No, it’s not what you think – we’re not talking about format. We’re talking behavior.
Democratic U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet has been on a listening tour of Colorado this week, with town halls in Aspen, Greeley, and Sterling. Let’s just say the conduct of Bennet’s opposition has been vastly different from how the left has viciously treated its political opponents this year.
From coast to coast, the Angry Left has worked to interrupt and shut down townhalls. In Colorado, we had organized activists literally camped out in an office building that Senator Gardner’s office occupies. Nationally, a astroturf movement funded by billionaires has been established to shut down these townhall meetings – events that have been the bedrock of American politics since before we were even a nation.
Compare this to the respect and decorum that Republican voters carry themselves with at Bennet’s townhalls. We are not seeing reports of people screaming at Bennet, shutting down his meetings (or threatening to), or even disrupting to the point of arrest.
After Obamacare kicked in, thanks to Bennet’s deciding vote, the man did not hold a town hall for a staggering two years. He never even held a town hall when he was up for re-election in 2016. Where were the protesters, then?
Shutting down free speech, disturbing the peace, and depriving other citizens of the ability to be heard is not the American way. If Democrat leaders actually believe these tactics appeal to the middle of the road voters who decide elections in many parts of the country, they are in for even more sour grapes in 2018.