VICTOR JOECKS: DNC sets up AOC to win in 2028

Democrat leaders inadvertently handed an advantage to socialists seeking to exert influence within the party. On Saturday, the Democratic National Committee gave final backing to the 2028 primary calendar that advances racially diverse states to the forefront. Under the plan, South Carolina will hold the first contest, followed by Nevada. Party leaders denied Nevada the top slot, citing concerns about its slow vote‑counting process. New Hampshire, New Mexico, Michigan and Virginia complete the opening six states. If she runs, this schedule creates a favorable path for Representative Alexandria Ocasio‑Cortez. Conventional wisdom holds that Ocasio‑Cortez would struggle in South Carolina, a state with a large African‑American electorate where Black Democrats have historically shown greater skepticism toward socialist candidates than white, college‑educated women. A similar dynamic unfolded in 2020. Senator Bernie Sanders won a close contest in New Hampshire and dominated the Nevada caucus, overwhelming Joe Biden. The party establishment panicked, rallied behind Biden after his second‑place finish in Nevada, and South Carolina delivered him a decisive victory that propelled him to the nomination and eventually the presidency. Yet South Carolina’s influence in 2020 stemmed from its fourth‑position, not a first‑place finish. In 2020, Pete Buttigieg won Iowa’s Democratic caucus; in 2016, Ted Cruz captured Iowa’s Read the full story at Las Vegas Review-Journal →