OCPAC e-mail - Edmond Sun hyperventilating? & Why I voted for John Cox!

[Charlie Meadows]

Members and friends of the Oklahoma Conservative Political Action Committee (OCPAC)

++  AGENDA FOR THIS WEEK’S MEETING

++  ANNOUNCEMENT

++  EDMOND SUN - HYPERVENTILATING OVER LOW VOTER TURNOUT?

++  TIDBITS

++  AGENDA FOR THIS WEEK’S MEETING

Our 12 noon luncheon for Wednesday, November 19th 2014, will be held at Olivet Baptist Church, 1201 Northwest 10th street in OKC. We are very privileged to have a special speaker this Wednesday, Mr. P Andrew Sandlin, Founder and President of the Center for Cultural Leadership. His topic is “Why Christian Culture”? how did we get into our cultural mess and what we must do to get out of it. This will be a presentation you will not want to miss!

++  ANNOUNCEMENT

THURSDAY EVENING  -  TULSA AREA  -  The OK2A Freedom Fellowship Meeting will host their monthly meeting this Thursday evening beginning at 7:00 p.m. The location is the heartland HQ-Church Building, 4506 S. Vancouver Ave (one block west on 45th street from Union) in Tulsa. With the President poised to use his pen and phone to make millions of illegal alien invaders legal residents, we are at another very dangerous time in our history, a Constitutional Crisis. The program will consist of showing a new video documentary about the on-going invasion of illegal aliens. This was produced in October of this year by the tea party patriots.  

++  EDMOND SUN - HYPERVENTILATING OVER LOW VOTER TURNOUT?

This past week, the Edmond Sun Newspaper ran their lead editorial lamenting the low voter turnout and therefore trying to solve that problem as well as make our primary elections “more fair”. I would suggest calming down, don’t try to solve problems that aren’t really problems in the first place or else one risks a panic attack and hyperventilation. 

There are no voter access problems in Oklahoma for our general elections, nor for that matter, our primary elections. People are simply choosing not to vote for a variety of reasons. Let me suggest several. 

The Democrat name brand has been severely damaged by the likes of Obama, Clinton, Pelosi, Reed etc, and that damage has trickled down to the every day Democrat candidates and voters in Oklahoma, at least to the ones that are still registered as Democrats. Outside of the few candidates that file for office and a handful of irrational optimists within the party, Democrats in Oklahoma are demoralized. Many no longer believe it is worth the time it takes to vote as they believe the outcome will likely be a Republican victory.

Independents tend to be such for a variety of reasons. Many are ill informed and not overly interested in politics or government. They may not like either of the two major parties, but when offered to register when they get their drivers license or car tag, they go ahead and register. Some of them have an attitude of superiority by not being associated with either of the mud slinging major partys.    

There are also folks that consider themselves to be members of any number of third parties and with Oklahoma’s rather difficult laws to obtain ballot status for third parties, many of these folks go around with their noses bent out of shape. It does take a significant number of petition signatures for a third party to gain ballot status and then a very reasonable number of people to vote for a third party candidate to keep their third party recognition. I believe a continuation of recognition has occurred once for the Libertarian Party and the second time for when Ross the little general, ran as his party‘s candidate rather than the first time when he ran as an Independent. However, voter totals were so low in the next election cycle for their parties, they both lost their third party recognition.

We also have Republicans deciding not to vote. Some, much like some Democrats expect a certain outcome and don’t believe it worth the time. However, there is an element within the Republican party so disgusted with the lack of differences between the Democrats and Republicans, that they have simply pulled back, not wanting to have anything to do with the process. There are also a large number of folks that simply believe the system no longer works and have given up, believing it does no good to participate.

Following are some quotes from the Edmond Sun, anything in brackets will be my thoughts:

“We’re not sure we have the cure for low voter turnout, but we would like to propose changes to Oklahoma’s primary election set up to make it more fair to those outside the two-party system.

In Edmond, Republicans dominate the voter registration rolls, but a growing number of Independents are registered hear as well. Every primary election automatically leaves Independent voters without any say in the process and often times, Democrats are left out too (Democrats had every opportunity to field a candidate, but voters in the Edmond area are not of the Democrat party mindset and therefore knowledgeable Democrats know it will do no good). 

Far too often, local elections are decided by an election in which almost half of registered voters are precluded from casting a ballot. For example, the re-election of Jason Murphey, R-Guthrie, this year was decided on the primary ballot. He had only one Republican challenger and the primary election decided who the representative would be for the next two years without Democrats or Independents having any say in who represents them in House District 31.

While we supported Murphey in his race, it seems that Oklahoma lawmakers have the opportunity to address situations like this in a way that could increase voter turnout (this idea is actually a hair brained twist toward having non partisan races).

Our proposal is to consider changing the election system to allow only a two-person race in which both candidates are from the same party to be automatically moved to the General Election ballot. That way all voters have a chance to cast their ballot for who should represent them. If there are three or more candidates on the ballot for a district, leave it to the primary system to allow the candidates’ party to nominate their top-two vote getters. Then those two candidates should move to the General Election ballot for all voters to get a chance to make their choice”. 

The Edmond Sun has become very shortsighted by failing to recognize political parties as organizations, clubs if I may suggest, with free will voluntary membership, rules, meetings and a changeable platform which acts as the ideological standard for the organization. Why would the members of any organization want to have non members have a say in their organization? In no way does low voter turnout ever justify allowing people who are not a member of an organization to have control over such an organization! This is a really bad idea.

The Sun went on with its editorial to express their displeasure with elections for district judges. Their solution was to change all judicial elections to a retention ballot, like we have for our 3 courts of judicial appeal. Wow, that is a brilliant idea to increase voter turnout. People are already almost breaking their necks to flock to the polls so they can vote to retain or reject the people they do not know nor know anything about. Such a change would automatically turn all judges into lifers, completely separated by even a whisper of accountability.  

These are really bad ideas. One of the things in life for well balanced people to learn is that every “perceived” problem suggested may not really be a problem at all. Even more important, many of the “so called” problems do not need government solutions.   

++  TIDBITS

*  WHY I VOTED FOR DEMOCRAT JOHN COX  -  Yes I did and decided to do so a day or two before the election. I have never trusted Joy Hofmeister as far as her motives for running nor has do I believe she has been strait with the voters as to her agenda. When I found out the Tulsa World, Superintendent Keith Ballard of the Tulsa district and former Democrat Superintendent Sandy Garrett had all endorsed Joy, my concerns were even more confirmed. But that is not the main reason I voted for Cox.

After listening to them and observing their campaigns, there just wasn’t that much difference between them. Now pay close attention. Joy’s campaign was run by AH Strategies, arguably Oklahoma‘s leading political consulting firm. During the primary cycle, I believe over 35 Republican lawmakers endorsed Joy. I am sure this doesn’t run completely true to form, but I suspect most of those Republican lawmakers endorsing Joy were also clients of AH Strategies. 

My reasoning was that these elected officials out of the AH stables might have a more difficult time in saying “no” to the worthless, but expensive reforms proposed by Joy if AH pulls their chains. On the other hand, if a Democrat is proposing nearly the same worthless and expensive reforms, it might be a lot easier for them to say no. We will just have to wait and see?

*   SENATOR CRAIN’S LIBERAL IDEA  -  Senator Brian Crain (R-Tulsa) has worried his liberal little brain into near mush. He is planning on sponsoring legislation to allow the voters to pass a 5 BILLION, yes that is Billion with a B Bond for common and higher education. 

Senator Crain and I have an interesting relationship. He knows I believe him to be a horrible Republican Senator but a nice fellow and one that has always been willing to talk with me. His lifetime conservative index score is a paltry 58 with only James Halligan and the infamous Harry Coates more liberal than Senator Crain. 

Two years ago OCPAC supported a true conservative opponent, who just didn’t quite get the job done to take Senator Crain out. This year Senator Crain decided to run for the open District Attorney’s spot, which if he had won, it would have required him to leave the Senate early. This is not a joke, I almost contributed to his campaign to help him win and get out of the Senate early. 

He dropped out of the race for the right and principled reason so, therefore, he will continue to be a Senator for 2 more years. Senator Crain, you and President Obama have your final 2 years to further establish your liberal legacies. With Republicans like Senator Crain, it is no wonder some disenchanted Republican voters have decided not to bother with voting. Actually, those are the very kind of Republicans we need to stay engaged and eventually make a difference. 

*  SENATOR YEN, A CONSERVATIVE PHONY?  -  Senator Ervin Yen was the lead candidate in a crowded primary to fill the recently vacated of Senator Cliff Brannan. He defeated Steve Kern in the primary run-off then went on to win a rather close race in the general election. With virtually unlimited campaign funds for all three efforts toward becoming a Senator, we folks in the metropolitan area had to listen to a continual barrage of the same radio commercial over and over again. I became so sick of the pink, puff and piffle, that I would simply have to turn them off when they came on. They basically Yen’s voice saying, I am a conservative and I have a plan for the economy, education and health care. Of course Dr. Yen never shared any of the details of his plan, but assured everyone his medical expertise was needed in the senate.

A November 9th article in the Sunday Oklahoman featured a few thoughts from Dr. Yen. He said he supports the idea of providing medical coverage to more people but isn’t sure Obamacare is affordable. Isn’t sure? Come on Dr. Yen, the campaign is over, show us what you know, anyone with half a brain knows it is NOT affordable. 

When asked “As to whether the state should take federal money for expanded Medicaid, he said he needs to study that issue.”  Study the issue? Come on Dr. Yen, you purported yourself to be the medical expert for the senate and now you don’t know the answer to this question? Where have you been over the past several months, out deceiving the voters? 

Folks I warned in my Charie’s Picks that this guy was supported by Oklahoma’s big hospitals that favor Obamacare and the expansion of Medicaid. Well, this is who the liberal Republicans in the district nominated an unfortunately he won the primary and now we have to put up with this phony liberal Republican for at least 4 long years. From a strategic standpoint, I now would much rather have seen this seat be a win for the Democrats as Yen will most likely hinder anything the conservatives in the Senate will try to do.

I look forward to seeing everyone this Wednesday.

Charlie Meadows

Charlie...@gmail.com 

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