About that “Town Hall” the Other Day
I broadcast my first ever Facebook Live video yesterday from 500 Washington St, San Francisco. I had gone to the Public Policy Institute of California to attend a town hall meeting with Senator Dianne Feinstein, only to discover that the event was limited to 240 attendees who had acquired (free) tickets ahead of time. Outside, I found an animated group of citizens of all ages, colors, and genders, demanding greater responsiveness and more stern resistance to the Republican agenda from our senior Senator.
I must give credit where credit is due. Dianne Feinstein, ranking member of the Judiciary Committee, did her level best to obstruct the ascent of Jeff Sessions to Attorney General, and has been one of the loudest voices in the Senate calling for investigation of the disturbing relationships between Trump confidantes like Paul Manafort and Mike Flynn and the Russian government. She also made time to speak to hundreds of her constituents at this PPIC event, something the footage I broadcast on Feb 24 does not make clear.
Senator Feinstein has voted to approve as many Trump’s cabinet picks as she has voted against. Many, including my comrades at the protest yesterday, would prefer to see 100% resistance to Trump’s nominees and his policies. I largely agree, especially because Elaine Chao, arguably the least controversial of Trump’s picks, has already blocked over $600M in already-allocated funds from electrifying Caltrain, and has set other California transportation projects in her sights. I understand that the Senator wants to maintain some semblance of collegiality and hope for collaboration with her Republican colleagues. I also understand that even if every Democrat voted no on every Trump nominee, we would be hard-pressed to stop anything, and the best way to get moderate Republicans to cross the line is to show willingness to put results over partisanship where possible.
But as the Senator from California, she must know that we have her back, and that we need her to have ours. Fewer than 33% of Californians voted for Trump, and our cities and farms rely on our immigrant neighbors to flourish. Oh, and to feed the nation. Our state has long stood on the forefront of climate and health policy, and we need our representatives in Washington to courageously and tirelessly affirm those values. In a time of public activism unprecedented in Feinstein’s 24 years in the Senate, we need her to be visible, available, and ready to fight like hell.
I enjoy protests and demonstrations — they are invigorating, and they affirm that, no matter how small I am, I can be present and can raise my voice. Many people feel less comfortable at these events, which, I’ll admit, have a tendency to erase nuance. Chants of “resist or retire” miss the complexity of Feinstein’s record on Trump to date, and threaten to erode public understanding. We must resist the urge to oversimplify, and instead make specific, actionable demands so they can actually gain traction. This is true for individual citizens, elected representatives, and all the beautiful, intersectional resistance movements that have arisen these last few weeks.
We need Town Halls — truly public spaces with room for critical questions and real explanations. Senator Feinstein owes us this much, as does Congresswoman Pelosi. This February recess has been a historic moment for democratic energy, and if sitting Democrats aren’t prepared to engage with it, they risk replacement by others who will. I hope that our new DNC leadership understand this, and will use all the technology and people power at their disposal to usher in a new era of responsive, Progressive politics. In the meantime, we have our own front lines, in the streets and in cyberspace. The Trump Administration will continue to push boundaries, we have a responsibility to push right back.
