Yes of course the NCAA men’s basketball tournament is on while I’m writing this. But as much as I love the Big Dance, that’s not what I’m pontificating on today.
Earlier this week US Senator Check Grassley, who has been in the Senate since 1981 and is approximately 279 years old, had a town hall in my town this past week. You may have heard that the RNC has advised Republican lawmakers against holding these meetings because of how poorly they have gone lately.
But Grassley has enjoyed widespread support from Iowans of all political stripes for the majority of his career, so he pushed ahead. Well, sort of. The event was never posted on his website and not even all registered Republicans I know got invites by mail. So it sure appears he was trying to pack the room in his favor. To put it mildly, this did not endear him to the locals.
People showed up in droves. The overflow room had more people in it than the actual meeting room did. You may have seen news footage of the crowd, the signs, and the actual questions Grassley fielded (or didn’t). Well, it didn’t go well for the old man. He didn’t even address or even acknowledge the people in the overflow area. He dodged questions about Elon Musk and cuts to programs that benefit Iowans. He probably wished he hadn’t come at all.
You may have heard that the reason the town halls are getting so ugly is that the folks in them aren’t Republicans. I’m here to tell you that here in Hampton Iowa that was not the case. I recognize many of the people in the photos. These are my neighbors. These are the people I see in the grocery store. Were some Democrats there? Yes of course. Was everyone holding a sign or shouting questions Democrats? Not. Even. Close. And I would bet my left leg this is the case everywhere else too.