Oklahoma’s own Will Rogers once pointed out as only a political pundit of his stature could: “Conditions win elections and not speeches.” As anyone with a thorough knowledge and understanding of the history of American politics will tell you, there has always been an element of contentious polarization from the beginning of the Republic to…
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Ending the safeguarded impunity of one industry
Some regular readers may recall more than a couple of instances when I have rhetorically alluded to “stacking up the bodies” in reference to government deregulating industry with reckless abandon. Even as you read this the stack of bodies from American mass shootings continues to grow. To remain positive while writing this I really have…
Continue ReadingThe heartbreak of failed leadership
Having served in the Navy as long as I did, I learned a few things about leadership. I remember receiving an intense hands-on tutorial on the subject in my early enlisted days. I have the direct authority of front line superiors to thank for those valuable lessons. Some of those mid grade and senior NCOs…
Continue ReadingThe horror of normalizing chaos government
We are nearly four and a half months away from being a mere three years removed from the emergence of the ultimate political chaos candidate announcing his intent to seek the nation’s highest office. As a political novice who had previously never been elected to anything, he managed to turn convention on its head by…
Continue ReadingCapturing progressive inertia
Is it ever too early to begin thinking about and planning for what may lie ahead? The future is upon us and the time to plan for it is the here and now. I have always been pretty hit-or-miss when endeavoring at matters involving what might happen on the timeline forward of the present. I…
Continue ReadingRedefining Republicanism
Oklahoma’s own Will Rogers made ample use of the Law of Holes adage “If you find yourself in a hole, stop digging!” There isn’t really a dearth of such common sense under that big dome on Capitol Hill. It has simply taken a back seat to political expedience or, more accurately, political survival. Republicans at…
Continue ReadingAssembling purveyors of better ideas
Organizing persons unified by common ideas can be a very tall order. Regular readers may recall my account from a few months ago of the 2017 Oklahoma Democratic Party Convention in . I’m fairly certain I could get a consensus that anyone willing to put up with such a tedious and often contentious process of…
Continue ReadingThe Oklahoma Democratic Reclamation Project
Not all that long ago the Oklahoma Democratic Party held a majority statewide in voter registration. The latest high water mark for the Party in the Sooner State was achieved in 2006 when the voters elected or reelected Democrats to eight of nine state offices including Governor. The Democrats then also held a slim majority…
Continue ReadingReeling under the scourge of insurance profiteering
A few years ago during a heated online exchange on a political discussion board, a rightwing Tea Party activist exuding a maximum degree of bravado made it clear to me that I along with everyone else of my ilk and even his was NOT, repeat NOT entitled to an income! I replied to the guy…
Continue ReadingAn evening with Roy Zimmerman
I became familiar with the work of Roy Zimmerman when it began showing up in my social media news feed earlier this year. I have no idea how I missed hearing any of his work before this unsought discovery. After watching a few of his YouTube clips I did a little research on the work…
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