Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez signaled a Democratic push to move away from the "woke era" of politics on ABC's "This Week" on Sunday, saying flatly that "Woke 1 was crazy."
The remarks from the prominent democratic socialist mark a strategic shift within the Democratic Party — an attempt to close the book on a chapter of left-wing politics that gained traction around 2020, the same period that lifted Ocasio-Cortez to national prominence.
The congresswoman is angling to give a political mulligan to candidates who previously embraced policies such as defunding the police, arguing they should be judged on their current platforms.
It is not her first recalibration. In 2024, she staked out a harder line on crime by advocating for prosecuting repeat offenders and restricting asylum applications, while insisting her core values had not changed.
Her latest move adds a third approach: publicly mocking what she now frames as past excesses. Some observers say that strategy has limits — that Democrats cannot simply laugh off the political damage of positions they once held.
With the next election cycle approaching, Ocasio-Cortez is using a national platform to push a new image for Democratic candidates. Whether the party follows her lead remains an open question.
