When Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker spoke in New Hampshire a few days ago he made headlines for railing not just against Republicans but against “do-nothing Democrats.” He got attention for seeming the fighter that so many Democrats – along with countless independents – want and need.
That’s typical. Followers long for a leader who seems strong. Who seems to be a winner, not a loser, who can elevate them and as necessary, protect them.
But while Pritzker got a lot of attention, since the presidential election the breakout stars of the Democratic party have been Senator Bernie Sanders together with Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. The Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers of American politics!
Like Astaire and Rogers, Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez constitute what now at least is a formidable team. In this case not a dancing team but a prancing team. Bernie and Alexandria have been strutting their stuff, pulling in large “electrified” crowds wherever they go.
So unanticipated was the striking success of their recent “Fighting Oligarchy” tour, it should be explained. So, here fifteen reasons why the unlikely Bernie Sanders along with the little-known Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez attracted tens of thousands to their rallies even when they took place in Trump territory.
- Their pairing. Louis B. Mayer couldn’t have coupled them better.
- Their differences. Most obviously, he’s 83, she’s 35. He’s visibly old and grizzled; she’s visibly young and gorgeous.
- Their similarities. What they say. They echo each other. They sing from the same hymnal.
- Their style. Informal, casual, approachable.
- Their speech. Forceful, angry, urgent.
- Their content. Anti-establishment.
- Their argument. The upper class are oppressors. The middle and lower classes are oppressed.
- Their pugnaciousness. American democracy is in question and American capitalism is in decline.
- Their orientation. To the future not the past.
- Their appeal. To the young and restless, to those left of center, to all those raging against, especially, income inequality.
- Their sense of excitement. Their rallies are what Trump’s used to be. Lively, fun, forging communities of like-minded souls.
- Their domestic context. America 2025 – in which inflation lives while the Dream, the American Dream, dies.
- Their global context. Unending wars. And unprecedented competition coming from China with whom the United States is, or is not, engaged in a new Cold War.
- Their Democratic opposition. “Do-nothing Democrats” or hapless Democrats or unknown Democrats or drowsy Democrats.
- Their Republican opposition. The corrupt, inconsistent and incompetent President Donald Trump in tandem with a sea of congressional Republicans who have surrendered their independence to the White House.
It’s not clear how long Bernie and Alexandria will be joined at the hip. Nor is it clear how long their act will play to large and largely wildly enthusiastic audiences. What is clear is that in recent months these two leaders have connected to their followers in ways that no other Democrat can claim. What’s equally clear is that the appeal of Fred and Ginger, the team of Fred and Ginger, is timeless.