Why Wes Clark for Oklahoma?
He is not a professional politician.
He is independent-minded and moderate (ie electable).
Has experience running huge organizations (the US Army and NATO)
Hates war - especially unnecessary war -
But served his country in the military.
Has diplomatic experience.
Seems to care.
Good communicator - in three languages.
He's whip-smart (Rhodes scholar).
Bush can't accuse Clark of being soft on security.
No one else meets all these criteria.
Clark, unlike his rivals, has no long history of votes and campaign contributions from special interests for which the Republicans can assail him.
Why would the Democrats put someone else up against Bush when they have a candidate like Wesley Clark? Unless they are dead set on losing.
Saturday, January 31, 2004
Will Black and Decker Refund the Kwikset subsidies?
The Kwikset Lock Company that is closing down in Bristow, Oklahoma and moving to Mexico received considerable subsidies from the people of Oklahoma over the past several years. Kwikset took advantage of the state's Quality Jobs program which pays corporations up to 5% of their expanded payroll. The companies in this program receive quarterly checks from the state. Kwikset also took advantage of the state's Career Tech system. It is unknown just how much Kwikset received in subsidies but the question is whether their owner, Black and Decker, will repay the state now that they are eliminating 1,100 jobs and moving to Mexico.
The Kwikset Lock Company that is closing down in Bristow, Oklahoma and moving to Mexico received considerable subsidies from the people of Oklahoma over the past several years. Kwikset took advantage of the state's Quality Jobs program which pays corporations up to 5% of their expanded payroll. The companies in this program receive quarterly checks from the state. Kwikset also took advantage of the state's Career Tech system. It is unknown just how much Kwikset received in subsidies but the question is whether their owner, Black and Decker, will repay the state now that they are eliminating 1,100 jobs and moving to Mexico.
New Job Recruitment Strategy Overlooked by Media
The decision by Bill Lobeck to move the HQ (and 700 jobs) of his Vanguard Car Rental USA from Florida to Tulsa received headline news in the Tulsa area this past week - for good reason. But all the media missed the story behind the story. The Secretary of Commerce of Oklahoma slept with the CEO of Vanguard prior to getting the deal. Is this strategy a last ditch effort to turnaround the ailing Oklahoma economy?
Only the Tulsa World even mentioned that Vanguard CEO Lobeck is married to Secretary of Commerce Kathy Taylor. The two live in an enormous mansion in mid-town Tulsa and made their gazillions in the rental car industry. Newly-elected Governor Brad Henry appointed Taylor to his cabinet in 2003. Lobeck and Taylor are large contributors to Democratic political campaigns in Oklahoma. Taylor is thought to have national political ambitions in a future Democratic administration.
One might logically ask what would have been the outcome had Lobeck decided to consolidate in Florida rather than in Oklahoma? To have the Secretary of Commerce's family business move jobs OUT of Oklahoma would have garnered more notice than sleeping with an investor has.
The decision by Bill Lobeck to move the HQ (and 700 jobs) of his Vanguard Car Rental USA from Florida to Tulsa received headline news in the Tulsa area this past week - for good reason. But all the media missed the story behind the story. The Secretary of Commerce of Oklahoma slept with the CEO of Vanguard prior to getting the deal. Is this strategy a last ditch effort to turnaround the ailing Oklahoma economy?
Only the Tulsa World even mentioned that Vanguard CEO Lobeck is married to Secretary of Commerce Kathy Taylor. The two live in an enormous mansion in mid-town Tulsa and made their gazillions in the rental car industry. Newly-elected Governor Brad Henry appointed Taylor to his cabinet in 2003. Lobeck and Taylor are large contributors to Democratic political campaigns in Oklahoma. Taylor is thought to have national political ambitions in a future Democratic administration.
One might logically ask what would have been the outcome had Lobeck decided to consolidate in Florida rather than in Oklahoma? To have the Secretary of Commerce's family business move jobs OUT of Oklahoma would have garnered more notice than sleeping with an investor has.
Wednesday, January 28, 2004
US News and World Report on Oklahoma:
Parmley (chairman of Ok Dem Party) says Oklahoma, a politically conservative state with five military bases, 47,000 active-duty soldiers, 300,000 veterans, and plenty ofcentrist "blue dog" Democrats, is an ideal proving ground for anyone trying to defeat George W. Bush. "Whoever wins here will have the best chance for winning in November," claims Parmley.
Parmley is absolutely right about that. Wes Clark has the best chance to beat Bush - for this very reason.
Parmley (chairman of Ok Dem Party) says Oklahoma, a politically conservative state with five military bases, 47,000 active-duty soldiers, 300,000 veterans, and plenty ofcentrist "blue dog" Democrats, is an ideal proving ground for anyone trying to defeat George W. Bush. "Whoever wins here will have the best chance for winning in November," claims Parmley.
Parmley is absolutely right about that. Wes Clark has the best chance to beat Bush - for this very reason.
Ignoring Oklahoma
The presidential candidates aren't ignoring Oklahoma - several were in the state today - but the national media sure is. Since New Hampshire I've been watching to see if Oklahoma would be a topic but it seems like the media rushed to Missouri instead. Last weekend both the Tulsa World and the Oklahoman published polls showing Wes Clark in a big lead in Oklahoma. Now that's newsworthy - looks like Oklahoma will be the first or among the first states for Clark to win. But no, the media is too busy proclaiming Sen. Kerry as the frontrunner and all but telling us he'll be running against Bush.
I love it when the media gets it so wrong - as they did with Howard Dean and Iowa. The media - and the Democratic "leadership" had all but proclaimed the Democratic nomination over - it was going to be Dean. Gore, David Walters, Bill Bradley et al. told us to support Dean. Dean's not a bad candidate but I loved seeing the public shove the Iowa results right back in the faces of the media and the party leaders.
Well some newspapers are talking about Oklahoma. The Christian Science Monitor sez:
But the type of Democrat who can win over Democrats in South Carolina may be the type of Democrat who can pick up one, maybe even two Southern states.
They might also appeal to Oklahoma. The local filling station in Canadian, Okla., doesn't yet have automated credit-card machines. The pumps are the old kind - use, and go inside to pay. Senator Edwards has never been here - but he's visited the area. That sits well with the locals.
"I like John Edwards, a lot," says Mary Beth Jones, a short woman hunkering down in a blue windbreaker on a bitterly cold day. "He's been around these parts a lot, that means something. He talks about the economy. And he's cute."
This southeast region of Oklahoma, popularly known as Little Dixie, is Democrat-happy. People care about the economy, healthcare, education, and Iraq, especially since nearby McAlester has an ammunition depot the size of Washington D.C. that manufactures virtually all of the United States's nonnuclear bombs.
"He's cute."? So you're going to vote for someone because he's cute? With folks like Mary Beth representing Oklahoma maybe it would be best if the media did ignore us.
The presidential candidates aren't ignoring Oklahoma - several were in the state today - but the national media sure is. Since New Hampshire I've been watching to see if Oklahoma would be a topic but it seems like the media rushed to Missouri instead. Last weekend both the Tulsa World and the Oklahoman published polls showing Wes Clark in a big lead in Oklahoma. Now that's newsworthy - looks like Oklahoma will be the first or among the first states for Clark to win. But no, the media is too busy proclaiming Sen. Kerry as the frontrunner and all but telling us he'll be running against Bush.
I love it when the media gets it so wrong - as they did with Howard Dean and Iowa. The media - and the Democratic "leadership" had all but proclaimed the Democratic nomination over - it was going to be Dean. Gore, David Walters, Bill Bradley et al. told us to support Dean. Dean's not a bad candidate but I loved seeing the public shove the Iowa results right back in the faces of the media and the party leaders.
Well some newspapers are talking about Oklahoma. The Christian Science Monitor sez:
But the type of Democrat who can win over Democrats in South Carolina may be the type of Democrat who can pick up one, maybe even two Southern states.
They might also appeal to Oklahoma. The local filling station in Canadian, Okla., doesn't yet have automated credit-card machines. The pumps are the old kind - use, and go inside to pay. Senator Edwards has never been here - but he's visited the area. That sits well with the locals.
"I like John Edwards, a lot," says Mary Beth Jones, a short woman hunkering down in a blue windbreaker on a bitterly cold day. "He's been around these parts a lot, that means something. He talks about the economy. And he's cute."
This southeast region of Oklahoma, popularly known as Little Dixie, is Democrat-happy. People care about the economy, healthcare, education, and Iraq, especially since nearby McAlester has an ammunition depot the size of Washington D.C. that manufactures virtually all of the United States's nonnuclear bombs.
"He's cute."? So you're going to vote for someone because he's cute? With folks like Mary Beth representing Oklahoma maybe it would be best if the media did ignore us.