Brat Whines About His Constituents, Scott Taylor Listens to His

Old Dave Brat (or, should we say, “ODB”) has stepped in it, again.

Over the weekend Congressman Dave Brat decided to complain about liberal protestors. He was obviously trying to get a cheap applause line, but it came across terribly.

Richmond Times Dispatch reports:

“Rep. Dave Brat, R-7th, is feeling some political pressure as Republicans in Congress move to repeal the Affordable Care Act.

“Since Obamacare and these issues have come up, the women are in my grill no matter where I go,” Brat told an audience Saturday at a meeting of conservative groups at Hanover Tavern.

“They come up – ‘When is your next town hall?’ And believe me, it’s not to give positive input.”

Oh Dave, where oh where to begin?

First of all, as a millennial, I’m disgusted by the fact that he even knows what a grill is. “Grillz” was a song made famous when yours truly was in high school. For those of you unaware of the song, here you go:

 

Apparently Democratic Party of Virginia Executive Director Emily Bolton had the same idea:

Whole top diamond and the bottom row's gold #SaveNelly https://t.co/XsAP8qucyr

— Emily Bolton (@EEBolton) January 30, 2017

Just think of Dave Brat jamming to Chingy and Nelly for just a moment.

The funny thing is, not all of Virginia’s Congressmen would be acting like petty children. Congressman Scott Taylor, in light of the increased media attention for the President’s Executive Orders, decided to hold a Facebook Town Hall. He’s not complaining about his constituents wanting to talk to him – he’s inviting them to, and in a format that’s more likely to get him yelled at by angry liberals than a physical town hall, too.

There is a real difference between these two men. One leads while the other one makes himself out to be a fool. While one talks about women up in his grill, the other leads on issues important to his district.

One thing thing about Scott Taylor stand out to me. I haven’t seen that much raw political talent in a long time. There’s a reason why Speaker Ryan entrusted him with a seat on House Appropriations, one of the best committee assignments a freshman could ask for. It’s Scott’s political instinct. It’s his willingness to roll with the punches and serve his constituents. The willingness to speak to people who are not in our chosen political party.

Meanwhile, Congressman Brat acts like his constituents are an inconvenience.  He doesn’t want to listen to folks who disagree, seeming to think they have some kind of problem simply because they disagree with him. Instead of viewing disagreement as a chance to educate and explain, and maybe win over somebody who still disagrees with his willingness to listen, he’s turning off potential voters.  People who disagree with you are not “others.” They are real people with real issues. Elected officials should be open and available, ready to speak to their constituents at all times.  Don’t complain. Engage with them! Don’t live in the echo chamber of your glee club or supporters, or even just the Republican Party. Step outside your comfort zone. You may learn a thing or two along the way, and maybe even earn some more votes.

Maybe Congressman Taylor needs to teach Congressman Brat how to engage his constituents in a respectful manner.