Nate Silver’s hot take on why he thinks Republicans criticize incoming Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez so much backfired in a big way.
The FiveThirtyEight editor-in-chief tweeted his theory on what fuels the conservative critics of the New York Democrat, namely her “race and gender.” But Silver added to that premise with another that pointed to the self-described Democratic Socialist being “quintessentially a New Yorker,” a trait that puts her at odds with the “prudish” Washington, D.C political culture.
There are lots of reasons Ocasio-Cortez drives certain Republicans crazy, foremost among them her race and gender. But it’s also that she’s quintessentially a New Yorker and DC political culture is formal and prudish when NYC mostly isn’t those things. https://t.co/maqpsf6ryA
— Nate Silver (@NateSilver538) December 12, 2018
Never mind that Ocasio-Cortez has provided plenty of legitimate fodder for critics, with plenty of questionable inaccuracies in her public statements and tweets. The youngest women ever elected to Congress has been the talk of the town even before beginning her term, lashing out at critics on social media and even threatening President Donald Trump’s son with a subpoena after he mocked her.
Silver’s theory sparked instant backlash as Twitter users blasted him for living in a “bubble” and being the “most wrong anybody has been about US politics in a long time,” as the Washington Examiner’s Seth Mandel put it.
As someone steeped in the politics of both cities and who just talked to reporters about why AOC drives Republicans crazy and how she’s outclassing them, I have to say that this is the most wrong anybody has been about US politics in a long time. This is Cillizza-level stuff: https://t.co/xbv7izwWde
— Seth Mandel (@SethAMandel) December 12, 2018
It could also be her ideology, her ignorance wrapped in arrogance, the garbage she advocates, or any number of other things that your comb-over can’t comprehend. But you do you, Nate. https://t.co/DzC4gf1pxz
— Derek Hunter (@derekahunter) December 12, 2018
Might be more complicated than this
— Allahpundit (@allahpundit) December 12, 2018
So notice how @NateSilver538 refers only to NYC and DC, as if they are the only places that exist in the universe. The bubble these ppl live in is amazing
— Jason Howerton (@jason_howerton) December 12, 2018
I very rarely say this, Nate. But you’re wrong. It has nothing to do with her race or gender, it has to do with the fact that she comports herself like a child.
— John Thorsson (@thorsson_john) December 12, 2018
Got any stats to back that up? https://t.co/IGARYktT3X
— Allie Beth Stuckey (@conservmillen) December 12, 2018
I’m so old I remember when Nate Silver wasn’t a hack https://t.co/6Vl5hT9cdu
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) December 12, 2018
Someone did note that Silver’s argument could work in another context.
To be fair, certain Democrats hate Trump because he’s quintessentially a New Yorker and DC political culture is formal and prudish when NYC mostly isn’t those things. https://t.co/nQ60kdcxNI
— jon gabriel (@exjon) December 12, 2018
Silver attempted to clarify in a later tweet.
Put differently, New Yorkers are very good at trolling, and Washington has extreme troll-vulnerability. It’s always made for a mismatch but more pronounced now that we’re in the Golden Age of Trolling. We may need to move the capital back to Philly to keep it a fair fight.
— Nate Silver (@NateSilver538) December 12, 2018
But his original assertion about Ocasio-Cortez continued to reverberate online.
Exceptionally stupid take. Weapon grade clueless.
— Rita Panahi (@RitaPanahi) December 12, 2018
No, not really. Every time she talks about socialism or the three branches of government or the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, she displays her astounding ignorance. It is crippling to watch. https://t.co/jzVYVcfjB4
— Erielle Davidson (@politicalelle) December 12, 2018
If this is what you’ve got, then you’re as simple as she is. https://t.co/N1p2gAA2wz
— Ay Chihuahua (@ARaised_Eyebrow) December 12, 2018
Race and gender have nothing to do with it. You discredit yourself going down that rabbit hole. She’s a moron who advocates demonstratively destructive policies.
— DC Dude (@DCDude1776) December 12, 2018
Umm…seriously? Get out of your bubble. I care not one iota about her race or gender. Stop mansplaining to me. https://t.co/H5MZM0KlEu
— Jennifer Bossypants ? Stand Tall ? Stay Sweet (@ajenable) December 12, 2018
Nobody cares about her race or her gender. What drives us crazy is how absolutely unqualified and ignorant she is about … everything.
Not everything is about sexism and or racism, Nate. https://t.co/ckvPg5rUQS
— Bunny The Christmas Foo (@PolitiBunny) December 12, 2018
I’m gonna go out on a limb here and say… I’m pretty confident that her race and gender have 0% to do with why Republicans don’t like her. Maybe? I dunno… ? https://t.co/71zk9dZW31
— Derek (@pixelprotectors) December 12, 2018
Because she believes discredited economic ideas that cause tremendous misery and is a thin-skinned gaffe machine. Oh, and she gets worshipped by people who spew parodic nonsense like this. https://t.co/qGjQcOAAi6
— Anthony Bialy (@AnthonyBialy) December 12, 2018
You do realise by trying to make it about race and gender you reveal yourself to be a bigot? Hate to state the obvious, Nate, but it’s actually because she’s a socialist. It’s no deeper than that. Kudos for trying though.
— Shallot (@cat_the_cat__) December 12, 2018
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Originally from New York, Powers graduated from New York University and eventually made her way to sunny South Florida where she has been writing for the BizPacReview team since 2015.
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