Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Dori have similar backgrounds, different views

A 28-year-old Latina woman from the Bronx named Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez will likely become the youngest woman ever elected to Congress.

The Democrat she was running against was a 20-year incumbent, Rep. Joe Crowley. He didn’t even show up for one of the debates against her. That’s the disdain that he had. There is nothing more important for a member of Congress than to be a representative of their people. This guy became your typical political fat-cat. He was on cruise control; he didn’t show up in the neighborhoods he represented.

RELATE: Stunning defeat emboldens left as Dems eye new identity

And then you have this young woman come along, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. I couldn’t disagree with her more on politics. However, I will tell you, she is a very eloquent speaker for her causes. She is also beautiful, which I know you shouldn’t even comment on, but to pretend that that’s not a factor would be insanity. And she put together an incredible social media campaign.

This woman is a socialist — she’s like another Kshama Sawant, except she’s likable and appealing. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was a Bernie Sanders organizer and is way far left of America. She has said she wants to raise taxes to pay off every kid’s college loan. That is such a socialist idea — people borrow money and then want to freeload their way out of it by the government hijacking everyone’s money.

But watching the video of her campaign ad, I get the appeal of this. The reason I am fascinated by her story is that I feel a kinship with her background. And her background is inspiring — her mom came from Puerto Rico, and her dad, who died when she was 18, grew up in the South Bronx. She worked her way through school and now here she is, running for Congress. It’s a phenomenal story. I identify strongly with people who come from poverty and work their way up.

What I am so fascinated at is how I arrived at an outlook that is 180 degrees different from someone like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. That’s not saying her’s is wrong — I understand the appeal of her message. But I think it’s unbelievably dangerous that this is the message that appeals to so many millenials. But let’s face it — millenials will be the voting base for decades to come.

The video first shows Ocasio-Cortez getting ready for the day in a shoddy Bronx apartment, then riding the subway by row houses. She says, “Your zip code identifies your destiny.” I understand all of this. So far, I am 100-percent with her. Then she gives a great message — New York, you’ve been represented for 20 years by a fat-cat, slime-ball politician who doesn’t care about you. I absolutely agree — these kind of politicians need to be ousted from Congress.

But then she gets into what the solution is. Ocasio-Cortez is talking about all college being free, health care being free. Everything is going to be given to you. She and I come from such similar backgrounds, but we have arrived at vastly different conclusions. I decided really early on that you have to be responsible for your life. If you haven’t achieved your dream, you have to work harder. You have to take that second job, outwork the competition. Nothing will be given to you. Nothing. Of this I am certain.

She is equally certain that the way to get out of poverty is to have a government entity that will take money from people and redistribute it. Then people will be dependent on the government and its benevolence for everything in their lives. And of course, what the government gives you, it can take away. What you provide for yourself is much tougher to be taken away. I remain convinced that the surest pathway to escape from your economic situation is you. I refuse to believe that government is the solution.

I’m glad Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez won. This guy that she beat couldn’t have cared less about the people he was supposed to be representing. So I’m glad he lost; I’m glad these career politicians are getting bounced. But I am afraid of her message.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and the message

Why is Ocasio-Cortez’ message so appealing? As we see in Seattle, so many people believe that the only pathway is for government to take from someone else and give it to you. A lot of people have been rewarded for stuff without really deserving it.

We see this same idea in Seattle, where we have the highest property crime rate of any city in the country. In Wallingford this week, car after car had its windows smashed, no doubt by homeless drug addicts looking for cash and valuables to feed their next fix. The victims called the cops, but the cops didn’t have anyone to come out, and because of technical difficulties, they couldn’t file a report online. Well, this is the same idea that Ocasio-Cortez, Kshama Sawant, and all of the other socialists perpetuate: There is somebody else’s stuff — so I will take it and I will redistribute it to me. The drug smash-and-grabbers, the socialists in government — they’re cut from the same cloth.

And that’s where I find Ocasio-Cortez’ message unbelievably appealing, understandable — and dangerous. I think that it appeals to what is really going wrong, in both the Bronx and in our region.  I fear her message and I fear the people who buy into it.

Follow @http://www.twitter.com/dorimonson