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Amanda Marcotte

@amandamarcotte.bsky.social

56K followers 870 following 9K posts

Senior politics writer at Salon.com. I block for MAGA trolling, violent rhetoric, and humorless sanctimony. Subscribe to Standing Room Only: salon.com/newsletter

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Amanda Marcotte @amandamarcotte.bsky.social · 2d

New "Standing Room Only"! Marjorie Taylor Greene is a thorn in the GOP's side — first Epstein and now she's calling them out for taking away people's health care.

It's fun, but she still sucks.

I break down why she's doing it and why she'll fail.

youtu.be/ZktofrLJNvY?...

Why Marjorie Taylor Greene makes Republicans miserable

YouTube video by Salon

youtu.be

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Amanda Marcotte @amandamarcotte.bsky.social · 3h

In general, progressives would be better off worrying less about our purity and worrying more about demobilizing the right.

You don't have to like MTG. But it's important that she's turning the GOP against itself.

Watch this. We definitely don't ask you to like her.

youtu.be/ZktofrLJNvY?...

Why Marjorie Taylor Greene makes Republicans miserable

YouTube video by Salon

youtu.be

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Amanda Marcotte @amandamarcotte.bsky.social · 3h

Important to understand that MTG kickstarted this rebellion.

For important (and super fun) context, check out my half-hour video on this.

It helps you reconcile two competing emotions: Yes, MTG did a good thing. No, she is not a good person.

Watch for more!

youtu.be/ZktofrLJNvY?...

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Amanda Marcotte @amandamarcotte.bsky.social · 9h

I disagree, but recommend watching. My guest feels closer to how you do.

Amanda Marcotte @amandamarcotte.bsky.social · 9h

Watch! Don't speculate! (I start there, but I go way deeper, with so many tasty jokes to help it go down.)

Amanda Marcotte @amandamarcotte.bsky.social · 9h

I recommend watching while you fold laundry, make dinner, etc.

But even if you don't have 30 minutes to treat yourself to this rowdy good time, please like and subscribe!

YouTube is awash in MAGA propaganda. It takes 1 second to fight back by boosting smarter voices.

youtu.be/ZktofrLJNvY?...

Why Marjorie Taylor Greene makes Republicans miserable

YouTube video by Salon

youtu.be

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Amanda Marcotte @amandamarcotte.bsky.social · 9h

Long weekend is a good time to watch the latest (and hilarious) episode of "Standing Room Only!"

MTG keeps speaking out against her party, which is fun. Divide and conquer, etc.

Don't worry! You can still hate her. I get into why she's doing this and why she still sucks.

youtu.be/ZktofrLJNvY?...

Why Marjorie Taylor Greene makes Republicans miserable

YouTube video by Salon

youtu.be

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Reposted by Amanda Marcotte

jamelle @jamellebouie.net · 11h

a key thing about vought — and all of these guys — is that they have a totally top down and hierarchical vision of the world. they believe that the cultural changes they hate can be turned off by destroying the federal government because they can’t imagine that they emerged bottom-up in society

Thomas Zimmer @thomaszimmer.bsky.social · 12h

What he’s railing against is a profound shift in culture, status… He’s obsessed with the idea that America is controlled by a leftist “ruling elite” - but “elite” isn’t defined socio-economically or by political power, it means something like: Getting to define “real America” and who gets to belong.

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Amanda Marcotte @amandamarcotte.bsky.social · 9h

I'm guessing guys who are super worried about boobies in video games aren't dating a lot.

Amanda Marcotte @amandamarcotte.bsky.social · 9h

Well yeah, the WaPo is owned by Bezos. But see my first post for context.

Amanda Marcotte @amandamarcotte.bsky.social · 11h

Facts unmoored from story mean nothing. You can tell yourself they do, but I spend enough time on Bluesky to see, even in this progressive space, people are utterly uninterested in sharing any story that doesn't fit a narrative they are invested in.

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Amanda Marcotte @amandamarcotte.bsky.social · 11h

The folks saying "well you can cover it without an angle" are missing the point. None of you would click that! Media narratives matter and denying it isn't helpful. Journalists aren't able to *force* people to care about stuff. They have to provide a "why" that resonates with folks.

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Amanda Marcotte @amandamarcotte.bsky.social · 11h

Seems Gamergate will never die.

I can't believe we've become a fascist country because so many men are too lazy to take a break from video games to jerk off to real porn.

x.com/mrphillipcha...

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Amanda Marcotte @amandamarcotte.bsky.social · 11h

The perennial problem with Trump these days is it's hard to tell if he's speaking from dementia or just lying again.

I think that's one reason the press doesn't know how to cover it. It's unclear if he's really this deluded/forgetful, or if he's just lying.

www.mediaite.com/politics/tru...

Trump Forgets He Was President During Capitol Riot, Blames ‘THE BIDEN FBI’ for Jan. 6 in Dead-of-Night Post

President Donald Trump blamed the Capitol riot on former President Joe Biden, claiming that “THE BIDEN FBI” had placed agents in the crowd that had assembled in Washington, D.C. on Jan. 6. 2021.

www.mediaite.com

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Amanda Marcotte @amandamarcotte.bsky.social · 15h

I truly believe the ICE raids upset most people. And for soft Trump voters, it creates an incentive to move left and pretend the never voted for Trump.

Fine if they need a "we didn't know" narrative. But hammering the fuck out of this issue, making it inescapable on social media, is the move.

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Amanda Marcotte @amandamarcotte.bsky.social · 15h

That's why so many young men's votes were moved on an issue that Trump couldn't change if he tried: their resentment that feminism has made it easier for women to hold out, rather than settling for a mediocre and unsatisfying guy. Trump can't change that.

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Amanda Marcotte @amandamarcotte.bsky.social · 15h

Democrats should really learn the concept of "realized preference." There's a difference between what people say and what actually moves them. The latter tends to be more emotional.

Part of it is people don't know what they want. Part of it is they want the pollster to see them as "rational."

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Amanda Marcotte @amandamarcotte.bsky.social · 15h

What's important here is that it's the ICE raids that are capturing their attention.

This is why the reliance on focus groups and polls and the inevitable claim that voters only care about "kitchen table" issues misses the mark.

paulwaldman.substack.com/p/why-trump-...

Why Trump Lost the Podcast Bros

It's cool to support the Rebellion. It's not cool to support the Empire.

paulwaldman.substack.com

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Reposted by Amanda Marcotte

Ryan J. Reilly “paints a vivid and urgent portrait of… disarray” @ryanjreilly.com · 1d

PORTLAND, Ore. — A small group of federal agents in camouflage and face masks watched from atop the immigration processing center Thursday night as a unicorn, peacock, dinosaur and raccoon danced to Cher’s “If I Could Turn Back Time.” www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news...

Costumed protesters in Portland defy description of the city as a 'war zone'

Dancing frogs, peacocks and unicorns outside the federal immigration building present a joyful contrast to the Trump administration's portrait of the Oregon city, they say.

www.nbcnews.com

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Amanda Marcotte @amandamarcotte.bsky.social · 1d

I suspect one reason they hide their identities is to conceal past restraining orders and DV arrests.

Redsky @redsky.pirhoo.com · 1d

Northwest Chicago Suburb: ICE Agents Rip 15-Year-Old Girl from Car, Slam Her to Ground She Screams Im 15! as Man Kneels on Her Neck

Link | Subreddit

Northwest Chicago Suburb: ICE Agents Rip 15-Year-Old Girl from Car, Slam Her to Ground She Screams Im 15! as Man Kneels on Her Neck

www.reddit.com

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Amanda Marcotte @amandamarcotte.bsky.social · 2d

Democrats are winning shutdown.

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 2d

Trump: "Drug prices are going to be going down 100%, 400%, 600%, 1,000% in some cases."

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Amanda Marcotte @amandamarcotte.bsky.social · 2d

Tbf that would rule

Amanda Marcotte @amandamarcotte.bsky.social · 2d

They love it =\ it has reach beyond weirdoes and losers.

Amanda Marcotte @amandamarcotte.bsky.social · 2d

Also it is important to highlight how men who sign up for ICE are impotent small dicks who want to feel tough but only pick on teen girls, priests and kids in frog costumes, because they are afraid of picking on someone their own size.

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Reposted by Amanda Marcotte

dr. caitlin m. green @caitlinmoriah.bsky.social · 2d

there are SO many more inflatable costumes tonight. clearly we have settled on a motif

Wide shot of many people in inflatable costumes

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Reposted by Amanda Marcotte

Adam Serwer @adamserwer.bsky.social · 3d

www.wweek.com/culture/2025...

Can you put into words what that purpose is? You and the frog have really become icons of this protest.

There’s been a nice overall whimsy that has shown up. The frog is amazing. We had a bunch of other inflatable people here last night, too. I saw people playing Twister the other day.

What they rely on is fear. So by coming out in an absurdist manner, it speaks to them, to some extent, that we’re actually not that afraid.

It also dismantles their narrative a little bit. When they try to describe this situation as “war-torn,” it becomes much harder to take them seriously when they have to post a video saying [U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security] Kristi Noem is up on the balcony staring over the Antifa Army and it’s, like, eight journalists and five protesters and one of them is in a chicken suit.

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