Three Republican pogos in the far right corner. A fighter pilot, lawyer, job creator, big time banker and successful farmer/rancher in the other.
Chip Keating, Mike Mazzei and Charles McCall – KMM going forward – all lambasted the horrible status of Oklahoma to the point one would think Democrats had been running things into the ground over the last 20 years.
Nope, it’s been Mary Fallin and Kevin Stitt for the last 16, aided and abetted by a supermajority Republican Legislature.
Repeatedly, Attorney General Gentner Drummond, had to reveal he is imbued with common sense and courage while the other three, KMM, displayed they had little to none.
For me the best example related to the question surrounding public television and our remarkable OETA statewide system. Mazzei, then McCall followed by Keating all played pander bear, offering little support for the best public television operation in the nation.
It fell to Gentner to explain to the Neanderthal numb nuts on the stage with him why, if for no other reason, OETA must be saved due to its critical role in public safety.
Just offstage Big Bird was seen crying, knowing KMM had all grown up listening to Fox and Friends.
Time after time, the two moderators asked pertinent and important questions about public policy, only to be met with canned and stale blubbering from all except Drummond.
KMM all made sure viewers knew they are hot to repeal 80% of Oklahoma’s taxes while at the same time will deliver gold-plated education, free and abundant health care and, of course, public safety second to none in the nation. Once again, lawyer Drummond had real answers for real problems while others sounded like they had just returned from a 10-year mission to Mars.
Of course, all this debate and the issue of who won, who lost and everything else in between, may have been rendered moot the following day when the coveted endorsement from President Donald Trump was bestowed on my former colleague in the senate, Mike Mazzei.
He joins T.W. Shannon for lieutenant governor, Kevin Hern for United States Senate and Jackson Lahmeyer for the 2ndCongressional District seat as recipients of the Thumps Up signal from the leader of the Free World who, by the way, has an approval rating himself from his fellow Americans of 38%.
Nutty is as nutty does and except for a handful of Oklahoma Republicans who have not yet lost their minds, the Trump Touch may likely muscle Mazzei into at least the August runoff for his party’s nomination. General Gentner likely will join him there where all Mazzei may have to say is “You know who is for me” in order to win the opportunity to face current House Democratic Leader Cyndi Munson.
In closing kudos to Tres Savage, founder and chairman of Nondoc, as well as reporter Jennah James of Lawton’s KSWO Channel 7 for superbly moderating the evening’s event.
May there be many more, and soon!
