Coming Friday: 2016 GOP Primary Madness begins!

It's now the time of year when people across the fruited plains get out their pens and fill in their brackets. Who makes it to the Sweet 16? Who falls in the Elite 8? Who wins in the Final Four, and who takes the National Championship?

Two years ago, this blog held a 2012 GOP Primary Madness bracket, with thirty-two potential Republican presidential candidates facing off for the nomination. Ten of the thirty-two did end up running for President, and voters in our polls successfully predicted the 2012 nominee -- Mitt Romney was the victor in the 'championship' round.

Starting tomorrow, MuskogeePolitico.com readers will once again start voting on the winner of 2016 GOP Primary Madness. Each round will last about six days.

Will the winner of this bracket become the actual 2016 GOP nominee? Only time will tell...

Matt Ball replaces Stuart Jolly at AFP-OK

Americans for Prosperity Welcomes New OK State Director Matt Ball

Outgoing State Director Stuart Jolly says Matt will be an "excellent leader"

Oklahoma City, OK - Americans for Prosperity - Oklahoma, the Sooner State's leading advocate for economic freedom and limited government, today welcomes Matthew Ball as its new state director. Matt's plans for the chapter include promoting tax reform, pension reform, and school choice policies.

Click here to read Matt's bio and see a high-res headshot.

"I am excited to continue building on the momentum AFP has established here in Oklahoma.  I count myself humbled to join an organization that values the importance of grassroots engagement while standing for the principles of the free market, limited government, and fiscal responsibility. I look forward to reaching out to and working with our grassroots activists, members of the Oklahoma Legislature, and other stakeholders to help bring about public policy change that will make our state more prosperous for our children and grandchildren."

"While the federal government continues to show disregard for future generations of taxpayers with its reckless tax-and-spend policies, the state of Oklahoma has an opportunity to set itself apart by continuing to move in a different direction: one of lower taxes, less regulation, and harnessing the power of the free market to solve the problems of the day."

Former state director Stuart Jolly shared his excitement with Matt's plans for the chapter.

"I am excited that Matt has been hired as the new Oklahoma State Director of Americans for Prosperity,” said Stuart Jolly, former State Director for AFP-OK.  “Matt’s knowledge of state and federal policy, his ability to engage and mobilize grassroots activists to affect change, and his dedication to the principles upon which AFP was founded will make him an excellent leader for the Oklahoma chapter.”  

“Matt and I have had several conversations regarding his plans for the future of AFP-OK,” Jolly said.  “He will bring fresh energy and a renewed vision to the 24,000 members of AFP-OK.”

Matt formerly worked for Senator Tom Coburn and is a graduate of Oklahoma State University.

Americans for Prosperity (AFP) is a nationwide organization of citizen-leaders committed to advancing every individual’s right to economic freedom and opportunity. AFP believes reducing the size and intrusiveness of government is the best way to promote individual productivity and prosperity for all Americans.  For more information, visit www.americansforprosperity.org.

OKGOP "Mr. President, I Built This" ad wins award

OKGOP Ad Wins Addy Award

(Oklahoma City)--The Oklahoma Republican Party announced today that its "Mr. President, I Built This" video won an Addy Award in the "Video- Commercials" category at last week's 47th Annual Oklahoma City Addy Awards.

The ADDY Awards is the advertising industry’s largest and most representative competition, attracting over 50,000 entries every year in local ADDY competitions. The video was produced by Cooper Ross of Insight Visual Media Productions.

"We are thrilled that our video was recognized at such a prestigious award competition and we want to thank Cooper Ross of Insight Visual Media Productions for carrying out our vision for this video," said Oklahoma Republican Party Chairman Matt Pinnell.

“The Oklahoma Republican Party stands with the millions of hardworking Americans across the country that believe hard-work and ingenuity are what breed success,” continued Pinnell.

“President Obama’s comments were an enlightening - and frightening - window into the Democrats’ ongoing ‘War on Success’. This highlights a fundamental difference between the two parties and the two different visions for America as we head into the 2014 midterm elections."

The Oklahoma Republican Party’s ad, “Mr. President, I Built This” can be viewed here.

Mark Levin praises Rep. Jim Bridenstine

Nationally-syndicated talk radio host Mark Levin praised Oklahoma's Congressman Jim Bridenstine (R, Dist. 1) on his February 20th show. Listen to Levin's monologue about the impressive conservative freshman below:


UPDATE: Levin had Bridenstine on  his show on February 21st. Listen to the interview here.

IRONY: Ron Paul asks UN to confiscate RonPaul.com, RonPaul.org from his own fans

In an ironic turn of events, former Texas congressman and presidential candidate Ron Paul has asked the United Nations to seize a website from his own supporters, and hand it over to him without compensating the legal owners.

That's right.

RonPaul.com and RonPaul.org have been owned by grassroots supporters of Ron Paul since 2008. The sites were first registered in 1999 and 2000. At one point, Paul owned RonPaul.org, but let the registration expire, and for some odd reason did not attempt to get RonPaul.com or RonPaul.org in preparation for his 2008 presidential campaign.

Last month, Paul expressed regret in an interview with libertarian conspiracist Alex Jones that he didn't own RonPaul.com. Following that, the owners of RonPaul.com offered to give the former congressman RonPaul.org for free, and detailed reasons why they wished to keep RonPaul.com (details here). If he still wanted to get the .com site, they said that they would sell it to him for $250,000 and include their email list of 170,000 addresses (which he could tap for fundraising, and easily recoup the expense).

Instead of taking their offers, Ron Paul decided to go to the United Nations (of all places) and ask them to strip the domains - without compensation - from the current owners, and give them to him.


This situation prompted the Paul fans who own RonPaul.com to say this:

Paul's hypocrisy in going to the UN is just too ironic. Click here to read the entire story from Paul's grassroots supporters.

Dr. Benjamin Carson's National Prayer Breakfast speech

Johns Hopkins neurosurgeon Dr. Benjamin Carson was the keynote speaker at the National Prayer Breakfast last Thursday. With President Obama sitting feet away, Dr. Carson delivered an eloquent speech in which he tore to shreds political correctness, progressive taxation, the national debt, and healthcare status-quo.

Click below to watch the speech that everyone is talking about:



Observe President Obama's face during Dr. Carson's speech. Oh, to be a fly on the wall in his brain!

Muskogee County GOP: Precinct Meetings this Saturday

Muskogee County GOP to hold precinct meetings Saturday

Muskogee, OK  –  Muskogee County Republican precinct meetings will be held at 9 a.m. Saturday at the Muskogee Civic Center.

Precinct meetings are an opportunity for every registered Republican to participate first hand in grassroots politics and are open to all registered Republicans in Muskogee County.

In Oklahoma, attending a precinct meeting is the first step in the election of delegates to the Oklahoma Republican State Convention to be held in Oklahoma City on April 20.

A person must be a registered Republican voter of the precinct to take part in a precinct meeting or to serve as a delegate to any Republican convention.

Call (918) 360-7228 for more information, or visit the Muskogee Republicans Facebook page.

Mike Schwartz, Coburn chief of staff, dies

Pro-Life Champion Mike Schwartz Passes

by Steven Ertelt | Washington, DC | LifeNews.com

Mike Schwartz, a pro-life champion who was a behind-the-scenes strategist for pro-life efforts on Capital Hill and the Chief of Staff to Oklahoma Sen. Tom Coburn, passed away over the weekend.

Schwartz lost his struggle with ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease) and was highly regarded by pro-life leaders and activists as a major player on the national pro-life scence, developing strategy early on to take on the Planned Parenthood abortion business.

“The objective of the pro-life movement is (as it has been from the beginning) to gain legal protection for the right to life of every human being,” he said. “The means for pursuing these goals fall into three broad categories: prayer, service, and a reframing of the issue through legislative initiatives that pit the well-being of women against the profits of abortionists.”

He had just received the National Pro-Life Religious Council’s Pro-Life Recognition Award at the National Memorial for the Preborn and Their Mothers and Fathers on January 25.

Schwartz also worked at the Free Congress Foundation in the 1980s and early 1990s before he went to work for Coburn in the House of Representatives.

“We who knew Mike have been truly blessed over the years to have him be a part of our lives and he will be sadly missed,” said pro-lifer Robert Thompson of the Free Congress Foundation.

The group Faith & Law sent LifeNews an announcement of his passing.

“It is with sadness that we inform you that Michael Schwartz went home to be with the Lord.  After a year-and-a-half battle with ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease), Mike finished his race today,” it said.

“Mike, Chief of Staff to Senator Tom Coburn, was a devout Catholic who loved the Lord deeply.  He was active teaching adult catechism in his home parish,” the group added. “Mike fought valiantly for the unborn from the advent of legalized abortion in America.  He was an avid reader of the most rigorous books and essays, reading a book or two each week.  He relished discussions about God, the Supreme Court, and politics.  He was a friend of the high and mighty and the lowly and powerless alike.  He was a loving husband, father, and grandfather.”

“Michael was a great friend to Faith & Law and an active member of the Sr. Congressional Staff Reading Group.  We will miss him sorely, but we rejoice in the hope that he will be forever with the Lord, and we will see him again,” it added.

Senator Coburn delivered a moving tribute to Mike on the Senate Floor late last year.

(National Review Online and Roll Call have also written about Mike's passing.)

Coming Soon: 2016 GOP Primary Madness!

(click to enlarge)

It's the time of year when people across the fruited plains get out their pens and fill in their brackets. Who makes it to the Sweet 16? Who falls in the Elite 8? Who wins in the Final Four, and who takes the National Championship?

Two years ago, this blog hosted 2012 GOP Primary Madness (which accurately predicted the 2012 GOP nominee - Mitt Romney), and next month, we will continue that series by doing 2016 GOP Primary Madness.

Between now and then, I will be taking suggestions for the thirty two competing candidates. You can leave your recommendations in a comment on this post, or you may email them to JamisonFaught@MuskogeePolitico.com.