The ideal of a town hall meeting—where citizens can spontaneously ask politicians the questions they would like answered—doesn’t match what the town hall is in today’s politics.
There’s too much risk for politicians, or the TV networks who platform the event.
A humorous example came on Monday at a so-called town hall with Vice President Kamala Harris and her ally, former Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo. An audience member asked ex-NBC reporter Maria Shriver if they could ask questions.
“You’re not, unfortunately. We have some predetermined questions,” Shriver said. “Hopefully, I’ll be able to ask some of the questions that might be in your head.”
Harris took only three of those predetermined questions in an hourlong event.
On May 10, 2023, CNN hosted a town hall event with former President Donald Trump. Incoming CNN host Kaitlan Collins constantly…
