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Stephen Robinson

@playtyperguy.com

9.1K followers 2.4K following 6.7K posts

Independent journalist. I write words for Public Notice, the AV Club, and elsewhere. Subscribe to my newsletter The Play Typer Guy for more content (https://www.playtyperguy.com/subscribe)

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Stephen Robinson @playtyperguy.com · Nov 12

Welcome to new followers.

I’m Stephen Robinson. Years ago, my son once described me to his pre-school teacher as a “play typer guy,” which is the name of my Substack newsletter, where I write about art and politics, and my podcast, where I interview fun people.

www.playtyperguy.com/subscribe

Subscribe to The Play Typer Guy

I write about politics, the arts, and something else that interests you. Click to read The Play Typer Guy, by Stephen Robinson, a Substack publication with thousands of subscribers.

www.playtyperguy.com

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Missing The Point @missingthept.bsky.social · 1d

President Trump just sits in his chair and watches.

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 1d

Melania Trump: "President Putin and I have had an open channel of communication."

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Oliver Willis @owillis.bsky.social · 1d

Opposing a power mad despot is literally the most American thing an American can do. These guys got a lot wrong but they nailed that one. It is fundamental to the core of this country.

Signing of the Declaration of Independence

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Popehat Agitates And Irritates @kenwhite.bsky.social · 7h

Should the New York Times be sold to Pennysaver and its editors sent to work in Amazon warehouses? It depends on who you ask.

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Brando Garcia @brandogarcia.bsky.social · 4h

Probably because just like their “straw man unreliable Democrat” they prefer beating up on other Democrats to actually diverting fire towards the opposition party.

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Stephen Robinson @playtyperguy.com · 4h

Yeah, but *moderates* broke from Obama early on — starting with Lieberman. Manchin openly ran against Obama’s policies in 2012. I think it surprises Dems that “moderate” GOP is still loyal to Trump

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Brando Garcia @brandogarcia.bsky.social · 5h

The GOP equivalent of what the establishment Dems are now would be like telling everyone to shut up and get behind Jeb!, he’s got this, it’s you right wingers who are to blame if he loses, never mind if he never overturns Roe.

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Robyn Pennacchia @robynelyse.bsky.social · 5h

I actually feel like constantly making this argument is a far bigger problem than the infighting. Like, stop drawing attention to it if you think it's so terrible!

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Justin LaLiberty @jlalibs.com · 6h

What an absolute treasure Diane Keaton was. Her wit never tired, nor did her style.

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Stephen Robinson @playtyperguy.com · 5h

In both cases, the mainstream choice didn’t inspire the irregular voters who stayed home

Stephen Robinson @playtyperguy.com · 5h

2008 and 2012 happened, though

bjkeefe @bjkeefe.bsky.social · 6h

I don't think @sunmonkey23.bsky.social is completely wrong. The GOP did have power struggles as you say, but once a winner emerges, they rally round much better than the Dems do.

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Veronica McDonald @veronicamcdonald.bsky.social · 17h

You know what? That is a good question. How does the GOP Lt. Gov nominee John Reid (who is gay) feel about Winsome Sears saying preventing gay people from getting married and firing gay people from their jobs for being gay is not discrimination?

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Rima I Anabtawi @rimaanabtawi.bsky.social · 5h

If ever there were two incongruous words, Diane and died. Impossibly awful to bid this beautiful, incredible powerhouse and firebrand goodbye.

The New York Times @nytimes.com · 6h

Breaking News: Diane Keaton, who played some 100 movie and TV roles and won the best-actress Oscar for “Annie Hall,” has died at 79. www.nytimes.com/2025/10/11/m...

Diane Keaton is smiling and looking to her right. She is wearing a black jacket, a white blouse, a black hat and glasses. A headline reads: "1946-2025: Diane Keaton." Photo by Amy Sussman/Getty Images

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Gennifer Hutchison @gennhutchison.bsky.social · 6h

Any politician can and should do this! It's easy, actually, to stand up for the folks who need it the most.

Lovely write-up by Katelyn here.

Katelyn Boo-urns @katelynburns.com · 12h

I wrote a little about some of the little details you might have missed in this video and why it hit me so hard as a trans person this morning:

www.burnsnotice.com/you-have-to-...

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Zohran Kwame Mamdani @zohrankmamdani.bsky.social · 14h

UNTIL IT’S DONE, Ep. 4: Sylvia Rivera

In the 1970s, queer New Yorkers had been pushed to the margins of NYC. Our trans neighbors faced immense cruelty. But in Sylvia Rivera, they found a champion.

As we combat Trump’s politics of darkness, her legacy can light the path forward.

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Stephen Robinson @playtyperguy.com · 6h

Trump won in particular bc he excited irregular voters but rank and file GOP establishment backed him nonetheless bc that’s how they could win. As @owillis.bsky.social has pointed out, the equivalent to Trump’s victories would be rank and file Dems rallying behind AOC or Mamdani

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Stephen Robinson @playtyperguy.com · 6h

This fundamentally ignores how Trump gained power. It ignores how the GOP won in 2010 (the Tea Party rout of moderates). It ignores how Gingrich replaced a GOP leader who supported “bipartisanship.” This narrative is willful ignorance at this point.

Mayor of Crazy Town @sunmonkey23.bsky.social · 8h

You know why the Republicans continue to win? They’re loyal to their party. None of this kind of circular firing squad purity testing. It will continue to sink us. Save those conversations for after we wrestle control from the fascists. I’m just saying. It’s go time and we need a solid line! ✌️☮️🕊️

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M. Strom 🇨🇦 @mstrom.bsky.social · 11h

I remember in February I watched an interview with Mélanie Joly, the then minister of Foreign Affairs for Canada

"But he's joking," the American said, about the threat of annexing Canada.

I don't remember exactly what Mélanie Joly replied with, but it summed up to "We don't see it as a joke."

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 12h

New in PN: He's never "just joking"

"Trump is an aspiring autocrat with obvious physical and mental issues, but Johnson and his Republican cronies are insulting our intelligence about it."

He's never "just joking"

And Republicans know it, even as they play dumb.

www.publicnotice.co

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Noah Berlatsky @nberlat.bsky.social · 1d

there's really just zero motivation for Ds to negotiate when they're saying things like this. if they're just going to rule by recissision anyway, might as well make them admit they're gutting the fillibuster in order to destroy healthcare.

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 1d

Q: Rescission are something Dems have said is a reason for a lack of trust. What rescissions are you discussing?

JOHNSON: We have more than $37t in debt. We're doing everything we can to get us back to sound fiscal responsibility. What does that include? A rescission package is part of our process

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@GottaLaff @gottalaff.bsky.social · 12h

Trump doesn't joke.

Although he is the butt of many jokes.

But he does not joke.

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 12h

New in PN: He's never "just joking"

"Trump is an aspiring autocrat with obvious physical and mental issues, but Johnson and his Republican cronies are insulting our intelligence about it."

He's never "just joking"

And Republicans know it, even as they play dumb.

www.publicnotice.co

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Eric Michael Garcia @ericmgarcia.bsky.social · 12h

I think it was @janecoaston.bsky.social who said in 2024, the main argument Republicans would make for Trump was “he doesn’t mean that”

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 12h

New in PN: He's never "just joking"

"Trump is an aspiring autocrat with obvious physical and mental issues, but Johnson and his Republican cronies are insulting our intelligence about it."

He's never "just joking"

And Republicans know it, even as they play dumb.

www.publicnotice.co

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oldladylife.bsky.social @oldladylife.bsky.social · 12h

“A President Harris would be expected to apologize for even a mild slight against a congressional leader that ruined a key deal. “Just joking” wouldn’t cut it, but with Trump, the GOP acts as if it’s perfectly reasonable for the president to act like an elderly Jerky Boy.”

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 12h

New in PN: He's never "just joking"

"Trump is an aspiring autocrat with obvious physical and mental issues, but Johnson and his Republican cronies are insulting our intelligence about it."

He's never "just joking"

And Republicans know it, even as they play dumb.

www.publicnotice.co

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Mona Burns @monaburns.bsky.social · 12h

PN:
"The mainstream media has consistently sanewashed Trump’s incoherent blather, but it has also enabled a false narrative that he’s actually a merry jester who we shouldn’t take so seriously, no matter how unhinged he sounds. Turns out the joke is on us."

Good read today:

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 12h

New in PN: He's never "just joking"

"Trump is an aspiring autocrat with obvious physical and mental issues, but Johnson and his Republican cronies are insulting our intelligence about it."

He's never "just joking"

And Republicans know it, even as they play dumb.

www.publicnotice.co

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Kevin Young Propagandist @jfloyd314.bsky.social · 3d

This shutdown is utterly unique in US political history in that it essentially stems entirely from the House majority's total inability to do anything but run in circles trying to satisfy the whims of an unstable, incompetent, self-obsessed president. It doesn't obey normal political rules.

Travis Mason-Bushman @snarkranger.bsky.social · 3d

Mike Johnson furiously backpedaling on the back pay thing is a pretty good indication that nobody in the GOP has the slightest clue how to deal with the shutdown.

Jennifer Shutt @jennifershutt.bsky.social · 3d

Speaker Johnson appears to say furloughed federal workers should get back pay under 2019 law

"It has always been the case. It is tradition and I think it is statutory law that federal employees be paid. And that’s my position."

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Stephen Robinson @playtyperguy.com · 22h

This @uber driver at @pdxairport is apparently afraid of rejection

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Adam Kinzinger @adamkinzinger.substack.com · 1d

Just a reminder, the layoffs in govt were just done out of spite, not necessity

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