How Has That Been Working for You?
Guest Commentary by Willard Linzy
For the last 10 years the need to encourage the African-American community to diversify their black caucus delegation has gone unsaid... First by the misguided community political gatekeepers who orchestrated the pervasive debacle and Secondly by the well intentioned Republican sympathizers who have been quietly working under the table to save us from the effects of making "bad" political choices.
Political commentary within the African-American community and Candidate public statements have served to further discredit the need to return to their long-standing political strategy of electing a minority member of the legislative Majority which they had embraced prior to 2006. Such commentary suggest that hope is being realized but it is actually being deferred until some point in the future whereas the Democrat party may regain control of the Oklahoma State Senate or House.
The prevailing political attitude of distrust and broad brush degradation of fellow Republican citizens sends the false narrative that Democrat candidates or elected officials are forging victories under the Era of Republican-Rule through use of relationships with other Democrats who are working in the interim to meet the needs of the African-American community.
The relationships that are providing the needed political favor of today is being provided through relationships that have been nurtured with undisclosed Republican sympathizers and these actions regrettably have become a dis-service to the political narrative of the African-American community. The phone calls that are making the needed impact are NOT being made by Democrat friends of Democrat elected officials and failure to disclose such is causing distorted political harm.
Relationships with Republican board members on hundreds of corporate boards are being relied upon to foster false narratives... the attached excerpts of the 2017 United Way annual report illustrates the level of relationships with Republicans on this particular Board (54% voting members - 76% advisory members) which can serve to advance a false narrative regarding the African-American community not having a need to diversify it's Black Caucus delegation in the Oklahoma State Senate... when the greater opportunity for political victory will actually be legitimately realized by electing a minority member of the legislative Majority.
Another disheartening political reality is occurring wherein Republicans are actually supporting Democrat candidates in significant ways during partisan contested races and refusing to support the Republican candidate in any way under the pretext that the likelihood of a victory by the Republican candidate is unlikely or that in their view the Republican candidate did "not" Campaign hard enough to merit their support...This action advances a similar false narrative within the State of Oklahoma which is a Republican - controlled jurisdiction.
As a Republican I believe that advancing these false narratives are not helpful to the Africa-American community. The unintended consequences of well intentioned Republicans need to become part of the public discussion in the SD-48 general election debates as the Democrat candidate is touting relationship with these persons as being a political advantage.
Conversely, I believe that Republicans serving on corporate boards should cease and desist the practice of fostering backdoor politics during the Era of Republican-Rule and encourage Democrat voters to legitimately Elect a minority member of the legislative Majority, just like they used to prior to 2006
It's NOT about a party, it's about a people!
