Democrats invited Republicans to a town hall. Here’s what happened

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Imagine getting an invitation to a town hall from someone across the political aisle. That was the idea behind a recent event sponsored by the Calhoun County Democratic Committee. They asked their members to invite Republican friends in an effort to bridge the divide. 

The room was buzzing at the recent event in Anniston with pressing questions for the speaker of the night, former Democratic U.S. Senator Doug Jones. 

“I have a lot of concerns about the cuts we’re going to feel here in Alabama,” Pam Howard said. “Can we fund our hospitals? Are we going to be able to pay for our teachers and our education and all. I’m hoping (Jones) has some solutions for us.”

“I’m really hoping to learn how we can better engage those folks who don’t quite have the same views and opinions that we do as far as politics is concerned,” Lu Moseley said.  

Attendees wrote their questions down and put them in a basket for Jones to answer. While he covered topics ranging from how to engage young voters to rising healthcare costs, Jones originally hoped the town hall would bring people together. Democratic attendees were instructed to bring their Republican friends. While some said they invited conservatives, hardly any showed. 

“I invited 36 people,” Moseley said. “I was told ‘NO!’ by the Republicans.”

“I had a friend who has always voted on the Republican ticket,” Howard said. “But she has COVID. But she’s interested and she’s concerned! She feels like things are changing that are affecting her life personally.”

“I certainly promoted this to the people that I know who are Republicans,” Lucile Bodenheimer said. “I heard a series of excuses and people just dodged it.”

Each of them said that a political divide is not only at the heart of the current government shutdown, but many issues facing the country today. 

Some attendees were disappointed that their friends didn’t take the opportunity to cross the proverbial aisle. But others, when asked if they invited Republicans, said they didn’t know or speak to any. One even shuddered at the thought of talking to a Republican. 

But there was at least one Republican who was undaunted by the divide. 

“I decided to come out just because I’m interested in politics,” J.R. Haynes said. “I like to hear all types of perspectives, even though I am a Republican.”

Haynes felt that, in spite of Jones’ invitation to both Democrats and Republicans for his town hall, Jones only spoke negatively about Republicans and not Democrats. He took issue with how Jones answered his own question of “How do we heal political divisiveness in this country.”

“We need to get people to quit talking about human beings in ways that demean them,” Jones said during the event. “We need to quit talking about poisoning the blood of America. I don’t know if you saw Senator Tuberville the other day appearing on, I don’t even know what show, saying it was outrageous for people to practice the Muslim faith by praying outside that they shouldn’t be allowed to do that. We’ve got to quit talking like that.”

Republican Sen. Tommy Tuberville did appear on the Alex Jones show on October 9 and talked about his proposal to Sharia law in the United States. Sharia is the name for a body of Islamic law derived from the Quran. 

“What gives (American Muslims) to go out in the middle of the street and do their prayer?” Tuberville told Alex Jones, a well-known conspiracy theorist. “Go to the mosque. They’re taking over slowly but surely.” 

Tuberville also alleged that Muslims want to kill Americans. 

“I think to actually unite a country or people or community, you have to acknowledge there’s faults on both sides because there absolutely is,” Haynes said. 

Haynes said while he shares some concerns with the Democratic Party, he has plenty of reservations.

“I voted for Trump and I do think that his rhetoric is oftentimes quite annoying to watch,” Haynes said. “But we also have had Democrats … people celebrating the death of Charlie Kirk. Those individuals do exist and if we can’t acknowledge that, how can we move forward as a country, as a society?”

He sees Democrats engaging in what he calls political theater, especially over the government shutdown. Nevertheless he was on board with the idea behind the town hall.

“I think that’s a beautiful thing for this country to be able to come out and to engage with people,” Haynes said. “There’s a lot of politicians, especially on the right, who I wish would do events like this.”

Sheila Gilbert, with the Calhoun County Democratic Committee says she wished more Republicans attended and were willing to engage in political discussions. But she says this will not be the last bipartisan event the committee holds. She hopes Alabamians will do the hard work to connect with their neighbors across the political aisle.