2012 vs 2015: Two Clashing Visions of the OKGOP

Liberty Republican, Sen. Rand Paul, with former OKGOP chairman, Matt Pinnell

Matt Pinnell's 2012 OKGOP has morphed into a smaller and more divisive 2015 party mess.

  Former OKGOP Chairman, Matt Pinnell, made some prophetic remarks in the days after the 2012 OKGOP State Convention.
  Pinnell told Andrew Griffin, of the Red Dirt Report, a few of his perceptions of the OKGOP.  The 2012 convention was perhaps the most openly hostile events in the party's recent history. Despite that presidential year mess, the OKGOP was much healthier for it's strong and vocal diversity.
 Here's how the Red Dirt Report relayed that message;

At the same time, Pinnell emphasized the importance of the Ron Paul campaign to the overall Republican message of smaller government and increased freedom.

“I think a lot of the anger on Saturday was that a lot of Dr. Paul’s supporters don’t want to be discounted,” Pinnell said. “I know Dr. Paul’s message is a force. It’s not going to go away, nor should it. I want to do what I can to fold them into the Republican Party.”

Today's Oklahoma GOP

  When we compare Matt Pinnell's vision for growth through fusion with the style and vision of folks like the current Tulsa County GOP Chairman, Michael Ford; we see an ominous outlook for destruction, intolerance, and a new form of McCarthyism.
  Ford is a former staffer of former state chairman, David Weston; who was rejected in his reelection bid at the 2015 OKGOP convention. He never made it into the runoff and he barely got more than 30% of the support from Tulsa County Delegates(60 votes out of nearly 200). He got less than 25% statewide.

New Tulsa GOP chairman, Michael  Ford - social media profile photo

Ford Blames Liberty Republicans for Electing Leftist Democrats

The party suffered a special election defeat his month. In a legislative race, a Chamber of Commerce funded candidate sought to replace a deceased lawmaker. But the late Rep. David Dank served with a much different platform than the current GOP nominee.  Ford doesn't see that as a reason for the defeat. Instead, he points to his political enemy, former chairman Randy Brogdon.

 “The Party, led by our former chairman and his posse of libertarians during this entire election cycle, did punish Conservatives. Now we have a liberal democrat in office to show for it. (Thank) God we have reached the end of that error.

  Ford offered no evidence of what he claims was 'punishment' of conservatives. But by Ford's mindset, it's Brogdon's fault, none the less. Ford sees this as an opportunity to deal out his own punishment.

Ford promises Punishment of Libertarians in the GOP

  Responding to a social media thread where a person named 'Hacksaw' advised that perhaps punishing political rivals is a solution; Ford responded;

 "I also agree that we should definitely punish harder by making sure we don’t ever allow the same mistake on October 11th, or at future conventions. We need to elect REAL REPUBLICANS as Party officers, not libertarians.”

Limiting Access, To Control Participation

Broken Arrow activist and precinct chairman, Larry Williamson reports that his precinct's annual picnic is being planned this month. When he tried to reach out and include a neighboring precinct to join them at the neighborhood park for the event, He checked the county GOP website where that contact info has been listed for new voters to get 'plugged in' with the precinct leadership. Under Chairman Ford's administration that info is no longer posted publicly.
  So Williamson called the county GOP headquarters to get a name & phone number of his neighboring precinct's leadership. The headquarters volunteer answering the call said that he could not release that information. Incredulous, Williamson asked how he or anyone can find out who their precinct leadership is? Williamson says he was told;

"Chairman Ford instructed us not to give out the info. You will need to get in touch with the chairman personally and he will decide what information to give out to whom."

David Van Risseghem

  So, with a huge presidential year process already under way, Chairman Ford appears to be consolidating unprecedented powers to decide who gets included, what organizations get his assistance, and how timely that assistance will be granted. Be prepared to be asked a lot of questions about your motivations before you talk to Chairman Ford. He is stepping up his goal of political punishment.
  Some precinct leaders have given up on Ford to keep his campaign promise of holding County Committee meetings every 3 months. Several have said this was a campaign lie that Ford evidently never intended to keep.
  The County Committee is the supreme authority of the county GOP, and directs the chairman on the direction of the county party. Chairman Ford also has an advisory committee of mostly selected appointees.   He has recently decided to move those meeting to a private location can he refuses to notify the county committee members of those meetings, which is in violation of the OKGOP rules.
  Success comes in growing the party. But that runs contrary to selfish instincts to control the party leadership positions. A party doesn't grow by making young voters jump through added hoops just to contact their precinct leadership. Growth comes by inclusion, not political cleansing.