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)

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.

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Peter Weber, The Week US

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.