AOC, in case you have been hiding under a pile of coats for the past year or so, is Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York. And the crowd's reaction on Thursday confirms something that's become increasingly clear over these past few months: AOC is the new Republican bogeyman (or bogeywoman) of choice. In politics, a bogeyman is used to scare people too. Republicans have used a number of Democratic bogeymen over the years, from Massachusetts Sen. Ted Kennedy to Bill and Hillary Clinton to Barack Obama and Nancy Pelosi. The key for a successful Democratic bogeyman is that (a) the person is well-known to the GOP base and (b) the person makes Republicans angry or scared or ideally both.

Source: CNN March 29, 2019 13:30 UTC