Since we were mentioned yesterday...
Gentle reader:
In the Chickasaw Warrior Council House, it is not uncommon for us to sing songs about our ancestors, including the party leaders and elders that went before us. We long for the days of party leadership that knew we needed to build something and had to fight for it. We have not been in fight mode in Oklahoma for about two decades, and that lack of any real fight has conditioned us to lazy and/or stupid leadership. Some of our thoughts might perhaps upset some of you. Other thoughts will likely flow right along the rivers that bring us to you. Either way, you'll be educated, and that's an important part of life, right?
Many Native American traditions share a story of the Raven, and also share the story and regard for the Eagle. The Raven is regarded as a trickster. Raven is crafty and bold; a risk-taker. Raven is tactical more than Strategic or Operational. Raven, the stories of our elders tell us, stole the sun from an evil king that kept it locked in a box, and we all benefit from Raven's efforts this very day.
Eagle, on the other hand, is not bold. Eagle is wise and thoughtful. Eagle may be slower to react, but does react with vigor and calculation. Eagle measures calculation with reaction, often to greater impact than Raven. Eagle is strategic, ever planning the approach.
So which is better, Eagle or Raven? In our estimation, neither is better, but finding the balance between Eagle and Raven in all that you do, and every organization that you are a part of is essential. It is also essential to place Eagle and Raven in the right positions. You don't use Eagle on a short-fuse reaction mission, you would call up Raven for the task. Similarly, Raven is a poor choice to serve as leader of a large organization.
Currently we have too many Raven-centered individuals in OKGOP leadership and not enough Eagles. The Eagles were cast out by Raven-thinking, when we really need more of a balance. We have done so much winning and Democrats so much losing that the party is taken less necessary as a tool to victory. We have won so successfully that we have people in office that once would have registered as Democrats. Gentner Drummond is one example of this, Leslie Osborne is another. (There is an admitted difference here: Leslie started out as a passionate Tea-Party conservative when she was elected. Gentner was always a true Democrat.) But the overall point to take from this is 1) we need Eagles and Ravens in any organization; 2) some of us need to balance the Raven in ourselves with a little Eagle every now and then; 3) some of us need to balance the Eagle in ourselves with a little Raven every now and then; 4) Ravens can't do Eagle jobs and Eagles can't do Raven jobs. As a party, we currently need more Eagle, and less Raven.
To the point of Raven and Eagle, the Chairman Charity and her OKGOP just realized that they have to raise money. A Raven mindset usually raises less money than Eagle midsets. Most people with money prefer planners and strategy people, not loose cannons. Recognizing the problem, Bartlesville's own Sandy Crosnoe used us as a motivational plea to the grassroots. Sandy wrote on okgrassroots.com: "They want to see us fail. Chickasaw Warrior said, 'Burn it to the ground,'" Honestly we don't want to see it burned to the ground, but you're ahead of schedule, Sandy, we just know that it will. Through her webpage, she begs the grassroots to go to the OKGOP anedot page and donate "Anything you can commit."
But here's the problem, Sandy: Go back through 10-15 years of FEC reports, and you will discover who gives to the OKGOP. It's not the grassroots. It's large donors that liked the Eagles that you called RINOS. It's also elected officials that gave from their campaign accounts, but you decided you didn't want them to vote on the state committee anymore, so they have no stake in what you're doing. You don't want to have to pay for convention, so there is no financial safe harbor from bad moments. Raven-thinking did not calculate the unintended consequences of your actions, and now the chickens are coming home to roost. If the grassroots are the backbone of the party, don't forget you need other elements to get the job done. ("If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? 1COR 12:17) As currently constituted, The backbone must take on the role of the muscles, ligaments, brain, heart, and every other element that a backbone is not. Physically, that doesn't work.
And Matt Pinnell cannot save you if your underlying cause is flawed. We know that Brian Hobbs must have some naked pictures of PInnell somewhere. We know that Brian called in his last chit to get Pinnell to give them a little credibility. All it's done is piss off and bewilder donors and those that supported Pinnell for years. Token Eagles that you parade out don't work well. (We don't want to hear any of you mention John O'Connor, either. His wife-full raven-pulled him down this rabbit hole of stupidity, and he's bought in. It's sad, frankly.)
And promoting someone that has a legal record of harassing women in the past doesn't help bring in dollars, either. OKGOP now runs ads supporting Kreeper Krems on the Party page? Really? What indulgence can we get? (we know, our blessing was getting censured) This was an odd look full with his bio and areas of practice. Ferlin Kearns calls him DEI Krems, we didn't know that there was DEI for stalkers.
Raising money is your job, now, action figures. We know you didn't know this when you walked in, but it's most of the job, not yelling about fluoride or wind turbines. Go look how that's worked in other states where the action figures took over. It all too often does not end well.
Food for thought for the other side: We've heard the idea of suing the okgop over Krems' antics in denying the recount at the State Committee meeting, among other stunts this past weekend. We aren't sure it would do anything but cause some temporary irritation to the action figures, and definitely wouldn't change anything. Think more like Eagles and less like Ravens, friends.
Warmly, CW/CM/SC/WB
