The so-called town meeting that was intended to create the false impression that hordes of average Coloradans are furious with U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner was a disgraceful piece of political theater, and the media should be ashamed of the coverage.
It was not a town hall, it was a protest organized by “local” chapters of national Democratic activist groups for political activists to get media coverage for their pet issues.
We expect some real voters were swept up in the generated outrage and also attended, but the fact remains it was a political protest, and pulling the strings were national activists.
The political stunt against Gardner was pulled by seven groups — Indivisible Front Range Resistance, Together We Will – Colorado, CAPE Denver, Indivisible Denver, Denver CAN, Boulder CAN and Fillmore Street Group.
Who are these groups?
Indivisible is a national group formed by former Democratic congressional staffers to oppose the Trump administration.
Denver CAN, Boulder CAN, and Fillmore Street Group are part of the Indivisible network and use the same playbook:
SHOULD I FORM A GROUP?
There’s no need to reinvent the wheel — if an activist group or network is already attempting to do congressional advocacy along these lines, just with them. Depending on your Representative’s district, it may make sense to have more than one group.
Together We Will is also a national group, and boasts partners including the National Education Association, AFL-CIO and Daily Kos.
As for CAPE Denver, we can only guess because the Denver Post didn’t tell us, that this is the Colorado Association of Public Employees.
It’s also important to note, since no one else did, that these faux town halls aren’t just a Colorado thing, but a national trend where activists are using cardboard cutouts of elected officials they holding a rally to scream at the cardboard cutout.
Indivisible town hall attendees take on the absent Rob Portman at Cleveland church
And this in Texas targeting Rep. Roger Williams:
`Roger, Roger, Town Hall Dodger.’ Indivisible confronts a cardboard congressman.
And this:
Indivisible Tulsa holding town hall with stand-ins for lawmakers. @KTULNews pic.twitter.com/4alyPo2QVO
— Burt Mummolo (@MummoloNews) February 24, 2017
And last but not least with this Buzzfeed headline from the Denver Post:
11 questions people want to ask Cory Gardner at a town hall he doesn’t plan to attend
These are national events plotted by special interest groups and Democratic activists. All that we ask is that it is recognized and treated as such by the Real News.