Nate Silver, the renowned pollster and founder of FiveThirtyEight, has made a daring prediction: Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a Democrat from New York, is likely to be the next Democratic presidential candidate.
This bold assertion was made during a video discussion on his "Silver Bulletin" platform, where he and political podcaster Galen Druke deliberated on potential nominees for the Democratic Party's next presidential race.
In this discussion, Druke declared, "My first pick of the first-round draft is Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez." Silver, in a moment of shared insight, responded with a passionate, "We both are on the AOC bus." He had previously stated that his first choice had a "20% chance" of becoming the nominee, indicating that this was not a prediction made with absolute certainty.
According to Fox News, Druke proceeded to outline his reasons for selecting the progressive lawmaker as his top choice. He noted that Ocasio-Cortez currently enjoys the highest net favorability among Democrats, as per a recent Yale survey. "So that means that Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has broad appeal across the Democratic Party and theres a lot of people who could potentially get on board with her. But I think equally important is the fact that she has very fervent support," he explained.
Ocasio-Cortez, along with Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, has been attracting large crowds and significant media attention during their recent "Fight Oligarchy" tour. Druke suggested that Ocasio-Cortez's ability to command media attention would serve her well in what is expected to be a crowded primary. "Like, the media is kind of obsessed with her, and theyre going to follow her every move, which means she will be able to keep the attention on her throughout the primary process," he said.
Silver concurred with Druke's assessment, stating, "She was going to be my first pick, and I cant conceal that now, right? Because of some of the polling, because she has this kind of progressive lane probably not to herself, because she is younger and media savvy." He pointed to Ocasio-Cortez's popularity in polls against party leaders like Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat from New York, as further evidence of her potential to be a formidable contender in 2028.
However, Silver also expressed some reservations regarding his choice, questioning whether Ocasio-Cortez's age might be a hindrance to her presidential aspirations. She will be 39 in 2028, and it remains uncertain whether she will seek a higher office in New York, such as governor or U.S. Senate, in the meantime. "Shes very young. I dont know that shes sure to run," he said, adding, "And I also think youre going to have a lot of concerns about electability."
Ocasio-Cortez has been a prominent voice within the Democratic Party, particularly after her criticism of Schumer for supporting the House-passed funding measure to avoid a government shutdown in March. Despite Silver's reservations, her potential candidacy could signal a shift in the Democratic Party's direction, reflecting a more progressive stance. However, her representatives have yet to respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment on this matter.
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