Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Dismisses Ben Shapiro's Bad Faith Debate Invitation With Catcalling Comparison

Our story begins with an entitled conservative prince, the commentator Ben Shapiro, who like any perfectly self-assured, capitalist man imagined he could buy anyone’s time, or at least generate some good publicity.

But probably trying to buy the time of Democratic House candidate Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, one of he most important figures in American politics at the moment, and distinguished by her democratic socialist platform and total lack of corporate PAC money, was not a wise or sensitive move. Shapiro is a former Breitbart News editor-at-large, Never Trump right-winger, the editor-in-chief of The Daily Wire, and host of his own podcast. Apparently he is also averse to sending emails or making calls, which, you know, not everyone can see.

“Miss Ocasio-Cortez,” Shapiro said in a video posted to Twitter on Wednesday, “I’m really excited that you’ve been elevated to that position and I would love to have a real conversation with you about the issues. You’ve noted that you think Republicans are afraid to debate you or talk to you or discuss the issues with you. Not only am I eager to discuss the issues with you, I’m willing to offer $10,000 to your campaign today for you to come on our Sunday special.”

Well, he said the words “real conversation about the issues,” he must be a decent fellow! Of course, Ocasio-Cortez saw through it, and she did one better by mustering a substantial response that manages to decline Shapiro’s insincere invitation and address the misogyny inherent in his aggressively public bid to speak with her.

Good for her! It’s shameful how some media men go about their lives assuming cool democratic socialist chicks want to debate them, or give them the time of day. In the mouths of such men “debate” almost always means “get shouted at by a distinguished, thin-lipped high school debate champ.” No thanks. I mean, we can’t all be Ash Sarkar yelling at an anger-baiting Piers Morgan “I’m a communist, you idiot.”

In response, Shapiro gave us a taste of what that discussion of issues might have looked like.