Quote:
Originally Posted by PuppiesandKittens
Why didn't she do more with that economics degree than work as a bartender then?
Other people in Congress are often morons as well, but Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez just doesn't come across as highly knowledgeable about...anything.
|
Considering her age, and remembering the necessities of life I faced when I was her age, I think Ocasio-Cortez simply needed a job that could pay her bills and keep her going while she looked for a better job using her degree.
She isn't the first young adult who had to do that. I did, too, along with a lot of other folks I knew. And it's nothing new, either- times were tough over 40 years ago when when I went looking for a good job that fit my training and qualifications.
The thing about the young is they never know when any opportunity will appear. Or what will come along with any opportunity. When one comes, they just grab it and learn what the job really requires afterward.
And since the young are more flexible and are easier to adapt to the unforseen, they have the confidence they'll learn how to perform in their work as they go to it. And they usually do learn how to perform very well.
If they don't, then they're fired or they quit.
For the young, any change of life's direction always brings new opportunities. Alexandria never gave a thought to politics when she took her job as a bartender, but when she saw there was a sudden opportunity for her in politics, even though it was the longest of long-shots, she went for it.
Why not? She had nothing at all to lose by doing so. If she lost, it wasn't going to harm her any. She has none of the baggage of family, husband, home ownership, or any of the other concerns older adults have. In her eyes, losing wasn't going to get her fired, so why not give it a shot? That's how young people think.
For sure, she's not knowledgeable about what her new job as Representative really is or isn't. But then, few freshman Representatives know anything at all about what their job entails, either, especially when they are so ambitious they haven't waited and gained the experience that comes from age and time on a job.
The one thing Ocasio-Cortez was given was a strong mandate by her people to go to Washington and make things better for them if she could. They had confidence that she can do that, so for her, it's a matter of proving up her abilities to her people. They are now her first and only concern.
But with a little time in the job, most Representatives come to learn they also have a responsibility to the rest of us as well, though it may be lesser.
She has to act for those who live in her district and voted for the other person, and has to act for all the strangers who don't know her and she doesn't know too, sometimes.
As a freshman, she'll soon learn that governing is a group endeavor. She'll get what she wants only if she helps others get what they want.
Lone wolves never do well in Congress.
They don't always get fired by the voters for being a lone wolf, but they seldom get the chance to deliver what they promise because they are shut out from all the ways that makes delivery possible.
Since she's only been on the job for a month, only time will tell.
Right now, all I see is the same fire that all the freshman tea partiers had when they were first elected in 2010.
She's only one of a bunch of similar young people who are in the same position though; the only difference between her and the others is the amount of attention she got as a surprise winner of a race that no one thought she could win. They will all have to learn the delicate balance it takes to survive as a Representative.
They all have a short learning curve. By this time next year, we will all see just how much she's learned or not.
There have been many geniuses and morons in Congress before, but those who have been elected more than once or twice have all learned what it takes to keep their people happy while balancing that with the greater needs of the nation as a whole.
As long as her voters are happy, Ocasio-Cortez can be a moron for the next 20 years or more and keep her seat in the House.
As long as she shows up and votes every time she needs to vote, it's really all she must do to keep her job, and many others have been in the House forever by doing just that. Voting how their leaders tell them is really easy and usually quite safe.
Or she could become the next Nancy Pelosi if she's actually smart enough to learn what it takes to rise that far.
At her age, she could well decide to hang it up and never run again. That's happened many times before too. By 2020, she could decide to quit, get married and start a family. That's a very common ambition for young women of her age.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
