THAT IS HOW YOU START AND RUN ONE OF THESE TOWN HALL MEETINGS.... AND WIN!
These techniques are being used very simply and effectively in the districts that were my old clients. They shut down the protests before they start. Use verbiage in quotes word for word.
Start with plenty of off duty LEO’s there. Have an overwhelming show of force if they are needed.
Rent a privately held building so you can control who enters, Do not use a public building with potential public right of access “problems.”
Understand from the outside these radicals are not there to get their points across or have a fair discussion of ideas. They are there for one purpose only, to destroy the appearance of your meeting and therefore you on TV
Restrict admission to those with ID address from member’s district. That gets rid of the ones bused it. Simply say I’m sorry but the room is too small to hold everyone and the congressman must hold his first loyalty to those from his district.” (Have a computerized list of all addresses legally in the district and a one block buffer zone around. No photo ID form inside district, no admission, period. There will be 1000 BS excuses from outsiders trying to get in, but stick to your guns, because “you can’t discriminate.”)
“We thank you for coming, but because of room size, please have your driver’s license or other state ID card with your address shown in the Congressman’s district so we can give you first priority seating. Everyone else will be given fill in seating if we still have room after the residents of the district are seated and we don’t overflow the fire marshals regulations.” (No more than 200- 250 max, Then ensure you never have any overflow seating!)
Copy driver’s licenses onto a premarked “ticket” piece of 8x11 copy paper in a xerox machine you take to event. That way a local radical can’t get ticket with his or her photo on it and give it to out of town radical. All ticket issuing and checking OUTSIDE main meeting hall. One small door is only way to get in to main room, past a ticket taker, and off duty LEO, and there is LEO at every other inside entrance, especially fire escapes and entrances from kitchen, backstage, etc.
Everyone passes through security scan. No signs or banners of any kind are allowed, “as they block other’s view.” Check all purses and backpacks for signs, banners, etc. If someone looks extra fat because they wrapped banner around shirt, check it.
Admit all authorized media. If you do not know they are friendly, do not automatically admit someone who claims to write for the Daily Blab. BS media credentials are everywhere. It would probably be a lib phony trying to get in.
Tell all reporters and camera-people they are welcome to be there, help them get setup in the back and get a good audio feed OF YOUR AUDIO. But tell them, for security purposes,the building and police mandate they can be inside or ouside, but once they are in one position they have to stay there. They are welcome to interview anyone they like before or after the official meeting, but during the meeting, no side interviews because that is disturbing and discourteous to everyone else there to have a dialogue with the Congressman/Senator. etc.
Open Strong.
Local celebrity, conservative talk radio person is excellent introduces speaker. Makes it very short.
“Hi, I’m the face behind the voice on the Biff Taylor program 9 to noon every day on 1380 WINO, the 5000 Watt Conservative blowtorch here in Xville. I’m glad you’re here. We are all performing an important civic duty tonight. THANKS TO BOB BROWN We are all PARTICIPATING IN OUR GOVERNMENT TONIGHT
Congressman Brown is here tonight to do something very important. First, there will be a short update about what is REALLY happening in Washington, and I’m sure many of you will NOT be surprised that it’s NOT what you hear on the evening news.
More importantly, Bob is hear to have a dialogue with you. No speeches, but a two way dialogue with you getting answers to YOUR questions.”
Please welcome our friend, Congressman Bob Brown
AND THIS IS HOW YOU OPEN THE MEETING.
“Here’s the deal. I’m glad so many of you turned out tonight, because that says many LOCAL people are taking this opportunity to participate in the government process on an ongoing basis. Thank you for being here. As you know, there were outside paid protesters brought in too, in part, to take up your time so some of your questions wouldn’t get to be asked. We ensured all your questions will be answered by admitting only you, people from the district, are in here tonight.
Oh, don’t worry, you’ll hear the others. You’ll hear the people they bussed in They will start chanting their slogans outside whenever the TV cameras are turned on! (That will get a laugh from your inside supporters.)
Here’s how will ensure everyone will get a fair chance to ask their question. Bob will move down the line, no favorites, just down the line with the microphone so everyone can hear your question. Please gather your thoughts now, because, in order to get everyone’s question in, each of you will have 30 seconds to ask your question. Don’t worry about the time, they can sell beer and soap in 15 seconds Super Bowl commercials, you’ll have plenty of time to get your question in half a minute.
(DO NOT PAUSE)
I promise you three things. #1, I’ll limit my answers to a quick, concise 30 seconds answers too. No political speeches. No excuses. We all have to be out by X o’clock. If we don’t limit questions and answers to 30 seconds each, we’ll be here all week.
#2. I’ll answer each question to the best of my ability. If I don’t know the answer, I’ll ask for your name and phone number and I promise, we will call you back within 48 hours with an answer. Not a week or a month. But we’ll get you the RIGHT answer, not some bunk, in 48 hours.
#3, Finally, if your question is an important one, I may also ask your name and number for another reason. We may want to put together a committee of local people to study the issue, how it affects the people like you here in xville, and get me an update. One thing I know, all the smart answers are NOT in Washington and on some issues, I want to put together a committee of smart LOCAL people to help us work through the issue.
Ok, Now, as promised, in order, First row, the lady in the first seat, in the nice blue dress. Your question ma’am?
THAT IS HOW YOU START AND RUN ONE OF THESE TOWN HALL MEETINGS.... AND WIN!
Next, if some one gets out of hand, tell them “they must stop the scripted act, or take their act outside so the TV cameras can get them recorded there. Most of the people here tonight came to ask questions and get answers... and you can’t get answers if some people want to turn this into a 3d grade playground spat on the evening TV news.”
(If someone starts BS) Then talk over them and ignore them. Ask and answer the next question in the order technique shown below. KEEP CONTROL ANNOUNCE THAT “WE ALL HAVE TO BE OUT OF HERE BY XXXX PM, SO LETS KEEP IT SHORT AND PRODUCTIVE”
(KEEP MEETING ITSELF SHORT WITH AN EARLY ANNOUNCED ENDING TIME. ONE HOUR IS GOOD, 75 MIN OK, 90 MINUTES A VERY LONG MAX, BUT THAT IS GETTING VERY LONG, AND ONCE YOU ANNOUNCE AN ENDING TIME AT START OF MEETING, YOU CAN’T CUT IT SHORT OF THAT. )
Then a short hello from the Member and a short DC uodate.
If someone gets into phony hyper hysterics, ask... “Ma’am, Excuse me for a moment, but I’m worried. I’m very worried. You seem to be very very upset about this. I’m worried about your blood pressure or something like that because you seem so very excited. The Xville fire department has some of their great paramedics here tonight... do you need one of them to check your blood pressure or something like that, SO I’ve heard your question, CAN I GET RIGHT INTO ANSWERING YOUR QUESTION IMMEDIATELY? HERE IS THE ANSWER” and don’t stop (takes control back)
If someone is is obviously putting on a stupid act... Let them go on and on and on... Let them get tired.
“Wow. That was.... ah.... (wryly) Was there a simple direct question in there somewhere.”
If someone wants make a speech, especially an attacking speech”. “Sir, people are here for answers, not speeches. We all already wasted hours of all our time on overly long, almost hysterical speeches during the election. If you have a question, please ask it, please ask it now, and I’ll do my best to answer it. I promised you, no speeches from me tonight, but no other speeches either.
If three of 'em get in by accident they'll position themselves to play off each other (triangle formation) and make themselves look like a larger group than they are. Oh, and excellent reply... hats off to you strac.
Republicans need copies of that.
Yet, OFA has so many tricks-—like gathering for a Rubio townhall that he never scheduled.
OFA then patted themselves on the back....said they scared him off.