In 2024, the conventional wisdom on the center-right was that the election was a referendum on who was less radical. Democrat rhetoric notwithstanding, Trump was closer to the American mainstream than Harris and Walz.
More conventional wisdom? The party that doesn't control the White House usually picks up seats, frequently a lot of seats, during mid-terms.
One more dollop of that CW: this mid-terms this fall are going to be another round of referenda on moderation, radicalism and sanity, and with a little luck, some of the Administration's activities - the rumble in Minneapolis, the aggressive and sometimes disruptive foreign policy - are bids to get the Democrats to forsake that whole "don't look crazy" thing and go full-bore progressive.
There's been some, er, "good" signs - Mamdani winning in New York, the Democrats' orgy of radical - even "Minnesota-radical" - proposals, and others.
And if what we saw at the Munich security conference is any indication, if there's a plan to make Democrats look radical and not-very-capable, it's progressing nicely.
Gavin Newsom appears to have stopped larping as the "new, moderate Gavin" costume when he changed out of his podcasting outfit:
Gavin Newsom goes to Germany and compares American law enforcement to Nazi stormtroopers.
— L A R R Y (@LarryOConnor) February 15, 2026
In GERMANY. pic.twitter.com/4hn3yLg9bl
So much for bidding for the votes of those workadaddy, hugamommy middle Americans on law enforcement.
Now, I'm not one of the people who hops up and down and says Rep. Alexandria "AOC" Ocasio-Cortez is an overpromoted idiot. I don't armwrestle those who do to try to settle the question, don't get me wrong - but as a matter of principle, it's bad to underestimate your opponents.
On the other hand? Her maiden performance in the international security milieu was enough to make Kamala Harris thankful...
AOC dismally failed a simple foreign policy question in Munich
— Jim Hanson (@JimHansonDC) February 14, 2026
"Should the US commit troops to defend Taiwan?"
Both yes & no have decent arguments
Instead
She sputtered a word salad that made Kamala Harris say "Damn!"pic.twitter.com/5Yng8VasgQ
...because she's no longer the least articulate person, or the most baffling word-saladiér, in American politics.
OMG, listen to AOC speaking at the Munich Security Conference, she makes word salad Kamala Harris sound like a Rhodes Scholar in comparison 😂😂😂🤣🤣🤡 pic.twitter.com/jYcW1n40bs
— Vince Langman (@LangmanVince) February 13, 2026
Can I get some blue cheese dressing?
And yet she remains the one to beat among younger Democrat voters...
It's unbelievable how popular @AOC is with young democrats. This is staggering. pic.twitter.com/qh0IS3VTk1
— Mike from PA (@Mike_from_PA) February 15, 2026
...which is either an indictment of our education system, the media, the next generation, or all three. ...
Drilling a little further into the Democrat bench, Gretchen Whitmer at least knew when to stay out of the passing lane - although her excuse can not inspire confidence:
During a "foreign policy" panel in Munich, Gretchen Whitmer said AOC knew more about foreign policy than her. She struggled to answer about Ukraine and even looked to a Trump ambassador for an answer.
— The Midwesterner (@Th_Midwesterner) February 14, 2026
This is the @gretchenwhitmer the Michigan media has insulated for 8 years. pic.twitter.com/AYwE31tmUL
All in all, I'm feeling pretty good about the relative GOP and Democrat benches, compared side to side, at least on this set of issues:
The media wanted the Munich Security Conference to be a split screen moment between clashing visions. We definitely got one.@marcorubio: “We are part of one civilization, western civilization… forged by centuries of shared history, Christian faith, culture, heritage, language,… https://t.co/pN2RkkDDtG pic.twitter.com/Hp7mlSMT9S
— Alex Bruesewitz 🇺🇸 (@alexbruesewitz) February 14, 2026
Again - it's nothing to get cocky about. 2028 is still a long way away.
But if GOP campaign managers aren't using those AOC soundbites this fall, and in 2028, they don't deserve to win.
