Aaron Sorkin To Congressional Newbies: “Stop Acting Like Young People”; Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Fires Back
Aaron Sorkin finds a lot to like in the 2020 field of Democratic presidential hopefuls, but there’s one aspect of the party he is less upbeat about: newly elected members of Congress.
“I really like the new crop of young people,” he told Fareed Zakaria in an interview that aired on CNN today and was excerpted on Twitter by progressive activist Jordan Uhl. “They now need to stop acting like young people. It’s time to do that.” The Democrats, Sorkin went on, have “a great opportunity to be the non-stupid party.”
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Digging himself deeper, he elaborated, “It’s not just about transgender bathrooms. That’s a Republican talking point they’re trying to distract you with.”
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York — part of the “new crop” Sorkin referred to — responded to the interview in a tweet. “News Flash: Medicare for All & equal rights aren’t trends,” she wrote. “When people complain about low turnout in some demos, it’s not because communities are apathetic, it’s bc they don’t see you fighting for them. If we don’t show up for people, why should you feel entitled to their vote?”
Sorkin, who recently wrote the Broadway adaptation of To Kill a Mockingbird, also created political drama The West Wing, as more than a few folks on Twitter pointed out. David Hogg, the graduate of Parkland High School who became a nationally known activist after the shooting at the school, dismissed Sorkin in a tweet: “Stop acting like the world can’t change.”
Below is a one-minute slice of the longer interview, followed by some of the reaction:
Aaron Sorkin: The new crop of Dems need to "stop acting like young people" pic.twitter.com/qGZqWDpXi8
— jordan (@JordanUhl) January 20, 2019
News Flash: Medicare for All & equal rights aren’t trends.
When people complain about low turnout in some demos, it’s not because communities are apathetic, it’s bc they don’t see you fighting for them.
If we don’t show up for people, why should you feel entitled to their vote? https://t.co/oGRsG9NZV3
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) January 20, 2019
Stop acting like the world can’t change. https://t.co/FHB019YIjR
— David Hogg (@davidhogg111) January 20, 2019
Aaron Sorkin: Young politicians need to start acting like fictional characters written by a much older white man… or else
— MKupperman (@MKupperman) January 20, 2019
Innthis scene, Aaron Sorkin the political pundit (?!) could really have used Aaron Sorkin the screenwriter to bail him out. https://t.co/QgjfaED5h0
— Daniel W. Drezner (@dandrezner) January 20, 2019
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