Special interests and opponents have figured out how easy it is to disrupt town halls and get their own message out. The days of the truly free-form town halls may be over.
Sentiment: NEGATIVE
So, for me the town hall meetings are really an opportunity to engage in two-way dialogue with people, and they've been very helpful.
I probably hold more town halls than any member of Congress.
This isn't the best town for what we're doing. Too many other things to pull the crowds away.
In many ways, our campaign this year will be the same as last time: We're still going to focus on fixing up basics and cleaning up ethics at City Hall.
Most of my town hall meetings had always been love fests, and some of my guys used to complain: 'I'd like for somebody to yell at you a bit.'
The great thing about this town hall format is that it allows us to hear what's on the minds of Americans. Tonight, it was clear - voters have quite a few questions about the direction in which the current administration is headed.
My district goes a long ways across the southern part of Ohio, so just the opportunity to get to know so many people is a highlight itself, win or lose.
For free-speech principles to be reinforced and free-market ideas to win the day, more people are going to have to stand up and be heard.
Nothing ever gets settled in this town. a seething debating society in which the debate never stops, in which people never give up, including me. And so that's the atmosphere in which you administer.
Shouting down and intimidating someone from speaking their mind is not exactly a Vermont town meeting value, nor should it be an American town meeting value.
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