Prominent progressives have a new humorous shorthand as they distance themselves from unpopular left-wing policies: “Woke 1 was crazy.”<\/p>\n
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez\u2019s comment sparked a debate as progressives face key elections across the country. Some viewed the congressmember, who is viewed as a potential presidential candidate, as shrewdly dismissing a Republican talking point. But others saw the lighthearted line as disingenuous and a betrayal of a movement pushing for racial and economic justice.<\/p>\n
The chatter began when Ocasio-Cortez was asked on ABC \u201cThis Week<\/a>\u201d about Francesca Hong, a Wisconsin democratic socialist running for governor, who had previously suggested, \u201ccancel Thanksgiving.\u201d (Hong lost the Democratic primary on Tuesday in a surprise upset.)<\/p>\n \u201cI have a local city councilman that has this saying: \u2018Woke 1 was crazy,\u2019\u201d said Ocasio-Cortez, referring to Councilmember Chi Oss\u00e9.<\/p>\n \u201cThe doors were really open in trying to entertain any and every policy that was going to get us to a better place,\u201d added Ocasio-Cortez, who represents parts of Queens and the Bronx. \u201cOf course, rhetoric in that time is not rhetoric that we would use today.\u201d<\/p>\n The meaning of the term \u201cwoke\u201d complicated the discussion further. Public Advocate Jumaane Williams said that for him, \u201cwoke\u201d encompasses policies covering racial justice, fairer policing and investment in healthcare and housing.<\/p>\n He said he has never used the term \u201cdefund the police,\u201d but maintained that activists were fighting to redirect police spending to communities as an alternative means of ensuring public safety.<\/p>\n \u201cThe problem is we’ve let people define it as something else, and that’s what’s harmful,\u201d said Williams, whose collection of political buttons includes one that says \u201cStay woke.\u201d<\/p>\n Some on the left bemoaned the use of the term \u201cwoke,\u201d saying that it has been used to oversimplify progressive ideas. The word has served as an umbrella term for ideas ranging from defunding the police to diversity initiatives.<\/p>\n \u201cWoke 1\u201d refers to early in the pandemic, when the police killing of George Floyd in May 2020 inspired Black Lives Matter demonstrations around the world.<\/p>\n Asked about Ocasio-Cortez\u2019s comments on Wednesday, Mayor Zohran Mamdani argued that while candidates should be held accountable for their past statements, they should also be allowed to evolve. As a candidate, Mamdani backed away from defunding the police.<\/p>\n Protesters in Brooklyn in August 2020.<\/p>\n Erik McGregor\/LightRocket via Getty Images<\/p>\n \u201cSometimes what you believe can change, it can develop, it can grow,\u201d Mamdani said on Wednesday when asked about Ocasio-Cortez\u2019s comments. \u201cAnd I know that there are some for whom they still believe in that. I’ve made very clear that I do not believe in defunding the police.\u201d<\/p>\n Mamdani\u2019s remarks are reminiscent of his progressive ally Brad Lander, who, during the campaign, called defunding the police \u201ca failed political strategy<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n Two progressive city councilmembers criticized Ocasio-Cortez.<\/p>\n \u201cYou won\u2019t find me repudiating the moral and effective policies that will keep us safer just because political popularity\/winds shift back and forth,\u201d Councilmember Tiffany Cab\u00e1n, a democratic socialist, said on X<\/a>.<\/p>\n