Primary post-mortem: Some initial thoughts
A few thoughts before turning in:
Thanks to news director Dan Potter and the KRMG news team for the chance to contribute to tonight's coverage of the primary election. It was a pleasure, and I look forward to the next opportunity.
Many thanks to Chris and Cheryl Medlock for their willingness to go through another election. It is not an easy process, especially to run as an underdog. I know that Chris attempted to find another viable conservative candidate to run for mayor, and he deserves credit for being willing to step forward when other candidates would not.
Congratulations to Rick Westcott and Bill Christiansen on winning their elections. I was especially pleased to see that outside money was unable to win the day in District 8.
Congratulations to Rocky Frisco for coming so close to a win over an incumbent on such a small budget. "Next time, definitely!" as the Soviet firing squad officer said to Mr. Pither.
Congratulations to Jim Mautino and Maria Barnes for their primary wins. The results in Districts 4 and 6 mean we'll have a rematch of the 2008 and 2006 elections respectively. (District 3, which did not hold any primary, will have its own rematch in November, as Roscoe Turner and David Patrick face off for the umpteenth time.)
Congrats to Liz Wright and Scott Grizzle for putting their names on the ballot. This was not their year, but they both have a heart for the city, and there will be other opportunities to serve.
Regarding District 5:
Nothing tonight was so discouraging as the thought that some of Tulsa's "civic leaders" would amass a huge amount of money to get rid of an intelligent, inquisitive, analytical councilor like Bill Martinson. It's as if they want us to have mediocre leadership. Maybe Kathy Taylor et al. are secretly working for Oklahoma City.
I said on air tonight that Chris Trail lived in the City of Sand Springs as recently as March 4, 2009. Trail said on air that that wasn't so.
I based my statement on the address he and his wife listed when they contributed $50 on March 4, 2009, to the Taylor for Tulsa campaign. That address is 7306 W. 35th St. That is the same address in precinct 801 at which Trail's wife Sarah was registered to vote as of June 1. That's a "Tulsa" address -- it uses the Tulsa street numbering system -- but it's nowhere near the city limits of Tulsa.
That address corresponds to Lot 2, Block 3 of Rolling Oaks Amended subdivision. Parcel number is 86705-9219-51495. According to the INCOG municipal boundary map and a map of Sand Springs corporate limits from the University of Oklahoma's Center for Spatial Analysis, the entire Rolling Oaks Amended subdivision appears to be within the corporate limits of the City of Sand Springs. There appears to be an unincorporated enclave just to the east, and it appears to correspond a group of unplatted 3/4-acre lots just east of Trail's old address. I will verify this when I next have access to the county land records database. (If I were looking up info on Oklahoma County, I could do that online right now.) I may also call the City of Sand Springs to verify when the subdivision was annexed. With a Tulsa address and zip code, living in the Berryhill school district, and with unincorporated land over the back fence, Trail just may not have been aware that he lived in the Sand Springs corporate limits.
UPDATE 2009/09/09: I have just confirmed with the Tulsa County Assessor's office that the parcel in question, 7306 W. 35th St., Chris Trail's address as recently as March 4, 2009, is in the City of Sand Springs, Berryhill School District.
Finally: Someone calling himself DCtransplant joined the TulsaNow public forum tonight and posted for the first and only time to call me "an embarrassment to the Republican Party." He hints that he's a professional Republican campaign operative who has worked recently in Washington, but I suspect he's some local, typing away in his mom's basement. Go read his rant and my response. Create an account and pipe up if the mood takes you.
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What are the requirements for an automatic recount?
District 5 should qualify in any case, and not require the contesting candidate to pay for the recount as is specified for most cases.
Seems I recall a 1% margin would trigger an automatic recount.
Now, if we can get the County Election Board to publish votes by precinct (as they should anyway).
Can you explain why there were over 16% more Republican votes in the Mayor's Republican Primary than Republican votes in the Auditor's Republican Primary?
22,190 vs 19,061 = 116.4%
Seems they should be closer to same, at least not 16% off. Wouldn't think there'd be that many undervotes.
That is a surprise, but sometimes people only vote the top of the ticket.
For me, the District 5 race was the most interesting. It's amazing how close some of these elections are.
Would it be possible for Tulsa to establish longer residency requirements for council candidates? Or is that limited by State law? It seems wrong for someone to move into a district for a few weeks and then become that district's representative.
Well, now what? One of the most serious problems with primary campaigns is making up afterwards. This mayor's race was pretty brutal for Republicans. With the animosity aroused between all the candidates, how do they get together to face Adelson? Michael, you may have the biggest hurdle. I assume you would not support Adelson, but after all this, how can you offer anything but tepid support for Bartlett?
I've made comments, here & elsewhere, which may have been less than respectful. I apologize, and promise to keep my mouth (& hands) shut rather than give in to that temptation. Kindness & compassion, kindness & compassion. Mother Tersa & the Dalai Lama. We have to find a way to debate, not fight. But, now what?
Dewey, Jr. is going to have the same kind of problem with the Conservative base of the GOP that former Mayor Bill LaFortune had in 2006.
The core question for the conservative Tulsa GOP:
Is a RINO Dewey any better than a liberal Democrat Adelson, as Mayor of Tulsa?
The answer may be:
PROBABLY.
In that Dewey, Jr. can ostensibly promote to various Boards, authorities, and commissions fellow REPUBLICANS.
But, since he is so loved by Mayor Kathy Taylor (Street Study, Tulsans for Better Government (Three AT-LARGE City Councilors ploy, and TAIT Board member), he'll probably just re-appoint Cameron and Reynolds to everything.
And Norma Eagleton.....
Bates, an embarrassment of the Repugnant Party? What goes 'round, comes 'round.
A vote for Falling equalled a vote for Adelson.
Wish I'd said that before the primary.
Bartlett won't (already demonstrated he can't) beat Adelson. Without Falling, probably enough interest would have grown that the other lame candidates would have had their votes go elsewhere, I think mostly to Medloc. Anna prevented race, prevented debate. Brought something along the line of nutty fringe publicity to the heart motivated charity efforts of Cornerstone.
Why would I vote for Bartlett who differs but little from Adelson but flys false colors? Tho tempted to vote for Adelson in general election (to make a statement to local republican leaders), I'm pretty much persuaded to abstain from mayoral voting.
Gonna be same ol' same ol'.
Adelson's voting record and legislation he authored in the Senate, SB 510-The Oklahoma Fair Employment Act(before HB 1804 was even a twinkle in Randy Terrill's eye) make him a better candidate on the topic of illegal immigration, IMO.
Didn't Dewey Bartlett support the Chamber's lawsuit against HB 1804?
Regardless, when it comes to the topic of illegal immigration there is one candidate with real credentials for being on the right side of this issue, and it ain't Dewey Bartlett.
Couldn't quite believe 'A Team's' comment above, but looked it up. Sure enough SB510 targeted employers who hired illegal aliens, and was authored by TA.
Bartlett did support the Chamber's suite against Terrill's 1804, too.
REF: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4182/is_20050127/ai_n10164421/
There's no question in my mind about what Jr is, so maybe a complete change would be at least interesting.
Michael:
Regarding Martinsen's defeat, I was struck by your phrasing regarding our "civic leaders.....It's as if they want us to have mediocre leadership".
Well, yes, that is in fact the case.
The local ruling power oligarchy wants to control our city government through their pre-selected pimping little sock-puppet politicians, through whom they easily exert total political control well out of the spotlight.
They've successfully destroyed any number of dissenters and reform-oriented councilors. These councilors such as Anna Falling, Todd Houston, Chris Medlock, Jim Mautino, Roscoe Turner, and now Councilor Martinson) asked QUESTIONS.
No questions are supposed to be asked by the City Council that haven't already been scripted by the Tulsa World editorial board.
Anna Falling and Chris Medlock received the roughest treatment by the local power establishment, and their mass media outlook, the Lorton's World.
Reason: Falling and Medloc have leadership qualities that could have eventually propelled them from city council to the Mayor's Office.
And, the local ruling power Oligarchy really doesn't want questions being asked IN the Mayor's Office.
Questions asked OF the Mayor's office can being easily avoided, delayed, stalled, and then ignored and forgotten until the dissenting city councilor is subsequently targeted for political destruction.
Getting the picture, now?
Adelson also supported SCR 10- authored by Senator Randy Brogdon "urging the UnitedStates to withdraw from the Security andProsperity Partnership of North America and any other activity which seeks to create a North American Union." The resolution explicitly cites the NAFTA Superhighway as part of that subversive scheme.
Given Bartlett's love affair with toll roads, corporate welfare, eminent domain for private use, time on the OTA, efforts to undermine representative city government with At Large Councilors, and policies that seek to privatize public infrastructure, the NAFTA Superhighway and a North American Union seem tailor made to receive his stamp of approval.
Who do you trust to protect the sovereignty of our city, state, nation and our public infrastructure?