Statement from the REPUBLICAN mayor of Oklahoma City

[Wednesdays]

https://thebulwark.com/in-praise-of-those-who-resist-temptation/

On edit: even though he's from the opposing party, he's hardly batshit crazy and is honestly trying to do what's best for his constituents.

In Praise of Those Who Resist Temptation

(Excerpt):

I’ll probably struggle to remember Secretary Brad Raffensperger’s name two weeks from now, but he has demonstrated the intestinal fortitude lacking in some elected officials with much fancier titles and much higher profiles. And our republic will still exist on January 7, January 21, and hopefully for decades to come because of people like him around the country who have played their unpleasant, but necessary, roles in this process.

I suspect most of these people would probably tell you they’re just doing their jobs. But the reality is that their jobs are hard. And their jobs are subject to a great temptation. Yet rather than telling people what they want to hear, these public servants told people what they needed to hear, including the most powerful person in the world.

It appears right now that a majority of Congress will join the ranks of these patriots later this week. Yes, some in Congress will not, and they will likely be remembered for giving in to temptation. But many, many more have stood up for truth and resisted the temptations of comforting lies.

These American heroes are preserving our way of life. They deserve our praise and our gratitude

[SoonerPride]

1. I can't believe something good came out of my hometown today.

[LAS14]

2. I love seeing this stuff. We really need a loyal opposition. We don't need a single party system. n

[SharonClark]

3. He has a thing about the word "temptation".

Is he trying to get through to the christianistas?

[Wednesdays]

5. He is Episcopalian, that's about all I know about his religion.

I hear about him a lot, and from what I know I doubt he is pandering in this article.

[TheRickles]

7. Not pandering, but more like a dog whistle (in the best sense of the term)

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

4. This is an excellent piece. Bravo to the Mayor of Oklahoma City; he speaks real truth here.

[Traildogbob]

9. Oklahoma City

Has experienced first hand, right wing white terroristic destruction and death. Maybe this Mayor actually learned from history, and sees what is being cheered on right now from GOP propaganda and conspiracies. They want destruction and death. Always have. It’s profitable to them. They reap power and cash from it.
Bravo to the Mayor. More please.

[marybourg]

6. Now it takes heroism for Congresspersons to fulfill their oaths

to uphold the Constitution. They deserve praise and gratitude. Sorry. That’s just wrong, wrong wrong.

[LuvNewcastle]

8. I agree. That isn't heroic.

That's their fucking job and they don't get medals for just doing their job.

[Irish_Dem]

12. Sad to say, this is the current political reality. Takes courage just to do your job.

And the everyday American, nurses, grocery clerks, etc. are showing more courage than
elected officials who are trying to save their own political necks and wealth.

[marybourg]

21. Pitiful, isn't it?

[Irish_Dem]

22. A disgrace. Never thought it would happen here, but I guess I was naive. nt

[Wednesdays]

20. In the article, he also rebukes those who trample the Constitution

He merely points out Raffensberger as a contrast, and doesn't spend much time on him.

[soldierant]

39. It shouldn't, but in fact it does.

Takes courage just to fulfill their oaths, I mean.

If every single one of us eligible voters were doing our job right - by which I meana bevy of actions, including learning what effects policies actually have on America's well being,, finding out what out candidates actually stand for (and whether whatever that is helps or hinders), and, not last (because I haven't the time or energy to list every detail of out jobs) but also not least, voting the entire ballot in every election, it need not have come to this. But it has.

[Irish_Dem]

10. Excellent article, should be required reading for all Americans.

Mayor Holt couched it in biblical terms so the evangelicals could understand his points.

[MFGsunny]

42. + 1000 n/t

[WhiskeyGrinder]

11. Not interested in listening to Republicans congratulate each other for doing the bare-ass minimum.

[I_UndergroundPanther]

34. This👆

[jaxexpat]

13. Somewhere along the way this mayor has come to understand the perfect fragility of democracy.

There may be some little good come of the Trump-op-era if it causes some Republicans to have a sobering internal dialogue.

The rock of stupidity is quite large. We can only hope to nudge it a bit, even with our best efforts.

[stillcool]

14. uh-oh. It's starting again...

[GarySeven]

15. Before progressives rush to deify Raffensperger

Let's try to remember that he is the architect of a thousand little wounds to voter access in Georgia and has active, large scale plans to suppress future Democratic votes.

And, ultimately, what he is doing with Trump et al is defending the election that he was in charge of. Not the votes, but his method of running the election.

[Zorro]

18. Yes indeed

That's exactly what Stacey Abrams was pointing out on Rachel's show last night. Raffensperger is only defending the voting process he and the governor set up to suppress the vote.

[BobTheSubgenius]

16. "At long last, do you have no sense of decency?"

His words probably won't be even the footnote in history as the ones I just quoted, but they are in the same vein...lead to the same conclusions.

This man appears to be an old school Republican - one with whom I fundamentally disagree, and probably will forever, but not one for whom I wish banishment or death. There are some of those, sadly.

[CaptainTruth]

17. I truly hope this splits the Republican party.

From what I see online a lot of cult Trumpers hate people like David Holt, they call them RINOs & say they'll never vote for them because they abandoned Trump.

If a significant portion of Trump's base revolts against the GOP it could be very good for us in the next election cycle or two. We should do what we can to encourage it.

[marble falls]

19. The sad commentary here is that people doing exactly what they should be doing would ...

... elicit high praise. None of them are going above and beyond, really.

I'm glad they're doing it, but it's a shame shirking one's duty has become common enough to high lite the ones who do the right thing: the job we elected them to.

[RVN VET71]

25. I agree, but it did take some cojones for Raffensberger and his lawyer

to refute the president’s lies directly to the president, himself. He might have sniveled away and even promised to look into it. -and then done nothing. But he chose to draw a line in the sand and not cross it.

But I just heard Stacey Abrams remind viewers of Rachel Maddow’s show that Raffensberger is not a heroic supporter of voting rights, having been one of the major persons running the GOP’s voter suppression effort in Georgia.

An enemy who was finally (after 18 phone calls!) forced to do the right thing rather than cave in to the madman calling from Washington.

[Wounded Bear]

23. K&R...nt

[BannonsLiver]

24. Holt is an excellent mayor

Im not surprised he wrote it. I’m glad people took the time to read this rather than the typical knee jerk purity goober response. We only had one of those in the thread so far. That’s pretty solid.

[Sucha NastyWoman]

26. There are some conservatives/Republicans

Worthy of our respect, and we should acknowledge them.

Unfortunately it is probably less than 20% of their party (and that may be way too generous).

[lillypaddle]

27. My BFF in OKC

told me that she has an appt for the vaccine on Wednesday. She is 72 and has no underlying issues. I checked for KY, where I live, and nobody knows anything yet.

[oldsoftie]

28. That Gabriel Sterling fellow is another one who has stood strong since day one.

And gave a blistering press conference yesterday.

[TinCup]

29. Amazing Response

Not may horse in the race here in OKC but proud of the stance he has taken during the epidemic and now he has decided stand in line with the sane people.

Nice job Mr. Mayor

[Cha]

30. Bravo.. but I'll never forget SOS' Brad

Raffensperger's name!

[Harker]

31. The last time I had occasion to look at an election map

of OK, there wasn't a blue county.

[Wednesdays]

35. If the wingnuts call him a RINO,

I wouldn't disagree with them. In many ways, he's very much like a Democrat, but no one in Oklahoma can get elected if they have that "D" after their name. Kendra Horn was an abberation.

[avebury]

32. He gives the type of speeches that

the Governor should make. He has done a better job dealing with Covid then Stitt.

There is no doubt that he will run for higher office. He could give Stitt a run for his money.

[freepotter]

37. He did hold a higher office

He used to be an Oklahoma state senator, but seemed to be pretty much a butt while he was in that office. I think he lost his last senate election, or might have just termed out. Maybe working closer to his constituents has changed his perspective some.

[Toorich]

33. .... Sen. Langford of Oklahoma ....

.... a member of the "Sedition Caucus" is reputed to hold a Masters of Divinity degree, and
like others of his ilk, professes to be a bona fide, card-carrying, pro-life christian.

this may have spurred the use of some of the Mayor's words.

[yellowdogintexas]

40. depends on the school that gave him that degree.

Some are better than others

Just sayin

[calimary]

36. Oh you bet yer ass they're gonna be remembered.

I plan to add that info to the Resources section of our Indivisible group’s weekly Call to Action email.

And I intend to KEEP it there. I can do that. I’m “head writer.”

We WILL NOT forget who they were. House AND Senate. I’m hellbent-determined to make sure of that.

[Smackdown2019]

38. Here is what American Politics are

35 percent are far left - Liberal Democrats
20 percent - Conservative Democrats
3 percent - I dont care what I am
2 percent - Independent thinkers
10 percent - Conservative Republicans
30 percent - Trumper

In other words, we Americans gather to the midpoint of our political spectrum and put in our leaders according to who votes on election day.