Personal Reflections of a Middle-Aged Man

I’m going to paint with a broad brush with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez as the face of the movement of incoming House of Representatives freshmen.

I understand coming into a leadership position wanting to make a splash.

I understand wanting to change the world, and change it quickly.

I understand the mistakes of being in ones’ twenties.

Most of us have been there at some point in our lives.

That doesn’t mean those of us with more life experience don’t meet with her to offer good life advice.

It feels she has allowed her newfound, and her classmates’, power to go to their heads.

Yes, you probably believe you can do it better and that the elders of your party are out of step with the rest of the world.

I agree the elders of the party are out of step with the rest of us. I also disagree with the maverick attitude I’m seeing.

The one thing elected Democrats never seem to do is learn from the mistakes of the opposing party.

Not long ago, and the effect is still being felt, some upstart Republicans in the form of the Tea Party created a divide. Look where they helped get us.

They helped get us the current administration, extreme partisanship, and a Congress that seems to have forgotten the power of compromise and civility.

So AOC, and the rest of the freshman class, please learn quickly the power of listening and learning from your elder statesmen, while also working to lead them into the present.

A fine line to be sure to accomplish such a thing, but please don’t lead us to defeat by going too far out into left field that you turn independents and old guard Democrats away. We need every vote we can get in 2020.

Do you really want to be part of the reason for four more years of the chaos, embarrassment and corruption we are currently experiencing?

Be smart, learn and most importantly, lead thoughtfully.