Politicians brave enough to attend see democracy in action
Before this editorial becomes a twisted fable about a tortoise and a hare, a few words about town hall meetings.
They aren’t mandated by law, but they do provide professional politicians an opportunity to hear directly from constituents, to appear concerned, pose for photos and expand their mailing lists. Town hall meetings following elections are usually pleasant, even congratulatory. Not this year.
Republicans have been walking into hornets’ nests. Instead of adoring fans and a few people with problems, they’ve encountered angry constituents, irate over what they’re seeing from the nascent Trump administration. In New York, Kentucky, Utah, even Texas, Republican representatives have been booed, insulted and shouted down. Some people have turned their backs when their representative began to speak.
Dozens of town hall meetings have been canceled. Like tortoises, some representatives have retreated into their shells waiting for the coast to clear.
That’s been Jeff Denham’s approach. He hasn’t held a town hall meeting this year.
Perhaps he didn’t want to answer questions about how Republicans will provide insurance for the 22 million people who rely on the Affordable Care Act they intend to repeal; how the average policy-holder is facing $3,200 more in drug costs each year; how people with pre-existing conditions will be able to afford insurance purchased through a “high-risk” (i.e., high-cost) pool.
Perhaps he didn’t want to address how killing the ACA will harm hospitals, who will have to treat charity cases for free while driving up costs for all who can afford to pay.
Perhaps he has no answers for the Trump administration’s Russian connection, or a threefold increase in crimes against Muslims, a doubling of crimes against Jews, or for the millions of women who fear their rights will be lost.
There are even questions from conservative farmers who fear a border wall will harm their profits. Others fear that trade wars with Mexico and China will result in millions of fewer American jobs, not more.
Rep. Denham had no answers because in the weeklong congressional recess he hid out. Instead of having a town hall, he attended a few controlled events and posed for a few photo-ops.
Tom McClintock took a different approach. He had three town halls in his 4th Congressional District, which neighbors Denham’s 10th. At the first, in Roseville, McClintock was so unnerved by the unexpected anger that he fled to a waiting car. But he recovered.
In two raucous meetings last week, McClintock listened, explained and stood firm. While we disagree with most of what the doctrinaire, ultra-conservative says, we admire his willingness to engage. Instead of whining that these were Bay Area liberals posing as locals, he recognized that these truly were his constituents. He listened to them and talked to them. There was no shortage of issues.
Votes to defund Planned Parenthood, said Shirley Campbell of Sonora, “looks like the first step in pushing women back. I am 82 years old, and I, and millions of other women in this country, will not be pushed back, sir.”
Said another, “I’m not an anarchist, I’m a constituent.”
One speaker criticized McClintock, then thanked him for taking the time to be there. McClintock then thanked the protester for doing the same.
Through two seatings and 2 hours, 45 minutes, McClintock allowed the anger, praise, frustration and concern to wash over him. We doubt his views changed, but the depth of feeling in his district was both clear and controlled. There were cheers, boos, catcalls and shouting, but the many members of law enforcement were never compelled to act.
The most tense moment came when one of McClintock’s supporters sprang from his seat and jabbed a finger toward a woman a few rows away. McClintock quickly asked him to take his seat – which he did. Supporters and protesters sat side-by-side, alternately applauding and booing.
This was democracy in action. Loud, exuberant, angry, supportive and confrontational. Citizens were engaged in ways we haven’t seen in decades – the most positive impact flowing from the first few weeks of the Trump administration. People are no longer willing to sit on the sidelines or ignore what is happening. For that, we must thank the president.
We also thank McClintock. Yes, he bolted from the Roseville town hall meeting like a startled rabbit, but in Sonora and Mariposa he stood calm and strong. Voters got their say and got to hear what he had to say, like it or not. His stature increased.
Meanwhile, tucked away in his shell, Jeff Denham only became smaller.
This story was originally published February 25, 2017 at 4:28 PM with the headline "Politicians brave enough to attend see democracy in action."