Could not agree with you more. Dahm was a great disappointment. He is not the person I thought he was. I had the opportunity to witness this in private meetings that changed my opinion of him. Not for the good either.
And David, this is why we like you - the teller of truth. None of us is perfect, and we know that, but in my work with the "ground team," they all asked months after ND took office, "What has happened to our admired Nathan Dahm?" They were all in shock that someone they thought held so closely to the grassroots now seemed just as anxious to veer away. The "establishment" ticket to fill these positions seems incredibly weak compared to the grassroots candidates, as if the establishment says, "Take it, including the huge debt, the problems with the state HQ physical facility, the financial mess, and the horrid state of volunteerism in the state. We don't care, and you can't do anything about it! Na. Na. Na!" The grassroots will take that challenge and build a strong volunteer community that will last for at least a generation or so.
I'm looking forward to this challenge.
Thank you for your honest words and support of Charity and Wayne.
I love seeing grassroots people say they like you. It hasn’t been long since you wrote an essay about the 2021 convention and Ronda commented in front of the County Convention, “Consider the source.” I got the impression the crowd agreed. I didn’t because I was at that convention and you described what I saw.
You are finally getting the respect you deserve. No, you deserve more. You have been a warrior willing to go onto the battlefield alone with little or no support.
I appreciate you. I hope the rest of grassroots realizes what a pioneer you have been.
Thank you Sharon. I have treasured the Republican brand for a long time and yet it often seems that it is being run by people that can’t operate a tricycle. Let’s change that this year.
I admire your ability to stick with it. I felt that my participation to me felt akin to swimming in a sewage ditch. Some parts were worse than others, but when we worked hard to drain the ditch and flush out the RINO;s, nobody seemed to think that their representative or senator was a problem. I tried to enlighten them with a copy of the 2023 and 2024 conservative voting records, but the attitude was that some were worse than others. Why do our Republicans need to negotiate with the other side of the aisle when we own 80% of both houses? Democrats will never vote for any GOP member, yet the Republican is happy to compromise with Democrats almost as much as they vote for conservative ideas. When I called out our Representative Dell Kerbs for being a turncoat, others asked me to tone it down so that they may reason with him and make him more conservative.
I hope things change, but I got tired of banging my head against the same wall and getting nowhere as the RINO's were defended because, "at least they weren't Democrats. " I see very little difference between the two when Republicans shun their party so that they may "reason" with Democrats. Funny how their bank accounts seem to do better as a result. Thank-you for having the stomach to keep up the pressure, Chandra!
Well written David. You speak the truth here. I spent most of my time here in response to Chandra Ford below.
The unfortunate truth about the OKGOP is that those who are serving in state and federal GOP offices won't even support them. See how many of them show up for the convention as proof. See how many actually filled out and signed the OKGOP Party Survey and signed it which they are supposed to do before receiving party endorsement to run for a position. Only 2 have done so when I last talked to Matt Vermillion, out of how many elected officials and how many candidates?
Spare me the "reddest state in the union" moniker. It's not conservative red if you look at the Oklahoma Constitution Newspaper voting results by those, "solid conservatives" we supposedly elected. Give me a break.
Not sure I agree with your choice for the coming two years but definitely agree on the disappointment with Nathan Dahm. I’ve worked in the OK Co group for a few years and the leadership was just as bad. Wayne, however, has been a divider not a uniter, so he’s not my choice. Whomever we choose has yo be better than what we’ve had. We shall see what happens on Saturday!
I had many conversations' with Wayne Hill regarding the rift between him and "Dear Leader Dahm".
Wayne worked along with a State Senator to heal the divide when Dahm wouldn't give him the time of day, the same way he treated everyone else except for his devotees. The Senator eventually gave up and said that he could no longer defend Dahm and they were good friends in the Senate. Mr. Hill told me that if it would heal the party, he would step down for the good of the party. Since it was Dahm who was the problem who did not want to follow the rules, there was no reason for those of us who he told to follow the rules as he himself made excuses, should oust the VP. I was a party chairman, but grew so disgusted with the RINO's in this party that I gave it up for my own sanity. I hope that leaders will be elected and that the party can be saved. Frankly, I seriously doubt that it matters, as the elected GOP politicians in OKC and D.C. frankly do not care what the OKGOP says until election time. If you don't believe me, ask Matt Vermillion how many politicians filled out the OKGOP Candidate survey, which is mandatory BEFORE we are to endorse any candidate in our party.
Shane Jett is half the total who agreed with the survey. The OKGOP is not respected by the majority of people in the GOP, especially our elected Republican leaders.
Agreed on much of that, so how do we change that?!? Stepping out and letting it fail doesn’t seem to be the best option either. That’s why I keep trying but my experience thus far has been bad. I’m excited about Kayla Blount as OK County Chair and I’m hoping she can help turn things around. And I’m attending today hoping we get some great leaders for the state. I’ll go and meet Wayne before the vote, I owe him that at least. I have hated the division but I’ve hated the leadership in place even more.
Could not agree with you more. Dahm was a great disappointment. He is not the person I thought he was. I had the opportunity to witness this in private meetings that changed my opinion of him. Not for the good either.
And David, this is why we like you - the teller of truth. None of us is perfect, and we know that, but in my work with the "ground team," they all asked months after ND took office, "What has happened to our admired Nathan Dahm?" They were all in shock that someone they thought held so closely to the grassroots now seemed just as anxious to veer away. The "establishment" ticket to fill these positions seems incredibly weak compared to the grassroots candidates, as if the establishment says, "Take it, including the huge debt, the problems with the state HQ physical facility, the financial mess, and the horrid state of volunteerism in the state. We don't care, and you can't do anything about it! Na. Na. Na!" The grassroots will take that challenge and build a strong volunteer community that will last for at least a generation or so.
I'm looking forward to this challenge.
Thank you for your honest words and support of Charity and Wayne.
I love seeing grassroots people say they like you. It hasn’t been long since you wrote an essay about the 2021 convention and Ronda commented in front of the County Convention, “Consider the source.” I got the impression the crowd agreed. I didn’t because I was at that convention and you described what I saw.
You are finally getting the respect you deserve. No, you deserve more. You have been a warrior willing to go onto the battlefield alone with little or no support.
I appreciate you. I hope the rest of grassroots realizes what a pioneer you have been.
Thank you Sharon. I have treasured the Republican brand for a long time and yet it often seems that it is being run by people that can’t operate a tricycle. Let’s change that this year.
I admire your ability to stick with it. I felt that my participation to me felt akin to swimming in a sewage ditch. Some parts were worse than others, but when we worked hard to drain the ditch and flush out the RINO;s, nobody seemed to think that their representative or senator was a problem. I tried to enlighten them with a copy of the 2023 and 2024 conservative voting records, but the attitude was that some were worse than others. Why do our Republicans need to negotiate with the other side of the aisle when we own 80% of both houses? Democrats will never vote for any GOP member, yet the Republican is happy to compromise with Democrats almost as much as they vote for conservative ideas. When I called out our Representative Dell Kerbs for being a turncoat, others asked me to tone it down so that they may reason with him and make him more conservative.
I hope things change, but I got tired of banging my head against the same wall and getting nowhere as the RINO's were defended because, "at least they weren't Democrats. " I see very little difference between the two when Republicans shun their party so that they may "reason" with Democrats. Funny how their bank accounts seem to do better as a result. Thank-you for having the stomach to keep up the pressure, Chandra!
Well written David. You speak the truth here. I spent most of my time here in response to Chandra Ford below.
The unfortunate truth about the OKGOP is that those who are serving in state and federal GOP offices won't even support them. See how many of them show up for the convention as proof. See how many actually filled out and signed the OKGOP Party Survey and signed it which they are supposed to do before receiving party endorsement to run for a position. Only 2 have done so when I last talked to Matt Vermillion, out of how many elected officials and how many candidates?
Spare me the "reddest state in the union" moniker. It's not conservative red if you look at the Oklahoma Constitution Newspaper voting results by those, "solid conservatives" we supposedly elected. Give me a break.
Not sure I agree with your choice for the coming two years but definitely agree on the disappointment with Nathan Dahm. I’ve worked in the OK Co group for a few years and the leadership was just as bad. Wayne, however, has been a divider not a uniter, so he’s not my choice. Whomever we choose has yo be better than what we’ve had. We shall see what happens on Saturday!
Chandra, in this case I believe Wayne has been demonized by his critics much like Trump has. I will stand for Wayne in this election.
Further, afterwards if you or anyone feels he is out of line, contact me and I will engage to resolve any issues.
We are not family but we go to church together, have broken bread together, and disagreed but respected the other’s opinions.
Wayne has a law enforcement attitude on right and wrong and that perspective should be welcomed in our party business in my opinion.
I had many conversations' with Wayne Hill regarding the rift between him and "Dear Leader Dahm".
Wayne worked along with a State Senator to heal the divide when Dahm wouldn't give him the time of day, the same way he treated everyone else except for his devotees. The Senator eventually gave up and said that he could no longer defend Dahm and they were good friends in the Senate. Mr. Hill told me that if it would heal the party, he would step down for the good of the party. Since it was Dahm who was the problem who did not want to follow the rules, there was no reason for those of us who he told to follow the rules as he himself made excuses, should oust the VP. I was a party chairman, but grew so disgusted with the RINO's in this party that I gave it up for my own sanity. I hope that leaders will be elected and that the party can be saved. Frankly, I seriously doubt that it matters, as the elected GOP politicians in OKC and D.C. frankly do not care what the OKGOP says until election time. If you don't believe me, ask Matt Vermillion how many politicians filled out the OKGOP Candidate survey, which is mandatory BEFORE we are to endorse any candidate in our party.
Shane Jett is half the total who agreed with the survey. The OKGOP is not respected by the majority of people in the GOP, especially our elected Republican leaders.
Agreed on much of that, so how do we change that?!? Stepping out and letting it fail doesn’t seem to be the best option either. That’s why I keep trying but my experience thus far has been bad. I’m excited about Kayla Blount as OK County Chair and I’m hoping she can help turn things around. And I’m attending today hoping we get some great leaders for the state. I’ll go and meet Wayne before the vote, I owe him that at least. I have hated the division but I’ve hated the leadership in place even more.
Not “hate the leadership” as in the people, just their lack of leadership skills or effort.