Ocasio-Cortez: Effective political organizers should be inclusive

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) took to Twitter on Wednesday to encourage political organizers to welcome potential supporters to their movements, urging that organizers can “make new people feel like theirs is a movement they want to be part of.”

“Effective organizers are welcomers, natural educators, and positive in their interactions. They make new people feel like theirs is a movement they want to be part of. Effective organizers treat the internet as an organizing space (although not the *only* organizing space!),” Ocasio Cortez wrote.

“It is important to fight for the issues, advance your argument, and grow the cause. To do so, the questions that organizers or anyone seeking to advance a cause or campaign should always ask themselves are: who else can we include, and how can we listen and include them?” she continued.  

Effective organizers are welcomers, natural educators, and positive in their interactions.

They make new people feel like theirs is a movement they want to be part of.

Effective organizers treat the internet as an organizing space (although not the *only* organizing space!).

— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) March 4, 2020

It is important to fight for the issues, advance your argument, and grow the cause.

To do so, the questions that organizers or anyone seeking to advance a cause or campaign should always ask themselves are: who else can we include, and how can we listen and include them?

— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) March 4, 2020

Ocasio-Cortez’s message came as some have criticized Sen. Bernie Sanders’s (I-Vt.) supporters for their online messages and organizing. The freshman lawmaker did not single out a specific campaign or organization in her Tuesday tweet. 

Last month, the Nevada Culinary Workers Union raised allegations of online harassment from Sanders supporters after the organization shared a flyer saying that “Medicare for All,” one of Sanders’s signature policies, would “End Culinary Healthcare.”

However, Sanders encouraged supporters of all campaigns to refrain from online attacks at the time.  

“Harassment of all forms is unacceptable to me, and we urge supporters of all campaigns not to engage in bullying or ugly personal attacks,” Sanders, a front-runner in the Democratic primary race, said. “Our campaign is building a multi-generational, multi-racial movement of love, compassion, and justice. We can certainly disagree on issues, but we must do it in a respectful manner.”

Former Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg clashed with Sanders during a heated moment in a February Democratic primary debate in which Buttigieg asked Sanders, “Why did this pattern arise? Why is it especially the case among your supporters?” Buttigieg asked.

Sanders denied that it “is especially the case” and reiterated his support for unions.

The Democratic primary race heated up following Super Tuesday between two front-runners — Sanders and former Vice President Joe Biden. Biden won 10 of the 14 state races, including an unexpected victory in Texas.