Email
PrintLet the games begin
Jeff Martin considers who will accomplish the most for Tulsans.
The people have spoken. What they said wasn’t all that surprising given the polling data and overall expectations, but they have spoken nonetheless.
On Nov. 11, the day after the general election (Nov. 10), we will have either Dewey Bartlett (R) or Tom Adelson(D) as the next leader for our fair city.
How do I feel about this? Honestly, I’m not sure yet. I hope to learn more as the election draws closer, but from what I can tell, these two men are planted firmly in the middle.
Bartlett, while a fairly staunch conservative, isn’t what I would ever call a crazy right-wing fundamentalist. And Adelson has shown nothing that would ever bring words like “socialist” or “liberal” to mind. Now this was not the case with some of the other primary candidates.
Out of that pool (which, let’s be honest, had its fair share of crazies), we’ve ended up with two people who are more similar than one might imagine.
Oklahoma is a very conservative state. We are the only state in which every single county voted for John McCain. But Tulsa has always seemed more centrist than the rest of the state. Not that we are by any means a progressive or liberal city. There are little pockets here and there, but nothing that could take on the establishment. Not yet.
But when it comes to city government, we are more interested in infrastructure and the day-to-day activities that go into running Tulsa than we are about social issues and the issues that divide us on a national level (guns, religion, gay marriage, etc.).
The primary victories for these two men only enforce this truth. At the end of the day, Tulsans just want people who can get things done. One of these men just might fit the bill.
What do you think about our mayoral choices? Share your thoughts below!
