Scholars and poets argue politics is the ultimate pendulum — curve too far to the right and suffer a liberal insurrection, migrate too far to the left and brace for a cat-five neocon shit storm. After the stirring election of President Obama in 2008, the subsequent congressional midterms proved to be a devastating wallop for the DNC and its progressive allies; a renascent anti-government backed "Tea Party," which sought to kneecap the legislative efforts of the first Black President, appeared to be a decades-long call to arms for millions of disaffected Americans who’d later welcome the perfidious miscreant known as Donald Trump into their hearts, minds and living rooms a mere eight years later. Yet as ominous a defeat as 2010 was, it paled in comparison to the 2018 midterms — wherein legions of swing voters, suburban moms, and angry resistance Democrats came out of the woodwork to repudiate the President’s Islamophobia, vicious child separation policies, and continued assaults against the rule of law. While some of the more magnanimous candidates fell short: O’Rourke, Abrams and Gillum for example, the results were uniquely historic for the sheer number of working class suburbanites (mostly educated white women) who failed to come through for their country in 2016, yet managed to miraculously turn the tide a short twenty four months later.
One such firebrand who rose out of the ashes of Trump's “American carnage” was bright-eyed, grassroots organizer Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a Social Justice Democrat who, much like Sanders, aimed to disrupt the Democratic establishment while embracing the "S" word firmly emblazoned on her chest. As evidenced in Rachel Lears' Sundance-Netflix stunner, "Knock Down The House," AOC (as she’s referred to now), dons her Socialist moniker proudly like a 21st century crimefighter, advocating for workplace fairness, equal pay, and a redistribution of corporate wealth — after all, she too struggled for many years as a New York City bartender — living paycheck to paycheck while paying the medical bills of loved ones who helped put her through college. The urgency and determination which swells in her voice at virtually every town debate is palpable, and as she crushes question after question, she demonstrates just how formidable an opponent she’ll be against incumbent Joe Crowley — no easy feat for an unknown 28-year-old Latina from the Bronx. Her upset win becomes a lightning rod for progressives and sets the stage for a fierce battle in 2018, yet while the other three candidates featured in the film fail to rise to the same occasion, AOC’s success proves that nobody actually needs PAC money to win, they just need the power of the people on their side.
Likewise, former Senate candidate (and now Presidential hopeful) Beto O'Rourke followed the same PAC-free rubric, and while he did in fact lose to “Lyin’ Ted” Cruz, the formerly unheard-of Congressman from El Paso, TX raised a gargantuan $80 million without the help of dark money operatives — a figure unheard of for a midterm race, let alone a Senate seat. In doing so, O’Rourke captured the hearts and minds of millions of Americans begging for a candidate oozing with charisma and authenticity — so why wouldn’t HBO follow suit and capitalize on their own campaign documentary four weeks out from the first Democratic debates? After all, O’Rourke’s expletive-laced concession echoed more of a campaign kick-off declaration than some sad, mopey coach attempting to comfort his team after losing “the big game,” proving the genie couldn’t be forced back into the bottle quite yet… for now anyway. “Running With Beto,” directed by David Modigliani, draws many similarities to Lears’ work, as viewers are granted behind-the-scenes access to the candidates’ homes and private life while they work tirelessly convincing total strangers to give them a chance — not to mention the benevolent volunteers seen phone banking, canvassing and mining precious data throughout. Here’s hoping both O’Rourke and A.O.C., whatever their political future careers may hold, continue raising the light against this current dark spate of American politics — because even if we lose again in 2020, we can still endeavor to change the world and ourselves. They’re proof the impossible is well within our grasp.
"KNOCK DOWN THE HOUSE" & "RUNNING WITH BETO" a.k.a. “Bed of Coals” ON NETFLIX & HBO.
