Elected Officials Work for Us—It’s Time They Start Acting Like It

Lawmakers need to answer the public and we need some ground rules to ensure this is done right.

There was a time when town halls were a staple of our Constitutional Republic. Lawmakers stood before their constituents, took the heat, answered the tough questions, and—at the very least—pretended to care about what the people had to say. Many Idahoans still remember the days when Sen. Frank Church showed up to town halls to answer for his work holding the CIA and FBI accountable. Voters used to be able to hear directly from those they elected to represent them. While they may not always agreed, they were comforted with the thought that at least their voice was heard. Unfortunately now, too many elected officials have decided that facing the public just isn’t worth the trouble.

The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) recently told Republican lawmakers to avoid in-person town halls altogether, warning them that they might face disruptions. Their solution? Hide behind closed doors and avoid the people they claim to represent.

This is nothing new. Whenever lawmakers are pushing deeply unpopular policies or supporting the chaos of uncertainty from the White House, they don’t want to face the music. We saw it a few years back when Raúl Labrador infamously told a town hall audience that "nobody dies because they don’t have access to healthcare.” The room erupted. That wasn’t some carefully orchestrated activist stunt—it was people demanding answers about their lives, their families, and their futures.

And now, here we are again. With Medicaid cuts being proposed by Republicans fiercely loyal to President Trump, and elected officials are running for cover instead of facing the people who will lose their access to healthcare. They think if they ignore the problem long enough, it will go away. They think if they duck town halls, they won’t have to answer for what they’re doing.

That’s not how this works.

We are in a dangerous moment where some lawmakers have convinced themselves that only the people who voted for them matter. That’s the fallacy of the fringes—the bubble effect. A far-right lawmaker gets elected in a closed primary with just a sliver of the electorate, then decides they only answer to that sliver. They viewpoint-block their critics on social media. They refuse to take meetings with constituents who didn’t support them. They listen only to the Idaho Freedom Foundation and their deep-pocketed donors and shut out the rest of us.

That’s not representation. That’s cowardice.

Elected officials need to show up. It’s that simple. They need to hold real town halls, not carefully scripted events where they rattle off talking points and brag about their "Freedom Score" or endorsements from fake groups like Stop Idaho RINOs and Cliff Maloney’s Citizens Alliance of Idaho. They need to stand in a room, face their constituents—ALL their constituents—and listen.

People want to be heard. That’s all. You don’t need to agree with everyone, but you damn well better be willing to hear them out. When public forums have ground rules, when people know they’ll get their turn to speak, the threat of disruption evaporates. The anger, the frustration—it comes from being ignored, not from wanting to cause a scene.

Respectful, Honest Conversations—Not Gotcha Moments

Now, let’s be clear—if you’re planning to organize a town hall disruption just to create a viral "gotcha" moment, knock it off. That kind of nonsense is exactly what lets politicians off the hook. It gives them an excuse to avoid real conversations and dodge the tough questions. These events need to be about real people with real concerns, not some coordinated attempt to score social media points.

That doesn’t mean town halls should be sanitized, watered-down affairs where no one is allowed to express frustration. If people are angry, they have every right to be. If people are scared about losing their healthcare, struggling under bad policies, or frustrated with being ignored, they should be able to say so—directly and forcefully, if needed.

But the moment an event turns into a staged ambush, we all lose. Don’t worry. A legislator acting in bad faith will always expose themselves and those moments will happen organically. When a legislator wins over the crowd by showing they actually care, that should also be shared.

The key to making these town halls work is having neutral, good-faith local groups organize them—not political operatives looking to game the system. There must be clear ground rules in place:

• A microphone that gets passed around, so everyone has a fair chance to speak.

• A format that ensures public voices take priority over political speeches.

• An understanding that lawmakers don’t get to hide behind scripted remarks.

• These must be public events, no more of this “private event” nonsense.

• Hold events at public venues like local high schools, state college campuses, and other taxpayer funded venues. Avoid hosting events at churches that might exclude other faiths.

Most importantly, lawmakers need to have the guts to show up, listen, and answer real questions. At the bare minimum, they should at least sit there and listen to what real voters have to say, even if they don’t say a word.

As for security, local police need to have a uniformed presence to deter and de-escalate the risk that comes with a room with people who are passionate about their differing positions. Do not use private security. This will help prevent the alleged mistakes made by KCRCC’s leadership and their disastrous response to one voter’s outbursts during a recent townhall in North Idaho.

It’s time for Idaho’s elected officials—legislators, congressmen, senators—to stop hiding. Call them. Email them. Demand they organize real town halls with local community groups. Demand they listen to the people who’s taxes pay their salaries. If they won’t face the public, they have no business serving in public office.

They work for ALL of us. And if they can’t do their jobs, they should be replaced.

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About the Author
Gregory Graf is the creator of Political Potatoes and a lifelong conservative Republican. His articles often criticize the hypocrisy committed by far-right grifters who’ve taken control of the GOP. Graf is the CEO of Snake River Strategies, a communications and political consulting firm based in Eagle, Idaho. He and his family moved to Idaho Falls from Utah in 2013 and reside in Star.

Disclaimer
The following is intended to convey an opinion on newsworthy events of public concern regarding public figures and/or public officials in exercising their official duties. No implications or inferences—beyond those explicitly stated in the preceding— are intended to be conveyed or endorsed by the Author. Wherever available, hyperlinks have been provided to allow readers to directly access any underlying assertions of fact upon which this opinion is based.

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