20 CONCRETE ACTIONS

 

20 CONCRETE ACTIONS FOR AOC TO WIN THE PRIMARIES DECISIVELY

Strategies to win over undecided voters and turn opponents into allies

By Joan Prim
March 15, 2026

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OPEN LETTER TO ALEXANDRIA AND HER TEAM

Dear Alexandria, dear team:

I've spent weeks analyzing your phenomenon, your strengths, your areas of opportunity. I've talked to voters across the political spectrum. I've listened to those who love you, those who are unsure, and those who currently prefer another candidate.

This list isn't a manual written from a distance. It's a fraternal contribution from the Global South, from someone who has seen many campaigns and many struggles. Take what's useful, discard what isn't. But know that it's written with respect, with admiration, and with the conviction that you can be the next President of the United States.

Here are 20 actions that can make the difference.

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I. ECONOMIC POLICY: THE HEART OF THE MESSAGE

1. Release a detailed "Material Gains for Working People" plan

In Munich, you said something correct: "It's of urgent priority that we get our economic houses in order and provide material gains for the working class." But a single phrase isn't enough. You need a white paper, a 50-page plan with concrete numbers, timelines, and responsible parties.

People need to be able to say: "If AOC wins, my income will go up by X dollars in the first year." Undecided voters need to see money in their pockets, not just hear promises.

2. Explain the wealth tax with everyday examples

When asked in Munich about the wealth tax, you responded: "I don't think we have to wait for any president to impose it." That answer is too vague.

You need to say: "The billionaire tax means your daughter can go to college without debt." Connect the tax to concrete benefits for working families. People don't want to pay taxes; they want to see what they get in return.

3. Champion small businesses against corporations

Voters in competitive districts, like Representative Pat Ryan, have said your message resonates with rural and working-class Americans. But that message needs a small business component.

Propose: "Tax credits for small businesses that pay living wages." "Public financing for local entrepreneurs." "Limits on the monopoly power of big chains." Small business owners are a key constituency that votes Republican today. You can win them over.

4. Talk about cost of living, not just wages

Democrats across the spectrum agree they need an ambitious vision to lower the cost of living and win back working-class voters. You've talked a lot about wages. Also talk about rent, food, medicine.

"My plan doesn't just raise your paycheck—it lowers what you pay for housing, gas, and healthcare." That's the formula to win over those who are unsure today.

5. Criticize trade agreements by name

In Munich, you mentioned that trade agreements contain "hundreds of pages of non-tariff policies that amount to corporate protectionism." But you need concrete examples.

Say: "NAFTA destroyed rural communities. New trade deals are designed so pharmaceutical companies keep patents for 20 years while people can't afford their medication." Voters need clear enemies, not abstractions.

II. COALITION BUILDING: PROVING YOU CAN UNITE

6. Continue and amplify support for moderate Democrats

You've already taken important steps. You sent a fundraising email for Mary Peltola of Alaska, a friend whose positions on oil drilling and gun rights differ from yours. That's exactly what you need to do more of.

Announce publicly: "I'm going to support moderate Democrats in tough districts because I believe in a united party. They don't have to agree with me on everything for me to support them." That disarms critics who call you "sectarian."

7. Meet regularly with "frontliners"

Representative Pat Ryan said you have "sought engagement" with him and other members from competitive districts, to hear their concerns and exchange ideas. Institutionalize those meetings.

Create a "Competitive Districts Council" where you meet monthly with Democrats from swing districts. Let it be known that you listen to them, learn from them, build bridges with them. That will change the media narrative.

8. Respond to criticism with facts, not defensiveness

After Munich, when critics attacked you, some felt your response was defensive. Instead of explaining why your words were misinterpreted, show facts.

If they criticize your Taiwan answer, publish a one-page document explaining your complete position on China and the Indo-Pacific. If they criticize your geography, laugh at yourself: "They're right, I made a mistake. But while they're laughing at my error, I'm working to ensure working people get living wages." Humility disarms.

9. Publicly thank those who have helped you

Senator Bernie Sanders, your mentor, said you're "looking at every option right now." Representative Jamie Raskin said you advised him on his Senate deliberations and that you have "deep ambition for New York and the country."

Publicly acknowledge those who have guided you. "I've learned from Bernie, from Jamie, from Pat. Nobody builds anything alone." That humanizes you and shows you're someone who knows how to learn.

10. Systematically visit red and purple states

Former Democratic presidential candidate Xochitl Hinojosa said: "She can't appeal to a broad electorate." The best way to disprove that is to do it.

Plan a tour through red and purple states. Not to raise funds, but to listen. To hold town halls in rural communities. Representative Paul Tonko said that in Plattsburgh, your message resonated with "rural and working-class Americans who feel left behind." Multiply that experience.

III. COMMUNICATION AND PUBLIC PRESENCE

11. Intensively prepare for difficult interviews

In Munich, you faced complex questions about Taiwan, geography, and history. Your answers drew criticism. Next time, prepare as if for an exam.

Establish a "friendly opposition" team that asks you the hardest possible questions, over and over, until answers flow naturally. Spontaneity is good, but preparation is better.

12. Diversify media appearances

You've built your brand through friendly outlets like MeidasTouch. That's smart, but not enough. To reach undecided voters, you need to appear in spaces where the audience isn't yours.

Go on Fox News—not to fight, but to tell stories of working families. To explain your policies calmly. To show you're a serious person, not a caricature. Voters who are unsure today see you through Fox's lens. You have to speak to them directly.

13. Use social media to educate, not just mobilize

In January, videos featuring you accumulated 185 million views. That's enormous power. Use it to educate, not just denounce.

Create a weekly series: "Foreign Policy Explained," where you break down complex topics clearly. "What's happening in Taiwan?" "How does the wealth tax work?" "Why do drug companies charge what they charge?" When people understand, they trust. When they trust, they vote.

14. Share more of your personal life (with purpose)

People need to connect with you as a person. You've shared that your father died of cancer and the healthcare system left your family bankrupt. That's powerful. Share more.

Talk about your life as a waitress. Talk about your mother's struggles. Talk about how those years shaped your worldview. Not to make people cry, but so they say: "She gets me. She's lived what I live."

15. Respond to attacks with proposals, not counter-attacks

When Vice President Vance criticizes you, you respond with strength. But sometimes, the best response is to ignore the attack and present a proposal.

Vance says you're radical. You respond: "Here's my plan to lower drug costs. If the Vice President has a better idea, let him present it." Turn attacks into opportunities to show substance.

IV. FOREIGN POLICY: BUILDING CREDIBILITY

16. Establish a foreign policy advisory council

You've received briefings from the Center for International Policy and Matt Duss, a former Sanders adviser. Formalize that process. Create an advisory council with experts from diverse perspectives.

Announce: "I've brought together a group of foreign policy experts to ensure that when I speak on these issues, I speak with knowledge and responsibility." That demonstrates seriousness and disarms critics who accuse you of improvisation.

17. Publish a series of speeches on specific regions

One speech on China. Another on the Middle East. Another on Latin America. Another on Europe. Make them detailed, with historical analysis, with concrete proposals.

When people see you've thought deeply about each region, your Munich answers will be seen as part of learning, not as defining. Consistency builds credibility.

18. Clearly position yourself on the Gaza war

You've said unconditional military aid to Israel "enabled a genocide in Gaza." You've also criticized AIPAC for supporting "January 6 insurrectionists" while pressuring officials to ignore the Leahy Laws.

This position resonates with a majority of young Democrats, but it needs to be presented as part of a broader foreign policy vision based on human rights, not just as criticism of Israel. "We support Israel, but we also support human rights. Both things can be true."

19. Leverage your experience as an immigrant's daughter

Your personal story is a diplomatic asset. When speaking about Latin America, you can say: "I'm a daughter of the Bronx, my family is from Puerto Rico. I understand this region in a way others don't." Authenticity can't be faked.

Use that authenticity to build bridges with Latin American leaders. A conversation with Sheinbaum, with Petro, with Lula, wouldn't just be diplomatically relevant—it would show you can lead in the hemisphere.

20. Define a clear vision for NATO and alliances

In Munich, you spoke of the "destruction of our relationship with European allies." But what's your vision? More NATO? Less NATO? Reformed NATO?

You need a clear position: "I believe in alliances, but alliances must be reciprocal. We can't be the world's police, but we can't abandon our allies either. My vision is a multilateralism where the United States leads by example, not by bombs."

V. MOBILIZATION AND ORGANIZATION

21. (Bonus) Turn the "Fighting Oligarchy" tour into a permanent structure

Last year, you toured a dozen cities with Bernie Sanders, filling stadiums and energizing dispirited Democrats. That energy can't be lost.

Turn that tour into a permanent organization: "Fighting Oligarchy United." With local chapters, with leadership training, with community presence. When the primaries come, you'll have the most powerful ground game in the country.

THE PATH TO VICTORY: A BLUEPRINT FOR 2028

Alexandria, none of these actions are impossible. Many you've already started. You support moderates like Peltola. You build coalitions with Ryan and Tonko. You've worked on bipartisan bills on stock trading and AI-generated pornography. You raise nearly $24 million in small donations. You generate 185 million monthly views.

The path is mapped out. You don't have to be perfect. You have to be consistent. You have to show you can unite, you can govern, you can lead.

Undecided voters are convinced by facts, not promises. Opponents are converted by respect, not contempt. Working-class voters are won with concrete proposals, not speeches.

You can do this. History is waiting for you.

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Joan Prim
March 15, 2026