The Town Hall Meeting Moves Online

By: Christine Delargy
Topics: Washington Unplugged

Despite being the Grand Old Party, Republicans have seemingly been more eager than Democrats to adopt new media practices and utilize new technologies -- even launching their own social site called "America Speaking Out."

But it's a Democrat that became the first member of Congress to hold a live, mobile video town hall this week. He was speaking from his Washington office to members of his district in California.

Over the platform Visible Vote, Rep. John Garamendi connected Tuesday with nearly 3,000 constituents and Visible Vote users, taking questions that ranged from the crisis in Egypt to a crisis stateside -- the economy.

"We talked mostly about jobs," Garamendi told CBS News, adding there was a "comfort level back and forth."

"It gives me feedback, it gives me information about what's on their minds," the congressman said Wednesday.

The town hall certainly isn't a new practice for Garamendi or most other members of Congress; Garamendi held 15 in-person and 10 telephone town halls in the past year. But he said this new technology allows his office to reach out "far beyond the two or three hundred who show up for a town hall."

Plus he can certainly cut down on travel to California. "It's not a long commute when you're able to be in your office here in Washington, conducting the business of the Congress and still being able to talk to our constituents," he said.

Constituents were able to access Garamendi's town hall through a free application on the iPhone, Blackberry, and Android and via Facebook. Paul Everton and Jason Pritzer developed Visible Vote in early 2010 after having a hard time reaching their own Congressman's office.

"We created Visible Vote to connect Americans directly with the people who represent them," Pritzer said. "We're now using the best and latest technology to really revolutionize the town hall, a practice that's existed as long as American politics."

Garamendi plans to hold these mobile town halls regularly.

"Historically the Democrats have always been more progressive than the Republicans, more progressive on policy, more progressive now on technology," he said.

Christine Delargy is an associate producer for CBSNews.com. You can read more of her posts here. You can also follow her on Twitter here: http://www.twitter.com/cbswashunplug.

Christine Delargy
Christine Delargy is a producer for CBSNews.com.
Follow on Twitter »

3 Comments +

Add a Comment


by Calendular February 10, 2011 9:27 AM EST: This is a very intelligent and potentially transparent way for an elected representative to meet with constituents. It is important that, in a civil way, everyone obtains the opportunity to express their point of view and to raise issues or criticisms.

Perhaps more political leaders will utilize the online Townhall format in the future.; Reply to this comment

by olebasiclady February 9, 2011 9:40 PM EST

This technology has been around for years and politicians are just discovering it?

Nuff said. Politicians are stupid. The whole lot of them. I've never seen a business run as disfuctionally as the Federal Government. The Federal Government is the most bankrupted "business" I have ever known.

Where's Ross Perot or that rich business man with the red hair and the television show...what's his name? Both could do better than what we have. And let's replace every Congressman with a four year old playing en-ne-me-ne-mi-ni-mo. It would be just as effective and we could pay them in m & m's.

Reply to this comment


by MDORNIC February 11, 2011 1:18 PM EST: This technology has not been around for years. No one else is live streaming video to mobile devices. To Facebook and the Web? Yes. But live (not on-demand) to iPhone, Android and Blackberry? No. It's new. Get your facts straight before you fire off stupid comments.