OCPAC – Republicans or RINOs?
John Michener
1. Program Jan. 4: Charlie Meadows
2. Republicans or RINOs?
3. OCPAC Awards Banquet
4. Right-Wing Raffle
5. OCPAC Memberships
1. Program Jan. 4: Charlie Meadows. This Wednesday at noon at Mama Roja Mexican Kitchen, our speaker will be OCPAC Founder and President Emeritus Charlie Meadows. During the three weeks leading up to the general election, Charlie organized and implemented Operation Flyer Drop. This was a campaign to unseat two of Oklahoma’s Supreme Court justices and to support repeal of the Blaine Amendment. Charlie will reveal the success of the operation and explain what we learned from the experience, which will give us even more success in future endeavors.
2. Republicans or RINOs? Before Christmas The Oklahoman published a story about the not so conservative
Oklahoma GOP. Based on the ratings given by a national
group called the American Conservative Union Foundation, the Oklahoma GOP is
less conservative than those of surrounding states. It is good to see The Oklahoman pointing its spotlight on the dark recesses of our
State Capitol, but to simply compare us to other states is to miss some
important points.
First, to say our GOP is less conservative than other states’ is the wrong comparison. The real question is, how does our GOP compare to the gold standard of Liberty? Do our legislators put forward good policy or bad, righteous laws or immoral laws? The best measuring stick in our state is the Oklahoma Conservative Index, created by OCPAC and The Oklahoma Constitution newspaper. Our Index compares legislation to God’s absolute moral stand and to the Oklahoma and U.S. Constitutions. The Index reveals that from 2015 to 2016 the average GOP score in the Oklahoma House dropped from 74% to 51%. Likewise, the average score in the Oklahoma Senate dropped from 71% to 51%.
Second, we need to understand why the GOP has tanked. The first reason is power. The GOP finally took over the Legislature in 2009. Not accustomed to being in leadership, GOP members continued to act on conservative principles at first, but as time went by, power worked its corrupting magic. Furthermore, as the GOP has gained even more seats in subsequent elections, the opposition party, nearing extinction, has lost its ability to act as any kind of check against the GOP. In an effort to survive in the current political climate, progressives, who in days gone by would have registered as Demonrats, now register as Republicans, thus diluting GOP ideology.
The current culture has also had its effect on the GOP. To be elected one must cater to the masses who speak a new language. The average citizen is speaking what sounds like English, but the words require translation to be properly understood. The language of liberty has been hijacked through a stealthy redefinition of words. Justice now means “social justice.” Equal rights now means “equal outcomes.” Economic opportunity now means “economic development.” This shift means that many GOP legislators sound conservative to our traditional ears, but we have failed to understand what they really mean. We recommend the work of Why Liberty Matters to help you better understand how our language is used against us.
Finally, the number one reason for our liberal Legislature under GOP control is its leadership. The way our legislative system is structured, all power is concentrated with the Senate Pro Tem and Speaker of the House. They can hear any bill or kill any bill. Look no further than the Conservative Index scores of these two individuals to understand why the GOP average is so low. Outgoing Senate Pro Tem Bingman scored 40%, and outgoing House Speaker Hickman scored 33%. Where the head goes, the hind end will follow. It must be the preeminent objective of true conservatives in the Legislature to remove the dictatorial power of these two positions and to give every legislator a voice at the Capitol. We outlined this problem and the solution in our OCPAC update on Stolen Government. We are hopeful that the new House Speaker, Rep. McCall, will lead reforms in this direction.
3. OCPAC Awards Banquet. This is a semi-formal, catered dinner to honor Oklahoma’s most conservative legislators. Here are pictures from last year. The keynote speaker this year will be Curtis Bowers, producer of the documentary Agenda 2 Masters of Deceit. Here are the details:
OCPAC Awards Banquet
Friday 10 February 2017 at 6:00 – 8:30 p.m.
Business Conference Center - Metro Technology Centers
Springlake Campus
1900 Springlake Dr. OKC 73111
Purchase tickets online at OklahomaCPAC.org. Tickets are $25 per person. You may also bring cash or check to one of our meetings, or mail a check to PO Box 2021, Edmond, OK 73083. The deadline to purchase tickets is February 4.
Award-winning legislators may receive up to two complimentary tickets. Congratulations to our award winners: Senators Nathan Dahm, Mark Allen, Joseph Silk, Josh Brecheen, Kyle Loveless, Anthony Sykes, and Rob Standridge; Representatives David Brumbaugh, Jason Murphey, Chuck Strohm, Travis Dunlap, Randy Grau, Mike Ritze, Sally Kern, Dan Fisher, and Paul Wesselhoft.
4. Right-Wing Raffle. OCPAC is offering chances to win a three-day, two-night getaway to Green Country, Oklahoma, sponsored by Beavers Bend Getaways. Stay in the romantic “Solomon’s Rest” cabin surrounded by peaceful, verdant woods. With fine dining, shopping, hiking, and a pristine lake at hand, you will find your rest.
Raffle tickets for Solomon’s Rest are $2 each, or six tickets for $10, or fifteen tickets for $20. Purchase tickets at our weekly meetings or at the banquet. The winning ticket will be drawn at the end of our banquet on February 10. The winner must hold the winning ticket and be present at the banquet. Yes, you may give your tickets to someone going to the banquet if you cannot make it in person.
5. OCPAC Memberships. You can now renew your membership online at OklahomaCPAC.org. Your membership dues and donations help elect worthy candidates who believe in limited government based on Judeo-Christian values and provide continuing education to legislators and voters. If you prefer to mail a check, you will find instructions on our membership form.
To learn more about the mission of OCPAC and how we are accomplishing our goals, watch this twenty-nine minute overview of OCPAC.
Additional Notes
· Join our Facebook group.
· Become an OCPAC member online or with this form.
· We currently meet on Wednesdays at noon at Mama Roja Mexican Kitchen.
· 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.