Jones: Romney Visit Wasn't Long Enough


From NewsRadio 1000 KTOK ~ The visit last week to Oklahoma by GOP Presidential hopeful Mitt Romney wasn't long enough to suit Gary Jones, the State Republican party chairman.

Romney stopped in Oklahoma City last week for 3 hours, long enough to have lunch privately with 50 supporters who contributed up to $2,300 each for the Skirvin Hotel event.

By 3pm, he was gone and made no public appearances. Not long enough, according to Jones and he wants other candidates to remember.

"From the party standpoint, we wish they'd spend a little more time, visit with the voters and visit with the Republicans," said Jones in an interview on KTOK's 1st News with Reid Mullins. "They're gonna have to win the delegate votes in order to be the nominee and not just pick up checks on the way in and out."

Ben Odom, a Democratic party executive, agreed and said it opens the door to any second tier presidential candidate to win the state: "You've got states like Oklahoma where if anyone comes in here, they could pick up Oklahoma just by being here and being on the ground and being seen in Pauls Valley, Purcell and Edmond."

"Ben's right," added Jones. "The Democrats, if somebody gets 30%, they get 30% of the delegates. In Oklahoma, if you get the most, you get the delegates."