The Republican establishment in Oklahoma is wealthy, powerful, and effective. The Democratic establishment is not as wealthy, is limited in power, and relatively ineffective (if the goal is electing principled Democrats in general elections). There is a relative glut of political consultants fouling the Oklahoma Democratic world. Woe is to the Democratic candidate who doesnt have a consultant or two on the payroll. They are capable mainly of nominating/electing Democrats in heavily Democratic areas with weak or non existent Republican/Independent competition. They have perfected the art of sliming other Democratic candidates to earn their keep and rake in the money by nominating establishmentarian candidates, in what should be competitive areas, who for the most part are dead in the water once they reach the general election. There is a companion cohort of Democratic establishment activists who are more interested in having a title in the party, instead of actually electing Democrats to public office. Anyone not a part of the Democratic Party inner circle becomes the enemy/outsider who must be defeated at all costs (with more energy than the energy expended to defeat Republicans in the general election). These outsiders are seen as a threat to those who want to be big fish in a small and shrinking pond. Cherished Democratic Party principles (womens health, reasonable restrictions on gun ownership, protection of immigrants, fighting for public education) are all too often thrown overboard to facilitate support for the insider candidates who are the inevitable products of the current self defeating system. We are told that we have to support the anointed ones, because they are our candidates. Until the Democratic Party stands firm for its own principles in nominating and supporting candidates once nominated, and quits devouring its own to protect relatively unimportant party fiefdoms and political consultants fees, it is unlikely that the party will once again become a significant player in Oklahoma politics and government.
Posted on: Thu, 11 Sep 2014 19:29:56 +0000
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