By Carl Campanile

Hakkatha Desk: Freshman lefty firebrand Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is more famous than many veteran members of Congress — but more Americans who know her don’t like her, according to a Gallup poll released Friday. About seven in 10 people surveyed said they’ve heard of the first-term Queens-Bronx congresswoman — remarkable name recognition for a newcomer.

“It’s rare to have a new member of Congress who is so widely recognizable by the public so soon in her career on the Hill,” said Gallup’s Justin McCarthy, attributing her high name recognition to her outsize presence on social media and intense media coverage. But in its latest poll, conducted in February, Gallup found 41 percent viewed her unfavorably and just 31 percent had a positive view. In the same survey in September, half of Americans said they had heard of her — three months after she shocked the Democratic Party establishment by toppling Rep. Joe Crowley in a primary.

At that time, 26 percent of voters gave her a positive grade, while 24 percent gave thumbs down. The main reason for the negative uptick: More Republicans are turned off by the self-described Democratic socialist. Her unfavorable rating among Republicans surged from 52 percent in September to 73 percent last month. Conversely, 56 percent of Democrats view her favorably compared to 15 percent who don’t.

“How Americans at large view Ocasio-Cortez will likely not factor much in her future representing Queens and the Bronx in Congress. But given the national platform she’s attained, her ratings may matter more as her career progresses, and as she attempts to pass sweeping legislation like the New Green Deal she has sponsored in the House,” Gallup’s McCarthy said. Gallup surveyed 1,932 adults in the poll, which has a margin of error of three percentage points either way. (NY Post)