Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who captivated millions this week with an Instagram Live monologue about her experience of the siege of the Capitol, shared her knowledge of social media during a masterclass with her fellow Democrats on Wednesday.
Why it matters: One of the best digital practitioners of the party, in particular, is trying to help the Congressional Progressive Caucus become stronger, more sophisticated, and more productive so that it can better shape policies in the 117th Congress.
- Progressive members feel encouraged and admit that the Democrats’ control of the House, Senate and White House gives them new bandwidth to deliver their message.
- Ocasio-Cortez specifically insisted on individually focusing on the key elements of the COVID bill, because “it’s too much to message within one week.”
Driving the news: The New Yorker spoke virtually on a Zoom call to more than 140 people, including CPC members and staff. She said President Biden’s inauguration was a turning point for the kind of messages Americans want to see from Democrats.
- “We are now in the era of revenue. People now want to see the actual clips of legislation. They want to hear less about our positions.”
- Axios was able to independently monitor and take notes of the meeting.
In the virtual room: Ocasio-Cortez acted as something of a creative director for Democratic colleagues who were generally unfamiliar with how to project authenticity on social media.
- She pitched a video series that Rep. Lois Frankel (D-Fla.) Could launch to better share her personality with voters, sharing how the streaming platform Twitch can be used to recreate a more attractive town hall.
- “We’re just mortals and we rely on our staff to do all of this,” Frankel told her.
- Representative Brendan Boyle (D-Pa.) Asked what kind of content Ocasio-Cortez decides to publish on her official Congressional Twitter account versus her personal Twitter account.
The big picture: Democrats aren’t just trying to get their best message as a party; they are desperate for strong messengers who can reach more voters by meeting them where they are – online.
- The Zoom meeting signals a shift within the party.
- Progressives who are natives on social media have been criticized by colleagues with the famous chorus that “Twitter isn’t real”.
- Now they are at the helm, teaching their colleagues how to lean into their personality to drive progressive policies like the Green New Deal.
What they say: Rapid response is the greatest opportunity for the Democrats to improve and compete with Republicans, AOC said.
- Republicans “want to bully you into using your strongest means. That’s what they do with our party and they do with our policies, “Ocasio-Cortez added.” They’re trying to get us back for the fight. “