2011 Oklahoma Republican Convention tweets and retweets

By Michael Bates on May 16, 2011 5:39 PM | | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Technical note: Copying and pasting tweets into this post was a very frustrating and time-consuming process. In the end, I had to paste the HTML into an Emacs buffer, use a series of regex replacements to clean the text up enough so everything would post without messing up everything else on the page. I simply wanted to reproduce the text and links without the avatars and all the Twitter-specific style info. If there's a simpler way to do this, please let me know.

My long-awaited wrap-up of the 2011 Oklahoma Republican Convention, held on May 7 at the Meridian Conference Center in Oklahoma City, is long overdue, so in its stead, here are my tweets (and the things I retweeted from other attendees) through the course of the day. We had a brief "tweetup" of the handful of Twitterers after the convention was adjourned. Next time around there may be a much bigger back-channel conversation happening during the convention.

In general, I came away from the convention feeling encouraged, particularly by the reports from statewide elected officials like State Auditor Gary Jones, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Janet Barresi, State Labor Commissioner Mark Costello, and Corporation Commissioner Bob Anthony.

I was disappointed by the defeat of a return to the caucus system for pledging delegates to presidential candidates. When it appeared that no one was going to rise to speak in support of the idea, I stepped up, pointing out that Oklahoma Republicans haven't had a meaningful say in the selection of the party's presidential nominee since 1980, when we elected national convention delegates based on their pledge to vote for a particular nominee. In every presidential primary, Oklahomans have been left with a choice of the front-runner and a stop-the-front-runner candidate. The front-runner takes the statewide delegates and most of the congressional district delegates, usually with a very small plurality of the vote; the stop-the-front-runner takes one or two congressional districts at best. Given that the last time the caucus system was used was 31 years ago, I imagine only a few people remember that the system worked well and encouraged large turnouts at every level of the process. Some silly things were said in opposition: One delegate objected to caucuses because Barack Obama used them to "steal" the nomination from Hillary Clinton by busing people to the caucuses.

A point concerning the platform: Two amendments were brought to the convention in accordance with the convention rules, which required a certain number of signatures in order for the matter to come before the convention. 

Another amendment, striking a plank calling for the 9/11 investigation to be reopened, was moved by a delegate from the floor. The chairman, former Broken Arrow State Rep. John Wright, did an excellent job running the meeting, but I think he erred when ruling that the amendment was in order as it didn't constitute a substantial change. Wright's definition of "substantial" depended on the complexity of the proposed amendment, so striking a plank would be insubstantial. Although I was happy for the opportunity to get rid of that plank, I believe Wright's interpretation of "substantial" was incorrect. Anything that changes the substance, or meaning, of the platform should be considered substantial. Fixing a typo or grammatical error would qualify as insubstantial.


After the jump, my tweets and retweets from the 2011 Oklahoma GOP convention.


 Michael Bates 
The CD2 video was VERY well done - should have been shown in the morning. 
7 May

 Michael Bates 
Now showing 2nd District Star Trek parody - makes a good Commander Data.
7 May

 Michael Bates 
Fact is, our system doesn't provide adequate accountability for platform committee. 
7 May

 Michael Bates 
I think Chairman Wright was in error to allow amendment to strike Troofer plank, but I'm glad we could. 
7 May

 Michael Bates 
Troofer plank removed from  platform. (How'd it get in there in first place?)
7 May

 Michael Bates 
 adopts platform amendment opposing high res ID photos that can be used for biometric tracking
7 May

 Michael Bates 
Platform amendment passes, calling for repeal of health database enabling legislation passed in 2009, 2010 
7 May

 Michael Bates 
 I'll be there  
7 May

 Michael Bates 
Interesting visual during standing votes - small counties support gender quotas, oppose accountability & equitable treatment of candidates.
7 May

 Michael Bates 
Motion to table fairness in party resources amendment failed 
7 May

 john tidwell 
 retweeted by BatesLine
Nearly 100% of Tulsa GOP delegates versus the rest of the state in the accountability rule change.  
7 May

 Michael Bates 
Second accountability proposal, requiring subscription to 2/3 of state platform, before the convention 
7 May

 Michael Bates 
Core platform accountability rule 281 for, 415 against 
7 May

 Michael Bates 
 That's already covered in the rules.... 
7 May

 Michael Bates 
 The convention voted by voice to sustain chairman's ruling.
7 May

 Ryan Brown 
retweeted by BatesLine
Convention votes against Tea Party supported rule change to allow State Committee to kick candidates voting against platform ideals. 
7 May

 Michael Bates 
Big guestion: should party hold officials accountable on core issues or back any old RINO regardless? 
7 May

 Michael Bates 
Should GOP candidates and officials need to embrace core principles to earn support of party machinery? 
7 May

 Jamison Faught 
retweeted by BatesLine
Woohoo!! Got the gender restriction removed!! Thanks for supporting my motion! 
7 May

 Michael Bates 
Gender quotas eliminated from  rules by an overwhelming vote.
7 May

 Ryan Brown 
retweeted by BatesLine
Voting to end gender quotas in the party. If GOP is against affirmative action, it should not practice it within the party. 
7 May

 Michael Bates 
Outgoing Angie LaPlante points out several counties have same-gender chair/vice with special dispensation from state chair 
7 May

 Michael Bates 
Richard Engle makes point that success doesn't mean no room for improvement. 
7 May 

 Michael Bates 
Engle: "If we can't have 'sex,' let's not have 'gender' either." 
7 May

 Michael Bates 
Bev McBay - if we repeal gender quotas - men might withdraw from party leadership 
7 May

 Michael Bates 
Mr Cheryl Williams is providing an example of his point that men aren't all that smart. 
7 May

 Michael Bates 
Serious flaw in state-rule process - no way to merge three county overtures on removing gender quotas from party structure. 
7 May

 Michael Bates 
Do we really want our presidential delegates to go to the media-anointed candidate as has happened every year since 1988? 
7 May

 Michael Bates 
Disappointed in tone of opposition to caucus proposal - angry and nasty and fearmongering 
7 May

 Michael Bates 
Delegate from TulCo pct 188: Postponing caucuses allowed resolutions against Oklahoma $54 million Obamacare grant. 
7 May

 john tidwell 
retweeted by BatesLine
. Good to see when someone puts their foot in & then shoots the foot in their mouth. Anybody need a campaign press guy? 
7 May

 Michael Bates 
Howard Houchen of Choctaw County trying to run out the clock to keep  from speaking again. Much hilarity. 
7 May

 Michael Bates 
 I don't think flash mobs are allowed on airplanes.
7 May

 Michael Bates 
Mr  needling Tulsa County over plan to move precinct mtgs to March. He could use a Dale Carnegie course. 
7 May

 Michael Bates 
David  appealed ruling of chair on friendly amendments - chair sustained. 
7 May

 Michael Bates 
Gov Fallin: signed bill eliminating requirement that cities negotiate w/ unions for nonuniformed city workers 
7 May

 Shane Saunders 
retweeted by BatesLine
Watts: "Let's adopt a simple military doctrine: we win, you lose." 
7 May

 Michael Bates 
Weighted, official vote Pollard 1145 White 536, raw vote 667-295 
7 May

 Michael Bates 
White wins Tulsa 92-81 
7 May

 Michael Bates 
Pollard running away w vice chair vote but all big counties passed - still counting ballots 
7 May

 Michael Bates 
Counties not at  conv: Alfalfa, Beaver, Beckham, Coal, Cotton, Craig, Dewey, Harmon, Harper, Jefferson, Latimer, Major, Roger Mills
7 May

 Michael Bates 
Pollard: While we're going door to door to update registrations, show voters our  platform and point out Dems are afraid to pass one.
7 May

 Michael Bates 
Pam Pollard: E911 addressing invalidated many voter registration addresses. Need registration update drive. 
7 May

 Michael Bates 
Typo correction: Jenny White running for vice chairman 
7 May

 Michael Bates 
State Rep Charles Key not allowed to nominate Jenny White as state chairman - arrived too late to register as delegate 
7 May

 Michael Bates 
 chairman  reelected by acclamation.
7 May

 Michael Bates 
Former BA state rep John Wright elected convention chairman 
7 May

 Michael Bates 
Revised  delegate total: 1032
7 May

 Janet Barresi 
retweeted by BatesLine
My newspaper column this week on the historic pace of education reforms in Oklahoma -   
7 May

 David Tackett 
retweeted by BatesLine
Here is the link of the proposed  rules 
7 May

 john tidwell 
retweeted by BatesLine
Tulsa GOP: 184 delegates out of our possible 331.  
7 May

 Michael Bates 
 Pushmataha? Push your own taha!
7 May

 Michael Bates 
 Credentials report: 1035 delegates, 197 from Okla Cty, 184 from Tulsa Cty. 64 counties represented.
7 May

 Michael Bates 
Corp Comm Bob Anthony: We need to fight for the public interest not the special interests. 
7 May

 Michael Bates 
Auditor Jones: By end of year, special investigative audits will be caught up; 2 yrs work in one year 
7 May

 Michael Bates 
State Auditor Gary Jones: on inaug day, some county audits 6 yrs behind; special investigative audits 3 yrs behind 
7 May

 Michael Bates 
Costello: Launching "Parity in Oklahoma" - there should be parity between public & private sectors in pay, performance, pensions 
7 May

 Michael Bates 
Costello on sacred cows in gov't: Their place is next to the mashed potatoes 
7 May

 Michael Bates 
Labor Comm Mark Costello: Had 12 mo backlog of wage and hour disputes - cleared it while cutting lawyer pay to $25/hr 
7 May

 Michael Bates 
(cont'd)  cites education reforms passed this year: rating system for schools, opportunity scholarships 
7 May

 Michael Bates 
. lists education reforms: Removed trial de novo, must read before promotion to 4th grade, (cont'd) 
7 May

 Jonathan Hall 
 retweeted by BatesLine
State Sup.  is greeted like a rock star at the convention! Tells convention about famed board mtng.
7 May

 Jonathan Hall 
retweeted by BatesLine
.  on No Child Left Behind, "get out of our business." Abolish the fed Dept of Ed? "That'd be a good start" 
7 May

 Michael Bates 
. : Previous supt sought $183m over previous year; she replaced it with standstill budget. 
7 May

 Michael Bates 
Lankford: Shouldn't need environmental impact review to replace a bridge that's been there 70 years 
7 May

 john tidwell retweeted by BatesLine
 it's cooler over here w the Tulsa delegation. Both literally & figuratively.
7 May

 Ryan Brown 
retweeted by BatesLine
Now up: Rep. Lankford. Talking about rebuild OK volunteer projects.  
7 May

 Michael Bates 
Tweeting  convention:     
7 May

 Michael Bates 
Inhofe: Existence of Gang of 6 gives perception that spending prob is bipartisan when it's not 
7 May

 Michael Bates 
Inhofe: US has largest reserves of oil, coal, natural gas of any country in world, but pols won't let us develop them 
7 May

 Michael Bates 
Inhofe: Obama's '12 deficit bigger than Clinton's entire '95 budget 
7 May

 Michael Bates 
Inhofe: For 2012, remind voters, if Obama had his way on Gitmo, interrogation, we wouldn't have gotten bin Laden 
7 May

 Michael Bates 
Inhofe to : Obama had Ft Sill as a location to relocate Gitmo prisoners.
7 May

 Michael Bates 
Inhofe cites nice prob to have - dividing  speaking time among 11 statewide officials, 2 senators, 4 reps
7 May

 Michael Bates 
Frank Luntz is at , signing books
7 May

 Michael Bates 
Tom Cole speaking at#okgop conv: Advantage of pres primary over caucus - encourages conserv Dems to reregister GOP
7 May

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1 Comments

George Schaefer said:

"Disappointed in tone of opposition to caucus proposal - angry and nasty and fearmongering"

I am shocked to hear of that tone at a gathering of Oklahoma Republicans. Seriously, that tone is now endemic in talk radio, the Tea Party, the Beacon, and, all too often, in our government (Terrill, Reynolds, Kern, etc.). What happened to the optimism and decency of the Gipper? To disagreeing without being disagreeable?

May 16, 2011 11:22 PM

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This page contains a single entry by Michael Bates published on May 16, 2011 5:39 PM.

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