It's great to see folks in the nabe engaged and passionate about what happens in local politics and beyond.
Ultimately, unless you're AOC, one will never know for sure her true intentions, which is precisely the problem. Her action is open to interpretations, due to the mismatch between rhetoric and deed.
Her defense of attending the event are basically two-fold, per her social media posts and interviews: 1) she was invited as a NYC official due to her responsibilities in overseeing local cultural institutions; and, 2) desire to break the fourth wall (her words) by representing minorities at an elite event and spread the taxation message.
The former excuse is simply laughable and i will leave it at that. With respect to the latter, as a social media maven, she doesn't need tips from me about whether there're more effective ways of getting her messages across while wearing that same dress all at the same time. By disinfecting any potential backlash through social media posts prior to the event, she knew it was a questionable call. I can only hope folks willing to give her the benefit of the doubt are right-- I'd like to see the likes of Anna Wintour come out in unequivocal support of economic justice as a result of AOC's bridge-building exercise at the Event. Then again, I've been in NYC long enough to realize there're very few Warren Buffetts in the world when it comes to taxing the wealthy.
Corruption comes in many forms-- monetary bribery is but one egregious and obvious manifestation. For the good of the neighborhood and progressive causes, I certainly hope AOC remains steadfast to her original intentions. It would be a shame to see her turn into a "Clintonista." Finally, I'd caution against personality cults in general; history is replete with examples of their failures, whether they're left- or right-leaning. As a politician, she deserves and needs to be scrutinized for all her actions, no more and no less.
