What video adds to my writing

One reason turning “Standing Room Only” into a show has been so invigorating is that I get to work with a team of producers. They invariably find new information that adds new angles to my writing. So it was this week, with our video about the MAGA obsession with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

While digging through clips of right-wing pundits talking about AOC, producer Bennett Taren realized they frequently fall into praising her for her skills, her good looks, and her charisma. Those clips, and what I learned from it, ended up in the final video. These opportunities to go deeper, whether in analysis or just plain humor, are why this show is shaping up to be a fun addition to my previous life as mostly a scribbler.

Yes, Mamdani’s win has national implications

The guest on this week’s episode was Elizabeth Spiers, a New York Times contributing opinion writer whose sharp analysis of the Zohran Mamdani win in the New Republic impressed me. She had even more smart things to say about it, and what it means for AOC, on the show. Check out this short clip!

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Encore song of the week: “Generals” by The Damned

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