Protestors confront politicians at town halls megathread

[Virginiá]

Michigan Congressman Dave Trott (MI 11th) holds a staged Town Hall Meeting

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2017/03/18/1644907/-Michigan-Congressman-Dave-Trott-MI-11th-holds-a-staged-Town-Hall-Meeting

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[EnglishPete]

Michigan Congressman Dave Trott (MI 11th) holds a staged Town Hall Meeting

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2017/03/18/1644907/-Michigan-Congressman-Dave-Trott-MI-11th-holds-a-staged-Town-Hall-Meeting

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When these lefty rentamob types talk about "hoping to have a chance to express their concerns" what they mean is that instead of asking questions to hear what his answer would be they wanted to take up as much time as they ranting at and hectoring him.  Now the Congressman is a big boy and he has to expect to put up with a certain amount of that as part of his job.

However he also has to have consideration for constituents of his who have come to hear what he has to say on a variety of issues and not have to put up with spending half the time there not hearing what he has to say but listening to hectoring predicable rants from assorted lefties wanting to speak their brains to a captive audience. Trott was perfectly correct to keep these people from disrupting the meeting.

[Virginiá]

When these lefty rentamob types talk about "hoping to have a chance to express their concerns" what they mean is that instead of asking questions to hear what his answer would be they wanted to take up as much time as they ranting at and hectoring him.  Now the Congressman is a big boy and he has to expect to put up with a certain amount of that as part of his job.

Calling all the people who show up and get angry/ask tough questions fake/rented/whatever isn't really accurate. I'm sure lots of activists do troll around, but if you think people aren't worried about the healthcare debate, among other things, you're kidding yourself. Not everyone is cool with the conservative/Trump agenda.

However he also has to have consideration for constituents of his who have come to hear what he has to say on a variety of issues and not have to put up with spending half the time there not hearing what he has to say but listening to hectoring predicable rants from assorted lefties wanting to speak their brains to a captive audience. Trott was perfectly correct to keep these people from disrupting the meeting.

The point of this was to question whether he was actually doing what you just said. You're deferring completely to Trott, as if everything he did was genuine and ok. Activists going there to disrupt may be wrong, but so is having a Town Hall where the only people there are people you hand picked to throw you softball questions in an attempt to make it look like you had a calm, meaningful town hall, when in reality all you did was stage a mock TH.

I'm not sure that's exactly what Trott did, but he did seem to heavily manage this. To act like he was hearing the real concerns of all his constituents here is probably a stretch.

[EnglishPete]

Technically doesn't belong in this thread, since it's about a lack of town halls, but:

Flawless Marco: I won't do town halls because people might yell at me

And people call liberals snowflakes?  Give me a break!

What would his motivation be for giving a free platform to obnoxious and aggressive 'activists' who want to wreck the meeting for anyone who has actually come to listen to what their Senator has to say on a number of issues. There are plenty of other ways, with modern communications that he can allow constituents to question him publicly and for him to respond to their questions. Choosing the method that best suits antisocial 'protestors' doesn't do anyone any good. Pandering to or rewarding in any way the behaviour of this type of people is always a mistake as it only encourages them.

[pbrower2a]

Michigan Congressman Dave Trott (MI 11th) holds a staged Town Hall Meeting

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2017/03/18/1644907/-Michigan-Congressman-Dave-Trott-MI-11th-holds-a-staged-Town-Hall-Meeting

You must be logged in to read this quote.

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When these lefty rentamob types talk about "hoping to have a chance to express their concerns" what they mean is that instead of asking questions to hear what his answer would be they wanted to take up as much time as they ranting at and hectoring him.  Now the Congressman is a big boy and he has to expect to put up with a certain amount of that as part of his job.

However he also has to have consideration for constituents of his who have come to hear what he has to say on a variety of issues and not have to put up with spending half the time there not hearing what he has to say but listening to hectoring predicable rants from assorted lefties wanting to speak their brains to a captive audience. Trott was perfectly correct to keep these people from disrupting the meeting.

"Rent-a-mob"? Not on your life.

The pols in question could prepare to meet the valid criticism of the Other Side. Politicians who can't defend their positions aren't up to the job. Maybe they had huge backing from out-of-district, let alone out-of-state interests who see government strictly as a means of enriching a few well-heeled plutocrats. Someone getting all of his guidance from corporate lobbyists isn't paying attention to his constituents. So long as we have geographic districts, our politicians need to serve constituents.

Deciding who gets to address him? It is reasonable to ask that those who ask the questions be from his district. If I am from Ohio or even from some other district of Michigan and have a concern about global warming on the ground that global warming might hurt crop yields, then I am the wrong person to ask the question. So if someone from Grand Rapids (not in his district)  asks that question, then he has cause to not answer it. 

On the other side, if that Representative is simply answering easy questions from supporters he is neglecting many of the people that he does not claim to represent, namely people who did not vote for him. Tough luck! He is stuck with such people.   

[vote for pedro]

When these lefty rentamob types talk about "hoping to have a chance to express their concerns" what they mean is that instead of asking questions to hear what his answer would be they wanted to take up as much time as they ranting at and hectoring him.  Now the Congressman is a big boy and he has to expect to put up with a certain amount of that as part of his job.

Calling all the people who show up and get angry/ask tough questions fake/rented/whatever isn't really accurate. I'm sure lots of activists do troll around, but if you think people aren't worried about the healthcare debate, among other things, you're kidding yourself. Not everyone is cool with the conservative/Trump agenda.

However he also has to have consideration for constituents of his who have come to hear what he has to say on a variety of issues and not have to put up with spending half the time there not hearing what he has to say but listening to hectoring predicable rants from assorted lefties wanting to speak their brains to a captive audience. Trott was perfectly correct to keep these people from disrupting the meeting.

The point of this was to question whether he was actually doing what you just said. You're deferring completely to Trott, as if everything he did was genuine and ok. Activists going there to disrupt may be wrong, but so is having a Town Hall where the only people there are people you hand picked to throw you softball questions in an attempt to make it look like you had a calm, meaningful town hall, when in reality all you did was stage a mock TH.

I'm not sure that's exactly what Trott did, but he did seem to heavily manage this. To act like he was hearing the real concerns of all his constituents here is probably a stretch.

So checking a list and only allowing in actual registered voters from his district is somehow a bad thing?  I'm glad the paid protesters were left out in the cold.

They let in this deranged loon in the pussy hat.  The audience got to listen to her insane screaming through the whole event.  She has never voted for him and never will. 

[Hindsight was 2020]

When these lefty rentamob types talk about "hoping to have a chance to express their concerns" what they mean is that instead of asking questions to hear what his answer would be they wanted to take up as much time as they ranting at and hectoring him.  Now the Congressman is a big boy and he has to expect to put up with a certain amount of that as part of his job.

Calling all the people who show up and get angry/ask tough questions fake/rented/whatever isn't really accurate. I'm sure lots of activists do troll around, but if you think people aren't worried about the healthcare debate, among other things, you're kidding yourself. Not everyone is cool with the conservative/Trump agenda.

However he also has to have consideration for constituents of his who have come to hear what he has to say on a variety of issues and not have to put up with spending half the time there not hearing what he has to say but listening to hectoring predicable rants from assorted lefties wanting to speak their brains to a captive audience. Trott was perfectly correct to keep these people from disrupting the meeting.

The point of this was to question whether he was actually doing what you just said. You're deferring completely to Trott, as if everything he did was genuine and ok. Activists going there to disrupt may be wrong, but so is having a Town Hall where the only people there are people you hand picked to throw you softball questions in an attempt to make it look like you had a calm, meaningful town hall, when in reality all you did was stage a mock TH.

I'm not sure that's exactly what Trott did, but he did seem to heavily manage this. To act like he was hearing the real concerns of all his constituents here is probably a stretch.

So checking a list and only allowing in actual registered voters from his district is somehow a bad thing?  I'm glad the paid protesters were left out in the cold.

They let in this deranged loon in the pussy hat.  The audience got to listen to her insane screaming through the whole event.  She has never voted for him and never will. 

Yeah letting a deranged loon in a funny hat heckle a politician they didn't vote for at a town hall sucks..........I'll give you 3 tries to figure out what I'm alluding too

[EnglishPete]

"Rent-a-mob"? Not on your life.

I'll grant you that most of these protestors will not be paid to be their. Those organising and directing the protests will be paid of course but most of the rest will be the kind of people who engage in this kind of anti-social 'activism' for a hobby.

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I notice that those who engage in this kind of behaviour will frequently claim to be the voice of 'the people'. They are not, they represent themselves. The purpose of a townhall meeting is to allow constituents who want to learn his views on various issues to ask him questions, express their concerns and to hear what he has to say in response. The purpose is not to allow organised groups of far left activists to disrupt and hijack the event and turn it in to their own event.

Other people don't show up to these events so they can spend their time listening to loudmouth leftists rant and speak their brainz. If they had wanted to do that they could have just stayed at home and watched TV. As I said the Congressman is a big boy and part of his job is putting up with being heckled by these kind of people. However he has a responsibility to the majority of his constituents not to allow this kind of people wreck his townhalls for everybody else.

[Intell]

"Rent-a-mob"? Not on your life.

I'll grant you that most of these protestors will not be paid to be their. Those organising and directing the protests will be paid of course but most of the rest will be the kind of people who engage in this kind of anti-social 'activism' for a hobby.

You must be logged in to read this quote.

I notice that those who engage in this kind of behaviour will frequently claim to be the voice of 'the people'. They are not, they represent themselves. The purpose of a townhall meeting is to allow constituents who want to learn his views on various issues to ask him questions, express their concerns and to hear what he has to say in response. The purpose is not to allow organised groups of far left activists to disrupt and hijack the event and turn it in to their own event.

Other people don't show up to these events so they can spend their time listening to loudmouth leftists rant and speak their brainz. If they had wanted to do that they could have just stayed at home and watched TV. As I said the Congressman is a big boy and part of his job is putting up with being heckled by these kind of people. However he has a responsibility to the majority of his constituents not to allow this kind of people wreck his townhalls for everybody else.

I love how the right hates free speech. Sad! Triggered People!

[pbrower2a]

"Rent-a-mob"? Not on your life.

I'll grant you that most of these protestors will not be paid to be their. Those organising and directing the protests will be paid of course but most of the rest will be the kind of people who engage in this kind of anti-social 'activism' for a hobby.

You must be logged in to read this quote.

I notice that those who engage in this kind of behaviour will frequently claim to be the voice of 'the people'. They are not, they represent themselves. The purpose of a townhall meeting is to allow constituents who want to learn his views on various issues to ask him questions, express their concerns and to hear what he has to say in response. The purpose is not to allow organised groups of far left activists to disrupt and hijack the event and turn it in to their own event.

Other people don't show up to these events so they can spend their time listening to loudmouth leftists rant and speak their brainz. If they had wanted to do that they could have just stayed at home and watched TV. As I said the Congressman is a big boy and part of his job is putting up with being heckled by these kind of people. However he has a responsibility to the majority of his constituents not to allow this kind of people wreck his townhalls for everybody else.

So once you win you get to stifle your opposition? That's how tyranny begins. The winners of such an election in which majority-of-the-majority ideologies push a near-majority into irrelevance and then cull the majority until the ruling clique, always a majority of a majority, becomes a tiny clique -- an oligarchy. Whether the clique begins as Bolsheviks (literally 'majoritarians') or a slave-owning plutocracy, one ends up with a dystopia.

If it was acceptable for people who lost to President Obama to keep reminding us that they are still here (No recreational sex! All for the few! Protect our scams! Guns, guns, guns! The Bible is unqualified truth! Pollution forever!), then what must we who dislike such an agenda do when some bare winners try to force such on us? Comply?

Donald Trump's idea of how to "Make America Great Again" is a dystopia. Maybe it is not this blatant



but it is close. Only the style has changed.

 

[EnglishPete]

"Rent-a-mob"? Not on your life.

I'll grant you that most of these protestors will not be paid to be their. Those organising and directing the protests will be paid of course but most of the rest will be the kind of people who engage in this kind of anti-social 'activism' for a hobby.

You must be logged in to read this quote.

I notice that those who engage in this kind of behaviour will frequently claim to be the voice of 'the people'. They are not, they represent themselves. The purpose of a townhall meeting is to allow constituents who want to learn his views on various issues to ask him questions, express their concerns and to hear what he has to say in response. The purpose is not to allow organised groups of far left activists to disrupt and hijack the event and turn it in to their own event.

Other people don't show up to these events so they can spend their time listening to loudmouth leftists rant and speak their brainz. If they had wanted to do that they could have just stayed at home and watched TV. As I said the Congressman is a big boy and part of his job is putting up with being heckled by these kind of people. However he has a responsibility to the majority of his constituents not to allow this kind of people wreck his townhalls for everybody else.

I love how the right hates free speech. Sad! Triggered People!

Freedom of speech is fundamentally about the freedom to listen. Left wing activists have the freedom to speak and to give others the opportunity to chose to listen to what they have to say. However freedom of speech doesn't mean that others are obliged to listen to what you have to say. Many may chose to listen to what someone else has to say instead.

That isn't good enough for these left wing 'activists'. It isn't enough that they have plenty of platforms that give people the opportunity to listen to them if they want to. Because that means that many millions of people will chose to ignore what they have to say and go listen to what someone else, for example a Republican Congressman, has to say instead. These foaming at the mouth 'activists'  hate this, which is why they like to do things like this, shouting their opponents down and forcing an unwilling audience to listen to what is on their brainz rather than listen to the speaker they chose to listen to.

It is this that lies at the heart of these far leftist's hatred of free speech.

[Virginiá]

I'm glad the paid protesters were left out in the cold.

You think everyone protesting at these places is paid? Really? I don't get why it is so hard to believe that there are a ton of people out there legitimately annoyed by Trump's ascent to the White House. It's the same reason donations to a constellation of groups like the ACLU, PP, etc, have spiked. It's the same reason the Democratic Party has seen a surge of volunteers and contributions at the local level. America has always had a history of activism.

She has never voted for him and never will.  

I get not wanting to let in someone who may only be there to disrupt and get him to slip-up, but what does not voting for him have to do with anything? These are Representatives of people in their district, not just Republicans in their district. They should be representing everyone, not just people who they can squeeze a vote out of.

[Hindsight was 2020]

"Rent-a-mob"? Not on your life.

I'll grant you that most of these protestors will not be paid to be their. Those organising and directing the protests will be paid of course but most of the rest will be the kind of people who engage in this kind of anti-social 'activism' for a hobby.

You must be logged in to read this quote.

I notice that those who engage in this kind of behaviour will frequently claim to be the voice of 'the people'. They are not, they represent themselves. The purpose of a townhall meeting is to allow constituents who want to learn his views on various issues to ask him questions, express their concerns and to hear what he has to say in response. The purpose is not to allow organised groups of far left activists to disrupt and hijack the event and turn it in to their own event.

Other people don't show up to these events so they can spend their time listening to loudmouth leftists rant and speak their brainz. If they had wanted to do that they could have just stayed at home and watched TV. As I said the Congressman is a big boy and part of his job is putting up with being heckled by these kind of people. However he has a responsibility to the majority of his constituents not to allow this kind of people wreck his townhalls for everybody else.

I love how the right hates free speech. Sad! Triggered People!

Freedom of speech is fundamentally about the freedom to listen. Left wing activists have the freedom to speak and to give others the opportunity to chose to listen to what they have to say. However freedom of speech doesn't mean that others are obliged to listen to what you have to say. Many may chose to listen to what someone else has to say instead.

That isn't good enough for these left wing 'activists'. It isn't enough that they have plenty of platforms that give people the opportunity to listen to them if they want to. Because that means that many millions of people will chose to ignore what they have to say and go listen to what someone else, for example a Republican Congressman, has to say instead. These foaming at the mouth 'activists'  hate this, which is why they like to do things like this, shouting their opponents down and forcing an unwilling audience to listen to what is on their brainz rather than listen to the speaker they chose to listen to.

It is this that lies at the heart of these far leftist's hatred of free speech.

Again I love how you hypocrites are ripping on liberal activists while describing exactly how the TEA party acted

[vote for pedro]

I'm glad the paid protesters were left out in the cold.

You think everyone protesting at these places is paid? Really? I don't get why it is so hard to believe that there are a ton of people out there legitimately annoyed by Trump's ascent to the White House. It's the same reason donations to a constellation of groups like the ACLU, PP, etc, have spiked. It's the same reason the Democratic Party has seen a surge of volunteers and contributions at the local level. America has always had a history of activism.

She has never voted for him and never will.  

I get not wanting to let in someone who may only be there to disrupt and get him to slip-up, but what does not voting for him have to do with anything? These are Representatives of people in their district, not just Republicans in their district. They should be representing everyone, not just people who they can squeeze a vote out of.

No, I'm sure they aren't all paid. 


1) Your dailykos article claimed that the townhall was 'staged' and implied only hardcore supporters of the congressman were allowed in.   This woman is not a supporter of the congressman in any way, shape, or form.  But she lives in the district and was allowed in.

2) It's a strong Republican district.  Your dailykos calls it "one of the worst Republican Gerrymanders on earth" or something.  He isn't going to get re-elected trying to make this woman happy. 

[Chancellor Tanterterg]

Well I don't know about the rest of you guys, but I used the eleventy billion dollar checks Deep State sent me through their ACLU front group to build a 50-foot tall tower out of ivory so that I could stand on the roof and tolerantly look down on all those suckers who work for a living.  But I only make fun of the white ones!  I don't see color  

I think I'll use the check I get for protesting Trumpcare in Chaffetz's district tomorrow to buy a bunch of Mexican flags and tell the students in the upper-level college course I teach (Hist #666) at The Atheist Institute for Islamic Studies to pledge allegiance to Mexico by each burning a bible in order to enrich their understanding of the joys of living what we NYT guest columnists like to call "the unpatriotic life."  Even before the checks, I'd already been living high on the hog after receiving tenure for publishing pretentious coffee table books.  If you haven't already, I'd advise purchasing a few to keep on display during cocktail parties next to your Secretly Conservative Black Friend™  

Perhaps you've even heard of some of my most celebrated works such as Confessions of a Self-Hating White Man: My Dream of a Post-White America, Blame America First: A Francophile's Answer to Patriotism, Girl Power: Putting Men in the Kitchen Where We Belong, Re$i$tance i$ Futile: The Ca$e for One Global Government, Self-Deportation: A Final Solution to the Appalachian Problem,  Take Their Money and Run: The Enlightened Liberal's Guide to Wealth Redistribution, and Don't Audit the Fed: If You Have to Ask, It's Because You Don't Need to Know.

Now if you'll excuse me, I have to drive around in a limousine for an hour and pretend to care about poor people.  Of course, I don't actually drive myself anywhere; like any good liberal, I hired an illegal immigrant to do that for me.  How else am I supposed to sip my latte and eat tofu while listening to an audiobook of The Communist Manifesto when I'm on my way to a wedding between an 18 year old quad-gender polygamist and a humanoid entity self-identifying as a transgender female giraffe.  I have to pick up the wedding cake from an evangelical bakery!

[Crumpets]

Well I don't know about the rest of you guys, but I used the eleventy billion dollar checks Deep State sent me through their ACLU front group to build a 50-foot tall tower out of ivory so that I could stand on the roof and tolerantly look down on all those suckers who work for a living.  But I only make fun of the white ones!  I don't see color  

I think I'll use the check I get for protesting Trumpcare in Chaffetz's district tomorrow to buy a bunch of Mexican flags and tell the students in the upper-level college course I teach (Hist #666) at The Atheist Institute for Islamic Studies to pledge allegiance to Mexico by each burning a bible in order to enrich their understanding of the joys of living what we NYT guest columnists like to call "the unpatriotic life."  Even before the checks, I'd already been living high on the hog after receiving tenure for publishing pretentious coffee table books.  If you haven't already, I'd advise purchasing a few to keep on display during cocktail parties next to your Secretly Conservative Black Friend™  

Perhaps you've even heard of some of my most celebrated works such as Confessions of a Self-Hating White Man: My Dream of a Post-White America, Blame America First: A Francophile's Answer to Patriotism, Girl Power: Putting Men in the Kitchen Where We Belong, Re$i$tance i$ Futile: The Ca$e for One Global Government, Self-Deportation: A Final Solution to the Appalachian Problem,  Take Their Money and Run: The Enlightened Liberal's Guide to Wealth Redistribution, and Don't Audit the Fed: If You Have to Ask, It's Because You Don't Need to Know.

Now if you'll excuse me, I have to drive around in a limousine for an hour and pretend to care about poor people.  Of course, I don't actually drive myself anywhere; like any good liberal, I hired an illegal immigrant to do that for me.  How else am I supposed to sip my latte and eat tofu while listening to an audiobook of The Communist Manifesto when I'm on my way to a wedding between an 18 year old quad-gender polygamist and a humanoid entity self-identifying as a transgender female giraffe.  I have to pick up the wedding cake from an evangelical bakery!

Indeed. I'd really love some directions of how I go about getting paid for my protests. Are there ads on Craigslist or something?

[Chancellor Tanterterg]

Well I don't know about the rest of you guys, but I used the eleventy billion dollar checks Deep State sent me through their ACLU front group to build a 50-foot tall tower out of ivory so that I could stand on the roof and tolerantly look down on all those suckers who work for a living.  But I only make fun of the white ones!  I don't see color  

I think I'll use the check I get for protesting Trumpcare in Chaffetz's district tomorrow to buy a bunch of Mexican flags and tell the students in the upper-level college course I teach (Hist #666) at The Atheist Institute for Islamic Studies to pledge allegiance to Mexico by each burning a bible in order to enrich their understanding of the joys of living what we NYT guest columnists like to call "the unpatriotic life."  Even before the checks, I'd already been living high on the hog after receiving tenure for publishing pretentious coffee table books.  If you haven't already, I'd advise purchasing a few to keep on display during cocktail parties next to your Secretly Conservative Black Friend™  

Perhaps you've even heard of some of my most celebrated works such as Confessions of a Self-Hating White Man: My Dream of a Post-White America, Blame America First: A Francophile's Answer to Patriotism, Girl Power: Putting Men in the Kitchen Where We Belong, Re$i$tance i$ Futile: The Ca$e for One Global Government, Self-Deportation: A Final Solution to the Appalachian Problem,  Take Their Money and Run: The Enlightened Liberal's Guide to Wealth Redistribution, and Don't Audit the Fed: If You Have to Ask, It's Because You Don't Need to Know.

Now if you'll excuse me, I have to drive around in a limousine for an hour and pretend to care about poor people.  Of course, I don't actually drive myself anywhere; like any good liberal, I hired an illegal immigrant to do that for me.  How else am I supposed to sip my latte and eat tofu while listening to an audiobook of The Communist Manifesto when I'm on my way to a wedding between an 18 year old quad-gender polygamist and a humanoid entity self-identifying as a transgender female giraffe.  I have to pick up the wedding cake from an evangelical bakery!

Indeed. I'd really love some directions of how I go about getting paid for my protests. Are there ads on Craigslist or something?

Well, you can always pick up an instruction packet the next time you stop by Planned Parenthood to buy tickets to watch a medically unnecessary abortion.  There should be sign-up sheet at the front desk right between the jars of preservative-free pickled stem cells and the PETA-approved leaping rabbit lapel pins

[pbrower2a]

"Rent-a-mob"? Not on your life.

I'll grant you that most of these protestors will not be paid to be their. Those organising and directing the protests will be paid of course but most of the rest will be the kind of people who engage in this kind of anti-social 'activism' for a hobby.

You must be logged in to read this quote.

I notice that those who engage in this kind of behaviour will frequently claim to be the voice of 'the people'. They are not, they represent themselves. The purpose of a townhall meeting is to allow constituents who want to learn his views on various issues to ask him questions, express their concerns and to hear what he has to say in response. The purpose is not to allow organised groups of far left activists to disrupt and hijack the event and turn it in to their own event.

Other people don't show up to these events so they can spend their time listening to loudmouth leftists rant and speak their brainz. If they had wanted to do that they could have just stayed at home and watched TV. As I said the Congressman is a big boy and part of his job is putting up with being heckled by these kind of people. However he has a responsibility to the majority of his constituents not to allow this kind of people wreck his townhalls for everybody else.

I love how the right hates free speech. Sad! Triggered People!

Freedom of speech is fundamentally about the freedom to listen. Left wing activists have the freedom to speak and to give others the opportunity to chose to listen to what they have to say. However freedom of speech doesn't mean that others are obliged to listen to what you have to say. Many may chose to listen to what someone else has to say instead.

That isn't good enough for these left wing 'activists'. It isn't enough that they have plenty of platforms that give people the opportunity to listen to them if they want to. Because that means that many millions of people will chose to ignore what they have to say and go listen to what someone else, for example a Republican Congressman, has to say instead. These foaming at the mouth 'activists'  hate this, which is why they like to do things like this, shouting their opponents down and forcing an unwilling audience to listen to what is on their brainz rather than listen to the speaker they chose to listen to.

It is this that lies at the heart of these far leftist's hatred of free speech.

Freedom of speech implies also the right to choose to what we listen. Freedom of speech does not imply the right to a sympathetic audience. Such people as superior officers in the military, teachers in a school and (with the recognition that anyone has the practical right to quit) bosses at work might have the prerogative to compel others to listen simply to receive commands, but even that power comes with commands from someone 'higher'. But that is as far as it goes. Ideally the elected official does not get the right to command me to believe something that I find abominable any more than I have the obligation to believe some lunatic ranting some expression of extreme self-righteousness. In a country in which people have the obligation to heed certain authorities on political issues, freedom and command are practically identical.

Do I have the right to command that you listen to Schubert's Octet for Winds and Strings? no. But I am  free to suggest it. (It is worth the time, nearly an hour, I assure you).  If I am reasonably good at persuasion I might convince you to listen to so delightful a piece of music.   

Now, do I have an obligation to hold unqualified faith that Donald Trump is the most wonderful leader that America has ever had? Hell no! People on the Right had no such obligation with Obama as President. You can tell me that Obama is the Devil's choice and that Trump is God's choice, for  I can turn that on its head.

Congressional Representatives who tell that an audience that the 47% of the electorate who 'failed' to vote for them are amoral, ignorant, or stupid for having 'failed' to vote for them deserve to be called to account. They have no right to a compliant audience, and if they insist upon that they get a reputation for arrogance. 

There are practically no definitive truths in political discourse. There is only a transitory reality that can result from electoral politics, and there is precedent. 

[EnglishPete]

Pbrowera2a

If a group of people went to the performance of a play with the intention of shouting at the actors, screaming insults heckling and interrupting it would be recognised that this was an abuse of those audience members who had come to watch and listen to the production and who would be unable to do so because of this behaviour. Further more one wouldn't expect the theatre managers to tolerate such abuse of their audience.

Town halls are set up so that people of various different views can express their concerns, ask questions and hear the responses of their Member of Congress. People are not obliged to listen but if they are there to behave in such a way they prevents other audience members from hearing what they have to say then why should the Congressman be any more accommodating to those who have showed up to abuse his audience than a theatre manager would be in the same situation?

[pbrower2a]

Pbrowera2a

If a group of people went to the performance of a play with the intention of shouting at the actors, screaming insults heckling and interrupting it would be recognised that this was an abuse of those audience members who had come to watch and listen to the production and who would be unable to do so because of this behaviour. Further more one wouldn't expect the theatre managers to tolerate such abuse of their audience.

But politics is not a Shakespeare play or a Broadway musical (or an opera, ballet, or musical concert) in which people expect to be entertained and then go on their way.

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American politics (and British political life) are not as scripted as a play, concert, opera, or ballet. Even a courthouse trial of an alleged serial killer has its rules; one does not get away with such disorderly conduct as shouting "Free this innocent person" or "Just hang him!" while a trial is in session. It is more analogous to a sporting event in which one can boo the substandard performance of a star athlete. Those who voted for the incumbent politician and still support him are not the only ones who have a stake in the political order.  Politics isn't entertainment even if it might have its stirring drama or even low entertainment; it is how many big questions like regulation and taxes are resolved.

If a politician is making choices insensitive to the needs and interests on behalf of either out-of-district interests or a rigid ideology, then maybe he needs to be shaken up a bit.

If you like staged politics in which the people simply do as their (fraudulently) elected officials and the puppeteers behind them tell them to tell us to do, then you support a dictatorship.

[EnglishPete]

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American politics (and British political life) are not as scripted as a play, concert, opera, or ballet. Even a courthouse trial of an alleged serial killer has its rules; one does not get away with such disorderly conduct as shouting "Free this innocent person" or "Just hang him!" while a trial is in session. It is more analogous to a sporting event in which one can boo the substandard performance of a star athlete.

Oh for the good old days of the 18th and 19th centuries when politics was heavily influenced by mob violence. Whata shame we don't have more of that <sarcasm>

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That is the purpose of elections. By 'shaken up a bit' you mean having their voice drowned out, preventing people who want to hear what they have to say from hearing them, abusing and intimidating them and their supporters.

What you are saying is that it is desirable that members of the public who take part in and enjoy this kind of rowdy, abusive and antisocial behaviour should have a greater influence on politics than those that do not. I don't think that such backward forms of politics are good, we should have less of this form of politics not more. Also I wonder if you also think that its OK for the right to engage in mob behaviour if they think that elected officials are "insensitive to their needs"

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There is no worse form of dictatorship than pure mob rule.

[pbrower2a]

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American politics (and British political life) are not as scripted as a play, concert, opera, or ballet. Even a courthouse trial of an alleged serial killer has its rules; one does not get away with such disorderly conduct as shouting "Free this innocent person" or "Just hang him!" while a trial is in session. It is more analogous to a sporting event in which one can boo the substandard performance of a star athlete.

Oh for the good old days of the 18th and 19th centuries when politics was heavily influenced by mob violence. Whata shame we don't have more of that <sarcasm>

It would be terrible if one side decided that after winning one election, then that side could then decree that political life could only go its way. People can click their heels and obey, and quit challenging the facile statements of political hacks who are to face no further meaningful challenges.

That's how Putin does things in Russia, and that is how Trump is trying to do things in America.

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If a politician is making choices insensitive to the needs and interests on behalf of either out-of-district interests or a rigid ideology, then maybe he needs to be shaken up a bit.

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It's anything but antisocial to seek redress for grievances. Politicians need to know when their majority support evaporates. I'm not suggesting that people charge the stage or assault the politician. The Right has been doing what it does not accept from the Left. When conscience meets a politician that goes bad due to deceit, corruption, or fanaticism, then conscience wins or freedom erodes.  It takes time. We have rigidly-scheduled elections in America. We do not have the parliamentary vote of no confidence.

I'm beginning to believe that the British system would work better here than does ours. We rejected a British-style parliament because the British Parliament of the time of George III was full of his lackeys, many from the 'rotten boroughs'. That is over. Donald Trump would not win a vote of no confidence today.

Don't you find it troubling that he admires Vladimir Putin more than he admires Margaret Thatcher?  

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Nobody is calling for a lynching. We want our politicians to know that we no longer like their political priorities. We want them to realize that they can be defeated in the next election, and we want their constituents to recognize that, too.

Right-leaning protesters against Barack Obama were scared that he was establishing a permanent majority. Left-leaning protesters today may be scared of dictatorial tendencies of the President.

Nobody has an obligation to remain silent about political trends when they get ominous.  

[Brittain33]

Republicans broke Town Halls in 2009-2010. Democrats literally copied their playbook.

It's probably a bad thing that getting your message heard means making this Congressman and his staff's lives a living hell for several weeks, but what can be done about it?

[Virginiá]

Hot mic catches GOP congressman’s adviser planning spin about ‘un-American’ protesters

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/wp/2017/03/21/hot-mic-catches-gop-congressmans-adviser-planning-spin-about-un-american-protesters/?utm_term=.6360f1668826

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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.

[pbrower2a]

Republicans broke Town Halls in 2009-2010. Democrats literally copied their playbook.

It's probably a bad thing that getting your message heard means making this Congressman and his staff's lives a living hell for several weeks, but what can be done about it?

This is a consequence of political polarization that started about 20 years ago.  What happened to Obama and Congressional Democrats by design of the Right in 2009 and 2010 has happened to Trump and his Congressional majority. If Republicans attacked President Obama for what he was, Democrats attack Trump for what he does. It has taken much less time for Democrats to cut into Trump support.

Elected pols cannot assume that they can win 52-47 elections indefinitely without trying to cut into the 47. It is not the fault of the opposition that it does not share the core beliefs of those that they do not vote for.

The 47% of the vote against most politicians is relevant. It used to be that constituent service mattered greatly; now ideology and contributor service are  seemingly everything.

It does not help Republicans in the House and Senate that Donald Trump is so unpopular. Gardner in Colorado and Ernst in Iowa have low approval ratings. Was 2014 a freak year? Not after the 2016 election.  Of course they are not up for re-election until 2020.