OKGOP Crossroads
No grace provided!
Continuing a series on Oklahoma Republican activity, please first know that delegates to the Oklahoma State Party Convention in Tulsa May 5th must preregister to attend as delegates. Same day registration, which was allowed for decades, will not be allowed. Some believe this is a violation of the Party Rules requiring inclusive meetings and because this operational change has only been approved by the State Executive Committee and not yet addressed by the full body of delegates in Convention.
Second, the most insightful summary of the Tulsa County GOP Convention made by a delegate was, “The delegates don’t know who is devoted to MAGA, who is establishment, who is pandering for power or who we should trust.”
Trust in politics comes over time from careful review of what people do, not what they say. It sounds easy, but impossible for those who are new. In a historical context, new participants in party politics typically believe they alone hold the torch of Liberty, and anyone involved before they arrived must be establishment sellouts.
This is especially true in this cycle of party deliberations as anonymous emails have gone out with insulting if not slanderous personal attacks. For some strange reason these email addresses reference tribal names, but it is suspected they are political hacks writing drunk or stupid and in many examples, like Jr. High Children.
Don’t believe any anonymous word. As my journalism professor said long ago, “If your mother tells you she loves you, get a second source.” Anyone who refuses to stand in full disclosure when pontificating is not credible, especially in campaigns for party political office.
Apparently, these bushwhackers also feel free to slander outside election contests. I have been named in some attacks and I am not running for any political office, but I am glad they read my work. It may be the only light of reason in their duplicitous, self-absorbed lives.
In contrast, passionate posts by William Westfall on Facebook and in email to leadership asks OKGOP Chairman A.J. Ferate, “Whose side are you on? Are you on the Qualified Republican Delegates side or Ronda Vuillemont-Smith's side?” This is about the choice for inclusion or exclusion during registration. Westfall has a dozen years of service on the credentials and other county and state GOP committees. It is a credible question.
Westfall continues, “About a year or so ago, there was a shift in Ronda's actions towards the Republicans in Tulsa County. She wanted to ‘Control’ the Republicans and the elections in Tulsa County. It was as if a ‘Controlling Spirit’ had gotten ahold of her, and she quit listening to ideas [from others]. This has infiltrated the Tulsa County Committee and the Tulsa County Executive Committee to the point where Ronda is attempting to control the Republicans of Tulsa County to do things ‘Her Way.’” Click here for Westfall’s Facebook for much more on topic.
In Tulsa County, of those delegates refused credentials who appealed, no appeal was granted. Not one. There was no grace given to any delegate. How much clearer could it be? Ronda rules.
Back to duplicitous, there is a growing consensus that the emails from “Chickasaw Warrior” and “Cherokee Maiden” are being written or directed by current OKGOP Chairman A.J. Ferate who is now running for a full term for the first time. Ferate holds office by a highly disputed proxy vote of the executive committee where more votes were cast than the total number of eligible voters.
Brian Hobbs made the case for Ferate as the author in a presentation to the Washington County GOP Monday April 24. Hobbs first objected to how two unidentified email trolls gathered everyone’s email from the Oklahoma GOP, then notes the content of the email is often vile. He details how he discovered a phone number associated with the email that appears to be that of the current Chairman Ferate. Click here for more on Brian Hobbs Facebook page.
Chairman Ferate has never returned one call of several from this writer during his term. Come to think about it, the previous Chairman John Bennett was only marginally communicative and refused a formal interview. Maybe both agree they would rather control the message than trust a writer to ask good questions. That may be the only thing on which they agree. Ferate brags about raising money. Bennett built party participation. Both functions are important for the OKGOP, but apparently require different skill sets. Previous Chairman David McLain didn’t have either skill so at least these last two show progress.
The best news for the Oklahoma GOP is the formation of statewide organizations that advance conservative issues. The Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs (OCPA) is the local equivalent of the Heritage Foundation. However, they have their own events, agenda and raise money from Republicans so, in a way, they are competition to the OKGOP but valuable to conservative office holders by providing research on specific policy questions.
One group working within the Republican Party formed recently called the OKGOP Action Team. They are a diverse group of conservatives active statewide to help counties be more effective building participation and electing conservative candidates. I am looking forward to getting to know them better and tracking results. They have endorsed Sean Roberts for State Chairman and Wayne Hill for Vice Chairman.
Given direct observations of the current OKGOP and Tulsa GOP leadership, this writer and delegate will vote to clean house at the State Convention. I have followed Sean Roberts’s career and believe he is a man of his word. A former office holder, he is an accessible and proven conservative. He is a leader, not a ruler, who could bring a blessing of peace within the OKGOP. We are under attack from Democrats and that’s a big enough battle.
The world is on fire and, reason suggests, it is critical we build consensus, not for personal political power, but to save our state and nation. In this effort, Wayne Hill will be an excellent Vice Chairman. Hill knows the party and loves the platform focused approach of true conservatives. Hill has pledged in multiple public meetings to use the platform as the standard to judge elected officials and to rate their performance. That is the only way to know, as this article questioned in the second point, how to tell who really believes what, where will they stand, and for what they will fight to accomplish for our people in the Great State of Oklahoma.
Many, including this writer, have advocated for a shorter summary of universal points as a platform. In 2015, I crafted a “Preamble & Principles” that was approved by the platform committee but not approved by the Convention. It survived in my print files after a hard drive crash and some parts I would change today, but I leave that to others still involved on GOP committees. For their consideration that document follows:
This analysis completes the series of Republican Party leadership turmoil, drama, disappointment, and hope. At the State GOP Convention May 5 – 6, the delegates will decide the future and this writer will give the new leadership time to accomplish what they promise. Many took notes at county convention and will at state. Liberty requires our attention and attendance to detail.
For background on many of the issues discussed, please see the Straight Up Archives beginning with the July 26, 2022 story displayed below.
Just received notice on Convention Fees:
If you find the $70 per Delegate Fee is too much for you in order to attend the State Convention in Tulsa, you can send an email and ask for a Hardship Scholarship to cover the cost of you attending the State Convention. Here are two emails you can send to. Both go to Ronda Vuillemont-Smith as she is the one appropriating the Scholarships to cover a Delegate's Fee for the Convention.
Email #1: okgop2023convention@gmail.com
Email #2: ronda@tulsagop.org