Hiding behind a telephone.

Today, via Twitter:

Rep. Vicky Hartzler @RepHartzler
This Tuesday, Feb. 26 at 6pm CT, I will be hosting a live, interactive event. My
constituents will be able to ask questions and speak with me about issues important to them. Dial [….], or stream it online when the event begins:
[….]
9:00 AM – 22 Feb 2019

Some of the comments:

Why don’t you have a real face-to-face townhall? Are you afraid to meet unscrewed constituents?

Correction: @VickiHartzler is holding a virtual town hall for republican constituents. Democrats are welcome to give extra questions to the call screeners, they will be permitted maybe if time allows.

Could you please clarify on the format?

Will you be pre-screening the questions? Because that’s not the same as addressing the issues of your constituents in a live format.

You don’t take questions from people you haven’t vetted. How are people who disagree with you supposed to communicate?

A virtual Town Hall is the GOP equivalent of ear plugs.

Yep been there done that many times but yet never have been allowed to speak or ask any questions. This is a cowards way out of a real town hall meeting.

And, some of the responses to the same announcement on Facebook:

This is a cop-out, Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler. You control what questions are asked, so you can give us someone else’s answers. How about an in-person #townhall? You’ve got plenty of time for photo-ops, now make time for your constituents!

Why are you so afraid to meet your constituents face to face? These fake town halls are a cop out. Shameful and undemocratic.

Been there, done that multiple times but never been allowed to ask a question. They are a waste of time, you and your staff select the questions.

Can’t make it too hard for her, you know….

Yes she is a delicate flower of sorts.

Same here…tried many times. Waste of time, unless you are one of her chosen few (and those few are getting fewer and fewer since her M.O. is becoming more common knowledge).

Perhaps you will actually come back and have real town halls in front of your constituents. This is just another opportunity for you to hand pick questions from people that support you. The last time you did one of these, every question was from a Republican.

I have never been allowed to ask a question. How about an actual in person town hall? You screen the phone questions so you don’t have to think.

That’s not a townhall, Vicki. Show up like you’re not afraid of getting talked at. You need to hear what people have to say.

I am working. But I would like a list of bipartisan bills you are working on. We need to get out of our political corners, openly listen to each other and be willing to compromise. I am unaware of this happening in your case. Please let me know. Thank you.

Not gonna happen.

Totally alienated at this point; no hope left for consideration or constituent advocacy.

Nobody cares about your goofy choreographed “talks.”

Screened calls.

It’s really something how you make your job sound like a favor, “my constituents will be able to ask questions and speak with me about issues that are important to them”. That should have been your victory speech not an isolated and controlled situation.
Your job is to work for us but your photos show you are only loyal to your pocket.

I participate in most of these, but all the questions are screened, so if you ask something she doesn’t want to talk about then you don’t actually have the opportunity to ask about topics that are important to you….

She’s afraid she can’t be poised under fire.

Will it be the same old platform with you? Preapproved questions Limited responses from you that are either abstract or blatant lies? When you do so will you prevent people from asking for clarification and the truth? It’s not a “conversation” if you control every facet of the “event” It’s a sham a lie, and a propaganda mill. So,? What will it be, Vics? Genuine conversation, with care, concern, and factual information, or the same old controlled, FAKE, “conversation?” Are you too Frightened? Dishonest? Unknowledgeable for a free exchange?

My bet is on the same old cowardice from you.

When will you meet your constituents in person, Vicky?

Don’t you mean your pre-selected constituants?

They ain’t buying it.

Previously:

Rep. Vicky Hartzler (r): open public town halls are just not gonna happen (June 13, 2017)

Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D): town hall in Lee’s Summit – June 17, 2017 (June 17, 2017)

Rep. Ann Wagner (r): a “town hall” means you invited the town (August 29, 2017)

Rep. Vicky Hartzler (r): apparently just too busy to hold any open public town halls (November 22, 2018)

Rep. Vicky Hartzler (r): we could have had a town hall (March 28, 2018)

Walking in a parade is no substitute for holding open public town halls in your district (October 27, 2018)