This is the Zohran playbook, and it's what every single DSA should be doing. (And yeah, I know AES doesn't call himself one, but he's one policy-wise for the most part.)

If Hong had answered the stupid questions about her tweets and her half-white son in this way, she'd have won. Her choice was to pretend it's 2014 and people still give a shit about virtue signalling more than being able to feed their families.

Keep it laser-focused on affordability.