By Susan Brinkmann, OCDS
Staff Journalist
Citizens who are hoping to have their voices heard at town hall meetings this summer will be disappointed in many districts where nervous politicians are planning to escape voter angst by skipping the unscripted meetings and opting for fewer and more controlled events instead.
The New York Times is reporting that of the 255 Democrats who make up the majority in the House, only a handful held town-hall-style meetings in their districts last week, a trend that is likely to continue throughout the summer.
“With images of overheated, finger-waving crowds still seared into their minds from the discontent of last August, many Democrats heeded the advice of party leaders and tried to avoid unscripted question-and-answer sessions,” the Times reports. “The recommendations were clear: hold events in controlled settings — a bank or credit union, for example — or tour local businesses or participate in community service projects.”
Another method of reaching out to voters without risking a public confrontation that could end up on YouTube is the “telephone town hall” meeting which is able to include thousands of homes since the technology was first introduced in 2006.
The Times cited Rep. Frank Kratovil, Jr. (D-MD) as an example of how the new trend is playing out. Kratovil got an earful last year during his town hall meetings about the health care bill and was even hung in effigy by protestors. This year, he attended an invitation only reception in his district at the Point Breeze Credit Union where he addressed hand-picked constituents while they enjoyed wine and cheese.
New Hampshire Democrat Rep. Carol Shea-Porter also chose not to hold any town-hall-style meetings during the recess and posted a notice on her website saying “No upcoming events scheduled. Please visit us again soon!” Her only public appearance was to attend a letter carrier’s convention.
“The sentiment that fueled the rage during those Congressional forums is still alive in the electorate.,” the Times reports. “But the opportunities for voters to openly express their displeasure, or angrily vent as video cameras roll, have been harder to come by in this election year.”
Conservative lawmakers are a bit more courageous. The Times found that many more House Republications are holding open meetings, including several in a series of forums called America Speaking Out, which is a campaign to allow voters to write the party’s agenda if it wins control of Congress in November.
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