James Cooper for City Council (Ward 2)

[catch22]

Just saw on Twitter that James Cooper is running for OKC Council Ward 2.

Looks like his main platform is infrastructure, education, and transit.

https://twitter.com/williamcrum/stat...859078144?s=21

www.jamesforokc.com

[Pete]

Yes, Ed Shadid has decided not to seek reelection and Cooper opposed him in 2014.

I believe Michael Dover -- who currently serves on the MAPS 3 Board -- has already filed for Ward 2 as well.


Ward 2 happens to be my district.

[king183]

Pete, you should run.

Cooper did not run an impressive campaign last time. I don't know anything about Dover, but I think you would be a really good asset on the city council.

[Pete]

^

Thanks.

Still considering it but leaning against it, primarily due to pending future plans that will require every single bit of my time and energy.

[Urban Pioneer]

Cooper did not run an impressive campaign last time.

Cooper didn’t have the money for an impressive campaign. He announced way too late and had to contend with much of the financial support going to Pastor Jemison who had significant ties to the community.

[king183]

Cooper didn’t have the money for an impressive campaign. He announced way too late and had to contend with much of the financial support going to Pastor Jemison who had significant ties to the community.

Respectfully, money is not a good excuse. It's the bad candidate's excuse for being outworked. The main reason people think it takes a ton of money to run for office and win is because campaign consultants have convinced people it's necessary. I can point to dozens of examples where the candidate who had substantially less money won--and often won in a landslide--because they outworked their opponent at the doors (and they were a compelling candidate).

Maybe Cooper learned some lessons from his first experience and he'll run a better campaign. I've run several campaigns where the candidate was substantially better after getting trounced in their first run.

[soonerguru]

Respectfully, money is not a good excuse. It's the bad candidate's excuse for being outworked. The main reason people think it takes a ton of money to run for office and win is because campaign consultants have convinced people it's necessary. I can point to dozens of examples where the candidate who had substantially less money won--and often won in a landslide--because they outworked their opponent at the doors (and they were a compelling candidate).

Maybe Cooper learned some lessons from his first experience and he'll run a better campaign. I've run several campaigns where the candidate was substantially better after getting trounced in their first run.

This is a whole new ballgame and he knows where he fell short. No need to bash someone who worked his butt off and learned some lessons. Beating an incumbent is very tough, especially when you start late and have little to no name ID. Completely different scenario this time.

[king183]

This is a whole new ballgame and he knows where he fell short. No need to bash someone who worked his butt off and learned some lessons. Beating an incumbent is very tough, especially when you start late and have little to no name ID. Completely different scenario this time.

I have absolutely no idea how you see me bashing Cooper here.

[Urban Pioneer]

I think he objects to you characterizing him as a “bad candidate”.

[king183]

I didn't characterize him as a bad candidate, so I'm not sure why he would object to that. The only thing I've said about Cooper is that he didn't run an impressive campaign and maybe he learned some lessons.

I did say using money as an excuse for losing is "the bad candidate's" excuse for being outworks; but to my knowledge, Cooper hasn't used that excuse.

[Urbanized]

Urban Pioneer introduced me to Cooper at the time and I'll say that as an individual I found him to be pretty impressive and engaging in a refreshingly non-schmoozy way. He also offers some diversity that the council could use anyway, but especially considering several recent changes to its membership. That said, not my ward, and I don't know enough about Dover at this point to say one candidate would be better than the other, anyway. Just weighing in that I'm glad to hear Cooper is back in the race.

[soonerguru]

I didn't characterize him as a bad candidate, so I'm not sure why he would object to that. The only thing I've said about Cooper is that he didn't run an impressive campaign and maybe he learned some lessons.

I did say using money as an excuse for losing is "the bad candidate's" excuse for being outworks; but to my knowledge, Cooper hasn't used that excuse.

No harm. No foul. You did use the phrase "bad candidate," so if you want to be understood, try to be more clear. That said, you have no idea how much work was put into that campaign, how many doors were knocked, how many fundraising meetings and phone calls made. So if you believe Cooper lost because he was lazy or ran a "bad campaign," as someone with inside knowledge it sounds like you are bashing.

I take your word that when you said "bad candidate" you weren't referring to James Cooper, because he is anything but that.

All that being said, he has several months to seriously campaign and a huge base of support to build on. It is a much different race. Yes, he's learned many lessons. He also has experience as a trustee on a major city board plus four years to reflect.

He will have the resources necessary to run a winning campaign and the time necessary to expand on his name ID, which he worked very hard to build during his last run.

[Jeepnokc]

Cooper came and spoke with me several weeks ago. I was impressed with his vision and his drive. i think we need a few more members of of younger generations (under 40) on the council to help our City thrive with new ideas.

[TheSteveHunt]

I think I like him. If we are going to do big things, like shake down Bezos to help fund our transit, he's a good guy to have on the team.

[Urban Pioneer]

https://www.nytimes.com/video/us/pol...=1194811622221

[LocoAko]

https://www.nytimes.com/video/us/pol...=1194811622221

This is awesome. And, at the risk of getting political outside the Politics section -- more than anything else this is the type of profile of the city/advertisement that is really going to attract young people and further grow the city's Millennial population.

[TheSteveHunt]

I remember driving Max Blumenthal around OKC 10 yrs ago, explaining how he and all other like-minded rabble rousers
and creative, forward thinking folks are wasting their time in NYC and places like that, that if they came here we could really get some things done.
Maybe that can finally start happening, and without making housing unaffordable for people as is happening in Austin and elsewhere...

[Anonymous.]

This is awesome. And, at the risk of getting political outside the Politics section -- more than anything else this is the type of profile of the city/advertisement that is really going to attract young people and further grow the city's Millennial population.

Wow, that video was surprisingly nice. And actually showed the updates city instead of B-roll footage from 2013.

[Urban Pioneer]

They spent three to four days here filming. They even came to our RTA meeting!

[poe]

I really enjoyed that video. Definitely makes me want to relocate and be part of the change.

[Urban Pioneer]

Just read this in the Gazette print version. Nice seeing all of the Cooper signs in Ward 2 yards. I hope the support for him turns out.

https://m.okgazette.com/oklahoma/tak...nt?oid=5568613

[David]

I can't wait to vote for Cooper next week.

[HOT ROD]

I do hope he wins, but I also wish a one or two of the girls running could be in other ward(s).

I think it's important to fill the council with the next generation AND more women/minorities. Only then can OKC really become the progressive urban city we all want.

[HOT ROD]

I also would LOVE for the council to get a higher salary. I've stated this before, but we need to remove the 'ceremony' from these positions and pay them for the full-time work they put in (and should).

Council Member $48,000 salary (vs. $12,000 now)
Vice Mayor $60,000 salary (vs. $0 now)
Mayor $88,000 salary (vs. $24,000 now)

Total Expenditure $484,000 (vs. -a laughable- $120,000 now)

[TheTravellers]

I also would LOVE for the council to get a higher salary. I've stated this before, but we need to remove the 'ceremony' from these positions and pay them for the full-time work they put in (and should).

Council Member $48,000 salary (vs. $12,000 now)
Vice Mayor $60,000 salary (vs. $0 now)
Mayor $88,000 salary (vs. $24,000 now)

Total Expenditure $484,000 (vs. -a laughable- $120,000 now)

Ed Shadid mentioned this exact same thing in the last council meeting - said to to put on the ballot a proposal to pay councilmembers and mayor a living wage so the people in those positions didn't have to be independently wealthy or work multiple jobs to be on the council.