During an interview with CNN, outgoing Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO) said she was unsure why Rep.-elect Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) is very popular among Democrats.

McCaskill said, “I’m a little confused why she’s the thing.”

She continued, “She’s now talked about a lot. I’m not sure what she’s done yet to generate that kind of enthusiasm, but I wish her well. I hope she hangs the moon. But I hope she also realizes that the parts of the country that are rejecting the Democratic Party, like a whole lot of white working class voters, need to hear about how their work is going to be respected, and the dignity of their jobs, and how we can really stick to issues that we can actually accomplish something on,”

She added, “The rhetoric is cheap. Getting results is a lot harder.”

Follow Pam Key on Twitter @pamkeyNEN