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Are Town Hall meetings running amok?
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What exactly is a “town hall meeting”?
We hear this term used on almost a daily basis (hourly during election campaigns) to describe the phenomenon that brings elected officials and/or candidates together with ‘ordinary folk’. In a perfect town hall environment, it gives citizens the opportunity to talk personally in a relaxed atmosphere about those issues of the day that matter and concern them. The concept of town hall meetings is borrowed from New England where small towns still get together to discuss issues.
Politicians have seized upon the ‘town hall’ concept as a way to promote themselves first, party second and ideas third. Message is usually “I care about you”. Normally this is a great way to win the hearts and minds of voters.
Not so now.
Forget about the relaxed atmosphere. Gone.
The wonderful Politico website reports the following:
“Screaming constituents, protesters dragged out by the cops, congressmen fearful for their safety — welcome to the new town-hall-style meeting, the once-staid forum that is rapidly turning into a house of horrors for members of Congress.”
Ask Tim Bishop, a Democratic congressman from New York who told Politico, referring to his decision recently to suspend town hall events in his Long Island district; “I had felt they would be pointless; “There is no point in meeting with my constituents and [to] listen to them and have them listen to you if what is basically an unruly mob prevents you from having an intelligent conversation.”
Republicans, whilst not yet gleeful (as they have their own problems), are keeping an eye on the mood at town hall meetings and looking at what this means for the mid terms and the next presidential election.
The Chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee, Pete Sessions from Texas said “The days of you having a town hall meeting where maybe 15 or 20 of your friends show up — they’re over. You’ve now got real people who are showing up — and that’s going to be a factor.” When Sessions was asked how or whether the Republican Party would use these increasing confrontations against Democratic congressmen and the President himself, Sessions replied “wait until next year.”
Last night on FOX, Sean Hannity, said “Democrats are afraid to show up at these Town Halls.”
Dick Morris, author of the NYT’s best seller Catastrophe replied “this has got to be a time of unbelievable pressure (for Democrats).”
Tea parties, town hall meetings; it would seem the natives are, indeed restless. It is no coincidence Glenn Beck’s “Common Sense’ continues to top the best seller lists nation-wide.
Americans are fed up.
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