Posted on 08/29/2006 10:10:31 AM PDT by okstate
Vote For Governor
Henry (D), 60%
Istook (R), 34%
Undecided, 5%
Vote For Lt. Governor
Askins (D), 48%
Hiett (R), 42%
Undecided, 8%
Other, 2%
In the LT Gov race, Todd Hiett is the current Speaker of the House, I think. Not sure what position, if any, Jari Askins holds.
A Democrat getting 60% in Oklahoma for Governor?
WOW
Why is Istook doing so poorly in this poll?
Probably because of the "Istook Amendment". Which if passed would have given lawmakers the right to examine American Citizen's Tax Records.
And they don't have that authority now? I was audited 10 years ago because of my local political activities. The IRS bureaucrat accidentally let the truth out at the interview with his incredulity of his supervisors insistence of pursuing me.
Istook is a very good man....hope he wins!! Sad to see that OKIEs go for Dems.
I take it Dems in Oklahoma are still more conservative than say, Northeastern Pubbies.
THAT was a real dumb move on Istook's part - he deserves to lose only on that issue.
Place the blame on the "republicans" for not placing a better candidate - or is the "Istook Amendment" a RNC backed plan?
If Henry wins by 60% he will be considered for VP in 2008.
However, there is no way he will get 60%.
No. Mary Fallin, the current LT GOV, is the GOP candidate to succeed him.
Ernest is fighting an uphill battle. As was mentioned earlier, people in Oklahoma have not been given a reason to get rid of Brad Henry. He is, from what I've heard, an empty suit, but the voters don't know that.
I'd never vote for him, but he is a little to the right of a Republican from New England. He did sign a parental notification bill, which would torpedo his ambitions with the Dem party outside Oklahoma. I'd be shocked if the Dem presidential candidate picked him as a running mate, unless they really want those 7 electoral votes from Oklahoma.
The Dem party still leads in voter registration in Oklahoma, though Bush carried all 77 counties in 2006. The urban areas lean Republican. The rural areas are full of culturally conservative Democrats that will vote Democrat if they are given one they can vote for. John Kerry, for example, is not one they can vote for. Brad Henry is.
As for the Lt Governor's race: Todd Hiett is the first Republican Speaker of the state House in decades. He is term-limited. Jari Askins is the House Democratic leader, also known as the House Minority Leader.
At the state level, election is not a slam dunk for a Republican in Oklahoma as it is in a presidential election. The Republican still has to give people a reason to vote for him. That is why Steve Largent is not governor now, and Brad Henry is.
Excellent analysis. And speaking of Steve Largent specifically, from what I've heard he ran a very poor campaign for Governor. (Also there was a strong third-party canddiate for Governor in 2002 which may have leeched votes away from him.) Henry won by a razor-thin margin over Largent, but four years out he's clearly improved upon that and I would not be surprised if this poll is correct and he does win with 60 percent.
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