There was much activity this past weekend along this, the most conservative stretch of the Mother Road. Between the OU Red and White game in Norman on Saturday, the Integris Foundation dinner at the Cowboy Hall of Fame and the Carl Albert Awards Dinner at the Cox Convention Center both of Friday evening and the Oklahoma Democratic Party Convention on Saturday, it was a tall order to follow all activities in real time. Given that I had a personal stake in all of them, I had to give each honorable mention. As indicated by my preceding blog post, I did attend the Carl Albert Awards Dinner. I also attended the Oklahoma Democratic Party Convention. Let it never be said my priorities are poorly aligned. I attended those functions in which I have a more deeply invested stake.
As was mentioned in the previous post, Yours Truly served on the Veterans Committee Color Guard. Unlike Friday evening, we got through presenting the colors on Saturday morning with no equipment failure.
Serving as a delegate from Tulsa County, I along with everyone else put up with all manner of milling around, listening intently to the statements of those presenting grievances to the floor of the assembly and all other manner of dragging out the process of electing our delegates to Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia.
We were late in adjourning for lunch but afterward all delegates separated into their respective congressional district caucus rooms to elect our allotment of pledged delegates. I was of course designated Sanders supporter and voted for the Sanders pledged delegates of the First CD.
It was my esteemed pleasure to cast votes for candidates with whom I had worked in the Tulsa for Bernie Sanders group. Specifically, Tiffany Phillips, Suzanne Bloomfield, Tom Ackley, Alera Henson and Sherri Forrester were elected as Sanders delegates along with Marq Lewis, Bruce Niemi, Tiffany Graves and Dennis Hall. The Tulsa County Chair, Jo Glenn and Vice-Chair, Greg Bledsoe were both elected as Clinton delegates. Although at times the process seemed to drag out, respect permeated the proceedings. As it turned out, the delay in resuming the state assembly for election of Party Leader Elected Official (PLEO) and At Large delegates and alternates was due to the Fifth Congressional District’s extended time in electing their delegates. Although a few convention delegates had to leave as the day dragged on, we dedicated Democrats stayed with it to the bitter end, using proxy votes but getting it all done in accordance with the party bylaws. By 8:45 PM the Convention was adjourned and we were all able to get on our way home in the dark. Oklahoma will be sending a total of 42 delegates to Philadelphia.
Regardless of how much grief was expressed by disgruntled Democrats this past weekend and all times previous, I am forever grateful to not have to endure the headache that will be the current Republican party’s convention. At the end of the day what happens in terms of Presidential politics matters little to us here in Oklahoma along this most conservative stretch of Old Route 66. We here have much more pressing concerns with doing something about our failing state government. I have been declining all donation solicitations from all national organizations in favor of local state house and senate candidates. It is true what they say about all politics being local. For us to see any real change that effects the life of the average Oklahoman we will have to start the process at the precinct level. As a precinct officer I am dedicated to making that happen in 2016. Stay tuned for one hell of a far out ride!