Couldn't find a thread about these. Many own halls have already happened, but hopefully they will continue to be a place where the broader populace can engage with their congressional representatives to voice concerns and hear directly from the people that represent them. Tea party members leveraged these in the past and helped communicate their unhappiness with government. And in the past few weeks people have voiced their concerns about losing healthcare coverage successfully to those republicans that were willing to listen and respond. Unfortunately, some representatives have taken the cowards way out. Senator Cruz ducked his, and local representative Kevin Brady ducked his yesterday. http://www.chron.com/news/houston-t...dy-was-invited-to-a-town-hall-in-10959664.php
setting up town halls without agreeing on a time/place with the representative is silly Cruz loves to mix it up with protesters, it's like his favorite thing
Don't know how much advance notice Brady needed or was given, but I agree with this letter to the editor (which was written a week prior): http://www.yourconroenews.com/opini...nstituents-on-healthcare-changes-10944374.php I give credit to those republicans who have shown and faced the voters.
Apparently Ted Cruz ducked town halls in Dallas and Houston. He didn't schedule any town halls during the recess. Apparently, very few Texas legislators did... https://www.texastribune.org/2017/02/20/texas-representatives-hold-back-person-town-halls-recess/
the heckler's veto is an effective tactic and makes for good video, and it only takes a vocal minority to pull it off all one can do is hope voters see it for what it is best thing is find ways to set it up as a discussion rather than an interrogation
That's because Ted Cruz has never been interested in serving the people of Texas, only his own national ambitions. I looked forward to crossing the aisle in the upcoming Texas GOP Senate primary and voting for Michael McCaul if he decides to challenge Cruz. Perhaps we'll have a senator who actually cares about the state.
You didn't have these issues in 2010, of course. Back then, town halls were the greatest thing ever and a show of democracy.
make town halls critical for a politicians aspirations and you'll start seeing politicians care about town halls and their constituents. as it is now, skipping town halls and ignoring constituents 'aint no big deal if you can raise big money from big donors.
In Texas I think very little, but in the swing states especially Ohio, Iowa, etc. the Trump folks need to be paying attention to the town halls. If you know the people in those state & if there is as big of a backlash there as there is in say states like Florida, or Texas I think the Republicans have a big problem on their hands. Even Florida could be a problem for them if they aren't careful & don't reach out to their voters who sort of "voted while holding their noses". Its also stupid of guys like Marco Rubio to go out and insult these folks as paid protesters when he stands to lose ALOT if he's not careful. I get that Republicans view these as Opposition Venting Sessions, but if there is even a chance that, in their swing state, that there is a segment of their voters upset with the direction of their party, its best for them to get out in front of that.
Wow, this republican says out loud what many other republicans believe... Oklahoma congressman: It's 'bull crap' that constituents pay my salary http://www.cnn.com/2017/04/14/politics/markwayne-mullin-town-hall/index.html
I think the modern iteration of these started with Clinton, both because he had an outsized confidence in his ability to convince people through direct engagement, and because social unrest had been gradually calming down since after Vietnam. These things are not legally or constitutionally mandated, and we will never get back to pre-9/11 stability so probably just cancel them and stick to speeches and photo-ops.
