Ward 2 Runoff On The Campaign Issues Only, Please

[OkieDave]

Yup, I heard they throw in lots of innuendo, I guess gay bashing works in Oklahoma. Wonder what the gay community will think of Swinton using them to turn voters away from Shadid. Shadid is smart, reasonable, well spoken and independent, surely the shadow funding group can be ok with someone like this. What are they buying by trying to get Swinton in?

[bornhere]

I can't think of anything the big money folks could want that isn't already available from the existing majority.

[Snowman]

Did anyone see Shadid's ad in today's Gazette? It's awesome. It has a compare and contrast on issues and background with Swinton, and in it, he reminds voters that Swinton wants to push back the train to the end of the line, and that Shadid says, and I quote: "Dr. Shadid believes that MAPS-3 should be completed
as it was promised to voters, with maximum transparency, honesty and public deliberation. Needlessly delaying the rail component of MAPS-3 could cost the city $60-120 million in federal matching funds, reducing the project’s connectivity to neighborhoods."

I think the choice in this race is clear: vote for the good ole boy who's been bought by Chesapeake and wants to delay and screw up the schedule of the streetcar; or vote for the self-financed candidate who wants the MAPS subcommittees and citizen participation to guide the MAPS process. Pretty easy decision.

Go Ed!

Even if they choose the most anti-MAPS or anti-streetcar candidate it is not like they would be able to do anything by their own. They could delay the proceeding with rehashed arguments. The council most of the time is unanimous now with instances of one or two decent. I am trying to think of the last time that I even saw one that could have had a swing vote.

[betts]

Even if they choose the most anti-MAPS or anti-streetcar candidate it is not like they would be able to do anything by their own. They could delay the proceeding with rehashed arguments. The council most of the time is unanimous now with instances of one or two decent. I am trying to think of the last time that I even saw one that could have had a swing vote.

I agree. Brian Walters is gone and he never stopped anything. What can Charlie Swinton do? Why do they care so much? That's what puzzles me. It's not as if he'll be a swing vote. Ed Shadid is a marvel of rationality compared to Brian Walters so why doesn't whoever is supporting Swinton save their money?

[Doug Loudenback]

Quite right, Sid, and Jill, like you, I wonder why big money is being spent in the Ward 2 campaign. There must be a reason or else it wouldn't be being spent ... but we don't know what the reason is. I've copied the video clip for a YouTube format and it is shown below (sans the comments at the link you posted, Sid, to Ed Shadid's Facebook page), just to show the raw video of Sam Bowman which speaks for itself and really needs no embellishment. These comments were made by Ward 2 incumbent Sam Bowman who did not seek re-election, who endorsed no successor, and were made in the March 8 City Council meeting, the original source being Cox Cable Chanel 20, the Oklahoma City government's public channel. His feelings were of sufficient strength for him to make some rather strong statements, they coming from a generally fairly quiet and deliberative man. Among other things, he said,

Sam Bowman speaking on March 8
And then, in these last few weeks, big money has gotten involved to the extent, my opinion, it has just made a mockery of our city elections. * * * The people, I think, need to know who's behind the money..."

[OkieDave]

Thanks for posting Doug, wow. Seems the secret money is being spent for maybe one or two reasons. Swinton will owe some big favors back or they are scared of an independent voice that cannot be bought.

[Doug Loudenback]

Here is Ed Shadid's 3/9/2011 full page Gazette ad ... click the thumbnail for a readable view.



I've not spotted any Charlie Swinton ads yet.

[Snowman]

the commitiee for oklahoma city momentum must just be getting it's own inertia going, their homepage tells you nothing about who they are or what they support.

[Doug Loudenback]

the commitiee for oklahoma city momentum must just be getting it's own inertia going, their homepage tells you nothing about who they are or what they support.

I'd surely be interested in knowing (1) who its contributors are and (2) how much they've contributed, (3) what, if any, money they have contributed directly to any of the candidates, particularly (since Ward 2 is all that's left) Ward 2, and (4) how the PAC has otherwise spent its money.

I have no idea about Form C-1 filing requirements, and perhaps someone that does will chime in here. Evidently, the earlier filing time cutoff made it possible for this PAC not to file a Form C-1 since it had neither received nor distributed funds by the cutoff date. But won't another cutoff date occur before the runoff election? I don't know. But, if not, all of the contributions and expenditures of the Momentum PAC will avoid ANY public scrutiny until after the runoff election occurs. It's easy to see why Councilman Bowman made his remarks at the March 8 council meeting.

[mcca7596]

Didn't the Committee for Oklahoma City Momentum pay for several forms of advertising for Meg Salyer?

[Snowman]

Granted most of what I have found so far has just been internet speculation, but several are indicating The Committee for Oklahoma City Momentum is the chamber of commerce and some individual corperations supporting the incumbents (except Walters), Greenwell and Swinton.

[Doug Loudenback]

Didn't the Committee for Oklahoma City Momentum pay for several forms of advertising for Meg Salyer?

Yes it did, and, I think, for Ward 8 candidate Ryan and Ward 5 candidate Greenwell as well. Although these candidates (Salyer, Ryan, Greenwell) are on record as favoring completion of MAPS 3 as described in the city council's concurrent resolution, those wards were a bit unique: Ward 2 Salyer and Ward 8 Ryan had Tea Party/Windsor Hills Baptist Church opponents which, if elected, would have generally had the potential of upsetting the MAPS 3 program in its entirety; with Ward 5, it was a choice between the incumbent, Walters, and his opponent, Greenwell -- Walters having opposed MAPS 3 and Greenwell advocating that it be completed per the council's concurrent resolution.

But, when you get down to Ward 2, the flavors and context change a bit. Here, the issues shift from WHETHER MAPS 3 was a good/bad idea at its kernel to WHICH projects will get done as contained in council's concurrent resolution. Swinton is evidently aligned with those who emphasize the convention center receiving priority attention; Shadid is evidently aligned with those who say, complete the projects per the council's concurrent resolution, without deference favoring or disfavoring any particular project.

[mcca7596]

Thanks Doug, I incorrectly assumed that the Committee for Oklahoma City Momentum was favoring Salyer, Ryan and Greenwell because of their support for the Streetcar. If I understand you correctly, it was more so simply because they favored keeping council members who supported the whole of MAPS3, their main interest being the new convention center.

That would certainly support the idea Snowman suggested that the Committee is perhaps an ancillary arm of the Chamber of Commerce.

[Doug Loudenback]

Thanks Doug, I incorrectly assumed that the Committee for Oklahoma City Momentum was favoring Salyer, Ryan and Greenwell because of their support for the Streetcar. If I understand you correctly, it was more so simply because they favored keeping council members who supported the whole of MAPS3, their main interest being the new convention center.

That would certainly support the idea Snowman suggested that the Committee is perhaps an ancillary arm of the Chamber of Commerce.

In fact, since the Committee for Oklahoma City Momentum has not yet made public disclosures of any type (including but not limited to the filing of Forms C-1 with the city clerk), the public is left with nothing definitive about the Momentum PAC other than the mailings it placed its name in favor of various council candidates. In my Ward 6, that included many favoring Meg Salyer (which I did also). I'd suppose that the same was true with other Momentum PAC mailers in other wards.

But, when one gets down to specifics, the Ward 2 runoff is probably the most illuminating about the Momentum PAC because it does not involve the same pack of cards which were present in Wards 5, 6, and 8. It is a different deck altogether.

All of this guessing would be immediately clarified if the Momentum PAC would lay its cards on the table ... here is "who" we are and "what we are for." But that's not likely to happen. Until it does, based on what I've seen so far, my assumption will continue to be that the Momentum PAC is aligned with the largest business interests in the city, e.g., the Oklahoman, Devon, Chesapeake, SandRidge, BankFirst, and others, and, at last, their spokesperson, the Chamber. Maybe I'm wrong about what I've just said, but that would be easy enough to clear up by the Momentum PAC simply filing a Form C-1 with the city clerk.

Since we know or have good reason to believe that the Chamber's priority in the MAPS 3 agenda was the convention center (which I favor, as well), but which was not a high priority with voters (according to polls) although the streetcar part of MAPS3 was, one could easily argue that MAPS 3 passed at least partly because the streetcar part was popular even though the convention center was not.

If that be so, the forces favoring the convention center, whoever they are, are apparently willing to throw the streetcar part "under the train," so to speak. And, to me, that's just nasty and dirty. Each will make up his/her own mind about that.

[Larry OKC]

Yes it did, and, I think, for Ward 8 candidate Ryan and Ward 5 candidate Greenwell as well. Although these candidates (Salyer, Ryan, Greenwell) are on record as favoring completion of MAPS 3 as described in the city council's concurrent resolution, those wards were a bit unique: Ward 2 Salyer and Ward 8 Ryan had Tea Party/Windsor Hills Baptist Church opponents which, if elected, would have generally had the potential of upsetting the MAPS 3 program in its entirety; with Ward 5, it was a choice between the incumbent, Walters, and his opponent, Greenwell -- Walters having opposed MAPS 3 and Greenwell advocating that it be completed per the council's concurrent resolution.

A slight clarification, although Walters did oppose MAPS 3, he was on record well before this election as supporting the completion of MAPS 3 per the Council's resolution (and keeping the promises made during the campaign).

[Doug Loudenback]

Yes, that's so, Larry.

[Midtowner]

These tactics of Swinton's stand a good chance at backfiring. Voters in municipal elections tend to be much more highly informed than voters in national or statewide elections. Not only will most of them know what a push-poll is, they'll know when they're a target of one and more often than not be able to identify the source.

I'm not in Ward 2, but I'm very impressed with Mr. Shadid, and not so much with Swinton.

[OSUFan]

I've posted this before but I think it bares repeating since people keep asking where some of the criticism of Shadid is coming from. During the runoff a Shadid volunteer knocked on my door and his pitch was that we don't need to focus so much money and energy on downtown development.

Now before people fire off a bunch of private messages to me, I've got no problem with Shadid. Seems like a decent, smart guy who would do a good job if elected. I also know he can't control what all of his volunteers are saying. However, I live pretty close to downtown so that particular message didn't work well with me but I'm sure it does with others.

I'm just posting my own experience with his campaign to show that yes there is some background to Shadid and an anti-developmental mindset.

[OkieDave]

OSU Fan and others, I think one of the problems it seems that Shadid has many volunteers that are not paid disciplined operatives, I think they use Shadid as a rorschach test for their own bias. He is a very smart, thoughtful listener, caring person. I think it would be great if we could get him to do a meet up of some kind with anyone on the forum that can make it. If you like Sam and a neighborhood focus, Shadid is the guy. I bet if anyone asks Sam or Janis privately who they hope to win, I bet it is Shadid.

[soonerguru]

OkieDave,

Bingo.

As for the push polling, if they're doing that Shadid must be polling very well. This will DEFINITELY backfire in that district; it's the second most progressive district in the state. I'm thinking Shadid can pull this out. It's going to take a lot of effort. I'm willing to volunteer.

[Doug Loudenback]

Here is Ed Shadid's March 16 full page ad in the Oklahoma Gazette. Click the thumbnail for a more readable view.



As of March 16, I've located no newspaper ads for Charlie Swinton in the runoff. When I do, I'll post them in this thread.

[ljbab728]

I just have a side note that probably has no bearing on the election. Shadid's cousin, Anthony Shadid, is a reporter for the NY Times who is currently missing in Libya while on assignment there.

[Doug Loudenback]

My understanding is that this evening (Sunday March 20), both candidates will be interviewed by Gwin Faulconer-Lippert on her KTOK-1000 AM show. Charlie Swinton's segment is 7:00-7:30; Ed Shadid's segment is 7:30-8:00.

To listen on the radio, tune to KTOK-AM 1000 at 7 p.m. on Sunday, March 20. To listen on the internet in real time, this link should work: http://radiotime.com/station/s_35728/KTOK_1000.aspx ... after the interview, and usually a day later, podcast recordings are up for about a week at http://www.ktok.com/cc-common/podcast.html ... there, scroll to the bottom to find The Gwin Faulconer-Lippert Show which is divided into 4 30-minute segments. These interviews should segments 1 and 2.

I'll be recording both and inserting them into my March 1 Vote & Ward 2 Runoff article at this location after converting them to a usable web format.

Yesterday morning (Saturday), before learning about these upcoming interviews, I reached the conclusion that I had enough information for me to comfortably make a decision about my own personal choice in this election. Although I'm not a Ward 2 voter (I live in Meg Salyer's Ward 6), I concluded that sufficient cause existed for me to form and publish my opinion, for whatever it may be worth. If the various regular and super-PACs take it as their business to become involved in elections city-wide, who am I not to follow their example?

My conclusion was and is that, all things considered and after sifting through everything I've been able to find ... and I've looked hard ... and knowing there will be more in the days ahead ... I have concluded that I have every confidence that Ed Shadid is the best choice for Oklahoma City.

Having come to that conclusion, I will nonetheless continue to report everything that either candidate or others (e.g., newspaper articles, editorials, etc.) have to say about which I have knowledge leading up to the April 5 runoff election in this article.

I encourage all who are interested in this election to listen to the Gwin Faulconer-Lippert interviews. Since they are not scripted, her interviews may provide the best unfiltered information that the public at large will get before reaching conclusions about which candidate will best serve not only Ward 2 but the city as a whole.

[Doug Loudenback]

Thanks Doug, I incorrectly assumed that the Committee for Oklahoma City Momentum was favoring Salyer, Ryan and Greenwell because of their support for the Streetcar. If I understand you correctly, it was more so simply because they favored keeping council members who supported the whole of MAPS3, their main interest being the new convention center.

That would certainly support the idea Snowman suggested that the Committee is perhaps an ancillary arm of the Chamber of Commerce.

The closest thing that I've been able to find which even publicly guestimates the makeup of the Momentum committee is in an article in the City Sentinel, a weekly paper serving a broadly defined center city. In its March 9 issue, Patrick B. McGuigan, Senior Editor, wrote,

On the other side of the independent expenditure ledger, the Committee for Oklahoma City Momentum was very active. The group was apparently a means for Chamber of Commerce members to advance support for incumbents other than Walters, and boost Swinton in Ward 2.

We are still left to guess, though, whether Momentum is a Chamber initiative or is more narrowly a group of a few or several wealthy members of the community who do not necessarily speak for and are not necessarily representative of the Chamber as a whole. The City Sentinel is a chamber member, for whatever that's worth.

[Doug Loudenback]

From Charlie Swinton's Facebook page, I see the following:

Robin Dorner: Will you be having a "town hall" type meeting with your opponent before the final election? I would like to attend if you do.

Charlie Swinton Yes, there is a Wilemans 8 neighborhood association meeting on Tuesday March 22nd at 7pm at Belle Isle library. We will both be speaking. I do not know the format for the evening. Charlie