Protestors confront politicians at town halls megathread

[Ronnie]

I wasn't aware that not supporting non-stop funding increases for a military whose budget is already 600+ billion dollars was un-American and qualified as not supporting our troops.

I think their political tactic here resembles Sarah Palin's playbook: trying to drive a wedge between people who perceive themselves to be hard-working, patriotic, genteel, Christian, "real" Americans; and tawdry, military-hating, Hollywood liberal, anti-Americans.  By heightening polarization in this way, they hope they can compel just enough of the country (or their respective districts, states, etc.) to be on their side.

We are reaching (or have already reached) a point in which there is longer even a veneer of civility in our politics.  Politicians and their strategists are keenly aware of the fact that entire swaths of the country hate each other now, and are trying squeeze as much political capital as they can out of it.  It's what Donald Trump did, and I imagine it's going to continue to characterize our politics.

[#TheShadowyAbyss]

This Graham town hall is roudy

[Absentee Voting Ghost of Ruin]

"Auschwitz Survivor Confronts ICE Director: 'History Is Not On Your Side'"
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/auschwitz-survivor-ice_us_58db5eafe4b0546370632b4f

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[pbrower2a]

No easy time in Utah

Constituents booed and heckled Rep. Chris Stewart (R-Utah) Friday evening at a town hall meeting in Salt Lake City, where audience members questioned him on issues including immigration and President Donald Trump’s Russia ties.

More than 1,000 people attended Friday’s town hall at West High School, the first held in the state since Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) claimed protesters at a forum he held in February were paid. The Salt Lake Tribune reported that members of the audience frequently shouted at Stewart to “do your job,” called him a “liar” and asked “who are you in bed with?” They also held up signs that read “agree” or “disagree” to show the congressman how they felt about his responses to questions.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/chris-stewart-town-hall_us_58dfb399e4b0b3918c83e79e?2r4nqtka1hismunmi&&

[ApatheticAustrian]

https://twitter.com/daveweigel/status/850387892144918530

[Ebsy]

https://twitter.com/daveweigel/status/850387892144918530

I see Costello figured out how to have a townhall where there can't be any embarrassing footage.

[vote for pedro]

https://twitter.com/daveweigel/status/850387892144918530

I see Costello figured out how to have a townhall where there can't be any embarrassing footage.

Surely you have the resources to get fake ID for your traveling agitators.   And I doubt they will take away your cell phones.

[pbrower2a]

Fake driver's licenses? On short notice?

[Ebsy]

What a bizarre nonsequitor.

[Chancellor Tanterterg]

https://twitter.com/daveweigel/status/850387892144918530

I see Costello figured out how to have a townhall where there can't be any embarrassing footage.

Surely you have the resources to get fake ID for your traveling agitators.   And I doubt they will take away your cell phones.

You'd think so, but unfortunately George Soros only pays for our travel expenses   I guess the fake IDs were too expensive *shrug*

[The Arizonan]

https://twitter.com/daveweigel/status/850387892144918530

When I went to a Bobby Scott town hall a few years ago, they didn't even check any of my IDs.

What happens if you are stationed or going to college in Ryan Costello's district but you don't actually live there? Do they make you leave?

[Ebsy]

I would hope that whatever fascist thugs Costello dispatches to ensure no outside agitators disturb the tranquility of the event would allow anyone with a military ID in.

[Gass3268]

Attendees chat "you lie" to Joe "You Lie" Wilson (R-SC02)

[pbrower2a]

Attendees chat "you lie" to Joe "You Lie" Wilson (R-SC02)

Payback can be  nasty even when it fits.

[GeorgiaModerate]

Colorado GOP on Rep. Mike Coffman's town hall:

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https://twitter.com/cologop/status/852355889847783424

Coffman (to his credit) refuted this:

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https://twitter.com/KyleClark/status/852640309175517184

Attendance was restricted to people living in the district, with photo IDs checked at the door.

[Tartarus Sauce]

Colorado GOP on Rep. Mike Coffman's town hall:

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https://twitter.com/cologop/status/852355889847783424

Coffman (to his credit) refuted this:

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https://twitter.com/KyleClark/status/852640309175517184

Attendance was restricted to people living in the district, with photo IDs checked at the door.

It still eludes me how labeling protesters as organized is supposed to discredit them. Do the people who reflexive regurgitate "FAKE PROTESTERS" every time really think there aren't enough pissed off Democrats in the country right now, in a political climate this polarized, to actively organize against the Trump administration and Congressional Republicans in such a fashion? Really, that's so unfathomable? You're saying Democratic constituents can't get their message heard without paging boogeyman Soros for extra cash and hired goons every time they want to scream at a congressman?

Besides, some of the most effective protests in history that have resulted in tremendously consequential policy achievements were extremely well organized, like the Civil Rights protests of the 60s. How does calling them "organized left wing activists" manage to dismiss the legitimacy of the grievances being aired? I would expect pissed off people to organize and get their voices heard.

[Figueira]

Did anyone watch Flake's town hall? It was brutal.

[Crumpets]

Did anyone watch Flake's town hall? It was brutal.

What happened?

[Figueira]

Did anyone watch Flake's town hall? It was brutal.

What happened?

They mostly focused on the DeVos vote, to which he responded "I'm sorry we disagree" and stuff like that.

[SUSAN CRUSHBONE]

Colorado GOP on Rep. Mike Coffman's town hall:

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https://twitter.com/cologop/status/852355889847783424

Coffman (to his credit) refuted this:

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https://twitter.com/KyleClark/status/852640309175517184

Attendance was restricted to people living in the district, with photo IDs checked at the door.

It still eludes me how labeling protesters as organized is supposed to discredit them. Do the people who reflexive regurgitate "FAKE PROTESTERS" every time really think there aren't enough pissed off Democrats in the country right now, in a political climate this polarized, to actively organize against the Trump administration and Congressional Republicans in such a fashion? Really, that's so unfathomable? You're saying Democratic constituents can't get their message heard without paging boogeyman Soros for extra cash and hired goons every time they want to scream at a congressman?

Besides, some of the most effective protests in history that have resulted in tremendously consequential policy achievements were extremely well organized, like the Civil Rights protests of the 60s. How does calling them "organized left wing activists" manage to dismiss the legitimacy of the grievances being aired? I would expect pissed off people to organize and get their voices heard.

they'd've uniformly been against the civil rights movement, too, so maybe that's not the best example

[EnglishPete]

Colorado GOP on Rep. Mike Coffman's town hall:

You must be logged in to read this quote.

https://twitter.com/cologop/status/852355889847783424

Coffman (to his credit) refuted this:

You must be logged in to read this quote.

https://twitter.com/KyleClark/status/852640309175517184

Attendance was restricted to people living in the district, with photo IDs checked at the door.

It still eludes me how labeling protesters as organized is supposed to discredit them. Do the people who reflexive regurgitate "FAKE PROTESTERS" every time really think there aren't enough pissed off Democrats in the country right now, in a political climate this polarized, to actively organize against the Trump administration and Congressional Republicans in such a fashion? Really, that's so unfathomable? You're saying Democratic constituents can't get their message heard without paging boogeyman Soros for extra cash and hired goons every time they want to scream at a congressman?

The point is to stress that the protestors are not a representative cross section of society but consist of that section of the population that actively are attracted to and enjoy taking part in these kind of protests. These are mostly people on the left, it is a characteristic of many on the right that themorend this kind of disruptive behaviour repulsive and so they are far less likely to engage in that kind of behaviour. Furthermore these kind of people are very much a minority and will rarely act spontaniously. They prefer to act out in this way when they are organised by some group or other (these things are always top down never bottom up) in a way that gathers them together and avoid revealing them to be the unrepresentative minority that they are.

[EnglishPete]

Colorado GOP on Rep. Mike Coffman's town hall:

You must be logged in to read this quote.

https://twitter.com/cologop/status/852355889847783424

Coffman (to his credit) refuted this:

You must be logged in to read this quote.

https://twitter.com/KyleClark/status/852640309175517184

Attendance was restricted to people living in the district, with photo IDs checked at the door.

It still eludes me how labeling protesters as organized is supposed to discredit them. Do the people who reflexive regurgitate "FAKE PROTESTERS" every time really think there aren't enough pissed off Democrats in the country right now, in a political climate this polarized, to actively organize against the Trump administration and Congressional Republicans in such a fashion? Really, that's so unfathomable? You're saying Democratic constituents can't get their message heard without paging boogeyman Soros for extra cash and hired goons every time they want to scream at a congressman?

The point is to stress that the protestors are not a representative cross section of society but consist of that section of the population that actively are attracted to and enjoy taking part in these kind of protests. These are mostly people on the left, it is a characteristic of many on the right that themorend this kind of disruptive behaviour repulsive and so they are far less likely to engage in that kind of behaviour. Furthermore these kind of people are very much a minority and will rarely act spontaniously. They prefer to act out in this way when they are organised by some group or other (these things are always top down never bottom up) in a way that gathers them together and avoid revealing them to be the unrepresentative minority that they are.

And if you're going to bring up the Civil Right movement I would point out that Civil Rights for African Americans were achieved by actions of the Federal government. The Civil Right protests that grew after this Federal government action had nothing to do with the achievement of AA civil rights and were much more aimed at giving African Americans a sense of 'ownership' of their civil rights and tying them politically to 'civil rights leaders' who could then be integrated into the existing party political power structure in Washington.

If you're going to bring up the American Revolution then I would point out that the Revolution was an economic disaster for ordinary Americans, one which they wouldn't recover from for decades. By the time the US started to recover from the Revolution it was well on the way towards a disastrous Civil War caused by huge flaws in the original Constitution. It wasn't until the aftermath of the Civil War and changes made by the Republican Party that America really became great again.

The Revolution was good for Whiggish elites in America who gained power (the so called 'founding fathers'), it was good for Whiggish elites in the UK who got the development of profitable trade in North America (the original purpose of the colonies) but without the cost and bother of defending and administering the colonies themselves. For ordinary Antebellum Americans (and indeed for African American slaves hoping for liberation from slavery) the first century after the Declaration of Independence would have been better if they'd stayed within the British Empire.

[Brittain33]

The point is to stress that the protestors are not a representative cross section of society but consist of that section of the population that actively are attracted to and enjoy taking part in these kind of protests..... Furthermore these kind of people are very much a minority and will rarely act spontaniously.

I'm sorry, while it may be true in places that the protesters are unrepresentative of the district or a minority, that's a completely different claim from saying they are "fake" or "paid" and represent absolutely no one in the district. It's the latter the Republicans are claiming. But there are liberal Democrats in Chaffetz's and Joe Wilson's districts and at least a handful of deplorables in Jose Serrano's.... and it sure does seem in places like Arkansas there are people who aren't partisan Democrats who are angry as hell about losing their healthcare.

[vote for pedro]

The point is to stress that the protestors are not a representative cross section of society but consist of that section of the population that actively are attracted to and enjoy taking part in these kind of protests..... Furthermore these kind of people are very much a minority and will rarely act spontaniously.

I'm sorry, while it may be true in places that the protesters are unrepresentative of the district or a minority, that's a completely different claim from saying they are "fake" or "paid" and represent absolutely no one in the district. It's the latter the Republicans are claiming. But there are liberal Democrats in Chaffetz's and Joe Wilson's districts and at least a handful of deplorables in Jose Serrano's.... and it sure does seem in places like Arkansas there are people who aren't partisan Democrats who are angry as hell about losing their healthcare.

Strawman arguments are so annoying.

Less than a month ago when Dave Trott only allowed in protesters from his own district, there was crying and wailing about those poor protesters who had traveled so far being left out in the cold, and claims that the townhall was fake or staged for not allowing the travelers in.   

When the Missouri congressman announces they would be checking addresses, there are cries of "fascist thugs."

You admit in some places the protesters are unrepresentative of the district or a minority ?  I'm gonna say nearly everywhere this is the case.  If the average voter in a district has an extreme conservative or left wing viewpoint, the odds are extremely low that they have a congressional representative from the opposite party. 

[Brittain33]

You admit in some places the protesters are unrepresentative of the district or a minority ?  I'm gonna say nearly everywhere this is the case.  If the average voter in a district has an extreme conservative or left wing viewpoint, the odds are extremely low that they have a congressional representative from the opposite party.  

That makes no sense—the part about the odds being extremely low that a political minority would have a representative of the opposite party. All but the strongest Republican districts have a sizable Democratic-voting population in them. The worst gerrymanders include significant Democratic populations in every Republican district in order to "crack" the population. Of course there is a significant if not dominant number of far-left *and* mainstream left voters in all of these districts.

And let's not forget, some of these town halls are hosted by Senators who represent an entire state!

Again, we're talking about "paid" or "fake" protesters. It's a strawman to refer to anything other than that claim.