Primary Playoffs
John Michener
1. Primary Playoffs
2. OCPAC Voter Guide
3. The Conservative Index
4. OVHC Voter Guide
5. OCPAC Program: Judicial Review
1. Primary Playoffs. Remember the days when there was no college football playoff? It was generally agreed that without a playoff system, there was no true champion. The system simply did not allow some teams to compete. Having a playoff system allows fans to cheer for their favorite team with the confidence that their team will get a shot at the title.
We are fortunate to have a playoff system in Oklahoma politics. The system is not perfect. Statewide office holders can still get elected without a majority of the vote. For example, Gov. Brad Henry was elected with only 43% of the vote in 2002. But at least within the parties, if no single nominee receives a majority of the vote, there must be a runoff.
Because we have a playoff system, the primary elections are of paramount importance. That is when the people can choose a true conservative champion to represent them. Take the gubernatorial race, for example. If Republicans refuse to select Dan Fisher, the true conservative, and instead choose a nominee like Cornett or Stitt, voters will be forced to pick the lesser of two liberals in the November general election.
So how does a voter determine a true conservative candidate in a primary race? Is it by paying attention to what OCPAC founder Charlie Meadows used to call the “pink puff and piffle” found in most campaign literature and political ads? Should we go by the warm fuzzy pictures of the kids? Should we trust in clichéd slogans like “Top-ten state” or “Renew our neighborhoods?”
Candidates are not going to voluntarily tell you about their flaws. Listen to the legitimate criticisms of opponents. They can help you find out what candidates really believe as revealed by their actions:
- Have they
previously supported tax increases?
- Have they
run companies unethically?
- Is their message consistent from audience to audience, or do they tickle the ears of their listeners by saying what they think a particular group wants to hear?
Candidates who tickle ears are especially irritating. For example, in Senate District 10 (Kay and Osage Counties), Gary Lanham spoke to OCPAC like a traditional conservative Republican and won our support. But then he turned around and told the Green Country PLAC that he would raise the gross production tax and vote against repealing the massive, unnecessary spring tax hike. OCPAC is now supporting his opponent, Amber Roberts.
We could go on and on with examples of political skirmishes, but what they reveal is that it takes a lot of work and effort to find the truth, especially when being bombarded with half-truths and irrelevant information. The voters have a real challenge before them. That is why we are providing a few resources below.
As always, elections reveal the character and quality of the voters. Good voters elect good candidates, while uninformed or misinformed voters are likely to fall for the meaningless “pink puff and piffle.”
2. The OCPAC Voter Guide is now available for the primary election on 26 June 2018. The complete guide will arrive in a separate email, but be aware that an email is static. For the latest information on races, be sure to double-check the online OCPAC Voter Guide for updates.
3. The 2018 Oklahoma Conservative Index is now available at The Oklahoma Constitution newspaper’s website. See how conservative your senator and representative are by comparing their votes to a truly conservative standard.
4. OVHC Voter Guide. If the primary duty of civil government is to protect our lives, liberty, and property, then finding out where a candidate stands on forced vaccination is as important as finding out if he will work to criminalize abortion. The folks at Oklahomans for Vaccine and Health Choice PAC have been hard at work surveying the candidates. Which candidates will support your parental rights to make choices for your own children? The OVHC voter guide is now available.
5. OCPAC Program. On Wednesday, June 20, at noon at Mama Roja, Ryan Walters will reveal the horrors of judicial review and tell us what we can do to fight it. Walters is a history teacher from McAlester, Oklahoma, and he is a contributor for the American Thinker, The Liberty Bell, and The Federalist.
The views expressed in this email are the personal opinion of John Michener and do not necessarily reflect the views of OCPAC, its leadership team, or its members…although they should. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate committee. Authorized and paid for by Oklahoma Conservative PAC, PO Box 2021, Edmond, OK 73083.