By Ray Cardello for December 18, 2024, Season 30 / Post 33

Few people warrant being called by a moniker. Dr. J, MJ, TB12, and even DJ are a few, but Alexandria (Sandy) Cortez is not one of them, which is why I choose not to use her common moniker in my writings. Cortez has been the leader of The Squad since she entered Congress in 2019. In that time, she has done nothing of significance. As a matter of fact, not a single bill that she sponsored or co-sponsored has even been enacted into law. Her most memorable accomplishment was blocking Amazon from building a massive office and distribution facility in her district. This act of ignorance cost her people thousands of good-paying jobs, and she blocked it because of her lack of understanding of tax breaks. She thought NYC would have to pay Amazon millions when, in fact, Amazon would have received tax breaks, or subsidies, for x number of years as an incentive to build in New York. Amazon would have saved money, NYC would have given up tax revenue for a few years, and the people of Cortez’s district would have had new careers with one of the premier companies in the US.

The Squad, and in reality, the entire radical Left wing of the Party, is losing its influence. This past cycle, two of its members did not survive their primary matches. Cortez is trying to hold the block together and was making a bid to become the Ranking Minority Member of the powerful House Oversight Committee. This is one of the most powerful and prestigious committees, and being a ranking member would have given her a far more influential position. It is not to be.

Nancy Pelosi may be in Europe recovering from emergency hip replacement surgery, but that doesn’t mean she does not have her thumb on everything her Party does. Pelosi squashed Sandy’s bid and, in effect, put Sandy in her place rather crudely. Former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi was actively plotting behind the scenes on behalf of her challenger, Rep. Gerry Connolly. The 74-year-old Virginia Democrat won by 131 to 84 in a secret ballot vote taken by the Democratic caucus. Sandy was left to lick her wounds and realize she was far from ready for a leadership role in Pelosi’s Party.

There have been overtures of Cortez being a possible presidential candidate in 2028. This thought is such a reach. Cortez is a politician who can game the system, attract followers on Instagram and TikTok, and raise money (and skim it, too), but she is not a legislator or party leader. Just because she would be old enough to run for President does not make her viable. Everyone recognizes the dysfunction of the Left, but as long as Cortez or any other member of Congress aligns themselves with the far left, they will never be attractive to the people who have definitely moved center-right.

I hope the Democrats stay fractured to allow the folks on the Right a chance to correct some of the mistakes of Obama and Biden. Still, on the flip side, we need a Democrat Party that has a defined leadership that is willing to work with Republicans to solve the issues with our border, illegal and legal immigration, Fentanyl, and crime. We have a small window to accomplish much as we also need to seek a solid leader to continue the Trump doctrine. My hope is that Trump will groom Vance to be the person.