Man, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is an effective speaker, and Yoho is lower than slime. Fortunately, Yoho is not running for re-election and will not have to show his shameful face around congress much longer.
Rep @AOC: "I do not need Rep. Yoho to apologize to me. Clearly he does not want to. Clearly when given the opportunity he will not & I will not stay up late at night waiting for an apology from a man who has no remorse over calling women & using abusive language towards women." pic.twitter.com/XKymFh3Oyf
— CSPAN (@cspan) July 23, 2020
You watched it all, I hope. That was strong stuff from AOC.
Bonus! Alexandra Petri stuffs Yoho’s not-pology back up the bunghole it came out of!
You’re wrong, PZ. That wasn’t powerful…that made powerful look weak by comparison. If only we could ever have a POTUS with the same basic understanding of decency and justice.
powerful* should’ve been *strong
Awesome! 👏 👏 👏 👏
Every time I hear her speak, I’m impressed.
Let’s see. She turns 35 in 2024. Perfect. Next president, please.
I doubt Yoho would have regurgitated so violently, had he not been a lame duck
@3: Only trouble is, AOC will have to wait until Joe’s Veep has had her turn. I’ll wait till 2028 if I have to or even 2032 (if I’m spared that long — I’ll be, counts fingers and toes, the same age my dad was when he shuffled off this mortal coil) but I completely agree that she is Presidential caliber. Or timber as we used to say. Or whatever she wants. Brightest young political talent I can recall in many a year.
Why do so many men hate young intelligent women who dare to question the status quo? Don’t tell me, I know this one…
What I wouldn’t give for being this articulate and generally badass! 😍
nomdeplume @6: Women like that threaten to expose that the men’s feelings of superiority are total lies.
Less emotional than Julia Gillard’s mysogeny speech against Tony Abbot but more powerful in construction and effect.
She gives me hope for the US.
Proud to share a first name with Alexandria OC and Alexandra P. I thought I was pretty smart at that age. Sheesh. These women are incredible! Fuck ’em up Alexandria!
@9 Those two speeches could in themselves constitute university and school courses.
that speech and the results of the confrontation the other day I hope are illustrations that things have changed in a fundamental way. After months of a feeling of hopelessness I chose to look at things that way today. Tomorrow it might look different.
uncle frogy
AOC hit all the right notes. I especially liked the way she castigated him for saying he has daughters as if it’s a shield against him saying bad things about women and then telling him that what he did gave other men license to say bad things about his daughters. It’s like saying “I have a black friend” as exculpation for saying something racist.
Heh, nice. And that link – now that was a pleasant but of experimental role-reversing satire, a Petri Diss, as it were.
=8)-DX
Petesh@5, That’s just the problem–Democrats are “taking turns” for the party’s candidacy. That is problematic for a number of reasons:
1) It means that the best candidate may not have enough party support up front.
2) It means that the new party favorite is 4-8 years older when they get their shot–a recipe for nominating older and potentially more sclerotic candidates
3) It means that the candidate was already judged the “second best” by the party faithful.
4) Election issues change, so the candidate that came in second last time may be running on issues on which he/she is not strong
5) It gives the Rethug propaganda/lie machine a target on which they can turn all their firepower for 4-8 years prior to the next primary.
The candidate should be the one that appeals to the moment.
AOC is a powerful speaker and she should be a power to be contended with for years to come.
But I am not holding my breath that the old (quite literally) guard of the Republican Party will take heed.
@15: Let’s not bicker and fight about who killed who. Especially before the November 2020 election.
You make some valid points, and if someone is 70 I certainly think they should not wait another four or eight years (though I’m now committed to voting for Biden) but worrying about AOC getting a little more experience when she’s is now not qualified by reason of age and would only just squeeze in by 2024 is … a bit premature.
DanDare #9 – I was thinking of Gillard while watching that speech, too. But from the differences as much as the similarities – how the different tone and content tell you a lot about the different privilege levels of the two women, while they are still talking (passionately and articulately) on a topic of their shared oppression.
Julia Gillard was the Prime Minister, replying to the Opposition Leader accusing her of sexism herself (for quotas within the Labour party, if I recall correctly – it’s been 10 years though, so I might be wrong on this detail) – think Pelosi getting lectured by Kevin McCarthy, and then ripping into him for being utterly wrong.
Gillard was older, white, in a position of power. She still had a sexist attack on her (one of thousands in her brief stint as PM, but the one coming from the highest source). Also less conventionally attractive, with more time in politics (I think age, race and position are the axes that make the biggest difference, though).
I don’t think any LNP member would have dared call Gillard a “fucking bitch” in front of the press. They were sexist as hell, but she had enough power that that just wouldn’t have happened. In private, sure. But not in front of the press.
The age also made a big difference – AOC was talking about being someone’s daughter. She was talking to someone with daughters older than her, and that was a big part of the “Can’t you see the consequences of being such a dipshit?” angle. She was talking about the culture in general, and how Yoho’s words played into existing structures. Gillard was talking more about her own experiences, and specifically the history of what this one man, Abbott, has said over his long career (and hers).
Finally, I think (though correct me on this) there was a difference in preparedness. AOC managed to not be as emotional in the moment because she had time to think and prepare. Gillard was responding, with power and rage, to an insult given right then and there.
Both powerful speeches. Powerfully different, even though the same underlying subject matter. Both necessary. Both true.
Native to NYC right here. I voted for her both times she ran . I’m still proud of her . Love you AOC.
Can’t help but be struck by how well put together and delivered her thoughts are, apparently extempore. Such a contrast with the dull boli of glop ejected from you know Yoho.
Shows you where the bar is set for entry and where it can be when people pay honest attention and vote responsibly.