State Rep. Forrest Bennett, left, and UCO Political Science Professor John Wood, right, join Observer Editor Arnold Hamilton to discuss big money’s impact on state policymaking and potential ethics reforms at July 8’s Oklahoma Observer Newsmakers at Full Circle Books in OKC.
BY DAVID PERRYMAN “Ladies and gentlemen: the story you are about to read is true. Only the names have been changed to protect the innocent.” For the better part of 30 years, Jack Webb as Detective Joe Friday in Dragnet brought realistic law enforcement first to radio and later to television with each and every…
BY DAVID PERRYMAN The ancient idea that “The Enemy of My Enemy is My Friend” is widely considered to be an old Arab proverb. But in truth, it can actually be traced to the military strategy writings of an Indian named Kautilya who is often referred to as the “Indian Machiavelli.” Kautilya’s 4th century BC treatise…
BY DAVID PERRYMAN Most Americans, including me, don’t know how social media algorithms work or how posts from across the political spectrum show up on Facebook or Twitter or Instagram. Like most red-blooded grandparents, what I really want to see is the latest photograph of any or all of my 11 grandchildren. Nonetheless, last week…
BY DAVID PERRYMAN For decades, the football officials of the old Southwest Conference were considered the most biased in the game. The fact was it was nearly impossible for a gridiron team to escape stadiums in Houston, Dallas, Waco, Lubbock, Austin, Fort Worth or Fayetteville with a victory. But what has been referred to as…
