Conservatives are afraid of AOC, and they’re attacking her with some of the very same qualities we love her for. She’s young. She’s honest and direct. She’s working for direct and immediate action on climate change.

But they’re also calling her stupid, uneducated, ignorant. It can be easy to let some of that seep into our mental image of her. To think “sure, she might not have the formal training some of these people have, but she’s still awesome!”

So I think it’s important to remember (and actively remind people) that AOC graduated cum laude from Boston University with a degree in international relations and economics. She’s far better qualified for the position she holds than many of her co-workers. Conservatives (many of whom honestly think the gold standard is an economic panacea) will try to lecture her on market issues in particular, to convince voters that she doesn’t know how finance works. Don’t let them.