One of the more ridiculous characteristics of Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is her ability to lecture her audience in the tone of a professor while spouting utter nonsense as if revealing higher truths. Not just her absurd plans to devastate the economy in the name of global warming (while India and China merrily construct coal-fired power stations dwarfing any measures the GND might take to reduce American CO2 emissions). No, she earnestly instructs her followers in made-up history, in order illustrate her point -- which also makes no sense.

Grabien screen grab

In her district town hall televised by MSNBC Friday with unusual production values for a political event – shiny floor with the seal of the House of Representatives, dramatic lighting, and cameras on cranes swooping over the audience more like a rock concert than a report back to voters – she taught her admirers a lesson that is utterly false, claiming:

YouTube screen grab

“They had to amend the Constitution of the United States to make sure that Roosevelt did not get re-elected”

She was fondly recalling the time “when our party was boldest” and enjoyed “super-majorities.” But was she was making the point that “they” – what in the 60s was called “the man”? – saw that “there were so many extraordinary things that were happening at that time that were uniting working people” that “they” had to step in and make sure FDR wasn’t re-elected? Does she think that the Supreme Court steps in an amends the Constitution? That would make no sense, even if her claimed facts were not so wildly incorrect. (For the record, FDR won four terms, and the 22^nd Amendment limiting presidents to two terms was passed by Congress in 1947, after his death, and ratified in 1951.)

Ocasio-Cortez is the most dangerous kind of demagogue: one who preaches inaccurate history to her ignorant followers, encouraging resentment to right imagnary historic wrongs.