Lest anyone wonder whether we train the good guys, read here about newly-elected Oklahoma State Rep. Dustin Roberts (elected in Oklahoma’s “Little Dixie”) as he assisted a State Trooper in cuffing a really bad dude before backup could arrive.
The Progressive Left’s “heads we win, tails you lose” modus operandi is in full display all over Oklahoma today on the heels of the conservative sweep in Oklahoma’s statewide offices last November. Comes now the ubermenschic State Board of Education (somehow ‘progressive’ seems a tad insufficient) to declare at its first public meeting of the year that the democratically-elected (and American Majority-trained) Superintendent of Education, Janet Barresi–champion of school choice and founder of two charter schools, no less–cannot hire her own staff without…get this, the Board’s approval.
However, it’s not the Board’s brazen overstepping of its legislative mandate, nor its blatant partisan-progressive motivation in such condescension that has those of us with a more rightish persuasion salivating. Nay, it is the beautiful coordination of non-partisan organizations–including American Majority–that has risen to the occasion in less than 24 hours to expose the shenanigans of the Left in Oklahoma.
This is precisely how it should be executed across the country…if you don’t mind my saying so. Blogger extraordinaire, only a couple weeks on the job, Peter J Rudy livestreamed the proceedings of this faux meeting of the Board via Twitter, and the coverage was then blasted via Oklahoma Watchdog. Veteran politico, radio personality, and blogger Mike McCarville quickly followed on with the important revelation that the leader of the pack in the Board’s attack on Barresi is both an uber-leftist and donor to Barresi’s general election opponent. The hat-trick was then delivered by conservative think tank Oklahoma Council for Public Affairs in its policy prescription for critical reforms in the Board of Education. We should note, too, that only after this critical mass was built by these groups did elected officials–including the Governor, Senate President Pro Tempore, and Speaker of the House–see an opportunity to chime in and pile on.
Capacity groups cleared the field; now the progressive Board of Education has no leg to stand on…but they’ve ‘lots of splainin’ to do’. With Oklahoma’s 2011 legislative session still a few days from its opening, we’re off to a great start.
Hoorah! I’m not a Marine but the inspired cry of resoluteness came upon me after watching this.
Every now and again we like to pat ourselves on the back. Not so much because we need self-acclamation, rather it is imperative to shine a spotlight on how critical it is that we, the Tea Party, remain diligent as ever in our quest to identify constitutionally-minded leaders at the state and local levels who will run for office, win, and then move to reclaim our communities and states for accountable and transparent governance.
Enter American Majority alumnus Josh Brecheen. Brecheen is a twenty-something family-man and former field staffer for constitutional champion Sen. Tom Coburn. Early last year, Brecheen prayerfully took a leap of faith from a safe career by deciding instead to challenge a two-term incumbent state senator in what is pejoratively referred to in Oklahoma as “Little Dixie.” Given Oklahoma’s postbellum statehood in 1907, most of this rim-South state has been dominated by the Democrat Party for its entire history. And while post-WWII voters have increasingly trended to the GOP (especially in federal elections), the southeastern region of the state has remained a stronghold for the Democrats. It has been so dominated by one-party rule that several notorious political scandals and scoundrels have been birthed from the area without much ado from its electorate. Then in November, Josh Brecheen happened.
Josh came to one of our candidate training events in Oklahoma City last Spring declaring his novice at running for office but equally with a commitment to do whatever it takes. And so he did. As the general election churned on, polls continually reported the race to be a very close one. In a Tea Party wave that was sure to give Republicans a decent bump, this race in Little Dixie could have proved the exception. But before midnight on election day it was clear Brecheen would win in what must be considered a landslide for Southeast Oklahoma, easily by double-digits.
Now comes Senator Brecheen on the eve of his first session in the state’s legislature full of steam and ready to do good on his promise of principled leadership. Brecheen recently opined in Little Dixie’s Durant Daily Democrat:
“I will also be offering another bill concerning Medicaid fraud. During my years spent interviewing thousands of Oklahomans concerning ways to tackle welfare related fraud, I found a recurring theme. Many times I was told how DHS employees have encouraged prospective clients to quit a job or to not declare cash income in order to qualify for state aid (if the prospective client’s income surpassed the eligibility threshold). This is not just an isolated event. It occurs often. Many DHS employees do not engage in this but some do, and it must be addressed.”
This is precisely the effect we can have in the goings-on at state capitols around the nation. And on the heels of our historic November elections, it’s time to turn our attention to electing more Josh Brecheens to city councils and school boards in 2011. These folks will one day be our state legislators or perhaps our congressman…maybe even president. But we must find them now.
As the nation chills with a massive cold front, the ’12 presidential speculation continues to heat up. Romney trashes the Obama tax deal that has so raised the ire of the Tea Party.
Intra-party barbs are already in force for the ’12 presidential…good stuff!
Redstate: Booty Call to Evangelicals
Chris Christie is still on the rampage against teachers’ unions … and for good reason. With some possible exceptions (maybe, but not likely) teachers unions control what is a veritable cartel on local school administration protecting an entrenched good ol’ network bent on the status quo: namely, high salaries, dismal results and near-zero accountability. Time to run some fiscal conservatives for local office…now!
As my colleague Matt Batzel has commented, with the most historic election in a generation behind us, the electoral heavy lifting has only just begun. Tea Party folks took to the streets and then to the polls to rightly protest our egregious out-of-control government in Washington. But that fervor needn’t end with Washington.
As American Majority has reported in activist training events across the country, nearly 50% of all government spending occurs at the state and local level. But whereas much of state spending comes under a degree of voter purview, local magistrates from school boards to city councils to county commissioners spend with near-impunity. And in the case of most school districts, when the occasion raises the ire of local voters, an act of God is necessary to change things…that is, until now.
In nearly every state, school board and city council seats will be up for election in the coming months (stay tuned for a chart on those dates). And with 2012 still a marathon away, it behooves us as Tea Partiers to take notice and apply that fervor in our back yards. So much so that headlines ought to read in the near future “Tea Party Turns Local”.
Here’s food for thought. In Oklahoma, there are 527 superintendents drawing exorbitant salaries, oftentimes in the six-figures. And then there are assistant supers, directors, principals, assistant principals, counselors, secretaries…oh, and then teachers. Yet the progressive education establishment is crying for hundreds of millions more in taxpayers dollars, naturally “for the children.”
It’s gotten so bad, even the mainstream media is crying foul. Question is, how are the bureaucrats blowing money in your state?
Great piece by Michelle Malkin on the Left’s whitewashing of obvious voter fraud — already rampant across the country a full week before the election — a list of offenses that make Iranian elections look legit.
All the more reason to download AM’s new Voter Fraud App and catch ‘em in the act…
Human Events’ Eddie Scarry profiles one of American Majority’s trainees in a closely-watched Oklahoma race to the finish.
No surprise here, folks. The Left is already using, shall we say ‘unorthodox’, means of getting out the vote.
Here we are, folks…just under three weeks from what promises to be one of our nation’s most historic elections. But some races may be historic for reasons other than the narrative being portrayed across the land. Be prepared for the possibility that predictions of a landslide are way off-base.
One of the most dangerous threats to a campaign is over-confidence, particularly poll-driven confidence. And this might explain why some media outlets–contrary to past performance–readily fan the flame of Republican revolution. If folks at home expect such a turn of events are a given, they’ll likely stay home and watch it unfold rather than participate.
Here’s a great “for instance.” Years ago, a good friend of mine–an incumbent, mind you–was riding high in the polls. He was the town favorite, had no baggage, and in fact was quite the local hero. And that was his problem. Voters “knew” he would be re-elected with no problem. And his campaign did nothing to quash those sentiments. Come election day, my friend lost by the most narrow of margins. As the days and weeks unfolded afterward, he talked to friend after friend, supporter after supporter who had not quite mustered the energy to turn out and vote. After all, why did they need to? My friend had virtually already won the election.
Therein lies the lesson: always–ALWAYS–assume you are the underdog in any race. So polls show you 20 points up and flush with cash? Don’t let anyone know it. The voters (heck, even the campaign staff) need to know one thing: “this race is going to be tight.” They need to have a reason to buy into the election with their vote. They must know that their voice does indeed matter.
So here’s the rule in the final week of an election. If the voters believe you’ll win big, you won’t. If they believe it’s going to go down to the wire, you’re more likely to win big. Get out the vote! Put your volunteers in a room, buy them pizza and soda, and get them smiling and dialing all election-day long. Call the 4×4 voters first…they always show up. If you have the troops to manage it, drive folks to the polls. Organize precinct calling trees; send reminder postcards. Do whatever it takes to get folks to exercise their civil right of suffrage.
Earn your victory, but never expect it.
Our esteemed colleagues at the Oklahoma Council for Public Affairs (think Heritage Foundation in Oklahoma), have pointed out what few on the left are willing to admit. As with most things, education performs best in an environment where school choice is promoted (i.e. where the market and competition rule). This doesn’t come as a surprise to any of us, but it’s well worth repeating.
