The Oklahoma State Capital

At a time when good news is at a premium, it has been provided to us courtesy of a brave freshman state representative. He just did something remarkable for current-day Oklahoma politics: he related a coherent plan, actually reflecting the values of the people of Oklahoma, and pledged his loyalty to those concepts, instead of the politicians in the legislature, also known as "the team," or the monied special interest groups, or, and most importantly, what is perhaps the most powerful politician in Oklahoma, the Speaker of the House.

This is an example of what a representative government, of the people, actually looks like and a tantalizing view of the future.

And for many state representatives, this is an alien concept. They think that they "work" for the Speaker of the House. Any hesitation they might have, that slight inkling that perhaps this isn't appropriate or the way things should be, is quickly papered over with the faux logic of, "you must stick with the team," the group of fellow politicians whose electoral safety must be prioritized above all else, even if it entails the abandonment of principle.

Freshman state representative Jim Shaw, having survived his first session, just made it clear: he's not playing this game. He will support candidates and causes who support seven basic, common sense tenets, which you can read about at SaveOklahomaPlan.com, even if those candidates or causes are in opposition to the politicians with whom Shaw regularly interfaces in the Capitol world.

Only those who have seen the dark politics of the Capitol and the artificial world that thrives inside it can truly appreciate the courage it takes to make such a stand.

Those who have followed Shaw's work will know that he was elected by what was perhaps the most dramatic political upset in the history of Republican primaries in Oklahoma.

But the question was: would Shaw, like so many other heroes of the people, go to Oklahoma City and play the game, assimilate into the Borg, join the blob, cave to peer pressures, to concentrated power, and to monied special interests?

Would he take the broad, easy path that so many others follow?

Now we know: he did not.

Long term observers have likely approached Shaw with cautious optimism, after being betrayed time and again by the state’s politicians. Yet his performance has been a welcome antidote to the cynicism that convinces so many to give up and believe change is impossible.

By pledging adherence to principles, instead of his fellow politicians, Shaw has taken a brave stand. The Capitol is a very dark place, and Shaw is certain to draw fire from all sectors of those who play the grift, and who fear the day of reckoning when they might have to answer for their betrayal of the principles they pretend to still hold when asking for your vote.

Shaw will come under specific fire from that group which likes to pretend to be grassroots—the mediocrities of the House of Representatives—often grifters who attend all of the grassroots events, and lobby for, sometimes successfully, the support of the grassroots, but who, as many do, go weak in the face of the peer pressure inside of the Capitol world or worse, actively join in with the grift.

Those attacks have already started, including by a "grassroots" state representative who couldn't help but commit a self-own by inexplicably choosing to use state taxpayer resources in a pointless press release attacking one of the most important of Shaw's proposals.

But for all of the angst felt by those "Republican" politicians, they should be thanking Shaw.

Shaw's platform is a throwback in time to when Republican candidates stood for something. When they campaigned for office on ideas and principles, not just consultant-driven, poll-tested but functionally mostly meaningless bullet points. When it wasn't just about maintaining power, pointlessly "marking the time," as President Reagan would aptly describe, but when they actually had a plan for translating the values of American originalism into articulable thought, and then action and result.

When I first joined the House of Representatives, Republican leaders would hold a pre-session presser in which they would lay out their plan—an agenda that meant something.

I was inspired by and believed in significant components of that plan and spent much of my time in the legislature attempting to bring about specific action, to make the government become smaller, more efficient, and much more open and transparent.

Today's Republican leaders, from the candidates to governor, to those for statewide office, to the legislatures, and certainly at the local level of government, are very different: they are clueless, aimless, and have little in the way of a tangible plan for the translation of American originalist thought into specific action.

One who thoughtfully listens to their thought and discussion will realize: they have no clue, nor even a desire to try to make a substantive difference for the long term.

Those aimless "Republicans" would do well to understand the rising momentum of the people and sign onto the Save Oklahoma approach.

They will be pleasantly surprised to learn that if given a vision, the people will run through walls to get them elected.

And this is badly needed for the electoral benefit of Oklahoma Republicans. The two presumptive "leaders" for the Republican nomination for governor are among the most uninspiring candidates ever to top the Republican ballot, perhaps in our lifetimes. They offer no articulable vision and are not in any way, shape, or form inspirational—setting the stage to drag down the entire ticket. Likewise, legislative leaders have provided no spark to motivate turnout for their members. The Save Oklahoma plan offers the tool that wise officeholders would do well to adopt and embrace.

And for the grassroots, the plan has just provided a powerful new tool: As Oklahoma's band of politicians—from the gubernatorial candidates, to the statewide secondary office seekers, to the legislators—continue to forage for votes, attending monthly meetings and seeking support by hook or by crook, the question that must be asked is: "Do you support the Save Oklahoma plan?" If the politician hesitates, makes excuses, stutters, or throws out red herrings—as they are so skilled at doing—the answer is clear: they do not. And the conclusion is equally clear: such a politician does not deserve the people’s vote.

Note: The Oklahoma State Capital is preparing to release the first edition of its flagship product: The Peoples' Audit and Capital Index. This first-of-its-kind initiative grades legislators not by the bill, but by the vote—highlighting the 100 worst votes, grading the legislators accordingly, and providing a set of exemplars designed to help readers clearly communicate to voters just how significant these betrayals really are.

As a thank you to subscribers of the Capital, who make this work possible, the release will go first to them. If you have not yet created a paying subscription and are in a position to do so, we invite you to subscribe to receive the initiative and the first release of this flagship product.