Notices by Amanda Marcotte (amandamarcotte@mastodon.sdf.org)

Mike Johnson's fake "Jefferson prayer" didn't read like an honest mistake, but a deliberate provocation. He even mocked historians in his intro.

I put his stunt into context. Fake history is a linchpin weapon of Christian nationalists.
https://www.salon.com/2025/01/07/why-mike-johnsons-fake-jefferson-prayer-matters/

New Standing Room Only! Today's excerpt: Fascism is the revenge of mediocrities like Elon Musk.

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Music by Le Tigre.

With Trump coming into office, MAGA is likely to get more violent. The desire to go full brownshirt has always been part of the movement.

They'll also feel safe from consequences, with Kash Patel in charge.

https://www.salon.com/2024/12/30/this-is-trumps-america-now-maga-diehards-jumpstart-a-new-year-of-political-violence/

Straights aren't pairing off like they used to, and the press wants to blame women — for daring to have standards.

I argue that it's MAGA that broke heterosexuality. They make it seem like hell. Of course more women are taking a pass.

https://www.salon.com/2024/12/27/tradwives-incels-and-cat-ladies-the-year-maga-broke-heterosexuality/

New Standing Room Only! Today's excerpt is about what the stupid "raw milk" thing tells us about fascism.

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Music by (who else?) Kelis.

New Standing Room Only! The military coup in South Korea made me realize that Trump's campaign probably swiped his 2024 strategy from Yoon Suk Yeol.

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Music by Modjo.

Both Texas and Georgia are destroying evidence of all maternal mortality, blocking proof that women are dying from abortion bans.

This story has a lot more going on than you think. Especially since Republicans are lying about the public cases.

https://www.salon.com/2024/12/02/dont-care-if-women-from-abortion-bans--but-they-dont-want-you-to-know-about-it/

In the bargaining stage of grief, some Democrats — from the Pod Save crew to Jared Polis — are wondering if it's time to indulge conspiracy theorists instead of holding the line on the truth.

The answer is "hell no." Here's why.

https://www.salon.com/2024/11/27/no-progressives-should-not-embrace-conspiracy-theories-to-win/

New Standing Room Only! Today's excerpt: Why the rape accusation against Pete Hegseth matters.

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Music by Fever Ray.

New Standing Room Only! Today's excerpt: How Mike Johnson's short term thinking could do long-term damage to the Christian right.

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Music by Erma Franklin.

The lesson from Gaetz's collapse: Not just that resistance can work, but how to do it in a smart and effective way.

Building on prior analysis of authoritarians' weaknesses, I look at why Gaetz imploded and how that can be used going forward.

https://www.salon.com/2024/11/22/resistance-is-not-futile-matt-gaetzs-implosion-shows-how-magas-chaos-can-be-turned-against/

My goal this time is not to just be outraged, which is what they want. Instead, the goal is to calmly analyze the tactics of fascists, so they are less effective.

I draw a line between the harassment of Sarah McBride and online abuse like Gamergate.

https://www.salon.com/2024/11/21/of-hate-maga-in-congress-wage-harassment-campaign-against-trans-colleague/

Mike Johnson is being called a hypocrite for covering for Matt Gaetz.

But I argue that, at this point, covering for bad men should be considered a religious tradition for the Christian right.

https://www.salon.com/2024/11/20/how-mike-johnsons-christian-morality-provides-cover-for-matt-gaetz/

Why read instead of just snarking in mentions: I am serious that this isn't "hypocrisy."

Instead, I outline how the Christian right has crafted a theology where sexual predators are blameless, and it's the victims — women and girls — who are faulted.

https://www.salon.com/2024/11/20/how-mike-johnsons-christian-morality-provides-cover-for-matt-gaetz/

Voters backed both Trump and progressive policies like minimum wage hikes and abortion rights. This disconnect is the answer to the "how did this happen" question.

A lot of voters are profoundly ignorant. More so than in the past. I explore why.

https://www.salon.com/2024/11/08/americas-political-discordance-the-want-progressivism/

The MAGA tantrum over wives secretly voting for Harris is funny. But it's also alarming.

This is GOP leadership normalizing the attitudes that research has long shown lead to domestic violence.

But then again, they're voting for a sexual assailant.

https://www.salon.com/2024/11/05/bracing-for-magas-backlash-the-strategy-behind-secret-kamala-harris-is-safety/

Far too many voters think that because Trump is terrible for women, it means he's good for men.

But Trump offers men *nothing*.

He can tank the economy, dudes, but he can't make your wife come back.

https://www.salon.com/2024/11/04/is-terrible-for-women-but-that-doesnt-mean-hes-good-for-men/

Why read past headlines (and share with men who need to get it):

Trump's plan is to tank the economy. Elon Musk says that is the *goal*.

Maybe they don't listen to women. But I quote multiple men, including Musk, who reveal the economic truth.

https://www.salon.com/2024/11/04/is-terrible-for-women-but-that-doesnt-mean-hes-good-for-men/

I interviewed former Republican women at an event in Philly.

What was striking was how deciding to leave the party often came at a high price. They alienated family, friends, and even often had to leave their church.

https://www.salon.com/2024/10/21/i-started-to-learn-what-patriarchy-was-how-donald-pushed-women-out-of-the/

"You claim the only way to correct course is to censor people."

Check out my interview with Stanford professor Adrian Daub about how "cancel culture" is a moral panic, used to justify censorship and repression.

https://www.salon.com/2024/10/08/feedback-effects-the-real-censorship-caused-by-fake-cancel-culture-outrage/