Before the 2018 midterm elections, there was a general consensus among those in a conservative chat group I run that Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez would become the face of the Democratic Party. We were correct. Where we were wrong is in thinking this would be a bad thing. I personally thought a young, energetic millennial would be a rallying force that showed Americans government belonged in the hands of millennials and, by proxy, the Democratic party.

That was before we learned how radical she really was. Now that her true colors have been revealed to the world, I’m changing my stance. She is the face of the Democratic Party, and this can be a very good thing for conservatives as long as we do two things.

A recent Axios poll shows AOC’s clout is rising.

Exclusive poll: AOC defining Dems in swing states The findings: Ocasio-Cortez was recognized by 74% of voters in the poll; 22% had a favorable view.

was recognized by 74% of voters in the poll; 22% had a favorable view. Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota — another member of The Squad — was recognized by 53% of the voters; 9% (not a typo) had a favorable view. Socialism was viewed favorably by 18% of the voters and unfavorably by 69%. Capitalism was 56% favorable; 32% unfavorable.

was 56% favorable; 32% unfavorable. “Socialism is toxic to these voters,” said the top Democrat.

All the information we need is right there to tell us the two things that must happen for the GOP to retain the Senate and White House and win back the House of Representatives in 2020. First, we must keep AOC and her “squad” – Omar, Ayanna Pressley, and Rashida Tlaid – in the news. Thankfully, they readily oblige by giving journalists on both sides of the aisle more fodder than anyone other than the President.

Second, we must hammer home the notion that socialism is very, very bad. Open borders, Medicare-for-All, gun confiscations, and the Green New Deal are all topics that should be hammered as well, but they need much more explaining. Socialism is generally recognized as bad and we need that perception to grow. This is extremely important because right now, many radical progressives are selling the idea of “Democratic Socialism” to anyone they influence. They’re saying it’s different from Venezuela and everywhere else that socialism has been tried and failed miserably.

They’re pushing this notion hard. We need to spread the truth even harder.

If there’s one certainty in election politics, it’s that ignorance rules. We cannot assume that average apolitical Americans are going to be acutely aware of the dangers of socialism or the people who are pushing the notion. Assume the people generally don’t understand. For example, most Americans favor Medicare-for-All until they find out what’s in it. The same can likely be said about the Green New Deal as the vast majority of Americans would classify it as a green initiative that is trying to fight climate change. But even one of the plan’s architects, AOC’s Chief of Staff Saikat Chakrabarti, balks at the notion that it’s a “climate change thing.”

Conservatives have the truth on our side, and people like AOC are doing everything they can to subvert the truth. Many voters are misinformed, but they’re not stupid. We must make them acutely aware of the dangers of radical progressivism.

We are currently forming the American Conservative Movement. If you are interested in learning more, we will be sending out information in a few weeks.

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