According to reports* received by this blog, OKGOP Chair candidate (and current vice-chair) Cheryl Williams has tapped Richard Engle for her running mate. Engle will be running against current Chairman and candidate Gary Jones' pick, Angie LaPlante, for Vice Chair at the 2009 Oklahoma Republican Party State Convention on April 18th.Williams and Engle are closely affiliated with the libertarian wing of the party, mainly supporters of former presidential candidate and Texas Congressman Ron Paul, who are disgruntled with the status quo in the party, whereas Jones and LaPlante are considered to be part of the 'establishment', and more in line with the larger social conservative wing of the party.
In my opinion, Williams' choosing Engle to be her running mate is a poor decision, bad strategy, and will backfire on her at the state convention.
Engle was one of the main spokesmen for the 'Liberty Values Coalition' at the 2008 ORP State Convention (the LVC was, again, mainly supporters of Ron Paul). His tone, manner, and argumentative interruptions of the convention made him the most annoying, irritating and aggravating person present. By the time the convention was over, I had a headache from listening to the man. He turned off many of the delegates who might have otherwise voted with his coalition. The same thing will happen with Cheryl Williams.
But, I'm fine with that, since I'm supporting Gary Jones.
* - unverified as of yet
So in Williams and Engle we've got Wonder Woman and Superman, and they're going up against Laurel and Hardy. This should be a real interesting race.
ReplyDeleteAs usual, your "source" is WRONG!
ReplyDeleteYou have rally bad sources.
ReplyDeleteIt's funny you should say that Gary is more in line with social conservatives when he was one of the people backing Howard Barnett on the State Executive Committee for National Delegate. Barnett had been on the board of Planned Parenthood for 8 years, if I recall. But he was a big donor to the Party, so I guess that makes everything okay.
ReplyDeleteWell, you can't run a party without money. And Gary alone wasn't the one who decided to add him.(like you said he was ONE) I mean it was the State Executive Committee that did the interviews and voted for who should be delegates....that is made up of around 30 people or so. Cheryl is on that committee as well...now how she voted I do not know.
ReplyDeleteI'm pretty sure she didn't follow suit. But I find it inexcusable, and a bad portent as to the sorts of candidates he'll support and recruit, that Gary would support, vote for, etc, someone on the BOARD of Planned Parenthood! All the while opposing many extremely good conservatives who are 100% pro-life and have contributed greatly to the Party.
ReplyDeleteOh, and don't forget the snubbing of Rep. Charles Key - the only state Rep. (and the most senior member of the legislature) to only be made an alternate.