I’m of two minds on these people. On one hand, I prefer these supposed “far left” (really just center-left) figures like Alexandria, Omar, Tlaib, etc. to both the mainstream Democrats and the Republicans because they’re usually much better on foreign policy (more anti-Israel, anti-Saudi, less antagonistic to Russia, Iran, the DPRK, etc). They’re also more antagonistic to the corporate class and (all things considered) have a less favorable view of the so-called “criminal justice system” (police state). However, like a lot of leftists who are good on those issues, they mix it with a lot of loopiness (impractical economic policies, eco-hysteria, idpol victimology, “political correctness, contempt for the culture Middle America, etc).

I like them for the same reason that I tend to like Trump (although I think they’re actually much better than Trump on many issues). Trump has given the finger to the Bush-Romney Republican elites, exploited the “far right” taken them for a ride and discarded them, while making populist and isolationist rhetoric acceptable among the rank and file Republicans. I’d like to see the Democrats move in the direction of DSA or the Greens and the Republicans move in the direction of France’s National Front, thereby strangling the “centrists” from both ends.