Not everyone was welcoming Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to Buffalo with open arms Thursday.
Hours before the influential New York City Democrat and House member was meeting with Buffalo peers to motivate voters, leaders of two local political party committees and a handful of moderates were in Niagara Square warning against what they say are socialist policies doomed to fail if implemented.
They also accuse AOC and other Democrats identifying as socialists of attempting to grab control of the party, including in Western New York.
“While Kathy Hochul attempts to assert herself as the leader of the New York State Democratic Party, I think it's very clear that the Socialists have taken over the Democratic Party in New York State, and they are attempting to take over the party here in Erie County, and it is up to common sense voters to make sure that they do not succeed in that,” said Michael Kracker, chairman of the Erie County Republican Committee.
He was joined in Niagara Square by longtime Erie County Conservative Chairman Ralph Lorigo, State Assembly candidates Frank Bogulski and Terry McGuire, and former professional boxer Joe Mesi. The latter, a Democrat, explained why he felt the need to speak out about Ocasio-Cortez’s meeting with Buffalo Mayor Sean Ryan in City Hall.
“I'm a proud Democrat, but my Democratic values and our Democratic values are rooted in personal liberty and private enterprise,” he said. “What they're going to discuss today does not emulate, is not indicative of that. I support social safety nets that make capitalism fair for everybody.”
Lorigo, who has chaired the Erie County Conservative Committee for 32 years, says he never imagined he would ever witness Democrats acknowledging themselves as socialists.
“What AOC stands for is nothing that Western New York stands for. She is against police. She is against bail. They are against prisons. They have fired 2,000 correction officers who have to do a job, a terribly difficult job. She is not one of us in Western New York, and unfortunately, Kathy Hochul, who comes from here, is not the Kathy Hochul who was here,” Lorigo said.
The word ‘socialist’ was mentioned frequently among the speakers. When asked to be more specific about what makes Ocasio-Cortez’s policies socialist, Bogulski, who is running against Adam Bojak for the 149th State Assembly District, stepped forward offered an explanation.
“The problem with the socialist policies that we're seeing right now is obviously they don't work. Their platform is to raise taxes, and I know that everyone here at this conference and everyone standing here knows somebody who has left New York because of the high tax burden,” Bogulski said.
Kracker acknowledged the local Democratic Party has its different influences, but suggest there are many who embrace the party as that of the late Jimmy Griffin. The longtime outspoken and controversial mayor, Kracker suggests, would not be welcomed into the Democratic Party of AOC, and he encouraged moderates to consider choosing Republican and Conservative candidates.
There was a lone protestor who arrived on the scene, standing quietly behind the gathering, holding a small U.S. flag and a sign using images to create the message “Buffalo Loves AOC.”
Kracker acknowledged the individual then suggested local Democrats holding elected offices should state whether they do.
“I would ask the elected officials in Erie County to say unequivocally that they love the policies of AOC,” he said. “I would ask Pat Burke if he loves the policies of AOC. I would ask Karen McMahon if she loves the policies of AOC because I can assure you, the center moderate voter here in Erie County does not.”
The night before Ocasio-Cortez’s visit to Buffalo, Kracker had been elected to another term as the Erie County GOP Chair. The Erie County Democratic Committee, currently chaired by Jeremy Zellner, was scheduled to hold its reorganization meeting over the weekend.
Mesi was asked where he thinks the soul of the county’s Democratic party is these days.
“I think it's confused,” he answered. “I think my fellow Democrats, some of which don't know where to lean, lean further left. I see the push coming. I'm staying neutral in the common sense aisle, and that's what I'm pushing for to my fellow Democrats. Let's stay in the common sense lane.”