After Last Night, Let just hope...

After last night with Scott Brown, U.S. Senate race win in Massachusetts.

Let just hope that the Oklahoma GOP (State & County Party, House Caucus, Senate Caucus) do not drive people away with dumb thing, like not letting the people vote to capping property taxs at 3%.

Let just hope that Oklahoma House Speaker Chris Benge and the House Republican Caucus, get a CLUE!

EZ Million RIP

Found out that E.Z. Million pass away Sat night, You could not be in GOP politics for the last 40 years+ in Oklahoma with knowing the name...

Jeff Cloud begins fundraising for OK-5

Republican Corporation Commissioner Jeff Cloud says he plans to raise contributions for a campaign for OK-5.

Cloud said Thursday he has formed a committee to begin soliciting campaign contributions. The seat is currently held by Rep. Mary Fallin.

Cloud, of Oklahoma City, says his campaign is only a few days old. But he says he's excited by the support and encouragement he's received.

Twice elected statewide, Cloud has a record of public service. He served as a staff member to the late former Gov. Henry Bellmon, former U.S. Reps. J.C. Watts and Mickey Edwards and former Oklahoma City Mayor Kirk Humphreys.

Schwartz drop out of GOP Lt. Governor race

Got this from Colby Schwartz today...

“Over the last 90 days it has become obvious to me that the current economic climate has hindered my ability to raise the needed financial resources to effectively fund a statewide race for Lt. Governor. Therefore, I am removing my name from consideration for the Republican nomination for Lt. Governor of Oklahoma.”

“During my past campaigns for the Oklahoma House of Representatives, my support has always come from everyday, hard-working Oklahomans. It is these same supporters who have felt the pinch of the economic downturn the hardest; and now have less disposable income to contribute to a political campaign.”

“I remain as passionate about Oklahoma and its future as I did when I entered this campaign; but I understand the political reality that an effective statewide bid for public office requires sufficient funds to communicate my message to the entire state.”

“I will continue to diligently serve the citizens of the Yukon and Mustang communities, as I have throughout my service to the House of Representatives. This is a humbling honor that has always remained my top priority even during the course of exploring a bid for Lt. Governor.”

“My wife Brenda and our family would like to thank everyone who has offered their prayers and thoughts throughout this process. I have made many new friends across this great state and will continue to work with them to move Oklahoma forward.”

“As a fourteen-year Republican Party activist, I look forward to fully supporting the Republican nominee for Lt. Governor, as well as the other slate of Republican candidates.”

Oklahoma GOP Vice Chair to RUN for State Chair

Cheryl Williams, long-time Republican activist, and current vice chair of the Oklahoma Republican Party, announced today that she will seek to become chair of the Party when they meet this spring.

She states that with the 2010 elections quickly approaching, the Republican Party must begin now.

It will take a team that is energized and organized to elect Republicans to the office of Governor, Lt. Governor, Attorney General, Insurance Commissioner, Labor Commissioner, Treasurer, and State School Superintendent” She also stated that “we must re-elect Dana Murphy to the Corporation Commission as well as work with the State House and Senate leadership to retain the majority in both chambers of the legislature”.

Williams has been the “highest elected volunteer” for the Oklahoma Republican Party since her election as Vice Chair in April 2007.

During the 2008 election cycle, she traveled extensively across the state working to energize the Republican base while increasing voter registration and working side-by-side with candidates and volunteers.

One of her passions has been to educate citizens on the principles and beliefs of the Republican party and encouraging involvement in the political process.

She served as Oklahoma County Republican Chair during the 2000 elections and has served in various leadership positions within the party, including State Treasurer and Secretary to the State Committee.

She is a member of the Frontier Country Republican Women and has served on the Board of the Oklahoma Federation of Republican Women for more than 10 years.

Currently she is Literacy Chair for the OFRW and two unit clubs have won National Literacy Awards from the NFRW during her tenure.

She states that “if your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader". (by John Quincy Adams, 5th president to the United States).

Her platform includes increased communication through innovation, technology, new media, and proven marketing techniques. “If we are to reach younger voters, we will need to improve how we communicate our message of pro-family, limited government, and constitutional freedoms”.

She has been a speaker at national training seminars and is well known for her ability to motivate and build a team of volunteers.

“I have always believed there is a place for every Republican who wants to be involved in campaigns and our party.”

Cheryl and her husband, John, have been married more than 30 years and live in Edmond, Oklahoma. They have two sons, 1 grandson and 2 granddaughters. She is a 3rd generation Oklahoman with family throughout the state. If you have questions or need additional information, please feel free to contact Cheryl Williams at 405-818-8481 or cherylgop@cox.net

Where Tuesday’s Tide Was All Republican

Hat Tip SallyKern


Where Tuesday’s Tide Was All Republican
By JAMES C. McKINLEY Jr.

OKLAHOMA CITY — The sign over the table at the Arrow Cafe in Tecumseh, a rural town southeast of this state capital, said, “World’s Problems Solved Here,” and beneath it sat five older white Democrats with their coffee, talking politics in the golden afternoon light. Only two had voted for Barack Hussein Obama for president

“I just couldn’t vote for anyone who has Hussein in his name,” joked Bob Cook, a 68-year-old poultry farmer, stretching and smiling. At the other end of the table, Jim White, 65, said he opposed abortion and so could not vote for a candidate like Mr. Obama, who favors abortion rights.

Among Oklahomans, Mr. Cook and Mr. White are hardly alone. Though the state’s Democrats still outnumber its Republicans, you would never know it by looking at the election results. Oklahoma voters went for Senator John McCain by almost two to one, bucking the tide that swept Mr. Obama to the presidency. Not a single one of the state’s 77 counties backed Mr. Obama, despite his endorsement by the popular Democratic governor, Brad Henry.

Chris Benge, left, Oklahoma House speaker, and Glenn Coffee, Senate Republican leader, celebrated control of both houses.

Oklahoma Republicans also made significant gains down the ticket. They picked up two seats in the State Senate and four in the Oklahoma House, giving them a majority in both houses of the Legislature for the first time in the state’s century-long history.

In addition, the party hung on to a United States Senate seat and solidly defeated challengers for the four Congressional seats held by Republicans.

“This is a consolidation of what’s been going on for a long time,” said Keith Gaddie, a political scientist at the University of Oklahoma. “The systematic creep toward the Republican Party, and it’s been happening for 30 years.”

Perhaps nowhere else in the country is the conflict between Southern rural Democrats and the national Democratic Party more starkly evident than in Oklahoma, which has not voted for a Democratic presidential nominee since 1964.

“Oklahoma Democrats, with very few exceptions, are the old-line white Southern Democrats,” said David Ray, another political scientist at the university. “They don’t like liberals or liberalism.”

Indeed, the state has a political landscape closely resembling that of the old solidly Democratic South, especially in its southeastern corner, known as Little Dixie, where many Southerners settled after the Civil War. When conservatives of the Old South began abandoning the party decades ago, Oklahoma’s Democrats lagged behind the historical trend.

Further, the state has relatively small black and Hispanic populations, and so the Democrats did not absorb as many new voters from those groups as in the states of the old Confederacy.

These days Oklahoma Democrats dread running for local office in presidential election years, for fear of being associated with liberal nominees at the top of the ticket.

“Being liberal in Oklahoma, with the exception of a few legislative districts, will not get you elected,” said State Representative Joe Dorman, a conservative (???) Democrat.

Ivan Holmes, chairman of the Oklahoma Democratic Party, said there had been no ballot initiative or outcry on any state or local issue that would explain why conservatives of both parties rejected many Democratic candidates this week.

But, Mr. Holmes said, Mr. Obama was badly hurt in the state by rumors that he was not a Christian, that he sympathized with terrorists and that he would take away people’s firearms, a buzz that could not have helped Democrats down the ticket.

In addition, Senator James M. Inhofe, the Republican incumbent, whipped up anti-liberal sentiment in his successful race against a Democratic challenger, State Senator Andrew Rice, accusing him of being “too liberal for Oklahoma” in opposing a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage and voting against tax cuts.

Another Republican, State Representative Sally Kern, who recently declared that homosexuality was a greater threat to the nation than terrorism, easily won re-election.

But Mr. Gaddie said that perhaps the most important factor in Mr. McCain’s strong showing here was religion. An Edison/Mitofsky exit poll found that more than half of Oklahoma voters identified themselves as evangelical Christians and that a heavy majority of them had voted for Mr. McCain.

Mr. Gaddie, himself a pollster as well as a college professor, said: “A question we always ask in our polls is ‘How often do you attend church services?’ If a Democrat is not going to vote for a Democrat, they are a frequent church attender.”

Another advantage for Mr. McCain was that the state’s economy, based mostly on the oil and gas industry, has been buffered somewhat from the national economic slowdown. Unemployment remains low, the housing market stable.

For all of that, the Democratic Party is far from dead in Oklahoma, especially in the state’s southeastern section, where, despite the social conservatism, many people still talk about the New Deal and revere Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Democrats currently hold not only the governorship but also most other statewide offices. And rural voters often register as Democrats because the party’s primaries for sheriff and county commissioner continue to be more important than the general elections for those posts.

But the blows of the recent past have been unmistakable. For the last 14 years, the state’s two senators, and four of its five representatives, have been Republicans. Riding President Bush’s coattails, Republicans also won control of the Oklahoma House in 2004. Now they have won the State Senate.

“If America voted for change, Oklahoma voted for reform,” State Senator Glenn Coffee, the Republican who is soon to be majority leader, said of Tuesday’s elections. “For a long time you had a single-party state.”

At the Arrow Cafe, several lifelong Democrats said they could remember a time 25 years ago when no one would admit to being a Republican, for fear of being ostracized. These days, few people advertise that they are Democrats, though Democrats outnumber registered Republicans in the county by two to one.

Reflecting on the Oklahoma vote in the presidential election just past, Gordon Belshe, a 67-year-old manufacturer of trailer homes who said he had voted for Mr. Obama, suggested that racism had played a role.

“I still think we had a lot of antiblack votes in this state,” Mr. Belshe said. “I had several people ask me how I could vote for him.”

And Mr. White, the man who had said he could not vote for Mr. Obama because of the abortion issue, also acknowledged that he would not have been comfortable voting for a black candidate. “I’m prejudiced,” he whispered. “This is a problem I have to personally work through.”

In truth, it is impossible to tell if racism was a significant factor in Mr. Obama’s poor showing here. According to a statewide exit poll conducted by Edison/Mitofsky, he got the support of 59 percent of white Democrats in the state, compared with the 84 percent he garnered from white Democrats nationwide. Four years ago, however, Senator John Kerry fared little better among white Oklahoma Democrats, getting only 62 percent.

In any event, most of the older Democrats who stopped by the cafe the other day said Mr. Obama’s race had had nothing to do with their decision to support Mr. McCain.

Mr. Cook, the poultry farmer, said Mr. Obama had been insufficiently religious for him. “He don’t believe like a lot of us do,” he said.

And Bill Straughan, a 70-year-old former civilian employee at nearby Tinker Air Force Base, said Mr. Obama “doesn’t have any real résumé.”

“McCain was a prisoner of war longer than Obama was in the Senate,” Mr. Straughan said. “The last reason I would not vote for him was because he’s black.”

This article appeared in print on November 8, 2008, on page A13 of the New York edition.

Internet Now Major Source of Campaign News

Too Bad Gary Jones,
Oklahoma GOP
still do NOT get this...

In Prec 59 in Cleveland County ,
I have 88% of the Republican and
even a few demo on my
Prec E-Mail list.
I use it to help get the word out !

Internet Now Major Source of
Campaign News

Continuing Partisan Divide in
Cable TV News Audiences

Many more Americans are turning to the internet for campaign news this year as the web becomes a key source of election news. Television remains the dominant source, but the percent who say they get most of their campaign news from the internet has tripled since October 2004 (from 10% then to 33% now).
While use of the web has seen considerable growth, the percentage of Americans relying on TV and newspapers for campaign news has remained relatively flat since 2004. The internet now rivals newspapers as a main source for campaign news. And with so much interest in the election next week, the public's use of the internet as a campaign news source is up even since the primaries earlier this year. In March, 26% cited the internet as a main source for election news, while the percentages citing television and newspapers remain largely unchanged.Not surprisingly, the internet is a considerably more popular source for campaign news among younger Americans than among older ones. Nearly three times as many people ages 18 to 29 mention the internet as mention newspapers as a main source of election news (49% vs. 17%). Nearly the opposite is true among those over age 50: some 22% rely on the internet for election news while 39% look to newspapers. Compared with 2004, use of the internet for election news has increased across all age groups. Among the youngest cohort (age 18-29), TV has lost significant ground to the internet.

On television, the cable news outlets clearly dominate the big three networks as main sources of campaign news. Nearly half of the public (46%) turns to the cable news channels, with 25% naming CNN as a main source of campaign news, 21% naming Fox News Channel and 10% naming MSNBC. Only 24% rely on the network news outlets ABC, CBS and NBC. Another 13% look to local TV news. This reflects broader changes in news consumption patterns. In recent years, cable news outlets have overtaken the networks as the general news sources that the public watches most regularly.1

Cable News Audiences Highly Partisan

The audiences for the major cable news networks are highly partisan, while the audiences for network TV and the internet are more in line with the general public.

Among those who name the Fox News Channel as their main source for campaign news, 52% are Republicans and only 17% are Democrats. By contrast, among those who rely on MSNBC for their campaign news, 50% are Democrats and only 11% are Republicans. Similarly, CNN's campaign news audience is largely Democratic -- 45% are Democrats and 13% are Republicans.

Notably, there are substantial differences in awareness of recent campaign events among the different cable news audiences. Majorities in each audience said they heard a lot about reports that the Republican National Committee spent about $150,000 on clothing for Sarah Palin and her family. But far more of those who get most campaign news from MSNBC than those who rely on Fox News heard a lot about the controversy (71% vs. 51%, respectively). Among those who turn to CNN for election news, 62% reported hearing a lot about Palin's wardrobe.

Colin Powell's endorsement of Barack Obama registered more widely among the MSNBC news audience than among those who rely on Fox News for presidential campaign coverage. Seven-in-ten MSNBC viewers heard a lot about the Powell endorsement, compared with 54% of the Fox News audience. Close to six-in-ten (59%) of those who turn to CNN heard a lot about the endorsement.

About two-thirds of those who rely mainly on Fox News for campaign coverage (66%) said they had heard a lot about links between Obama and ACORN, the community organizing group that has been accused of voter registration fraud. A comparable proportion (62%) of those who rely mainly on MSNBC heard a lot about this story. A majority of those who get most of their campaign news from CNN (52%) heard a lot about the ACORN allegations.

Notes

1 See "Key News Audiences Now Blend Online and Traditional Sources," released August 17, 2008.

Republican Platform of Iowa back Oklahoma HB 1804 and "Official English"

Republican Platform of Iowa
2008 Report of the Committee on Platform

9. Immigration and Homeland Security

We believe that Congress should establish an immigration policy that furthers the cultural, social, and economic interests of the United States, and that a sound immigration policy coupled with vigorous enforcement of immigration laws is essential to securing our homeland.

9.1. We believe only United States citizens or legal immigrants are entitled to constitutional protections or government services.

9.2. We support empowering local and state governments in cooperation with federal agencies in identifying and processing illegal immigrants.

9.3. We call for English to be designated as the official language of the United States.

9.4. We believe English should be the official language of both the State of Iowa and the federal governments.

9.5. We propose heavy monetary fines against employers and businesses that willfully hire illegal immigrants. We propose criminal penalties for repeat offenders and willful non-compliance.

9.6. We support an increase in the number of visas for highly educated immigrants or those with special skills.

9.7. Illegal immigrants who commit felonies should be deported.

9.8. There should be a transient worker visa program making it easier for law enforcement to identify legal workers in the United States.

9.9. We insist that the Iowa Legislature follow the lead of the state of Oklahoma which adopted Oklahoma House Bill 1804 which addresses the illegal alien problems dealing with identity theft, terminates public assistance benefits to illegal aliens, empowers state and local police to enforce federal immigration laws, and punishes employers who knowingly hire illegal aliens.

9.10. We call on the Iowa Legislature to enact legislation similar to that of the Legal Arizona Workers’ Act.

9.11. We support the use of the EVerify verification system to confirm immigration status.

9.12. We support building a fence to protect the United States’ borders from illegal immigrants.

9.13. We call for the immediate pardon of border agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean and any other border agents wrongly imprisoned while protecting our United States borders.

9.14. We assert that the Constitution of the United States grants birthright Citizenship only to those children born to a parent or parents who are citizens of the United States and not to those children of visiting foreigners, those here on work visas, or illegal aliens.

9.15. We are opposed to sanctuary cities and/or states, and they should not receive federal funding.

9.16. We believe the census at the end of each decade, which is used to determine representation according to population, should be used only for the reapportionment of current citizens and legal immigrants.

9.17. We believe there should be a death penalty for someone caught and convicted of carrying out a terrorist attack on U.S. soil where there was a death or the intent to cause death.

9.18. We support Section 287(g), Delegation of Immigration Authority under the Immigration and Nationality Act, a joint effort between local, state, and federal agencies to enforce existing laws.

9.19. We oppose driver’s licenses for illegal immigrants.

9.20. We oppose any and all nationally based I.D. systems and call for an immediate repeal of the Real I.D. Act.

9.21. We support a legal test case asserting an interpretation of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution that children born to illegal immigrants do not automatically become United States Citizens.

9.22. We support the continued use of Guantanamo Prison as long as needed.

And the Oklahoma GOP / Gary Jones is AWOL...

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:

Alabama Republican Party Joins
SCGOP Chair Dawson, Endorses Domestic Drilling

Birmingham, AL – Rep. Mike Hubbard (R-Auburn), Chairman of the Alabama Republican Party, proudly joins South Carolina Republican Party Chairman Katon Dawson in endorsing the “Drill Here. Drill Now.

Pay Less.” campaign which has been launched as an aggressive program designed to encourage Congress to act immediately to lift the moratorium on offshore oil exploration. The South Carolina Chairman took the lead on this relief effort, as the first Republican Party Chair to back the campaign, and the Alabama Republican Party salutes Dawson for his leadership and welcomes the chance to work with him and Tennessee Republican Party Chairman Robin Smith who has also backed the program. …

To read this entire article, click here: http://www.algop.org/images/al/algop_encourage_oil.doc

And the Oklahoma GOP is AWOL...

And the Oklahoma GOP is AWOL...

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:

Tennessee Republican Party endorses domestic drilling

NASHVILLE, TN - Tennessee Republican Party Chairman Robin Smith joined South Carolina Republican Party Chairman Katon Dawson in endorsing the “Drill Here. Drill Now. Pay Less.” campaign encouraging Congress to act immediately to approve offshore drilling, among other proposals to access oil in the United States. …

To read this entire article, click here: http://www.tngop.org/wordpress/2008/07/10/tennessee-republican-party-endorses-domestic-drilling/

Charleston Post & Courier:

GOP head backs oil drilling
By David Slade
Thursday, July 10, 2008

South Carolina's Republican Party chairman announced support Wednesday for a campaign to allow oil exploration off the coast of South Carolina and other states, an idea that concerns environmental and tourism interests and is opposed by many Democratic leaders and candidates.

According to the state GOP, party Chairman Katon Dawson is the first Republican Party chairman in the country to endorse the "Drill Here. Drill Now. Pay Less." campaign launched by American Solutions, an organization chaired by former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich.

"If we take the bold step to cultivate energy resources here at home, we will not only break our dependence on foreign oil, we will also bring meaningful relief to hardworking families who are experiencing unprecedented pain at the pump as gas prices continue to skyrocket," Dawson said.

Federal rules allow gas and oil exploration in the Gulf of Mexico, but there has been a moratorium on drilling off the Atlantic and Pacific coasts for 26 years. Oil companies, with some GOP support, have long sought to lift the moratorium. …

"It's about releasing the grip that oil dictators have on our economy," he said. "It's not just drilling offshore. It's solar power and wind power."

Dawson also said environmental concerns are a high priority for everyone, including oil companies.

"We have wonderful technology and good, fine, responsible companies," he said. …

To read this entire article, click here: http://www.charleston.net/news/2008/jul/10/gop_head_backs_oil_drilling47041/

Will this be the Headline coming out of Tulsa this weekend: Chaos over Paul cuts short gathering

Will this be the Headline coming out of Tulsa this weekend: 'Chaos over Paul cuts short gathering' or maybe it will be 'Jones blow it' ?

Hat Tip to Anjeanette @ www.rgj.com

From the Nevada State GOP Convention, last week:

After a super-majority of Ron Paul supporters captured control of the Republican state convention Saturday, state party officials abruptly canceled the event without electing delegates to the national convention.

Early in the day, state delegates supporting Paul's continued pursuit of the Republican nomination voted through a rules change that forced the state party to abandon its preset ballot of potential national convention delegates and open up the race to the rest of the state delegates.

The vote followed a rousing speech by Paul of Texas, who said his presidential campaign will continue as long as he has support.

But as the convention continued into the evening, chairman Bob Beers said the party's contract for the hall at the Peppermill Resort Casino had expired and the event would be rescheduled.

"Due to a rules change that left us on an overtime basis, we will recess the convention until a date that we are going to announce next week," Beers told a shocked crowd, which stood silent for a few seconds before erupting in boos.

As Beers was escorted out of the building, a short-lived effort to rescue the convention was launched by party activist Mike Weber. Although several hundred Paul supporters stayed, they weren't strong enough to make a quorum to continue the convention.

Throughout the confusion, hecklers battled for the attention of delegates who supported U.S. Sen. John McCain of Arizona.

"McCain supporters leave!" one man shouted.

"McCain supporters stay!" a woman answered.

"We're supposed to be on the same team!" another woman shouted.

In a written statement, party chairwoman Sue Lowden said the vote to allow self-nominations doubled the number of people competing for 31 spots to the national convention. That overwhelmed the party's capacity to process the votes.

"Unfortunately, with the rule changes implemented this morning, we did not have time to complete the process," she said. "Our contract for the meeting space had expired, as had our budget, and ballots were unable to be physically produced by the nominations committee. We had to temporarily recess the convention."

Heading to Vegas?

She is exploring whether to move the convention to Las Vegas to take advantage of reduced costs for the Cox Pavilion, which Clark County Democrats used for their convention do-over.

Beers denied the decision was meant to undermine Paul's efforts to win national convention delegates from Nevada.

"I don't see how it does," Beers said as he raced out of the building. "We've given Ron Paul's guy a list of the credentialed delegates and a list of the nominees for national delegates."

Votes that had been cast to elect nine of the 31 delegates were sealed in envelopes and locked in a safety deposit box, a party official said.

But Paul supporter Chloie Leavitt, of Overton, left angry.

"I do blame Bob Beers," she said. "But not only Bob Beers. This was an organized effort to promote the agenda of a few people, the party leaders, over we the people."

Although he is the presumptive nominee, McCain came in third in the Nevada caucuses, the first step in nominating delegates to the county, state and national conventions. That left him with few natural supporters at the state event.

Despite a Paul majority in delegates, McCain will win Nevada support at the national convention, said Ryan Erwin, a Republican consultant from Las Vegas who supports McCain.

"This is still a McCain convention," Erwin said, adding that enthusiasm for Paul's speech was for his message, not necessarily his candidacy. "There are parts of his message that the entire Republican base likes.

"But at the end of the day, part of the job of being a national delegate is to do what is best for the party in November. And that means supporting the party's nominee."

Paul, who came in second in the Nevada caucuses, actively worked to ensure his supporters attended both the county and state conventions.

His contingent came to the state convention prepared for battle. They had a row of printers to print ballots for their supporters to the national convention. They set up a communications network using text messages to cell phones to make sure everyone voted correctly on motions that would benefit their effort. And they scoured the rules for opportunities to level the playing field.

"On the one side you have a candidate with principles, on the other side you have Tammany Hall," said Kelly Edinger, a Reno Paul supporter. "I'm in it for Ron Paul. I still believe he can win."

Earlier in the day, former Gov. Mitt Romney, who won the Nevada Caucuses, delivered a speech calling for a unified backing of McCain.

"I know Americans are going to choose a great patriot, a man who has been tested and proven," he said to loud cheers.

But Paul's 10-minute speech drove the crowd of 1,200 delegates into frenzied applause. They interrupted him repeatedly with standing ovations.

Acknowledging that he likely won't win the nomination, Paul said his presidential campaign will continue as long as he has supporters.

"Our campaign has continued, is doing well and improving, even though we know exactly what the numbers are," Paul said. "But the message is worthwhile. Your vote can really count if you vote for limitation of government power and spending."

Reactions

Some longtime party activists complained about what they called a disruptive influence on the proceedings. Others thought it pointless since McCain has enough delegates nationally to secure the nomination.

"McCain won fair and square," Boulder City delegate Daniel Hancock said to thunderous boos and cat calls. "So, at this point we are electing delegates not to fight out the nomination in Minneapolis, but probably rewarding people loyal to the party.

"We need to strike a compromise between perfect democracy and getting things done."

After Paul supporters displayed their strength by forcing a rules change with two-thirds of the vote, Bill Brainard, of Sparks, said he had no doubt they would elect most of the delegates to the national convention.

"We will be marginalized (at the national convention)," Brainard said. "We will be marginalized because we're a bunch of kooks. Am I concerned? Yeah."

Paul spokesman Jeff Greenspan said the walkout was a first in his 21-year career in politics.

"I've seen factions walk out, I've never seen a party walk out," he said. "I've never even heard of that."

Paul may grab more delegates

Texas congressman may grab more delegates
By Michael McNutt
Capitol Bureau

Ron Paul did not win a single delegate during Oklahoma's presidential primary, but the Texas congressman's supporters have won a third of the delegates selected so far and hope to add to that tally at next month's state convention

Paul supporters have won five of the 15 national GOP delegates already selected at Oklahoma's congressional district conventions, Oklahoma Republican Party Chairman Gary Jones said. They also won several of the 15 alternates selected at the conventions.

"They appear to be Ron Paul supporters, they haven't publicly said they are,” Jones said.

It's expected Paul's supporters will turn out to add to that count when state Republicans gather May 2-3 in Tulsa to elect 23 at-large delegates and 23 alternates to the national convention, he said.

Oklahoma will send 41 delegates to the National Republican Convention scheduled for September in Minneapolis.

Three are state GOP officials — Jones and the national committeeman and national committeewoman from Oklahoma.

Oklahoma Republican Party rules require that 15 of the state's GOP delegates be awarded to the winning candidate in the state's five congressional districts. The remainder go to whomever wins the most votes in the state.

U.S. Sen. John McCain won the most votes during Oklahoma's presidential primary Feb. 5. McCain, of Arizona, got 37 percent of the vote in Oklahoma, but collected 32 of the delegates.

He got 23 delegates for winning the state and three delegates in each of the three congressional districts he won.

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, who since has dropped out of the race, finished a close second with 33 percent of the vote. He won several counties and collected six delegates, three each in the two congressional districts he won.

Paul won about 3 percent of the vote and was awarded no delegates. Paul has dropped out of recent primaries, but still is continuing his bid for the Republican presidential nomination and is making speeches across the country.

Kirk Shelley, who served as Oklahoma state coordinator for Paul earlier this year, no longer is working for the campaign. A phone number for his successor no longer is in service.

Paul's backers captured two delegates in the 2nd Congressional District, two in the 5th Congressional District and on the 3rd Congressional District, Jones said. State law and state party rules bind delegates to vote for the choice of the primary voters on the first ballot at the national convention. But the laws don't require the delegates to be supporters of the candidate to whom they've been elected to represent.

Medlock madness

Medlock madness
By David Arnett
Friday, 18 April 2008

It was an insulting, brutal, vicious, and personal attack delivered with threats of violence. The victim is Virginia Chrisco, one of the most beloved senior Republican Party workers in Tulsa history. The perpetrator was KFAQ radio personality Chris Medlock who is also an elected Oklahoma Republican State Committeeman representing Tulsa County.

Early Thursday morning April 3, Medlock began demanding information from forms submitted by republicans who were filing for election as Presidential Elector at the District Convention. Medlock called various party officials knowing that the information he sought was not released to the public prior to the morning of the Saturday, April 5 at the Republican District Convention.

As Chairperson of the Credentials Committee that received those Presidential Elector forms; Chrisco returned the call to Medlock, noting that the information he sought would not be available until the full committee opened each packet and vetted each application and followed procedures long established.

Chrisco said, “Medlock simply could not accept this answer because he said he was having a 3 PM meeting and he wanted those names and that information for that meeting.”

Steadfast holding to the rules, she refused – Medlock began to rant. “He said I couldn’t even pass an eighth grade civics class and all these things you know, but he never used profanity,” Chrisco added. “He was trying to bully and intimidate me.”

According to Chrisco, Medlock said, “I am the State Committeeman. I have the authority to have access. I’m on the Executive Committee; I have authority to have access to that information.”

Chrisco said, “Among other things, Medlock said that I was going to be the big story on his radio show the next morning. He threatened press coverage of our closed committee meeting and said I was going to be on the front page of the newspaper. This was not just a brief conversation. He said this was a deep conspiracy and I was corrupt and went on and on. Finally, Medlock said he was going to have 15 to 20 supporters at the committee meeting and asserted that they would have that information in their hands.”

“As the conversation ended, I told him that he would not be able to come to the meeting as it was an officially closed Credentials Committee Meeting. I hung up and got to thinking that if he showed up with a crowd, I would not be able to control those people and would be forced to call the police. That’s not a good thing is it,” Chrisco added.

After that phone call, Chris Medlock drove to the Tulsa County Republican Party Headquarters and demanded the information. He demanded the information from workers who had already received a call from Chrisco and had hidden the information.

Medlock personally searched the office for the information he was not authorized to even view prior to the convention.

“Chris Medlock did not show at the evening Credentials Meeting, but 7 or 8 of his supporters did. I explained to each one of them that this was a closed meeting and while their interest in the proceedings was appreciated, they would not be able to sit in on the meeting. Only one was antagonistic and refused to leave, but one of the men at the meeting sweet talked him out the door,” Chrisco said.

“I consider Chris Medlock in his position as a State Committeeman and a member of the Executive Committee as in the leadership of the Tulsa County Republican Party. I don’t believe that his actions are the proper way for a member of the leadership of the party to behave,” Chrisco said.

Chrisco has been active in the Tulsa County Republican Party since 1995. She has served as Credentials Chairman at county, district, and state conventions. She worked backstage at the 2000 Republican National Convention in Philadelphia in the Official Proceedings VIP Section, assisting speakers and presenters on the program.

Medlock is a former City Councilor who barely survived a recall effort launched because of his public and private behavior. The man who defended him in that recall effort, Rick Westcott was later elected to the District 2 City Council seat and with District 7 Councilor John Eagleton, publicly withdrew support for Medlock because of untrue and vicious statements Medlock made on public media during his unsuccessful campaign for Oklahoma House District 69 in 2006, which followed his unsuccessful campaign for mayor. Those two elected officials spoke on the record with Tulsa Today in 2006 and that interview remains available online (click here for “Dumping Chris Medlock”).

Asked today if his opinion of Medlock has changed, Councilor Eagleton said, “He made a promise he did not keep on a matter of personal integrity. He said some things on the radio that could be construed as not flattering and when I spoke to him on the phone about it he said he would make a correction and an apology and I am still waiting. So Medlock and I are done – he broke his word to me and I will have no dealings with him.”

Medlock has attempted to leverage politics and media and was successful first as a co-host with KFAQ’s morning host Gwen Freeman until she would not submit to his demand to lead a conversation one morning so he swung a microphone which hit her. It is said that local blogger Michael D. Bates was witness to that event, but apparently the loyalty of self-interests between Bates and Medlock has prevented Bates from talking about the incident.

Saturday the Oklahoma Republican Party State Committee will vote on their candidates to the Republican National Convention. Medlock is campaigning for a position as a delegate or alternate delegate to the Convention. As the full committee votes, Tulsa County Republicans – other than Medlock – will remind those present that Medlock has lied to and about elected Republican officials on broadcast media, brutalized the most loyal Republican volunteers, and, in general, placed personal ambition over the good of the party – not exactly considered good form.

Medlock did not return calls for comment for this story nor did KFAQ General Manager Randy Bush. However, today was Chris Medlock’s final day as a morning talk show host. Beginning Monday, he will host an afternoon show on the same station – a far less important time slot.

Paul Plot

Paul Plot

There's something more than meets the eye
about
these Ron Paul Revolutionaries
BY MICHAEL D. BATES

An energetic movement of idealistic young people seeks to make their candidate the Republican nominee for president. They aren't deterred by the fact that he has only managed to win about five percent of the vote and a dozen delegates in the primaries so far.

They have a plan for victory at the Republican National Convention, a plan that includes Oklahoma's May 3 Republican state convention as a crucial battle. The prospect has party officials worried.

Some of his overenthusiastic supporters have vandalized public property with graffiti and flooded online polls in support of their man. (Other supporters claim that his enemies are stenciling his name on bridge abutments to discredit him.)

Their habit of using search engines to find and flood every blog entry and Internet forum thread invoking their candidate's name led Oklahoma City blogger Charles G. Hill of dustbury.com to invent a code name for him: "Pon Farr," a Star Trek reference to the Vulcan mating season that aptly captures the nerdy passion of the candidate's followers.

Their zeal has earned them a plethora of nicknames from their detractors: Ronulans, Paulbots, Paultards. They call themselves the Ron Paul Revolution, but one thing you can't call them is a bunch of quitters.

The Texas Congressman and obstetrician is the original "Dr. No," often the lone vote against bills that he believes violate the limits that the Constitution places on the powers of the Federal Government. But it's his position against American military involvement in Iraq that seems to motivate much of his youthful support base.

Paul was the 1988 presidential nominee of the Libertarian Party, but he is seeking the Republican nomination this year. His supporters believe they can compensate for his poor primary showing with superior organization.

Conventional wisdom says that Arizona Sen. John McCain has the Republican presidential nomination sewn up. CNN's delegate count puts McCain at more than 1300 delegates, more than enough for a majority on the first ballot at the convention. All of his rivals have suspended their campaigns.

Not since 1976, when Gov. Ronald Reagan nearly defeated incumbent Pres. Gerald Ford, has the nomination been in doubt when the convention was called to order. Traditionally, since nothing of substance has to be decided, congressional district and state conventions send longtime volunteers and faithful donors to the national convention as a reward for their service to the party.

These delegates are wined and dined by corporate sponsors. The convention program is designed mainly as an infomercial for the party, using free network airtime to spotlight the presidential nominee, candidates in key Senate races, and rising-star governors. Delegates get a chance to be up close and personal with the political and media celebrities they watch on Fox News.

I was a delegate in 2004, and it was great fun. But the actual business of the convention -- choosing nominees for president and vice president, voting on a platform, and establishing rules to govern the Republican Party for the next four years -- was treated as a mere formality.

But all that is grounded in tradition, and nothing in the party rules says those traditions have to be followed.

Here in Oklahoma, Paul won about 3% of the statewide primary vote. McCain finished first, winning statewide and in three congressional districts, entitling him to 32 convention delegates. Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee won the 1st and 2nd Districts; he gets six national delegates.

State law and state party rules bind delegates to vote for the choice of the primary voters on the first ballot, but they don't require that the delegates have to be supporters of the candidate to whom they're bound. If Huckabee releases his delegates before the convention, as expected, those delegates will be free to vote for whomever they will.

Paul's supporters have captured five of the 15 delegate seats that were filled at Oklahoma's congressional district conventions -- three belonging to McCain and two to Huckabee. They won seven of the 15 alternate positions -- six of McCain's and one of Huckabee's. They managed this by getting their people to the district conventions and working the voting system to their advantage.

They also managed it with a certain amount of stealth. At the 1st District convention in Tulsa on April 5, a dozen or so ran for delegate. In their speeches, they never mentioned their support for Ron Paul, and they stayed away from Paul's distinctive positions. In particular, there were no mentions of the war in Iraq. They tried to come across as enthusiastic young Reaganauts, emphasizing issues held in common with mainstream conservatives.

But an anonymous flyer outed them, based on a list of the Oklahoma Ron Paul meet-up group found on ronpaulexposed.blogspot.com.

And so the Ron Paul Revolution came away from the 1st District convention empty-handed. Long-time Republicans turned their people out and held a 60-40 advantage over the newcomers. This majority voted for the candidates they knew from years of party involvement.

Instant runoff voting--in use since the 2000 1st District Convention (at my encouragement)--ensured that whichever side held the majority would prevail.

I oversaw the tallying of the votes, in which many of the Paul people participated. While they were disappointed in the outcome, they seemed satisfied that the process was fair.

Paul's fans still have hopes of winning the state's 23 at-large delegates at the May 3 state convention, to be held at the Renaissance Hotel in Tulsa. The state party's executive committee (of which I am a member) will nominate a slate of at-large delegates and alternates. Traditionally, these slates are elected by acclamation, but that tradition can be overturned by the will of the majority and another slate elected.

The Paul supporters may also try to win Oklahoma's two open seats on the Republican National Committee. That would not only give them two more national convention delegates but two places on the party's governing body for the next four years.

If similar efforts in other states give Paul a majority of national delegates, a simple rule change could unbind all delegates from voting according to primary results, clearing the way for Paul's nomination.

Even control of a handful of state delegations would give Paul considerable leverage over the proceedings, including the choice of a vice presidential running mate and the rules that will govern the 2012 nomination process.

The machine against which the Paulinistas rage is made up of people who were insurgents themselves once upon a time. Many members of the current GOP "establishment"--the activists who hold party offices, attend caucuses, conventions, and the monthly meetings of various Republican clubs, and provide a volunteer base for Republican campaigns--came into the party as Reagan supporters in the mid to late '70s, as Christian Coalition-trained activists in the late '80s, or as talk radio fans in the early '90s.

These pro-military, pro-gun-rights, pro-life, and pro-tax-cut conservatives wanted to do away with business as usual in Washington, and after some nasty battles at county, district, and state conventions, they displaced a previous establishment that had been content to offer cut-rate versions of liberal Democratic policies and to languish as a permanent political minority.

The current party leadership can hardly be called mushy moderates. In 2004, when wealthy Republican donors backed Oklahoma City Mayor Kirk Humphreys' campaign for U. S. Senate, grassroots conservatives lined up to support Tom Coburn, helping him to an overwhelming primary victory.

Oklahoma's party activists continue to hold to conservative views across the board on fiscal, social, constitutional, foreign policy, and border security issues.

The old-timers welcome the newcomers' support for a smaller Federal government and lower taxes, but they're wary that Ron Paul's supporters, some of them ponytailed and pierced, may tilt the balance in the party against social conservatism.

Their biggest policy dispute involves the Global War on Terror. To long-time Republicans, Ron Paul's "simple, humble foreign policy" looks like naïve appeasement of an aggressive religious ideology that seeks to destroy our way of life.

If nothing else, the Ron Paul insurgency has forced traditional conservatives, apathetic after years of tranquil conventions, to re-engage with the political process.

This year's Republican National Convention could rival the Democrats' Clinton/Obama clash for drama and conflict. What happens on May 3 here in Tulsa will give us an early glimpse of what could happen in September in St. Paul.

Ok Politics & You with Cheryl Williams, Oklahoma State GOP Vice Chair

Steve Byas of Oklahoma Politics & You, interview Cheryl Williams, Oklahoma State GOP Vice Chair

John McCain's 2008 Campaign Announces Oklahoma Coordinators

John McCain's 2008 Campaign
Announces Oklahoma Coordinators
Tuesday, January 22, 2008

ARLINGTON, VA -- U.S. Senator John McCain's presidential campaign today announced new additions to its Oklahoma Leadership Team. Chad Alexander and State Representative Trebor Worthen will lead the growing grassroots organization on behalf of John McCain’s candidacy leading up to Oklahoma’s February 5th Primary. Alexander and Worthen join State Chairman, Oklahoma Senator Tom Coburn and Honorary State Chairman, Oklahoma Governor Frank Keating.

"There is no greater champion of fiscal responsibility and government reform than John McCain,” said Alexander. "John McCain's conservative convictions and principled leadership are what our nation needs right now, and that’s why I am proud to back him for the Republican nomination.”

“I am honored to work for a man like Senator McCain whose integrity and character is unmatched. Oklahomans, like all Americans, will choose a President who has the experience to lead on day one, and John McCain is that man,” said Representative Worthen.

Senator John McCain spoke to his appreciation for his Oklahoma team. "I am pleased to have the backing and support of these veteran Republican leaders. My campaign will benefit from their hard work and energy as we work towards a victory in Oklahoma.”

Chad Alexander previously worked to elect J.C. Watts, Jr. as the first African American to serve in Congress from Oklahoma. After managing the re-elections of Congressman Watts, Alexander was elected chairman and executive director of the Oklahoma Republican Party.

Representative Trebor Worthen was elected in 2004 to the Oklahoma legislature as its youngest member. He previously served as political director of the Oklahoma Republican Party. Worthen currently serves as chairman of the House Taxpayer Protection Caucus and chairman of the House Elections and Redistricting committee.

Will Gary Jones jump the Shark too ?

When will Oklahoma State
GOP Chair Gary Jones
jump the Shark, like this guy did ?

http://minnesota.publicradio.org/collections/special/columns/

State GOP chairman heads Huckabee team

POSTED AT 5:12 PM ON JANUARY 7, 2008 BY TIM PUGMIRE

The chairman of the state Republican party announced today that he'll head the Minnesota campaign of GOP presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee.

Ron Carey says he's been quietly supporting Mike Huckabee's presidential campaign for a year. Four days after Huckabee's convincing win in the Iowa caucuses, Carey went public with his preference. He also unveiled a list of other prominent Minnesota Republicans who've joined the Huckabee team. Carey said Huckabee is the best of a stellar group of GOP candidates.

"He really has an opportunity to rebuild a coalition of average Americans, just like Ronald Reagan did, and bring us together with hope and opportunity, yet at the same time not compromising our conservative values that make the Republican Party what it is," Carey said.

Carey says he doesn't know if Huckabee will visit Minnesota before the February 5th precinct caucuses.

The move is unusual but Carey says the state party bylaws allow him to give his early support to a presidential candidate.

"I'm going to take some hits for this," Carey said. "But I truly believe in the long haul that this is the best thing for the Republican party to have a viable campaign for Mike Huckabee. And I think he's the candidate that has the best chance to lead up to success in November."

But a co-chair of Mitt Romney's Minnesota campaign criticized the move. Brian Sullivan said Carey would be better served helping all Republicans rather than one particular candidate.

STEVE FAIR TO SEEK OKLAHOMA GOP NATIONAL COMMITTEEMAN SLOT!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday December 21, 2007

After much prayer and counsel with family and friends, I have decided to seek the National Committeeman post for the Oklahoma State Republican Party. I would appreciate your prayers as I undertake this venture. Thanks to those of you who have encouraged me to run. I am humbled by your friendship and your confidence in me. The National Committeeman position is a very important one to our party. The person elected not only represents Oklahoma on the Republican National Committee but serves on every major board of the state party.

The National Committeeman must be a person that understands the party rules, has been a party official, and has effectively built the party from the grassroots up. I would humbled to have your support as I begin this race.

I would appreciate your continued prayers and please feel free to contact me if you have questions.
Sincerely,


Steve Fair
Chairman- Stephens County Republican Party
Chairman- 4th Congressional District
Rt. 1, Box 206E
Duncan, OK 73533
405.990.7449- cell
800.654.8355- work
580.252.6284- home
405.858.2219- fax
okgop@aol.com
sfair@clementsfoods.com

Cargill choice of caucus for second term

By Associated Press
10/16/2007 11:37 AM


OKLAHOMA CITY -- State Rep. Lance Cargill of Harrah has been nominated by the Republican House caucus to be speaker for a second two-year term in 2009 and 2010.

Cargill's spokesman, Damon Gardenhire, says the action was taken at a caucus meeting Tuesday in Ardmore, where House Republicans are holding their fall retreat.

Cargill drew a challenge from Rep. John Wright of Broken Arrow, the GOP caucus chairman.

Wright is an advocate of more openness in the legislative process, voting against motions to cut off debate and urging more consideration of bills in committee.

Cargill was elected earlier this year to lead the House for 2007 and 2008. He succeeded Todd Hiett, who was term-limited and lost a race for lieutenant governor.