Willie Geist: W.H. ‘Deluding Itself’ If They Think These Townhalls Are ‘Astroturf’

‘Running and hiding from your constituents is not the way to do it’

EXCERPT:

GEIST: "The White House is deluding itself if it thinks that this is AstroTurf, that these are artificial. You had Mark Sanford, a Republican Congressman of South Carolina, he was out there saying, 'Trust me. I just stood in one of these town halls for three or four hours on Saturday and this is not artificial.' I think he's the model. Running and hiding from your constituents isn't the way to do it. He stood there all day and then he went outside and leaned against his car and answered questions of the people who couldn’t get inside the hall. And he said, 'Look, I understand your premiums have gone up. ObamaCare is unsustainable but I also hear you that we have to find something to put in its place.' Have a rational conversation with your voters instead of hiding from them or screaming back at them. You know that is the way to do it.”

Video files
Full
Compact
Audio files
Full
Compact