The Steny Hoyer Townhall: Reporting from the Outside
Tonight, a standing room-only crowd of over 1500 people packed the gymnasium of North Point High School in my hometown of Waldorf, MD to attend a health care town hall meeting with Congressman Steny Hoyer. I’d love to be able to give you a report of what happened inside the meeting but I can’t. I didn’t actually make it inside the doors. When I arrived at 6 PM, an hour before the meeting was scheduled to start, the line to get inside was incredibly long. I must admit, that surprised me. Southern Maryland is not exactly known for its political activism. I walked about halfway down the line and snapped this picture looking back toward the front of the school.
The actual head of the line continued around the corner about the length of that one section of building and there was another section of line just as long behind me. I talked to a young man who was a member of the school’s ROTC program who was there to help with crowd control and he told me that people began queuing not long before 4 PM.
In other words, if you didn’t get there well before 6 PM, there was a real chance you weren’t going to make it inside. I could have stood in line myself (since I didn’t get media credentials, which you’d better believe I will get next time something like this happens) or feel out the crowd and talk to some people. I opted for the latter. After all, it’s not like Steny Hoyer, the second-highest Democrat in the House of Representatives, was going to stand up there and suddenly announce that he was opposed to government-run health care. So I wandered up and down the line, talked to some folks I met along the way, and snapped a few pictures.
(Because of the extra pictures, I tucked the rest of the article behind the jump)
There were a few sign-wielding opponents of Obamacare. The local authorities has a placed set up for them where they could protest and be heard by those going into the meeting, yet not present a disruption.
There were a couple spirited exchanges between them and some pro-Obamacare folks in line as they passed by. Here’s a sample of those folks, who also had signs of their own.
There was a “no sign” rule for the meeting and members of Hoyer’s staff were there to make sure that folks left their signs behind. I didn’t see more than one or two anti-Obamacare signs, though the pile was considerable, which tells me that the pro-Obamacare contingent was ready to roll, even though Hoyer announced the meeting with less than two-weeks’ notice.
Not all of the pro-Obamacare were pre-printed, either. This lady made her own. Note the stickers she’s wearing.
I saw a lot of those stickers, mostly on folks in the front half of the line. Some to whom I spoke were from the local county Democratic Central Committees and quite a few looked to be from the school system itself (indeed, there were a few young people going inside carrying homework with them, but wearing the stickers). One lady to whom I spoke, who was a committee member told me that she was given the sticker on the bus she took to get to the meeting. Given that I had to park an easy half-mile away from the front of the school, I’d say that taking a bus in (and unloading right in front of the school) was a smart idea, especially since the committees were coming from several different counties.
I didn’t see any signs of AstroTurfing, though there were perhaps a score of people wearing union shirts (though none of the SEIU “purple shirts” that I could see). Given that the meeting was called on fairly short notice, the school system and local unions would have a decided advantage in organizing support over any local grassroots opposition. I would say that the reason there were so many pro-Obamacare people at the front of the line is because they both knew to get there very early and that they got out of work earlier than most of us (also a reason to believe that many of them worked for the educational system). Rest assured, though, I did look for any signs of AstroTurf but found only nicely-trimmed green grass.
There were three men there from LaRouchePAC and they were, by far, the most vocal.
As the line dwindled, one of the LaRouche men started working the line, handing out leaflets and talking to people. I can’t say that anyone gave him much of a hearing, though.
I did talk to someone involved in the event who said that the gymnasium could have held up to 5,000 people with a different arrangement that would have seated some n bleachers and all around Hoyer, but his wanted the setup that put everyone on the gym floor seated in front of the podium even though doing so would only accommodate 1500 seats.
In all, the crowd was peaceful and patient, even though the line was horrendous. I didn’t hear much chatter from folks standing in line, which surprised me. I expected to hear at least a few debates between the pro and con sides, but I only heard a couple and they tended to be friendly in tone and fairly brief. Even the banter between the sign-carrying crew and the pro-Obamacare people in line was pretty light and fairly short.
If there were any of those unpatriotic town hall protest rabble-rousers Nancy Pelosi and Hoyer himself tell me are under every rock, they were well-disguised.
I’ll have a couple more posts later on about a couple people I spoke to as I walked up and down the line. I found two interesting stories and I think you’ll enjoy reading them.
UPDATE: Apparently the crowd saved up all its rowdiness for the meeting. Here’s my favorite part of the report:
Hoyer reacted to the barbs calmly, explaining how proposals were being discussed and trying to assuage his constituents of their concerns.
But Hoyer at times seemed exasperated.
“Let me just say this,” Hoyer said. “Read the bill.”
“We have!” a few people yelled back.
The Politico also reported that police had to escort someone out of the meeting. Perhaps the seating arrangement wasn’t the best for this venue.
Much thanks also to Glenn Reynolds and Moderate in the Middle for the links. Come back tomorrow for more stories from the outside!
UPDATE 2: Check the report at NTC News for more information, including a news report from yours truly.
UPDATE 3: My post on a conversation I had with one of the folks outside the town hall meeting is up at the AIP blog.
Also, Stacy McCain had some very kind words to say about me and, more importantly, some interesting words to say about journalism (especially the sort of citizen journalism that we bloggers do all the time). I highly recommend his post if you’re interested in covering a local town hall event (or any other event, for that matter).
And, for the record, that bit at the beginning about covering the story that’s in front of you is something I got from Stacy, only he’s too humble to admit it. Yes, humble. You heard it here first.
UPDATE 4: Mark Hemingway got to the meeting an hour before I did and got a very good look at the SEIU “purple shirts”. All I can tell you is that when I got there at six, they weren’t there. Perhaps the Hoyer people started seating folks’ early. It’s interesting to me how they got there before organizers let others in to park.
Also, he tossed in a Thompson reference right at the top. Good man, that.
No related posts.
Category: Health Care Craziness, Our New Democratic Overlords
Steny got booed in that meeting when he tried to label the ins cos as the bad guys, see video here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OtzWZLFvkXo
We ELECT Representatives to VOTE our views in CONGRESS.
We don't need the DNC or RNC to use OUR money to BUY votes.
Citizens MUST TAKE BACK THEIR COUNTRY.
Hold YOUR OWN Town Hall meetings. Don't invite the incumbent, but invite their opposition or better yet, hold a citizen’s PERFORMANCE REVIEW of your elected officials. Don't stop at Federal Level – include State and Local officials as well.
You get a performance appraisal at work – why not Congress, State and Local officials as well.
It's time the loudmouth activists are pushed off the stage and let REAL CITIZENS speak for themselves.
Cancel all media subscriptions until 2010 election is over.
That will insure a more fair election. It will help to eliminate those who don't contribute to growing GDP.
If you want to get Hoyer's attention, have townhall meetings and don't invite him or his representatives.
Congresscritter-run townhall meetings are designed to help him get his message out. While they do attract a crowd and media coverage that you can try to influence, you'll be more effective at both in a venue that you're control for your purposes.
You can even call it a "teach-in" and invite the non-committed. Remember them – they're the folks who Hoyer is worried about.
I don't understand how bussing supporters from other districts, counties, or states helped Hoyer. Unless he's already figured bussing them in to vote in 2010 too. That's why they object to voters showing a pictured ID to vote.
AFreeman: "If you want to get Hoyer’s attention, have townhall meetings and don’t invite him or his representatives." How about send him a RSVP invitation card?
As far as I know, there weren't any supporters bussed in from outside the district. MD-5 is a pretty big district, with people as far away as an hour from where the meeting was held. The one lady to whom I spoke about coming in on a bus was part of an effort to bring central committee members in from more distant parts of the district instead of having them drive a long way.
[...] REPORTING FROM THE Steny Hoyer townhall. [...]
[...] report from outside the townhall fromThe Sundries Shack via Instapundit: Tonight, a standing room-only crowd of over 1500 people packed the gymnasium of [...]
I liked the reported statement from Rep. Hoyer about we right wing domestic terrorists, as the Democrats are now calling the anti-ObamaCare citizens, should read the bill. Rep. Conyers said it was too long to read for congress but many of us have read this 1017 page bill written by lawyers for lawyers and bureaucrats and find it infringes upon our economic freedom and civil liberties; one could easily believe it is unconstitutional since it requires us to purchase insurance. Now government can demand how we spend our money or we suffer penalties! This entire health care bill must be scrapped for the above reasons.
Having re-read my comment, I did not intend to say that Mr. Hoyer called us right wing domestic terrorists, but the Obama Organizing for America organization has.
[...] link: The Steny Hoyer Townhall: Reporting from the Outside [...]
Don't invite him.
Politicians love to be at the front of a parade. If it's your parade, he has to decide between joining your parade and walking where he wants to go.
[...] Via Sun Dried Shack… [...]
After seeing video of and reading reports from so many of these type of gatherings, it was a relief see a report that gives you a flavor of what's going on around the core event. Bravo, Jimmie.
Quoted from and linked to at:
http://www.thecampofthesaints.com/2009.08.30_arch…
All,
I did get inside. I also took 74 photographs. I found this website via Instapundit. Yes, I have told him as well. You can find my account on my blog at Steny Hoyer's Town Hall on Health Care.
If you are looking for red meat — on either side — you won't find it on my posting. I was trying to report accurately what I saw.
I read your post, Chuck, and I think it's a good one. I did notice one thing you did that is a pet peeve of mine in this debate. People who oppose the President's health care plan are not against health care reform. Indeed, most of them believe the system needs reform. They simply do not agree that giving control of the system to the Federal government is the right reform.
KennedyCare!!
What could go wrong?
Jimmie,
Thanks. I have also posted a comment on my website.
You make an interesting point about opponents of the bills before Congress not opposing all reform but opposing the reforms currently proposed by Democrats (and a few Republicans) in Congress and the White House. Chalk my report as making an error in this regard. I will say that the dynamics of the evening — at least until I left — seemed inclined to lack that nuance.
I will make a comment about people being bussed in. I do live in Congressman Hoyer's district — the northern part. I drove myself to the meeting in my Camaro. It took me about 45 to 50 minutes each way — and I wasn't exactly dawdling. I can see some groups offering bus rides to their members just to make it easier for them to come. I have gotten on buses locally — and for things far removed from political events — just because it was easier. DC area traffic is awful.
Oh, I know about the traffic. I live about 15 minutes from the high school so the drive wasn't terrible, but I realize that it's better to bus folks in who have to come a long distance. However, there were indications that some who were bussed in were allowed to stand on line before other people who drove in. I think that's part of what accounted for the visible pro-Obamacare majority at the head of the line.
As for the nuance, I can't really blame you. The President himself has couched the issue as reform vs no reform and the press hasn't spent much time correcting him. The Republicans, who have made other proposals aren't exactly helping themselves when they don't pus their alternatives harder and more visible.
Right now, the big decision is Obamacare or no. I'm afraid, though, that most people will see that as the only choice and opt for Obamacare because they don't see another way to get reasonable-coverage. If that happens, then we've been served poorly.
Jimmie,
I will say that I am on some Democratic Party e-mail lists as well as some groups that are allied with the Democratic Party. I was told by at least some of those sources to get there by 4:30. If I were organizing a bus group to get there, I would aim for early as well — whether the group was in favor or against the Obama proposals. Why? The cautious engineer in me likes substantial margins in case of unexpected problems. The cautious engineer in me left home around 3:30 — just in case I ran into traffic. I didn't, but I could have. People running buses probably did similar things.