Tulsa County Republican Party Chairman Mike Ford
Tulsa County Republican Party Chairman Michael F. Ford has responded to criticism leveled by the Tulsa 9.12 Project.
Writing on Facebook, Ford said:
I know it’s just a symptom of our declining culture when so many people choose to live in an echo chamber of their own kind. A fishbowl mentality where they seldom hear another point of view, and eventually become too intellectually lazy to think for themselves or fact check the sources they regurgitate. This condition is a breeding ground for opportunists to take advantage of these individuals by insulting their intelligence to mobilize them into a never-questioning mob.
Most of the time I just roll my eyes and keep walking. But as Tulsa County Chairman, I’m not going to allow anyone to personally attack the integrity of our organization or our duly elected leadership here in Tulsa. Today I’m drawing a line in the sand over an email from an organization who, in the past, has been somewhat of an ally of the Republican Party of Tulsa County. Apparently, one of their organizers has decided to cross the line of this alliance, as well as the line of integrity.
I received this email (below) from Tulsa 912, and I have to say, it wins the Saul Alinsky award as the most intellectually dishonest and sensationalized bunch of inciting garbage used to attack the Republican Party of Tulsa County I’ve seen so far this year. Absolutely NONE of it can be substantiated, which could explain why the author didn’t have the common courtesy to contact me and discuss it, even though I have kept the door open for dialogue as promised.
http://mccarvillereport.com/archives/31034
“Modern day lynching”? “Probably establishment presidential candidates”? Accusations regarding “Tulsa County Leadership”? Misquoted Facebook comments?
Then there is this type of rhetoric, which is sadly becoming too common within the ranks of the Republican Party. “The Establishment against the Grassroots”. “RINOs and Radicals”. Labels being presumptuously and self righteously placed on one another in a divisive, manipulative manner to promote themselves and their own personal agenda. It’s “us against them”, and “them” is anyone who may disagree with “us”. I’m sick of it. And let me tell you, I won’t tolerate it. Don’t talk to me about unity when we can’t even call each other fellow Republicans without labeling and marginalizing people into unofficial categories.
You see, I refuse to let other people define me, or my elected team members, or our county organization. We will define ourselves by our own actions and accomplishments. Me personally? When it comes to being a “grassroots conservative”, I have the credentials and political resume to stack up against anyone who has the audacity to try and define and marginalize me with this kind of cheap rhetoric. No person, no organization, nobody has a copyright on the words “grassroots” or “conservative”.
My advice to people who want to type and send mass-emails full of divisive garbage like this: You should have the courage to be specific, name names, and provide some factual references as examples to back up your accusations. If you can’t (in which case, I’m challenging this author by saying she can’t), I’d suggest you find a different target or a different tactic. The door for discussion and diplomacy always remains open, but we should never hesitate to defend our honor. I won’t.
Hear, hear!
Since the tea party’s inception, I’ve been a fan and supporter of it, but some manifestations of it drive one to despair. Some of its supporters are drawn to a Manichean division of Republicans, in which they are wholly good and all others are RINOs or worse. This is counterproductive and destructive. We do not need the internecine warfare like Tulsa 912 wants to wage.
Folks can call themselves anything they want, and can call other people what they want – but actions speak much louder than words.
A perfect example would be the guy the GOP just elected to boss them around – lots of words about from both sides, but no actions.
Sticks and stones ……….
Mr. Ford’s message is very well-said. We’ve got to get something straight if we’re ever going to have any kind of unity in the Republican Party, and that is that just because someone does not endorse a particular sub-movement or a certain candidate within the party does not mean that he is not a conservative, “grassroots” Republican.
Lately, the misconception that has been circulated is that anybody who is not a libertarian from the “Ron-Paul-REVOLution” should automatically be written off as an “establishment RINO”. That is so outrageously offensive and unfair, not to mention patently false. This dichotomization has desperately hurt our party. The truth is, no one candidate or one particular faction has the right to define itself as “THE” conservative face of the Republicans–and the divisive rhetoric suggesting otherwise needs to be squelched.
Accurately, and eloquently, put, sir.
To Troy Fullerton and all, I am a Ron Paul Republican and certainly don’t think if you are not an RPer, you are establishment Rino. State auditor Gary Jones know spending is a problem and wants to curtail it. I agree with him as do all tea partyers do. This fight is against the typical government getting bigger all the time and with the current Republicans in charge they are very guilty of that. Any Republican that voted for the pop museum in Tulsa should be replaced. That is not the scope of government. “The heart and soul of conservatism is libertarianism.” Ronald Reagan