Mike McCarville
One of the first meetings I attended when I joined Republican Governor Dewey F. Bartlett’s staff in 1968 was for GOP members of the Legislature.
It was held in Bartlett’s office.
All of the GOP legislators attended.
It wasn’t crowded.
Bob Lollar, a Democrat and former member of the Legislature, was Bartlett’s legislative liaison. He once described the GOP legislators as having “about as much power as a bunch of pissants.” (We didn’t call Bob “Dull Knife” for nothing.)
He was right.
Thus, what we have today with overwhelming GOP majorities in both House and Senate, GOP officials in every major post and GOP control of Congress, is astounding.
For those of us who have been around long enough to remember 45 years ago, voter registration was in overwhelming favor of Democrats. The urban flow was a trickle. So were conversions to the Republican label.
It was a standing joke (in the cities) that we Republicans could hold county conventions in pay phone booths (oh yes, they did exist back then) and (in the rural areas) we could get all of us into one rodeo bull stall…and what we got was what we were standing in.
As I survey the political landscape today, I urge my fellow Republicans not to gloat too much at the elective glory in which we now bask, but to enjoy it as proof that things can change.
I wish there were some folks who could have seen this, Herb Johnson and Jewell Matthews are a couple who are smiling from Heaven. They also would be among those who would be disappointed a bit. Now, as we have grown, the majority doesn’t mean we will ever agree on EVERYTHING. What it does mean is that the democrats will be united, while the differences will occur within the majority party–the Republicans. Has the GOP obtained the goals conservatives have voted for them to achieve? Nope. Taxes keep growing, tax cuts are non-existent, government education continues to grow as does the bureacracy and employment in state government. We can win elections, but the ideological goals remain unmet by those we trusted to achieve them.
I was also reflecting — and remember an old 2nd CD meeting I attended in the mid 80s. We did not have a single state legislator living in the entire congressional district so we had to borrow Jerry Pierce from Bartlesville as a keynote speaker because he at least represented a small portion of the district. Times have changed — and we need to remember, they can change back if we don’t stay true to the voters.
Larry, I so agree with you! Our Ok GOP STILL doesn’t understand what REAL Limited Government means!
Folks, when ONE party runs all segments of government, the results will NOT be a true representative government.