Cara Jennings had something to say. And by now, much of America has heard it loud and clear.When Jennings saw Florida Gov. Rick Scott enter the Gainesville Starbucks she was sitting in, she knew she had to give him a piece of her mind. Her words rang out over the din in the coffee shop and soon hit a chord with people across the country. “Rich people like you don’t know what to do when poorer people like us need health services, you cut 'em,” she told the Republican governor. “Shame on you, Rick Scott. You’re an embarrassment to our state.”Video of the exchange, which included Jennings calling her state’s chief executive an "asshole," went viral, attracting national headlines and more than 1 million views on YouTube. Video shows Scott trying to defend his record on jobs before leaving the Starbucks sans coffee. He reportedly struck back after the confrontation, issuing a statement that called Jennings a “self-proclaimed anarchist” with “radical views.” His office has not responded to a request for comment from Refinery29.The subject of Jennings' ire was a new law passing stringent abortion restrictions and limiting access to women’s health care. Scott signed the bill in late March, and it is slated to take effect July 1. It would require all physicians to hold admitting privileges at a nearby hospital — close to impossible in Florida’s rural areas — and cuts all state funding to facilities performing abortions, which could force many clinics to close. The decision affects lower-income women the most, as they have more trouble finding time and money to travel for health services. Many, like Jennings, don’t have adequate insurance coverage.Anger about the state of health care and other issues is bubbling up across the country. Disappointed constituents might have previously opted to write, call, or visit elected representatives, lobby at the state capitol, and vote to make their voices heard. But Richard Scher, a political science professor at the University of Florida, says this year’s bombastic —and often cruel — election cycle is changing the state of political discourse.The public has witnessed those vying to become commander in chief throw insults at each other, bullying and attacking, not policy, but personality, he said. And it’s possible that it’s rubbing off in a less than ideal way.“Instead of taking politics seriously and engaging in public discussions about public matters, we’ve created campaigns as a sort of secular ritual and entertainment ranging from low comedy to high drama,” Scher said. “It’s a smoke screen or diversion, a way to cloud decisions about what happens next.”Refinery29 sat down with Cara Jennings, now infamous for her public dress-down, and asked her why this moment was important and why she felt shouting at the governor was an effective tactic.