Meeting the People Vol 27

Even being Majority Leader isn't enough to avoid angry constitutents:

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) ran into a tough crowd Tuesday night, as hundreds opposed to Democratic healthcare proposals booed, jeered and screamed at their Congressman and one other.

Fifteen hundred people – the limit set by local authorities -- filled the gymnasium of North Point High School during Hoyer’s first healthcare town hall meeting of the recess.

The crowd appeared divided between those supportive of Hoyer’s push for a health insurance overhaul and those ready to loudly voice their opposition.

The result was a volatile mix of anxious and edgy people, most of whom waited in line for up to three hours to enter the school after waiting a month for a chance to speak to their Congressman.

Nerves were quickly worn raw after introductory remarks from the moderator, a 25-minute speech by Hoyer and individual introductions and remarks from five additional panelists that took up a total of 45 minutes.

Hoyer entered to a thunderous mix of applause and boos as competing interests fought to make their voices heard the loudest.

The crowd remained in relative order during Hoyer’s remarks, interrupting on only a few occasions with various boos and cheers in response to hot-button phrases such as “end of life care,” “illegal immigrants” and “pubic option.”

But, at the conclusion of Hoyer’s planned speech, when five panelists were introduced and asked to give their own remarks, the crowd turned on its congressman, erupting angrily at having to continue to wait for their chance to ask questions.

“We don’t want to hear this!,” a man’s voice rose above the crowd “Get to the questions!”

A chant of “We want questions! We want questions!” soon broke out, despite pleas from the moderator to set a better example for the children in attendance.

Hoyer aides soon began scurrying about as, at a few points, it seemed like the organizers were about to lose control.

A brief scuffle in the rear of the gymnasium sent sheriff's deputies running up the bleachers to escort at least one person from the gymnasium.

As a trickle of people started to leave in apparent disgust, a woman in the front row began shouting back at the rowdy audience, calling them disrespectful.

The remarks of a small business owner who addressed the crowd might as well have been elevator music as the crowd grew even more restless, and the catcalls grew louder, more frequent, and more colorful.

“Too much bulls--,” a man huffed while storming out.

So, did Steny Hoyer's people plan to have such a raucus meeting? Nope. They tried to stack the deck in favor of Obamacare:

On top of that, the Maryland chapter of Health Care for America Now, had counted on filling 1,300 of the 1,500 seats with health reform supporters. Matthew Weinstein, the Maryland chapter director, said before the meeting began that he estimated a thousand supporters had showed up.

“Back in the beginning of the month, the opposition was really outnumbering us,” Weinstein said. “That inspired the backlash from the silent majority of Americans who’ve been for healthcare all along.”

After the meeting, he insisted the majority supporting healthcare outnumbered those opposed to reform.

“This is about what I expected,” Weinstein said as the meeting wrapped up shortly after 9 p.m. “The opponents are a very vocal minority.”

And yet, despite trying to fill the hall with Obamacare supporters the opposition clearly dominated the meeting. Why? Because the opponents aren't faking it. Their outrage is real, not manufactured to promote some political cause.

People who really mean what they say will always outperform a bunch of shills.