Ocasio-Cortez has received more media coverage in the last few months than most congresspeople get in a lifetime, mostly for actions and statements that wouldn't warrant a second thought if they came from any other politician. The Right, in particular, has pounced on minor gaffes that would be quickly forgiven among their own ranks, but even they are only reacting to the heavy media spotlight that has followed her since the day she took out incumbent Democrat Joe Crowley in New York's 14th district in June's primary.

It remains to be seen whether the frenzy over Ocasio-Cortez will be justified by her accomplishments. While her Green New Deal is certainly ambitious enough, the Democratic Party is still largely opposed to her progressive agenda, and it's unclear whether she can garner support for the plan's component legislation.

Meanwhile, here are some of her better-known moments.

Understanding unemployment

Less than a month after beating Crowley, Ocasio-Cortez provoked groans all around when she told PBS' Margaret Hoover that "unemployment is low because everyone has two jobs."

Her defenders pointed to grains of truth in the statement – unemployment numbers exclude a lot of the actual unemployed, and many Americans are forced to work multiple jobs to support their families – and she recovered pretty quickly after that one.