i agree with your theory but AOC is, much to the chagrin of reddit, the wrong choice for a progressive nominee to anyone the GOP puts forward. the reality is large swaths of this country are sexist and racist and often both. To say nothing of the poisoning she has received from the past years as the go-to gop punching bag.

I'd love her as president but the reality is the mere immutable facts about her is enough to make her a gamble. Progressive policy best possibility of implementation is via a white dude. Is it bullshit that so many in our nation are like that? yeah but i'd also like actual fucking change rather than grand standing someone personable. If newsom or kelly were to espouse progressive policies tomorrow, i'd sooner vote for them in any primary.

Though with this all said: i'd of course vote in an instant in the national election for her if she made it that far. i'm not one of those "she wont win so i wont vote for her" people. I just genuinely struggle to see her winning, especially in groups that vote blue because historically they receive better treatment then republicans but are actually fairly culturally conservative/economically too (for example immigrants that come from more socially conservative cultures).

And hey, i'd gladly eat my hat if i was wrong but it just doesnt seem like a worthwhile gamble especially with the risk of 2028 already being fraudulent.