Fallin

Is The Oklahoman editorial page endorsing Jari Askins for governor in 2010 this far away from the election?

In a Sunday editorial (“Growth of independents could play major role,” June 14, 2008) ostensibly about the growth of independent voters in Oklahoma and the nation, the newspaper makes this argument:

Democratic Gov. Brad Henry’s appeal to independent voters is reflected by his easy re-election in 2006 and in his continued popularity. Among announced candidates for governor, Democrat Drew Edmondson has at times issued blatant appeals to liberal Democrats, many of whom have been critical of Henry, while Republican Mary Fallin consistently appeals to conservative Republicans. The candidate most resembling Henry in terms of partisanship and "soft” ideology is Lt. Gov. Jari Askins, a Democrat.

Leave aside the validity of the Edmondson part of this comment for a moment. Isn’t it interesting the way the editorial frames Askins as the centrist candidate in the mold of Henry while framing Fallin to the right? The implicit argument is that Askins can be just as popular as Henry, a centrist Democrat. Does that not imply an endorsement of some sort from the ultra-conservative newspaper?

The problem here is the issue of political definitions. In most places outside this region of the country, both Lt. Gov. Askins and Attorney General Edmondson would be considered centrist-to-conservative Democrats. U.S. Rep. Fallin plays well to the extreme conservative wing of the Republican Party in the context of national politics, and, of course, it has worked for her in Oklahoma, and it could work again. This is the reality.

Edmondson is a Vietnam War veteran and former district attorney in Muskogee County. In Edmondson’s tenure as attorney general, Oklahoma continues to execute criminals under death penalty laws. He has consistently taken a tough stance on crime and criminals as a prosecutor. It's simply an illogical argument that Edmondson has been blatantly recruiting liberal votes.

In 2000, Edmondson did join an existing lawsuit against the Boy Scouts of America for discriminating against gay people, but that decision now seems prescient given the growing cultural acceptance of same-sex marriages and gay rights in other states. Was Edmondson’s decision to join the suit one of the “blatant appeals to liberals”? Even former Vice President Dick Cheney has come out in favor of gay rights. What do Askins, Fallin and The Oklahoman editorial writers think about discrimination against gay people?

I’m undecided about the governor’s race at this point. Edmondson and Askins are excellent candidates and can win in November against Fallin, who appears to be a shoo-in for the Republican nomination. I think it’s important to hear what the candidates have to say as their campaigns get going. Anything could happen in the coming months to change the political dynamic of the 2010 governor’s race.

But The Oklahoman editorial raises this question:

Do the newspaper’s ultra-conservative editorial writers believe Askins would be the best governor or do they think she would be the weaker opponent against Fallin, whom they will endorse in the general election no matter who wins the Democratic primary?

U.S. Rep. Mary Fallin will be a formidable candidate in the 2010 Oklahoma governor’s race, and her election could give Republicans control of the state government.

Fallin, 54, a former lieutenant governor and state representative, announced she was running for governor on Friday. She has widespread name recognition and deep political experience. She is telegenic. She also supports the GOP hard-line conservative platform, which continues to sell well in Oklahoma, the reddest of red states.

Political pundits have speculated U.S. Rep. Tom Cole, another Republican, might run for governor as well.

On the Democratic side, both Lieutenant Governor Jari Askins and Attorney General Drew Edmondson have indicated they will run for the position.

The 2010 elections are distant, but Democrats need to energize around their gubernatorial candidates. Republicans hold majorities in both the House and Senate. A Republican governor, along with the GOP legislative majority, could advance an ultra-conservative agenda—an agenda of “isolation”—that would limit the state’s economic opportunities and further damage the state’s national image. For now, Gov. Brad Henry, a Democrat who cannot run again for governor, can veto the worst GOP legislation.

If you think the state is conservative now, just wait until the GOP controls the legislative and executive branches of government here.

Much could depend on the economy. If President Barack Obama’s financial rescue plans are successful and the local economy is thriving in 2010, Democrats here can depict Fallin as an obstructionist and a hard-line ideologue. If the economy has not improved by 2010, and Democrats move to the right, as many do in Oklahoma, then Fallin’s chances increase.

’No, I’m The Most Bigoted’

Five of the six Republican candidates running for Congress in the 5th District here are falling all over themselves trying to show how they plan to keep Oklahoma children ignorant about the world around them.

And our dear, local mayor, Mick Cornett, who is one of those involved in the battle, started the race to the bottom with anti-gay remarks in a campaign ad.

Here is the take on this political carnival shell game: Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett, now running for the 5th District seat, placed an advertisement on radio in which he takes responsibility for reshelving non-sexual, gay-themed children’s books at local libraries. According to an article on Mary Fallin’s Web site, the advertisement goes, “"Last year, he [Cornett] took on the liberals and made sure that our libraries would not allow children to have access to books that promote the gay agenda."

Lieutenant Governor Fallin, of course, is also running for the congressional seat now held by Ernest Istook, who is running for governor. She was joined in her criticism of Cornett by three other Republican candidates for the seat, Corporation Commissioner Denise Bode, and state Reps. Fred Morgan and Kevin Calvey.

Their big point is that, no, Cornett had little to do with keeping enlightened books out of the hands of children. In fact, they say, it was state Rep. Sally Kern (D-Oklahoma City), the gay-hating, intelligent-design-supporting religious zealot who brought this all about. The Oklahoma County Metropolitan Library Commission voted recently to reshelve the gay-themed books and books dealing with domestic abuse and other issues in sections inaccessible to children after Kern threatened to pull the library system’s state funding.

In the statement, the four claim that “while Mayor Cornett is an ex-officio member of the Metropolitan Library Commission, he did not even show up at the Commission meeting where the issue was discussed and debated. Mick Cornett was AWOL on this issue.”

There is so much wrong with all this it is difficult to decide where to begin. Let me try.

(1) The Republican agenda in Oklahoma is no longer based on any semblance of reality. The gay-themed book issue is a wedge issue employed to rile the party’s redneck base, but only religious extremists are concerned about these innocuous, non-sexual, gay-themed children’s books. It is tragic Republican politics here has been totally hijacked by a philosophy of hate and bitterness. Right now, gay people and Hispanics—look at those spiteful Bode television ads about illegal immigration—are scapegoats for a party that has lost its moral compass. The whole charade is ugly and disgusting.

(2) I would like to think Oklahoma City is becoming a decent metropolitan city with major-league sporting teams and a great entertainment district, Bricktown. But when the city’s mayor is running around criticizing the so-called gay agenda it takes the city back in terms of its national stature, and, once again, we get labeled the nation’s foremost destination for hicks and rubes. The mayor should absolutely be promoting diversity in expanding the city’s economic base, and that means he should promote diversity as a philosophical concept as well. If he has strong, conservative religious views about gay people, then he should keep them to himself for the overall welfare of the city.

(3) On the literal level, it is quite an ugly spectacle to see so many Oklahoma leaders support anti-intellectualism and hate. The gay-themed books, such as the King & King, and Heather Has Two Mommies, are not sexual. They merely help explain the current world. Gay people have always been here, and they will always be here. It is an act of ignorance to keep such enlightened books away from children, and it keeps our state stupid and backwards. If parents do not want their children to read particular books, then they should actually go the library with them. I am willing to bet the people most opposed to the books rarely visit or take their kids to the library. Our libraries—here and elsewhere—should honor, not discourage, the free exchange of ideas.

Regan Runs

Speaking of politics, it was a pleasure to learn Democrat Pete Regan is running for Lieutenant Governor.

Regan is a University of Central Oklahoma graduate who once worked closely with former Gov. George Nigh. Regan is a personable, hard-working young man who deserves consideration for the post.

He is the type of young, Democratic candidate the state needs to consistently attract if we want to stop the conservative juggernaut. The time for action was yesterday, folks, and young Democrats need to step up, run for office, and get involved.

State GOP Thinks ‘Sweep, Sweep’

The word out on the political street is the state Republicans think it is almost a certainty, barring some huge national crisis, they will gain control of the Oklahoma Senate this coming November. They also think they will easily retain control of the House and that Gov. Brad Henry is vulnerable in the election.

I was recently told by a prominent Republican political operative the conservative tide will not change in my lifetime in Oklahoma. In essence, the GOP owns the state body politic right now. They have put together a coalition of right-wing religious folks, lifestyle liberal neocons, and the ultra-rich. This coalition is holding together despite how many people end up voting against their own financial interests in favor of wedge issues, such as abortion or gay marriage or illegal immigration, that have no bearing on their lives. Unfortunately, many Oklahoma people seem more interested these days in the private lives of their neighbors rather than skyrocketing gasoline prices.

Imagine an Oklahoma in which the religious zealot Ernest Istook is governor and both the House and Senate have Republican majorities. Imagine if TABOR passes, too. Our education systems will be dismantled and the line between religion and government will cease to exist. Will states such as Oklahoma, South Dakota, and Mississippi soon become de facto theocracies?