Woke 2.0 trades identity politics for Israel bashing

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who is openly considering a 2028 presidential run, declared in an ABC News interview that "Woke 1.0 was crazy," Distancing herself from unpopular elements of the socialist movement. The congresswoman did not specify which policies she considered excessive or clarify which positions she still supports.

The Democratic Socialists of America platform continues to emphasize many of the same issues linked to Democrats' 2024 losses, including calls to defund police and the Biden administration's open immigration policies. Democrats have notably retreated from publicly championing climate activism, transgender advocacy, and criminal justice reform at the scale common in 2020, yet have not directly confronted the far-left forces that elevated these issues over the past decade.

Recent controversies involving progressive figures highlight this disconnect. Francesca Hong called Thanksgiving a "colonizer holiday," While Abdul El-Sayed criticized football, July 4 fireworks, and Mackinac Island, suggesting positions misaligned with mainstream American views. Despite AOC's acknowledgment of far-left excesses, the DSA faction remains influential in Democratic politics.

The shift in focus explains this persistence. Activists have redirected attention from unpopular social and cultural positions toward a foreign policy litmus test: demanding that candidates label Israel's military operations in Gaza as genocide. This approach capitalizes on declining support for Israel within the Democratic Party while addressing an issue with less immediate impact on most Americans' daily lives than economy or crime concerns.

Progressive activists have also repackaged messaging around corporate accountability, income inequality, and data center opposition - issues with broader appeal. El-Sayed's slogan exemplifies this strategy: "get money out of politics, money in your pocket, and pass Medicaid for All," Though the government health care component has historically posed political challenges for Democrats.

Upcoming general election races, particularly Michigan's Senate contest, will test whether this reoriented activism centered on anti-Israel positions and accompanying tolerance for antisemitic rhetoric alongside business criticism and socialized medicine proposals can gain broader electoral support. Historically, such views have struggled with average Americans. This represents what AOC references when discussing the latest iteration of progressive activism - a significant departure from the first wave's social justice focus.