America’s Next Top Socialist is still making headlines, though perhaps not the type she would prefer. The latest demonstration of the political prowess of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez came when she decided to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the plight of cab drivers in this country. This was a particularly thorny issue in New York, where medallion values have been plummeting and a number of cabbies recently committed suicide after seeing their financial fortunes decrease. Ocasio-Cortez was quick to blame Uber for the deaths of the drivers, striking a populist tone and standing up for the little guy. Then her campaign turned around and took thousands of dollars worth of Uber rides. (Fox News)

New York Socialist Democrat Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez once blamed ride-sharing giant Uber for leading a yellow cab driver to suicide. Her campaign then took $4,000 worth of Uber rides. But Ocasio-Cortez, who rose to prominence after defeating top Democrat Joe Crowley in the party’s U.S. House primary in June, is no fan of Uber, if you read her statements on social media. She frequently criticized the ride-hailing company for what she sees as underpaying its drivers, decrying their pay as “exploitation” if they don’t get at least $15 an hour, the so-called living wage. She directly blamed the company for the suicide death of Doug Schifter, a driver in his 60s, who killed himself with a shotgun amid financial difficulties caused by flooding the streets of New York with alternative and cheaper options of taxis, as detailed in a lengthy Facebook post.

Ocasio-Cortez is great at seizing on populist headlines in the heat of the moment, but not so skillful at digging into the details and getting the story right. Cabbies are being hit hard by the gig economy, but that’s not because they are being treated unfairly. The taxi industry, particularly in New York City (where Ocasio-Cortez lives), has had its axles figuratively wrapped up in the corrupt municipal medallion system for generations. That false market created by City Hall was bound to come down like a house of cards sooner or later. That’s combined with the fact that the industry has totally failed to rise to the challenge of improving their service with new technology to compete with all the advantages of ride-sharing services. We’re not seeing unfair capitalist oppression of the cabbies. This is a case of the dinosaur being outperformed by the clever new mammals on the block.

This sort of mistake leads to the inconsistencies we see between Ocasio-Cortez’s words and her actions. This Uber gaffe comes on the heels of her visit to her former employer’s restaurant, which is closing because of the minimum wage policies she supports. That didn’t stop her from blaming anything and anyone else, however. (Free Beacon)

Socialist New York congressional hopeful Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez lamented the closing of her former employer but glided over the fact that it was closing because of the minimum-wage hikes she supports. On Monday, Ocasio-Cortez visited The Coffee Place, a Union Square icon for years, to emphasize her familiarity with the lives of everyday workers. She cited her experience at the restaurant as a case study in bettering oneself and the future… Her former employers announced the closure of the eatery in July, blaming in part the policies that Ocasio-Cortez has campaigned on.

Perhaps we should just skip the congressional race for Ms. Ocasio-Cortez and move straight forward to her presidential run. The popcorn industry would see a massive uptick as we all gathered around to watch the ensuing trainwreck in fascination.