Remember that thread about how GOP office holders are avoiding town halls??

ProfJohn

Lifer
Jul 28, 2006
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I think Nancy Pelosi just found out why.

During a recent town hall she was faced with hecklers who went after her for voting for the debt bill.
Video at the link.
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/vi...led_at_town_hall_over_debt_bill_sell_out.html
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi was heckled several times at a town hall meeting in response to her vote for the "Satan sandwich" debt ceiling bill in Oakland, California.

Pelosi received the crowd's wrath after touting that the Democrats were able to get no cuts in entitlements in the deal. However, this was still not enough.

"Sell-out!" ... "Why did you vote for it?" ... "You voted for that Satan sandwich!" were just some of the phrases that were yelled at Pelosi.

Is the fact that everyone hates the bill a good sign or a bad sign?
 
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Jhhnn

IN MEMORIAM
Nov 11, 1999
62,365
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Republicans are very much in the position of needing to control the message and the conversation, and Town Hall meetings don't do that, unless deliberately stacked with shills.

It's easy enough to endorse the Ryan plan, for example, from the safety of your office, even claim you don't when you do, but a lot tougher in the face of Seniors & the nearly 2/3 of the voting public that support raising taxes at the top, not lowering them...
 

Younigue

Diamond Member
Feb 5, 2017
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Looked for a thread that I could ponder this point.

Few people deny that politicians in general are a sketchy bunch but what's with this cowardice? What picture do those politicians believe they are painting of themselves by not holding town halls? How is their cowardice good for them? They aren't only sending this message to the opposition but to their supporters as well. Do their supporters support their cowardice? Do their supporters care more about their chosen politicians feelings than getting answers?

I'm really asking. I would appreciate some thoughts on this please because I'm baffled.
 

jackstar7

Lifer
Jun 26, 2009
11,679
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Looked for a thread that I could ponder this point.

Few people deny that politicians in general are a sketchy bunch but what's with this cowardice? What picture do those politicians believe they are painting of themselves by not holding town halls? How is their cowardice good for them? They aren't only sending this message to the opposition but to their supporters as well. Do their supporters support their cowardice? Do their supporters care more about their chosen politicians feelings than getting answers?

I'm really asking. I would appreciate some thoughts on this please because I'm baffled.
Their high-money donors don't give a shit about town halls, because they get meetings directly. And that money will buy all the media needed to convince the same folks that these are the people that care about them... because obviously.
 

dainthomas

Lifer
Dec 7, 2004
14,948
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Republicans are very much in the position of needing to control the message and the conversation, and Town Hall meetings don't do that, unless deliberately stacked with shills.

It's easy enough to endorse the Ryan plan, for example, from the safety of your office, even claim you don't when you do, but a lot tougher in the face of Seniors & the nearly 2/3 of the voting public that support raising taxes at the top, not lowering them...

Greg Walden did a town hall in Hood River, Oregon. They were raking him over the coals for voting to slash Medicaid. When he tried to deflect by saying what a threat North Korea was, the crowd openly laughed at him.

These guys are in for a rude awakening next November.
 
Jan 25, 2011
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Greg Walden did a town hall in Hood River, Oregon. They were raking him over the coals for voting to slash Medicaid. When he tried to deflect by saying what a threat North Korea was, the crowd openly laughed at him.

These guys are in for a rude awakening next November.
You hope. They were dreaming for supporting Trump too. How'd that work out?
 

Younigue

Diamond Member
Feb 5, 2017
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Their high-money donors don't give a shit about town halls, because they get meetings directly. And that money will buy all the media needed to convince the same folks that these are the people that care about them... because obviously.
I agree many voters can and will be swayed easily but I'm beginning to wonder how many of these politicians are underestimating the effect their cowardice may have. I know it disgusts me and I would feel that way regardless of party.
 

jackstar7

Lifer
Jun 26, 2009
11,679
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I agree many voters can and will be swayed easily but I'm beginning to wonder how many of these politicians are underestimating the effect their cowardice may have. I know it disgusts me and I would feel that way regardless of party.
Oh, should it have consequences? Absolutely.

Do I think it will... I'm not confident yet.

So far the left is super-fired-up... but the right is still mostly pleased to be drinking those lib tears.
 

Younigue

Diamond Member
Feb 5, 2017
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Oh, should it have consequences? Absolutely.

Do I think it will... I'm not confident yet.

So far the left is super-fired-up... but the right is still mostly pleased to be drinking those lib tears.

True enough. It's not the salt content is it?

Two/four years is a long time and in an instant gratification nation memories are short and minds can easily be molded.
 

Younigue

Diamond Member
Feb 5, 2017
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Because the average town hall is like this:

And they opted to run for office. It's part of the job to listen to their constituents even if they don't like what they are saying or how loud and upset they are saying it to them.
 

Londo_Jowo

Lifer
Jan 31, 2010
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londojowo.hypermart.net
Maybe they should be required to show their voter registration cards to enter to ensure they're actually constituents and not people from outside the respective congressional district.
 

Younigue

Diamond Member
Feb 5, 2017
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Maybe they should be required to show their voter registration cards to enter to ensure they're actually constituents and not people from outside the respective congressional district.
Then those politicians can't take money from people outside of their districts.
 

hal2kilo

Lifer
Feb 24, 2009
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Maybe they should be required to show their voter registration cards to enter to ensure they're actually constituents and not people from outside the respective congressional district.
Our new technique is if the coward won't show up for his town meeting then, the neighboring Democratic congressman shows up. How long do you think they can keep this hiding game up.
 
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Londo_Jowo

Lifer
Jan 31, 2010
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Our new technique is if the coward won't show up for his town meeting then, the neighboring Democratic congressman shows up. How long do you think they can keep this hiding game up.
Do you honestly think a congressman that received over 60% of the vote will actually get voted out in 2018 because people outside his district want to disrupt a town hall meeting. I say the voters that elected the congressman will do so again.
 

Younigue

Diamond Member
Feb 5, 2017
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Our new technique is if the coward won't show up for his town meeting then, the neighboring Democratic congressman shows up. How long do you think they can keep this hiding game up.
I absolutely love that idea! I read something about that a while back and I found it deeply amusing.