One of my favorite Gary Richardson books is one called Black Robe Fever where Richardson retells the lessons he learned in his life about dealing with bullies, even the ones that wore judicial robes. One in particular stood out, a lesson his father taught him in high school after a local bully challenged him to a fight. Richardson's dad insisted that he meet the problem head on and of course the bully didn't show up at the arranged time and place. The story came to mind after this week's melt down of a horrendous bully up in Tulsa County.
We posted a story last week outlining the antics of the Tulsa County GOP Chairman, Bob Jack, AKA Bob Rat, and his heavy handed treatment of anyone that dares to have a different opinion. Bob Jack came from the corporate world where who you know and your position counts more than what your talents are. The story covered his public attack against David Van of Sooner Politics, over the content of what others had posted on Sooner Politics.
Bob Rat cannot stand dissent, going so far as to yell at one young man, a first time GOP county meeting attendee, after the poor guy started laughing at the ridiculous excuses that Bob Rat was using to go after Van. I guess in the corporate world you can be a complete idiot and be insulated from reality.
Not to be deterred, Bob Jack decided to threaten David Van via an email, issuing an ultimatum:
David
Since last Tuesday, I’ve been waiting to see if you had thoughts on the issue of conflict. It appears you are going to stay the course since you facilitated Sooner Tea Party’s latest diatribe, a piece that includes allegations which are false and have no factual bases. Please let me know if you intend to keep that piece posted on Sooner Politics or make other arrangement by the end of business tomorrow, Wednesday, November 13, 2019. I come from the corporate world where a management team sticks together, and managers do not criticize other managers in public. If we have differences, they are resolved in private. As a party leader in Tulsa County, I am disturbed that you have chosen to facilitate and propagate hateful language against fellow leaders, both at the state level and county level. Like I mentioned last Tuesday, I absolutely support you endeavors with Sooner Politics, unless it includes hateful and dishonest content regarding fellow leaders. Remember, I am a man who honor’s his word and commitments. I consider this email confidential and ask that it not be shared.
Now most of the content on Sooner Politics is either RSS feed, posted by a bot once the content hits the blogger's own site or is sent in via email. David Van has always held that he is like Facebook, a place for people to post their thoughts and feelings, and thus not in control of any content. In fact, were he to start vetting content, anything posted would indeed be considered something he approved of.
The “end of business day” threat is pretty obvious. That time came and went with a fairly terse reply from Van to Bob Rat, basically telling him to grow up or STFU. And of course the idea of Bob Rat hiding behind the practice of not criticizing others in public, well his public and planned excoriation or attempt at the same is what triggered all of this. After all, the damned fool planned a meeting around his verbal abuse of Van, cutting short discussion of the recent financial difficulties of the state GOP in favor of a whine and bitch fest. You read the interviews from last week, the fool even attacked the state GOP leaders, leaving the room with the feeling that everyone was a fool other than Bob Rat himself.
But after receiving a STFU response, old Bob Rat decided that he was “moving on”. He might be as he got told to grow up but our response to bullying is more light shown on the dirt bag in question.
What kind of fool gets involved in politics believing that he can act like he did and not be called out on it? You have to wonder if his judgment is sound and despite his opinion of himself, I see no honor or dignity in his actions.
And really, threaten others and ask them to keep the fact that you threatened them private? After a public attack against a man for absolutely nothing? And a Republican County GOP Chairman trying to quash free speech?
Y'all have fun with his cell number. He might learn a lesson about threatening people for having an opinion and being stupid enough to give his cell phone number when he does it. I gotta feeling that he deserves what he gets and more.
