Republicans try to elect a more conservative delegate slate
Conservative Republicans tried and failed to elect their own slate of 23 delegates to the national convention during a crowded state convention.
A group led by self-described grassroots Republicans objected to the group of delegates put forth by the GOP hierarchy. The group objected to Howard Barnett (who supports Planned Parenthood), Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett (who was not a delegate to a county or district convention), Steve Curry (the subject of an ethics probe), several donors to the Rudy Giuliani campaign, some paid party staffers, John Tidwell (a paid federal employee who works for Rep. John Sullivan) and several candidates who failed to show up for interviews by the executive committee.
The Liberty Values Coalition offered their own slate of 23 nominees plus 23 alternates. Many names were on both lists.
“Oklahoma needs strong, conservative representation at the Republican National Convention,” coalition chairman Charlie Meadows said. “The national delegate/alternate slate has been compiled from eligible candidates who have certified to cast their votes for Sen. John McCain at the Republican National Convention. Each of these candidates will represent our shared conservative values. They are all certified pro-life, pro-family and limited government Republicans.”
The conservative effort failed by a 2-to-1 margin.
The convention elected James Dunn, the 2006 nominee for Attorney General, and retired Woodward veterinarian Carolyn McLarty as national committee chairman and chairwoman to the Republican National Committee.
Former Oklahoma Gov. Frank Keating was the first speaker at the convention, which was held in Tulsa for the first time in more than 20 years.
“This is a seminal election,” Keating said about the presidential race between Democrats Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama and Sen. John McCain, the presumptive GOP candidate. “We have a major contrast between the Left - Clinton and Obama - and on the Right, John McCain.”
Keating said the country knows nothing about Obama, who he thinks will win the nomination.
“This is a man with an absence of moral outrage,” Keating said in reference to the controversy concerning the racial and anti-American comments of the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, Obama’s pastor. Keating said Clinton is “a committed liberal across the board.”
Sen. Jim Inhofe told the convention that Oklahoma has the most conservative congressional delegation in the country. “Times are good in Oklahoma but no so good in Washington, D.C.,” Inhofe said. Inhofe said lower taxes, a stronger national defense, the sanctity of life, 2nd Amendment rights and energy/environment are winning issues for the GOP.
Oklahoma Republican Party Chairman Gary Jones said he expected success in legislative races this year.
“We are on the verge of taking over the Oklahoma Senate,” Jones said.
The Senate now has 24 Republicans and 24 Democrats and is ruled on a split basis. If the Republicans take control in the November election, it will be for the first time since statehood.
The House is controlled by the Republicans and Jones said he didn’t see that changing.