An Emerson College poll shows former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg in the lead for the Democratic presidential nomination at 18 percent. California Gov. Gavin Newsom places with 16 percent. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (11 percent), Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (10 percent), and former Vice President Kamala Harris (10 percent) all register in the double digits. This poll, with no clear frontrunner but a logjam of a “frontpack,” suggests a dissatisfaction with the field, uncertainty regarding the candidates, or both. Where do the hearts of Democratic Party primary voters lie? With AOC. The “buttoned-up” Democrats that Time pointed to this week as relics of the past seem well-represented in this crowded field. AOC looks like the kid in the square on Sesame Street that’s doing her own thing. When one needs to separate from the pack, separating from the pack seems like the smart move. AOC stands out. The rest try — and they have been trying all their life — to fit in. That’s their basic problem.