Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s first Twitch stream has already made history.
On October 20th, 2020, Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) and Ilhan Omar met some voters on Twitch—a media platform that lets people stream video game play to their intended audience. AOC and Omar played the trendy multiplayer game Among Us with popular streamers last Tuesday night to encourage voting. The New York legislator went on Twitter to urge her followers to stream Among Us when her initial tweet concerning the favored game went viral. Her tweet on the previous day had sparked interest in a bunch of Twitch’s most well known gamers, some of whom joined the stream, which had about five million viewers. According to CNN, her stream went on for about three hours, where she emphasized the importance of voting and encouraged the viewers to go to IWillVote.com. “That’s really what tonight’s all about, and, of course, we are here to vote blue,” AOC pointed out. Ocasio-Cortez and the other players mentioned their plan to vote all while taking part in one of the biggest streams in Twitch history.
This was not AOC’s first time using social media as a way to connect with her audience. In her campaigning days, the legislator used the means of social networking to bring politics and individuals together.
However, the practical knowledge that she shares online additionally suggests that AOC is here to call out President Donald Trump and his decision not to denounce racism. She is also not scared to hold her own party responsible, as can be seen when the topic of fracking was brought up in the vice presidential debate earlier this October. In July, her response to Representative Ted Yoho allegedly calling her a derogatory term, which he later on denied, spread like wildfire when she went on Instagram to clarify the situation. She later took to Twitter and posted “[We] get stuff done” to her countless followers. Additionally, she used her Instagram to post a tribute to the late Ruth Bader Ginsburg when the powerhouse of fairness died in September, which left an open seat in the Supreme Court that was filled by Amy Coney Barrett a mere week before the presidential election.
Within the months leading up to the election, AOC, who campaigned for Bernie Sanders, has been honest concerning what she believes a Joe Biden presidency sounds like. Her ability to find common ground, in this case through online gaming, with the voters is a huge benefit because many politicians are attempting to influence voters digitally.
Ocasio-Cortez’s eager enjoyment of taking part in Among Us and the enthusiasm of her companions made the stream a success and a genuinely fun watch. AOC proved herself to have a charming personality; she laughed, she yelled, she gasped—as did her viewers—all while she was engaging with folks on important problems. The blend of her arranging to get on Twitch to connect with her viewers, the decision to play a popular game, and getting together a group with well known names helped make her stream a prime example of how politicians can appeal to their younger audiences. Based on that stream, it is safe to say that we can look forward to more politicians taking a page from her playbook and turning to social media to increase their gain.
