True. But she’s also got a big disadvantage. She’s still far left - arguably not as far left as she was when she arrived in the House - but still out there. Could she actually win against a moderate Republican?

Don't know. I don't know that it's relevant, because I don't know the GOP nominee will be a moderate Republican (leading contenders are Vance, DeSantis, or whoever Trump anoints if it isn't either of them).

I also don't think it's relevant, because there will be a candidate from the progressive Left side of the party - whether it's AOC or Khanna or Pritzger. And whoever comes out leading in that lane is going to be the frontrunner, because the other lane is going to be heavily fractured with perhaps a dozen solid contenders duking it out and splitting the votes. And since AOC would probably clear that lane if she runs (Khanna made a bad bet on tech and I can't see the Left choosing Pritzger over AOC), that's an enormous advantage.

After this blowout election, I can't see the Democratic primary electorate being nearly as receptive to arguments that they should pass over who their heart wants in favor of second-guessing who can beat the Republican opponent. So if AOC clears out her lane early (which I think she would), it's hard to see the gang of Newsome/Ossoff/Buttigieg/Harris/Whitmer/Moore/Shapiro/Emmanuel and whomever else coalescing quickly around a single alternative and getting everyone else to drop out like in 2020. Especially against a moderate Republican - because in such circumstances, the stakes of losing will be less existential (the Democrats would almost certainly retain control of the Senate and the House and a moderate Republican President isn't nearly as scary to centrist donors to convince them to shoot the horses they're riding on).

So she might be the nominee even if she can't actually win against a moderate Republican. I think I take it back - I think there is a frontrunner right now, and she's AOC. Not Newsom.