, committing themselves to positions that caused their party electoral trouble for years. Should Ocasio-Cortez become the Democratic candidate for president, she may experience that painful lesson firsthand."
Concerns Over Authenticity and Future Elections
A report from Mother Jones, also released on Tuesday, interpreted Ocasio-Cortez's remarks as a strategic move to project a more moderate image, possibly in preparation for a 2028 presidential bid. The publication criticized her for what it perceived as 'going backward' in the ongoing societal discourse on reckoning.
The Mother Jones article stated:
"While this may be valuable in future elections, it raises the question of what it says to those who elected Ocasio-Cortez and are still confronting the struggle of the late 2010s and previous decades. One can win votes without laughing off progressive discussions. What if the rhetoric of six years ago evolved into a more widespread, substantial reckoning? In 2026, it’s not enough to repeat the same rhetoric — let alone signal toward going backward."
Meanwhile, CNN reporter Aaron Blake characterized Ocasio-Cortez's dismissal of her past political statements as detrimental to the political landscape, suggesting it could erode voter trust in politicians' current convictions.
Blake posed the question:
"Implicit in these arguments is that maybe these politicians didn't believe what they said in real time — that they were just saying stuff. But the question then becomes: Does that also apply to what they're saying today?"He advocated for a political environment that
"would be better to reward politicians who have the foresight and wisdom to take positions that they actually believe in and can stick to — and can stand the political test of time."
A Nuanced Defense and Broader Implications
While the progressive outlet Vox largely offered a defense of Ocasio-Cortez's shift in tone, it did acknowledge that politicians like her are indeed
"stepping back from things they used to say."
A Vox article published on Monday observed that
"The broad ideals — diversity, equity, a basic sense of fairness — still matter to Democratic voters. Criminal justice reform still has real purchase with the base. Minority and women candidates have kept winning since 2024, and even ideas like reparations still resonate with big chunks of the Democratic electorate. What’s changed isn’t who these candidates are — it’s what they choose to lead with." The article concluded, "What has fallen out of favor is a way of talking."
An unnamed commentator, identified as Graham, offered a perspective on the media's reaction:
"The liberal journalists who aren't accepting ‘Woke 1’ excuses are the ones who want the AOC wing of the Democrats to come to grips with how they will lose in red or purple states by taking cartoonishly extreme positions like defunding the police. That may work in deep-blue Queens, but not in Nebraska."
Graham added,
"They're saying 'we agree on our shared goals, but we don't like your lingo or your rhetorical poses.' You can't get away from it just by claiming it's now passe. It may have aged badly, but it never went away. Woke 1, if it was repealed, was repealed by [President Donald] Trump when he won in 2024 and set out to dismantle DEI ideology as it was installed in government-funded institutions."
Ocasio-Cortez has previously encountered significant criticism from conservative commentators and political figures for similar instances of seemingly dismissing her past endorsements of certain policies or rhetoric.
