• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

The Valley Citizen

Nature, Environment, History & Politics

The Valley Citizen

  • Arts
  • Education
  • Environment
  • History
  • Nature
  • Politics
  • Wit
  • About
  • RSS Icon

Jeff Denham’s (Robo) Townhall Meeting, By Bruce Frohman

August 24, 2012 By Eric Caine 2 Comments

 

Robot Calling?

On August 22nd, 2012, Congressman Jeff Denham held a district wide town hall meeting, as he called it. The meeting was conducted entirely by telephone.

The Mechanism of the Meeting

Prior to the “meeting,” a robocall was placed throughout the district. Those who answered the phone were invited to participate in the meeting by listening and could even ask a question. Those who wanted to ask a question had to hit *3 on the telephone and were put into a caller queue.

The meeting had a number of technical glitches as some callers were cut off and parts of questions were inaudible. One caller was “accidentally” cut off before a question was completed. Mr. Denham asked the caller to call back in, but how could the cut off caller hear him? The only listeners of the town hall meeting were those currently on the phone line!

A phone number to rejoin the town hall meeting was never provided and the robocall number did not appear on caller ID, so when a listener was cut off or dropped by the phone system, the listener could not easily rejoin the meeting. It’s an excellent system for getting rid of hostile callers!

One phone listener was able to call back and said, “I’ll bet you’re surprised I’m on the line again.” How she obtained the phone number is unknown as no phone number was broadcast and calls to Mr. Denham’s district office during the town hall meeting went to voice mail.

What Was Discussed

Nearly all of Congressman Denham’s questioners seemed friendly to the politician, asking him leading questions that coincided with his campaign rhetoric. A cynical person would say that the questions were planted. But some of the off-the-wall questions were clearly not set ups.

The most memorable question was about President Obama’s $700 billion decision about Medicare funding. A caller asked Mr. Denham whether he thought that President Obama “stole” $700 billion in Medicare money to fund “Obamacare.” Mr. Denham eagerly replied that a “theft” had indeed happened. In using such terminology, Mr. Denham essentially accused the President of committing a felony.

Another caller asked about Cal Trans taking homes for a freeway using eminent domain. Then, Cal Trans allegedly put its own employees in the homes with below market rents instead of building the freeway. Other town hall listeners were clueless about where or when this event allegedly took place. Mr. Denham provided a non-responsive answer, supporting the bashing of government in general without indicating any interest in the actual problem or how to remedy it, or even whether such a thing really happened.

Another caller asked why undocumented aliens may be allowed to work when legal residents can’t find jobs. Mr. Denham’s reply was that some things happen that he cannot explain.

Irresponsible Government Spending

Early in the town hall meeting, Mr. Denham went on a tirade about irresponsible government spending. Immediately after the tirade, he talked about a new government program for Veterans that he says he helped to set up. So, first he complained about government spending, and then he showed how he added to the spending.Mr. Denham touted how he has supported Veterans from day one. Ironically, Mr. Denham has supported sending more soldiers to Afghanistan. His position continues to add to the number of existing veterans and adds to the future cost of taking care of veterans, including those who have been sent to fight since he took office.

What a Thinking Person Notices

In reflecting on the town hall meeting, a thinking person realizes the disconnect between Congressman Denham’s rhetoric and reality. One of the callers said that Social Security trust fund money has been stolen three times. Mr. Denham did not dispute the assertion and did not display any knowledge of how the trust funds work. He made no effort to inform or educate the listeners.

A FUTURE CAMPAIGN TACTIC

The robocall Town Hall meeting will probably become a regular method of campaigning. As they gain experience, politicians will become more adept at running such meetings. While Mr. Denham’s performance was not encouraging, other politicians may discover the technique and use it to better advantage.

Mr. Denham deserves credit for trying to engage his constituents. Unfortunately, he lacks the ability or knowledge to engage in a constructive dialogue. His event was truly a negative experience for the thinking person.

 

Filed Under: Featured, Politics Tagged With: Jeff Denham, robocalls

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Mike Barkley says

    August 24, 2012 at 5:44 am

    [ring]

    Hello?

    Hello?

    Hello, this is U.S. Representative Jeff Denham[click]

    (Gee, I hope that was a recording I hung up on; I’m probably getting waay too quick on hanging up on recordings)
    (Nope, must have been the Town Hall. Sorry I missed it. No, actually, glad I missed it.) –mike

    Reply
  2. Kent Mitchell says

    August 29, 2012 at 1:10 am

    My sentiments are similar to Bruce’s. I participated once, not expecting much. But I thought I would ask Mr. Denham about the specifics of the regulations & safeguards he would like to do away with. He is skilled, as most politicians, and can tell quickly if one is pro- or anti-. In response, he went on a diatribe and I patiently waited to follow up, only to find I had been cut off after the quick opening Q. Like I said, I wasn’t surprised, nor did I have any higher expectation for the format.

    Reply

Leave a Reply to Kent Mitchell Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Note: Some comments may be held for moderation.

Primary Sidebar

Off The Wire

Inside the War Between Trump and His Generals
Inside the War Between Trump and His Generals
www.newyorker.com
Water wars in a drying California: New money vs. old power in San Joaquin Valley
Water wars in a drying California: New money vs. old power in San Joaquin Valley
www.mercurynews.com
History of DDT ocean dumping off L.A. coast even worse than expected, EPA finds
History of DDT ocean dumping off L.A. coast even worse than expected, EPA finds
Barrels of DDT waste, along with other chemicals, were likely poured directly into the ocean near Catalina Island, according to federal regulators.
www.latimes.com
The Tiny Bird Ruining East Coast Beach Vacations
The Tiny Bird Ruining East Coast Beach Vacations
Meet the piping plover, an adorable little bird whose tenuous existence shuts down roads and beaches right in the peak of summer.
www.thedailybeast.com
Will the last person to leave Phoenix please turn off the sun?
Will the last person to leave Phoenix please turn off the sun?
Asking when Phoenix will become uninhabitable means asking who has the resources to survive — and eventually, the rich might be the only ones left
www.salon.com
California drought official quits, blasting Newsom for 'gut wrenching' inaction
California drought official quits, blasting Newsom for ‘gut wrenching’ inaction
A state water board official has resigned, claiming the Newsom administration has “nearly eviscerated” the board’s ability to confront drought.
www.latimes.com
Seventy Never Looked So Good: The Long, Wondrous Life of Wisdom the Albatross
Seventy Never Looked So Good: The Long, Wondrous Life of Wisdom the Albatross
The Laysan Albatross is the oldest known wild bird on the planet, an international icon, and still hatching eggs. This year she had her 39th chick.
www.audubon.org
It?s Going to Take Several Miracles to Stop the Republican Party From Turning America Into Hungary
It’s Going to Take Several Miracles to Stop the Republican Party From Turning America Into Hungary
It’s probably already too late to save American democracy. Here is the series of improbable events doing so would require.
newrepublic.com

Myanmar: Military executes four democracy activists including ex-MP

Myanmar: Military executes four democracy activists including ex-MP
The executions mark the first cases of capital punishment in the country in decades.
www.bbc.com
GOPer Who Voted Against Marriage Equality Goes To Son's Gay Wedding Days Later
GOPer Who Voted Against Marriage Equality Goes To Son’s Gay Wedding Days Later
A lot of things happened. Here are some of the things. This…
talkingpointsmemo.com
Trump’s silence on Jan. 6 is damning
Trump’s silence on Jan. 6 is damning
It’s up to the Justice Department to decide if this is a crime. But as a matter of principle, as a matter of character, Trump has proven himself unworthy to be this country’s chief executive …
nypost.com
Homeless people wait as Los Angeles lets thousands of federal housing vouchers go unused
Homeless people wait as Los Angeles lets thousands of federal housing vouchers go unused
Many of the 3,000 people and families in L.A. who have received the emergency vouchers remain in limbo.
www.latimes.com
Rio Grande runs dry in Albuquerque for the first time in 40 years
Rio Grande runs dry in Albuquerque for the first time in 40 years
The drying of the Rio Grande comes as the summer’s hotter and drier weather has fueled drought and fire throughout the West.
www.washingtonpost.com

Find us on Facebook

The Valley Citizen
PO Box 156
Downtown Bear Postal
1509 K Street
Modesto, CA 95354

Email us at:
thevalleycitizen@sbcglobal.net

Footer

The Valley Citizen
PO Box 156
Downtown Bear Postal
1509 K Street
Modesto, CA 95354

Email us at:
thevalleycitizen@sbcglobal.net

Subscribe for Free

* indicates required

Search

• Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2022 The Valley Citizen

Dedicated to the memory of John Michael Flint. Contact us at thevalleycitizen@sbcglobal.net

Editor and publisher: Eric Caine

Website customization and maintenance by Susan Henley Design