Over the past week or so, it's become common to see the new Solon, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, referred to as "AOC," exactly as if she were as important and notable as other initials-only figures such as JFK and FDR.  In the past couple days, even some conservative writers have fallen for this.

This is new horizons in asininity, and a stop needs to be put to it.

The stratification of the iconic is pretty clear.  On one layer, we have the last name alone, without honorific or title – "Garbo," "Einstein," "Brando" – those honored being too famous to require anything else.  On a higher level are the first-name icons – "Elvis," "Alexander," and so on.  In the modern world, there exists a level above even this, limited to a handful of world-historical figures, such as Franklin D. Roosevelt.  Whatever one might think of FDR, there is no question of his being a gigantic figure, well deserving his status.

Sandy Ocasio, as a waitress and bartender starting her first term in the lower House, doesn't fit any of these molds.  She hasn't accomplished anything, and she is not known for anything.  It follows that the "AOC" christening is a form of cheating, much in the vein of Hillary Rodham-Clinton becoming simply "Hillary," as if she were of the same level of accomplishment as Elvis.

In truth, Sandy O. and Hillary C. are simply known for being known, as is the case with many female celebrities these days, the Kardashians being the obvious examples.  I don't know of anybody on our team who would condone this or view its leakage into politics as anything other than disastrous.

The solution is simplicity itself: stop it.  Stop doing it simply because you see it on HuffPo or hear the breathless anchors saying it.  No good will come of this, any more than any good came of accepting Hillary's bogus notoriety as meaning anything of substance.  Plenty of "conservatives" and Republicans collaborated in that little campaign, up to and including Newt Gingrich.  We don't want to repeat that mistake, now, do we, playmates?

If the name "Ocasio-Cortez" ever achieves immortality, it will probably have a suffix like "syndrome" attached.  Keep that in mind when considering how you wish to address the congressbimbo.  I'll go with "Sandy," which is a name she is on record as actually using.