Samantha Bee uses the North Carolina GOP power grab to urge local action, not Facebook petitions

Samantha Bee urges Democrats to get off Facebook and pay attention

(Image credit: Full Frontal)

published 20 December 2016

Earlier this month, North Carolina's lame duck governor, Pat McCrory (R), called a special legislative session to deal with natural disasters in the state — then used that session to deal with the real "natural disaster," his unseating by a Democrat, Roy Cooper, Samantha Bee said on Monday's Full Frontal. "Ironically, it's the first natural disaster North Carolinians can legitimately blame on tolerance for LGBT people." The GOP-dominated legislature used the special session to pre-emptively strip Cooper of many of his powers, under twin rationales: Because they can, and because Democrats did something similar in the 1970s.

"Oh my god, this is a preview of the King Trump times, isn't it?" Bee asked. "And there's not a lot Democrats can do about it because respecting the will of voters is more of a norm than a law." She didn't dwell on North Carolina, though — or Game of Thrones, much. Instead she found a practical lesson hidden in plain sight under the layers of Machiavellian legislating. And she didn't just blame Republicans.

"The states truly are laboratories of democracy, in that some of them are working hard to cure democracy like it's a virus," Bee said. "That is what happens when we don't read local news because it's not in our Facebook feed. While Democrats are busy signing petitions and frantically googling the word 'emoluments,' savvy Republicans get elected to the statehouse, shut the door, and go hog-f—ing wild, until one day you wake up and wonder, 'Hey, where'd the Planned Parenthood go, and why is my tap water so thick?' So if you're looking for a place to put your energies, stop trying to overturn a national election and start working on a local election. They matter!" Watch below. Peter Weber

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.