found this one already on a "most popular" list even tho only a couple hours old: Ocasio-Cortez Isn’t Wavering. Are New Yorkers on Her Side?

By voting no on the infrastructure bill, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez set off a fierce debate, including among city residents eager to see the subways improved.

By Katie Glueck and Nicholas Fandos @ NYTimes, Nov. 12, 2021, 3:00 a.m. ET

[....]  To some, including those who admire her, the question seemed to boil down to this: Is serving in government about pushing boundaries on urgent issues like climate and structural inequality? Or is it more about getting tangible results for riders aboard the No. 6 train?

“She is saying she is voting for her constituents,” said Jennifer Shannon, 51, who helps run a civic group in College Point, Queens, and who has voted for Ms. Ocasio-Cortez. “I’m not saying they don’t all care about the environment, but I think people in her district are tired of the conditions of our streets and our subways.”

This was not the first time that Ms. Ocasio-Cortez has bucked her party to oppose a bill that did not, in her view, go far enough. She was the only Democrat to oppose a $484 billion coronavirus relief package that she felt was inadequate for her district, which was devastated by the virus in the spring of 2020. But she has also worked closely with party leadership at other times — for example, helping to secure federal funding to assist with funeral costs for Covid-19 victims.

There was only scattered criticism of Ms. Ocasio-Cortez’s opposition to the infrastructure bill from Democrats in Washington. With more than enough projected Republican votes for passage, Democratic leaders knew the congresswoman could vent her frustration without endangering the bill, according to congressional aides familiar with discussions among progressives.

Ms. Ocasio-Cortez, who was not made available for an interview, and her allies argue that her vote was driven precisely by her sense that more is needed to improve lives for historically underserved constituencies and to capitalize on what may be a fleeting window of opportunity for Democratic clout in Washington.

“All I’ve heard across the district has been support for the decision that she made,” said Assemblyman Zohran Kwame Mamdani, a democratic socialist who represents one of the most left-leaning neighborhoods in the district. “A lot of that is based on the fact that she was elected on the promise of fighting for more than the crumbs we’ve been told to accept.”

In a 71-minute Instagram video viewed more than 700,000 times, Ms. Ocasio-Cortez seemed aware that some constituents would be unhappy.

By turns righteous, disappointed and vulnerable, she said her stance was predicated on two concerns: the potential that the bill would increase planet-warming emissions with giveaways to fossil fuel companies; and the need for leverage to push for companion legislation that many Democrats hope will generously fund additional climate solutions and housing assistance and protect undocumented immigrants.

“If I have to choose between my political image or whatever, and staying true to my community,” she said, “I’m going to do what my district asks of me every time.” [....]

also I note this, suspect she is sort of like an Oprah to some, an alternative to the same old same old Washington pol who doesn't get personal?

Through social media, many voters also feel personally connected to Ms. Ocasio-Cortez, who intersperses wellness tips and pictures of her dog, Deco, with discussions of policy and procedure.