27 March 2017

Right wing tracker booted from Quist’s Kalispell town hall

Democratic congressional candidate Rob Quist drew to his health care town hall meeting in Kalispell this evening both a 125-person crowd, which stayed for the entire event, and an opposition media tracker, who video recorded the meeting for half an hour before hotel security threw him out at the request of Quist’s campaign aide.

Left, a Hilton security guard. Middle, tracker Robert Rose. Right, Quist's aide, who initiated the heave-ho. This is a grabbed frame from jumpy video that shows Rose’s camera slowly being lowered, possible at the direction of the guard. Rose is working out of Helena, has a college degree in government, and before coming to Montana, which may not have been that long ago, lived in California.

Quist, a practiced troubadour who long ago learned not to be discombobulated by hecklers has nothing to fear from trackers. But his aides are taking no chances. Rose worked Saturday’s public lands rally in Depot Park, a public venue from which he could not be deported, but he told me Quist’s campaign gives him the bum’s rush whenever it can.

I draw the line at letting trackers into private homes and events. But this was a town hall to which the public was invited. Rose was doing no harm and should not have been evicted. Quist’s aides obviously fear their candidate will make a mistake that a tracker will record. They should have more confidence in their man. I would have let Rose stay.

Quist speaks to crowd. There were 100 chairs, all occupied, and people were standing along the walls, sitting on the floor, and leaning in from the hall.