Shomer Shabbos conservative commentator Ben Shapiro challenged Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to a debate, offering to donate $10,000 to the prominent democratic-socialist’s campaign if she accepted — but it wound up triggered a sparring match online.
Shapiro initially tweeted a video on Wednesday in which he mocked Democratic National Committee chairman Tom Perez for recently calling Ocasio-Cortez, a New York congressional candidate, the “future of the Democratic Party,” before issuing his challenge.
“Miss Ocasio-Cortez, 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,” Shapiro said.
“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,” he continued. “We can have an hour long conversation about all the topics under the sun, really probe your belief system.”
Hey, @Ocasio2018, what do you say? pic.twitter.com/lKDtmMc8Us
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) August 8, 2018
Thursday night, Ocasio-Cortez took to Twitter to compare Shapiro’s offer to “catcalling”, and refused to either accept or deny the challenge.
Just like catcalling, I don’t owe a response to unsolicited requests from men with bad intentions.
And also like catcalling, for some reason they feel entitled to one. pic.twitter.com/rsD17Oq9qe
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@Ocasio2018) August 10, 2018
“Just like catcalling, I don’t owe a response to unsolicited requests from men with bad intentions,” she wrote. “And also like catcalling, for some reason they feel entitled to one.”
This led many conservative commentators to mock the 28-year-old:
This is your brain on identity politics. By challenging her to debate, @benshapiro was actually treating her as an equal. She knows she’d lose, and she needs to posture for her SJW fans, so she declares herself a victim of “catcalling.” Totally demented. https://t.co/o8viIeBAV4
— Noah Pollak (@NoahPollak) August 10, 2018
Okay fine @Ocasio2018, if you won’t debate @benshapiro because he’s a man (and because he would destroy you intellectually) how about a debate with me? https://t.co/y4m2mkLbVt
— Katie Pavlich (@KatiePavlich) August 10, 2018
But sure, go with “the Orthodox Jew who has never catcalled a woman in his life is ACKSHUALLY a sexist catcaller for asking for a discussion or debate.” I’m sure your media sycophants will eat it up.
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) August 10, 2018
Ocasio-Cortez, 28, a former staffer on Bernie Sanders’ (I-Vt.) 2016 presidential campaign, shocked the political world by upsetting 10-term Democratic Rep. Joseph Crowley in the primary for New York’s 14th Congressional District.
Ocasio-Cortez, a democratic socialist, ran on a platform that includes “Medicare for all” and tuition-free public college education.
“I would love to debate her because I have one question for her,” Shapiro said later. “Name an industry you would not nationalize; which ones should the government not run and why? Alright, can she name any of them?”
Shapiro also offered to donate the money to charity instead of the campaign.
“So let’s make this happen! Let’s make America a more civil and interesting place. Let’s do this thing,” he concluded.
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20 Responses
Personally I’d rather he debate Michael savage the self hating Jew about yiddishkeit and Eretz Yisroel.
What did Michael say that made you come to your decision on calling him a self hating jew?
Wow, I thought news is supposed to be “new” she already declined (because she knows she is going to lose)
Rt,
I didn’t know savage is a democrat
Bernie Sanders, the self-proclaimed socialist, has never proposed nationalizing any industry. I think most “Democratic Socialists” like using the s-word (i.e., “socialism”) but don’t plan on nationalizing “the means of production.”
“former staffer on Bernie Sanders’ (I-Vt.) ”
Since Bernie is a Jew – everything this Socialist says must be right!
Trotsky is Jewish too.
What a narcissistic young man. The woman has zero reason to reply to you. He dog whistles and expects a woman to follow his wishes.
As a blogger on another site pointed out, as a politician she has chosen to solicit the public and in turn be solicited by the public. That is in the definition of a being a politician.
Having a yiddeshe name and claiming to be shomer Shabbos doesn’t make Shapiro a relevant political figure whose demand for a debate even warrants a reply. Whatever you think of Ocasio-Cortez’s positions, she worked hard to win her primary against a very senior and well funded Dem establishment figure. She is entering an important time in the election season and would be foolish to waste her time on this trolling chauvinist.
@AmilZola- It’s pretty simple. If you’ve ever listened to Ben Shapiro, the guy is smart as a whip and has every argument thought through. Cortez hasn’t the faintest clue about anything other than how to make a latte, except she’s a young woman who ran on giving out free things, so she won. She’s declining because she knows that. If Don Lemon asked Ann coulter for a debate, you can bet your life she’d accept and whip him good, do please don’t make this about narcissism and dog whistling, when it’s really about policy and ignorance. Plus, it’s an easy 10K.
Why does Ortega assume Ben Shapiro is a man?
Maybe he self identifies as a black woman. So he would not be catcalling cause only white mendo that kind of disgusting behavior
Why am not surprised Gadolhadorah is cheering on this dump. clueless, jew-hating, HAMAS supporting Democrat Bolshevik?
@gadolhatorah you’re right.. Being. An orthodox jew doesn’t make him a relevant political figure..but being the 2nd most listened to podcast in the US and becoming the youngest nationally syndicated columnist in the country at age 17, and published 2 books by age 21. Ben is also featured on cnn, fox and other major news outlets on the daily…So yeah.. Him Being orthodox isn’t really his greatest selling point.. The fact that he’s nationally recognized as the the voice for young conservatives makes him a pretty damn well relevant person in the political realm. That being said.. Yeah, if she wanted to become more popular with her beliefs and actually strived for real debates with conservatives instead of trash talking them, then she would have a sit down with ben, but, she’s clearly not interested in being proven wrong, so instead she restored to playing her feminist victim card which made her look even dumber than originally perceived..
Coming on someone’s show isn’t a debate. Also there’s no reason a candidate should debate anyone other than other candidates for the same seat.
@ gadolhatorah fyi although ben has never ran for any office ( probably cuz he lives in liberal California) he is an extremely well followed talk show host lecturer and debater and has debates any1 willing to debate him no matter how crazy they r. If she truly felt that she can hold her own against him the publicity that she would get from that debate would be worth much more then the 10 g he is offering. And what did he say or do that I r calling him a chauvinist? And as a jew i say shloi asani isha
As a person seeking public office, she has an obligation to demonstrate that her views are thought out and logical.(how trump evaded this basic prerequesite is beyond me). If she is afraid of a public discussion and reacts by resorting to sexist slander, that says much about her.
thank katen hador for once more validating the(negative) view of many posters about him…
moishe in goulas….you dont have to be….he just keeps prooving what a lot of posters think of him
and as was pointed out many times er nit a yid
I am a bit appalled at some of the comments above. Has anyone here viewed the many clips of interviews this candidate had with many news media? Including CNN? She is shockingly uninformed, and close to incoherent. Aside from her ridiculous positions, she cannot manage a simple conversation without stumbling all over herself. Her performance in these situations in downright embarrassing. The reason that Shapiro should not be having this debate with her is that his talents are better used with people that are at least respectable in the IQ category. This candidate is stupid – and that is a compliment. There are those worth debating. She is not on that list.
Instead of taking the offer and preparing for the debate, she tried to attack Shapiro’s character. That alone is stooping quite low. All the more reason why this Ocasio fool needs another career.
> Warren
“Coming on someone’s show isn’t a debate. Also there’s no reason a candidate should debate anyone other than other candidates for the same seat.”
Others (including those after your post) have de facto answered you, but I would rephrase as follows. Every televised debate is a de facto “show”, so I don’t see the difference. But the main point is that you are wrong because there is no more reason for a candidate to debate another candidate than there is for a candidate to debate a non-candidate. They are all (candidate or non-candidate) for only one legitimate reason, and that is to inform and convince the voting public.