Support NeoGAF

[johnsmith]

http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slat...tz_booed_and_jeered_at_town_hall_meeting.html

Rep. Jason Chaffetz tried to respond to questions, but many of his answers went unheard. The din of the hostile and harassing audience that filled the 1,000 seats of a high school auditorium Thursday night drowned him out.

"Explain yourself," they roared over him.

When the congressman did get a chance to speak, the crowd often didn't like what he had to say. And he knew it.

The town-hall meeting was 75 minutes of tense exchanges between Chaffetz and residents from across the state. They were frustrated by the Utah Republican's refusal to investigate President Donald Trump's potential conflicts of interest. They doggedly pursued him for his initiatives to transfer or sell public lands. They questioned his position on immigration and refugees.

And that's was only half of the largely liberal crowd.

About 1,500 people stood outside Brighton High School, too far back to make the cut, their signs reading, "Do your job" and "America is better than this."

Tons of videos here, including the full event, which is already at 250k views.

http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slat...tz_booed_and_jeered_at_town_hall_meeting.html

Utah Rep. Jason Chaffetz was home in his district Thursday night to hold a town hall at a high school in the suburbs of Salt Lake City. It did not go well. The crowd well exceeded the auditorium’s 1,000-person capacity and the event kicked off to chants of “kick him out!” (re: Chaffetz) mixed with “let them in!” (re: the some 1,000 person overflow crowd locked out of the event). The crowd that did make it inside roiled with anger, asking pointed questions on the possible repeal of the Affordable Care Act, violence against women, Chaffetz’s refusal, as the GOP chairman of the House oversight committee, to investigate President Trump’s apparent conflicts of interest and Russian election meddling, as well as his stated desire to sell off local public lands.

Wow, surprising a congressman's town hall in Utah is getting so much coverage. It's on all the news sites. But Chaffetz is the posterboy for GOP hypocrisy, and deserves all of this. Can't wait for years investigations into the botched Yemen raid.We need to do this to every GOP congressman.

 

[FF Seraphim]

Good. Everyone needs to go to every townhall our representives hold and demand them to accountability

 

[Alucrid]

i wonder if people in PA would do this to toomey if they could find him

 

[A Serious Man]

Good, force that clown to actually do his job.

 

[Yekshemesh]

Yes this is how a grass movement starts for impeachmeant. Keep the momentum going.

 

[How About No]

If I were Utahan I'd be proud.

In that case, I'm proud of many a Utahan

 

[univariate]

Good. Everyone needs to go to every townhall our representives hold and demand them to accountability

Agreed.

 

[Salamando]

i wonder if people in PA would do this to toomey if they could find him

In Pittsburgh they protest him even if he isn't there. Every week there's a "Tuesdays with Toomey" protest outside one of his offices.

 

[Cyanity]

Great news. I guess people really do give a shit.

 

[Xe4]

Awesome. It's important to hold your representatives responsible. Let them know they serve you, not the other way around.

 

[rec0ded1]

So good 15 minutes in and loving how they're not buying his bullshit about the bill having some "good things" fuck outta here.

Well done Utah

 

[Aaron Strife]

Turnabout is fair play. The tea party made a sport of harassing Dem representatives with fake bullshit leading up to 2010, now the GOP gets to be on the receiving end (except in this case every accusation against them is completely true).

 

[Lord Fagan]

He talks to this crowd like they're children.

No wonder they show him no respect. Fucking amateur.

 

[Trickster]

Awesome to see. But could someone tell me how this will really matter when it comes to super conservative states like Utah? I imagine that the gop politicians there can pretty much ignore any and all complaints and still get comfortable elected over any democrats?

 

[Lord Fagan]

Awesome to see. But could someone tell me how this will really matter when it comes to super conservative states like Utah? I imagine that the gop politicians there can pretty much ignore any and all complaints and still get comfortable elected over any democrats?

The stink of this stuff spreading over the internet infects the whole party. Chaffetz may very well be safe, along with a lot of other gerrymandered districts, but this makes life for GOP candidates in statewide races for the Senate and for Governor unpleasant when they are associated by party to these well-publicized instances of voter rage. And it's not helpful for leadership when they are trying to push an agenda and getting peppered with questions about Congressman So-and-so on the edge of a riot in his own district trying to get the public on board with said agenda. Multiply that by about a half-dozen districts, and not only do you got some damn potent distractions, but great material for fundraising, too.

Least that's how most political operatives will probably look at it. Truth is, the only way the Dems are gonna fix the gerrymandering problem that gives the GOP a chokehold on Middle America is by recapturing the House by 2020 so they can redraw the lines when we perform our next census. It's not impossible, they pulled it off as recently as 2006, but they'll need to get millennials to give a shit about the midterms. I don't see any other path to get there.

 

[nelsonroyale]

Well done. Chaffetz could only talk to the crowd in such a condesending manner because he had a microphone. This needs to become common thing. These assholes need to be called out.

 

[Hitman]

Wow, so condescending with all his answers. What a piece of shit. You can tell he's just a GOP shill and he doesn't care at all about his constituents.

I'm only 20 minutes in though, the video keeps freezing. Does anyone have another link?

 

[Trickster]

The stink of this stuff spreading over the internet infects the whole party. Chaffetz may very well be safe, along with a lot of other gerrymandered districts, but this makes life for GOP candidates in statewide races for the Senate and for Governor unpleasant when they are associated by party to these well-publicized instances of voter rage. And it's not helpful for leadership when they are trying to push an agenda and getting peppered with questions about Congressman So-and-so on the edge of a riot in his own district trying to get the public on board with said agenda. Multiply that by about a half-dozen districts, and not only do you got some damn potent distractions, but great material for fundraising, too.

Least that's how most political operatives will probably look at it. Truth is, the only way the Dems are gonna fix the gerrymandering problem that gives the GOP a chokehold on Middle America is by recapturing the House by 2020 so they can redraw the lines when we perform our next census. It's not impossible, they pulled it off as recently as 2006, but they'll need to get millennials to give a shit about the midterms. I don't see any other path to get there.

Thanks, that made it much clearer

 

[shiba5]

Wow, so condescending with all his answers. What a piece of shit. You can tell he's just a GOP shill and he doesn't care at all about his constituents.

I'm only 20 minutes in though, the video keeps freezing. Does anyone have another link?

I've already heard the crowd referred to as "paid agitators" so guaranteed this is the narrative they settle on. Keep fucking that chicken GOP.

 

[Hitman]

How does a dickbag like Jeff Chaffetz, who worked for 10 years as PR for a multi level marketing company that twice got fined by the FTC for making false marketing claims and also got sued and lost to the Chinese government for doing the same shit. How does he win an election, then get appointed to the house oversight committee when he is obvious fuckin SCUM.

 

[War Peaceman]

How does a dickbag like Jeff Chaffetz, who worked for 10 years as PR for a multi level marketing company that twice got fined by the FTC for making false marketing claims and also got sued and lost to the Chinese government for doing the same shit. How does he win an election, then get appointed to the house oversight committee when he is obvious fuckin SCUM.

It is what happens when the house seat is overwhelmingly republican.

Gerrymandering seats leads to more extreme and more ridiculous politicians - they don't have to moderate their behaviour or can be cronies of the party elite. Of course this is Utah so it is simply the lack of competition afforded by republican areas.

The amazing thing about Chaffetz is that he is so slimy. I can't understand how anyone can hear him speak and not want to immediately leave everything.

This is brilliant: https://twitter.com/fobwashed/status/829954747712933888

 

[Fox Mulder]

Wow, so condescending with all his answers. What a piece of shit. You can tell he's just a GOP shill and he doesn't care at all about his constituents.

I'm only 20 minutes in though, the video keeps freezing. Does anyone have another link?

All protestors are paid by George Soros!

It's fine. They can ignore the masses for only so long.

 

[Nazgul_Hunter]

This is brilliant: https://twitter.com/fobwashed/status/829954747712933888

Holy shit lmao.

There's a long list of gop reps I'd love to see gone but this guy is near the top

 

[Apt101]

I hope this keeps up, but it could have been 20 thousand people and he wouldn't have cared. People like him and Boehner are completely immune to the will of the people despite always talking about it.

 

[Thaedolus]

If there was ever a perfect embodiment of everything I hate about the hypocritical republican bullshit over the last 30 years it's this weasely motherfucker right here. Fuck everything about Jason Chaffetz.

 

[Saya]

Well, he's never doing one of those ever again.

 

[Horns]

Good. Chaffetz is a huge asshole that plays partisan games.

 

[tuxfool]

Well, he's never doing one of those ever again.

Luckily he has this one recorded, he gets to keep all those nice memories.

 

[water_wendi]

Turnabout is fair play. The tea party made a sport of harassing Dem representatives with fake bullshit leading up to 2010, now the GOP gets to be on the receiving end (except in this case every accusation against them is completely true).

First thing to come to mind. In comparison the Tea Party disruptions seems to be dwarfed here by a factor of 100. The policies of the sane are desired by the majority of the population so we better start acting on it.

 

[Wolfgunblood Garopa]

Chaffetz thinks his job is to serve himself and his cult, so that chant was probably a bit confusing to him.

 

[Ovid]

I'm dying at the part when he said Trump was by far the better choice.

It's like those old school in the ring interviews with the most despised heel.

The crowd went crazy lol.

EDIT: This guy loves this. He's playing the crowd for a reaction. It's so obvious.

 

[clockworkinyou]

i wonder if people in PA would do this to toomey if they could find him

I wrote a scathing letter to Toomey.

Fuck Pat Toomey.

 

[Kevinroc]

How long until the GOP stop doing town halls?

 

[BurnsVictim]

It's actually a little rough when you get to the part where he mentions losing his mother to breast cancer in response to a healthcare question and they just boo the shit out of him. You can see it affect him, and yet he's only got himself to blame.

Sorry Chaffetz, losing your mother is absolutely terrible, but using it politically to ingratiate yourself with the people whose healthcare you're trying to rip away just makes you look even more deplorable. You're making decisions that will kill thousands of people, in much the same way as your mother died. It's tough to watch but I'm glad he got torn to shreds. Ted Cruz does the same thing, moreso actually, and it's infuriating to behold.

 

[Dude Abides]

Turnabout's fair play, tea party fuckhead.

Lol his wiki page.

Jason E. Chaffetz (/ˈtʃeɪfᵻts/; born March 26, 1967) is the U.S. representative for Utah's 3rd congressional district, first elected in 2008. He is a member of the Republican Party. On Febuary 9th he walked out of a town hall meeting 40 minutes early because he was tired of speaking to his constituents about real issues.

 

[Apt101]

Turnabout's fair play, tea party fuckhead.

Lol his wiki page.

Damn, he was born in '67? He's a contentious, slimey politician but I'll give it to him: he's aged well.

 

[Jaeyden]

This video is AMAZING! We need more and more of this. Get mad, get out there and get in these fuckers faces!

 

[Blader]

This is so good.

Least that's how most political operatives will probably look at it. Truth is, the only way the Dems are gonna fix the gerrymandering problem that gives the GOP a chokehold on Middle America is by recapturing the House by 2020 so they can redraw the lines when we perform our next census. It's not impossible, they pulled it off as recently as 2006, but they'll need to get millennials to give a shit about the midterms. I don't see any other path to get there.

I may be wrong on this, but I don't think it's the House that draws the district maps; it's the state legislatures and governors who do. The GOP hasn't had a durable majority in the House because the House gerrymandered a bunch of districts first, but because the Tea Party wave elections in 2010 put a lot of Republicans into state seats that could draw up those safely red district lines starting in 2011.

So the key to breaking the stranglehold on congressional redistricting isn't winning back the House next year, it's winning back all these governorships and other state seats so we can have a greater role in the 2021 redistricting.

 

[VeryGooster]

This teacher's comment is gold.

https://twitter.com/DavidRosenthal_/status/829898484492890112

I've taught for 35 years in Salt Lake. I've rarely had a discipline problem because I've laid out my expectations very clearly and I've laid out the consequences. But once in a while in the beginning of the year, after just 2 or 3 weeks, I can just look at a kid and say "You're gonna be a problem." It's been 2 or 3 weeks, and I have a feeling that we're going to have a problem.

 

[Camwi]

Good to see more crowds of liberals raging against the machine. This shit had better translate into votes in 2018.

 

[Aaron Strife]

Damn, he was born in '67? He's a contentious, slimey politician but I'll give it to him: he's aged well.

That would only make him 50 at most. Obama looked very young when he became president and he was about the same age.

This is so good.



I may be wrong on this, but I don't think it's the House that draws the district maps; it's the state legislatures and governors who do. The GOP hasn't had a durable majority in the House because the House gerrymandered a bunch of districts first, but because the Tea Party wave elections in 2010 put a lot of Republicans into state seats that could draw up those safely red district lines starting in 2011.

So the key to breaking the stranglehold on congressional redistricting isn't winning back the House next year, it's winning back all these governorships and other state seats so we can have a greater role in the 2021 redistricting.

Because the state legislatures are also gerrymandered, it'll be hard to crack those - but winning the governorships in most instances will let us at least force compromise or court-drawn maps which tend to be much fairer.

 

[water_wendi]

For more town hall goodness heres a short video montage from Tom McClintocks town hall last week https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=slK4n3oDSOA. It shows people outside and in. Definitely watch to the end for his "Attack on Yemen?" moment.

 

[Frozenprince]

I think it's telling that these Representatives are largely caught without being to answer any of this or prepared in even the slightest way

For the first time, their constituents are engaging them to do their jobs and represent them and they have absolutely no answers for them.

 

[Camwi]

I think I found it on Youtube, for those like me who can't see it on Twitter.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ob5MrYpv_XI

 

[alternade]

Dems need to capture this lightning in a bottle quickly! For every town hall like this there should be dozens of DNC operatives getting emails and rebuking thier lies.

 

[WedgeX]

Great job, America.

 

[radios shipping overview]

This is so fantastic. I'm proud of my home state.

Chaffetz is such a slime.

 

[JetBlackPanda]

This is beautiful. I live in Utah and it's wonderful to see. Yes his district is safe by like 90% but this story needs to be blasted on the news.

 

[BronsonLee]

i wonder if people in PA would do this to toomey if they could find him

Why do you think he hides like a bitch

 

[AlexFlame116]

I was there for this. It was absolutely crazy how Jason was at times trying to play with everyone. Acting like an exasperated adult talking to children. Didn't work too well. Some Republicans were there too protesting this. It was amazing at the turn out.