The Tulsa Forum by TulsaNow

It'd be great if something positive comes of this.

http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=11&articleid=20101103_11_0_MayorD442510 (http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=11&articleid=20101103_11_0_MayorD442510)

Better have his new phone ready...to make sure the one he currently has doesn't catch fire...

He should take some state troopers with him.

He'd likely not come back with the same amount he left with...

I'm hoping there will be something helpful for Tulsa to come out of this.

What helpful has come out of anything DB has done yet?  I wish he wouldn't make the trip, he will likely ruin whatever chance Tulsa has of getting anything . . .

Dewey again shows he is the same lame, rich idiot he has always been.  Oh, well, maybe next election.

Hopefully Tom Adelson runs again, and by that time Obama won't be a factor like it was last November (and this year too).  Tom has great ideas and leadership, it still baffles me he wasn't elected. 

You forget which state we live in...

I guess my optimism stemmed from the mayor and the governor elect seeming to be two peas in a pod.

Tom does have great ideas.  I'm not so sure about the leadership aspect though, what I thought he had disappeared in the election and it wasn't anything his opponents did either.  He self-destructed and was poorly handled by his advisors.  He buckled under the pressure of the campaign and came off as a temper-tantrum throwing twit.  You simply cannot campaign in one of the most conservative-voting cities in the country as a proud liberal.

I'm a Republican and I started out supporting Tom and ended up voting for Perkins.  Tom lost me when he had his melt-down on KRMG.  That, I'm quite sure is in the archives and will be re-played by any opponent.  He will never be mayor of Tulsa, Governor of Oklahoma, and will never have a successful campaign for a national level office unless he moves to California or New York or somewhere else liberals are openly embraced.  He screwed himself.

Kathy Taylor and Susan Savage were more left-leaning and both were elected mayor.  Midtown Tulsa is full of liberals, and conservatives that like and support Tom Adelson.  It would be the heavily Republican south Tulsa crowd that he would need to win over.  And if he ran against Dewey I think he would have a good chance.  I'm proud he is my state senator, of course District 33 is probably the most liberal in the state (along with 46 in Oklahoma City).

Well, every place has some disadvantage.    :)

Like Dewey has ANY leadership capability....

Judging by how popular Dewey’s downsizing has been so far this year and the cold reception to the KPMG survey of suggested cuts, it’s going to be a rocky road for both of them. While we can all wish Mary Fallin well with her all conservative state legislature, what I’m looking forward to is all of them finally stepping up to all those campaign cliches about lower taxes, downsizing government and holding off the feds.  Mary Fallin’s solution to the 600 million hole in the upcoming state budget, so far, has been the always popular “eliminating waste and fraud” which along with the tooth fairy has always had a faithful following among cost cutters.
   The old neocon theory that the only way to cut government size and entitlements is not by repealing various legislation but rather to “starve the beast” by cutting off the funding i.e. tax cuts. This upcoming Oklahoma house, senate and governor will now have the perfect opportunity to see this conservative dream of downsizing to smaller government come true by being forced to whack at least 15% to 20% out of our “bloated” state budget and government.
   With no more fed stimulus money or rainy day funding coming, it’s going to be interesting to see where and how they cut those million out of the state budget and when and where the screams of pain will then start to come from.
   As the old saying goes, maybe we Oklahomans will finally get the government we deserve.

I've been very happy with Tom as my senator.  I voted for him twice.  I think he's well suited to legislative work but once he limits out in OKC, I suspect he will go back to an advisory post somewhere in Democratic politics or wind up working at the KFF or some other foundation.

He already ran against Bartlet (sic) and lost.  Perkins threw a wrench in it, but it was Tom's race to lose.  If anything it was conservative initial Adelson supporters like me who fled to Perkins because we couldn't stomach the idea of voting for Bartlet (sic) either.

Savage and Taylor both were conservative enough for Tulsans who don't have a problem voting for conservative Democrats in state or local offices.  Truth known, Roger Randle was probably one of the more liberal people we've ever had in the office and he was quite popular but he didn't identify himself as such.  If any of these three had been on radio bragging about being a liberal, they would never have won.  As well Taylor had contributed to Bush in 2000.  In Tulsa you can be a Democrat mayor if you are a) in the money belt b) reasonably conservative or c) from a "legacy" family.

Should Tom have the balls to try and run for mayor again, I'll bet you a case of Marshall's on the outcome.  He simply cannot win anything other than his senate seat after he twisted off like he did. I suspect someone in the local GOP will try and find a candidate to seriously go after the seat this time around and they will play up his behavior in the mayor's race and use some select quotes.

I still doubt they could beat Adelson in District 33, as the district is drawn now.  It is as solid a blue district as you will find in Tulsa this side of 244. 

Perkins could definitely challenge Dewey if he runs in the next election.  Though it would've been better for him to become more involved in city politics and/or run for council first.  He's still a relative novice, but maybe that's a good thing?

Perkins said he wasn't going to disappear after the election and he planned to be an activist.  I've heard nothing from him since about a week or so after the election.

Adelson only beat Bartlett by 900 votes in 2004 or by roughly 3%.  I don't think you can characterize any part of Tulsa as "solidly blue".  The spread was much larger last go 'round as Tom had a record to run on and the advantage of incumbency.  If someone wants the seat bad enough they will play the "I'm a liberal" mantra over and over.

Well, when Tulsa is so stupid as to vote for a 'Dewey' then what can you say?  Hopefully we will collectively pull our heads out.  But not likely.

That campaign was a lot like so many this time.  "Against illegal immigration" - like there is anything the state has to say about it....

Elliot Nelson or Blake Ewing for Mayor 2013!

Hey, it worked for John Hickenlooper in Denver (who was just elected Governor of Colorado)..

Before becoming mayor in June 2003 he was a geologist turned entrepreneur. He is often considered a prominent figure in the LoDo urban renewal period during the early 1990s. Hickenlooper owned several restaurants in LoDo in the late 1980s, before the area's renewal. He was one of the founders of the original Wynkoop Brewing Company microbrewery; these and others companies contributed to the redevelopment of the area

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Hickenlooper (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Hickenlooper)

And now we have the current state of being - welcome to Republican control of Oklahoma;

While walking down the street one day a Corrupt Senator was tragically hit
by a car and died.  His soul arrives in heaven and is met by St. Peter at the entrance.

"Welcome to heaven," says St. Peter. "Before you settle in, it seems there
is a problem. We seldom see a high official around these parts, you see, so
we're not sure what to do with you."

"No problem, just let me in," says the Senator..

"Well, I'd like to, but I have orders from the higher ups. What we'll do
is have you spend one day in hell and one in heaven. Then you can choose
where to spend eternity."

"Really?, I've made up my mind. I want to be in heaven," says the Senator.

"I'm sorry, but we have our rules."

And with that, St. Peter escorts him to the elevator and he goes down,
down, down to hell.

The doors open and he finds himself in the middle of a green golf course.
In the distance is a clubhouse and standing in front of it are all his
friends and other politicians who had worked with him.

Everyone is very happy and in evening dress. They run to greet him, shake
his hand, and reminisce about the good times they had while getting rich at
the expense of the people.

They played a friendly game of golf and then dine on lobster, caviar and
the finest champagne.

Also present is the devil, who really is a very friendly guy who is having
a good time dancing and telling jokes.

They are all having such a good time that before the Senator realizes it,
it is time to go.

Everyone gives him a hearty farewell and waves while the elevator
rises....

The elevator goes up, up, up and the door reopens in heaven where St.
Peter is waiting for him, "Now it's time to visit heaven.."

So, 24 hours passed with the Senator joining a group of contented souls
moving from cloud to cloud, playing the harp and singing. They have a good
time and, before he realizes it, the 24 hours have gone by and St. Peter
returns.

"Well, then, you've spent a day in hell and another in heaven. Now choose
your eternity."

The Senator reflects for a minute, then he answers: "Well, I would never
have said it before, I mean heaven has been delightful, but I think I would
be better off in hell."

So St. Peter escorts him to the elevator and he goes down, down, down to
hell..

Now the doors of the elevator open and he's in the middle of a barren land
covered with waste and garbage. He sees all his friends, dressed in rags,
picking up the trash and putting it in black bags as more trash falls from
above.

The devil comes over to him and puts his arm around his shoulders.

"I don't understand," stammers the Senator. "Yesterday I was here and
there was a golf course and clubhouse, and we ate lobster and caviar, drank
champagne, and danced and had a great time. Now there's just a wasteland
full of garbage and my friends look miserable. What happened?"

The devil smiles at him and says,

"Yesterday we were campaigning, Today, you voted.”

Governor Elect Fallin met with Tulsa's mayor.

She said she was pleased to visit the great state of Arkansas.

I like this idea.

Seconded.