THE FUTURE

Huh, because I’m happy

Clap along if you feel like a room without a roof.

—Pharrell Williams, “Happy”

By October 2019, there were eleven to thirteen people lacing up to run against Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Hahaha! Oh puh-lease. There was even a Republican in the mix, even though that district hadn’t had a Republican in office for fifty years (remember, the general election in 2018 was basically a formality for AOC—winning the primary was the big deal). Yet, their hope lay in trying to capitalize on AOC’s critics calling her too radical. Uh, good luck to those challengers. AOC’s commitment to her constituents has made her a beloved representative in the district, and they’ll continue to show up for her.

And that’s how a queen knows she’s really done something.

AOC’s celebrity grew so lit, with followers in the millions, that her endorsement of Bernie Sanders gave him a boost during his 2020 primary campaign. Alexandria has done things differently since they opened those hallowed halls of Congress to her, and the goal is to have more queens like her enter. The lessons that she’s already taught future candidates are important. Listen up: If you’re intimidated, don’t run away, embrace it—fight back.

AOC has never been shy about a fight. She does not back down when met with a problem; she’ll see you in the battle. She’s a kindhearted congresswoman, too, remember that, but, girls, don’t be too sweet, she’s both criticized and admired by fellow party members for her clap back. It’s not about what people think, just clap back! Her tactics are to call a spade a spade, call a sexist, racist, and xenophobic president by his names too. Most important, what she has to pass on is the very life-changing magic of not giving a f**k about Fox News. Hail the queen! She will call them out on calling her out. Unlike many politicians, she’s young and fun, but if the GOP attack her, her family, or the citizens of the United States of America, in about thirty seconds she will turn their attacks into a meme and send them into a viral pit.

And #SheReady for Trump any day, any year. His cheap shots don’t cost her a thang; they only make her base stronger. They’ll only get her reelected. The Right have tried all types of buffoonery to get AOC out or displaced, but they only make her followers love her more. Call her radical, call her courageous, AOC does more than lean in on diversity, queens, she calls the shots.

When asked whether she’d ever want to run for president, she said, “Never. I want to be Bernie Sanders but never run for president. I want to be the kooky old lady who brings her cats to the floor of Congress and says, ‘Here’s the right thing to do.’ I just want to be chilling with Sonia Sotomayor, wearing gold hoop earrings with a big old FU and a pretty necklace.”

It would be pretty cool if someone like her ran for president, but you’ve got to respect a queen who knows what she wants. And, of course, running for president isn’t the only or even the best way for a person to change the world for the better. No matter what the future holds for her, she’s already a trailblazer, and politics will never be the same.