Well, if you read my previous post regarding the Tulsa election, you may have thought I was too easy on Medlock for endorsing LaFortune. As I said in that post, I was shocked when I heard the news. What I didn’t put in the post is that I was also a little angry, and I even told Jeane that I’d like my money back (I made a small contribution to Medlock’s primary campaign). We all have initial reactions to things when we hear them.

But, I try to be a rational person. I waited for Medlock’s explanation. When it came on KFAQ, I understood where he was coming from. That does not mean that I agreed. What I also did not agree with, and what I still do not agree with, is demonizing Medlock because he made it. I still firmly believe that Medlock did not sell out. I think he’s been fighting for conservative influence in city government for a long time now, and he believed that LaFortune was offering that influence in a new administration. Medlock is the kind of guy that doesn’t care whose name is on the top of the list as long as the results are good ones.

One thing that was pointed out by MDG on KFAQ was that for him to even consider switching his vote from Faulk, he would have to see some substantive action from LaFortune BEFORE the election. Stating that the discussions with LaFortune have never been about getting an endorsement, rather how to get back the conservative base, Michael Bates points out that in his discussions with LaFortune, he has told him he needs to act before the election. Why? Because he’s the mayor, and he doesn’t have to wait until after the election to act:

I made the same point that I had already made on the radio — promises of change after the election would not persuade Miller and Medlock supporters to vote for LaFortune. Endorsements would not persuade them to vote for LaFortune. He would have to take some credible, tangible actions before election day as an earnest [sic], to show the voters that he means business. Since he’s mayor now, he doesn’t have to wait until after the election to take action.

You can read all the details over at Batesline, including Bates’ name in the running for a nomination and his subsequent withdrawal of his name.

So, LaFortune was told by some credible folks that he needed to change his ways before the election to convince people his new adminitsration will indeed be new.

So Monday, LaFortune calls a press conference to announce that he will do nothing. Chief Been will remain on administrative leave. Mr. Mayor, why do you insist on calling press conferences to announce inaction? Gather the press corps folks, I need to let the world know that I have not made up my mind. He says it’s because he didn’t want politics to affect the decision. When was the last time that politics didn’t affect ANY decision Bill LaFortune made? Come on man, we’re not idiots out here.

What Tulsans may have to consider now is that it may be possible that LaFortune, in addition to wanting the support of Medlock/Bates fans, he also wanted to get them to alienate a lot of their supporters to horribly that they will not be supportive of a future Medlock run for anything. Like I said, when has politics not been in the fore of LaFortune’s mind?

Our Tulsa World also brings up the specter that Inhofe and Sullivan have been heavily involved in the mayoral race because they don’t want Kathy Taylor to use it as experience for a run against them.

With the Democrats producing their future candidate, the great Republicans scrambled to make sure they kept Lafortune as the candidate to run against her. If she would lose this race it would thwart her chances of running for a Senate or Congressional seat but there was a problem. Chris Medlock and his heavy following worried them that it would spoil the plan, so they came up with the diversion for the deserting Lafortune votes. Randi Miller now enters the race , they throw a little money so she could run and buy some signs. Randi Miller admitted she didn’t have the heart to be Mayor and was talked into running by ? hmmmm.. It was enough to take away votes from Medlock and Lafortune wins. Now they have the problem of getting the people back to Lafortune. Remember that the Inhofe and Sullivan crew are still hanging around and trying to talk Miller into supporting Lafortune.

All I can say is that LaFortune continues to disappoint me. If he continues on this path, I think the honorable thing for Medlock to do is that announce that he has withdrawn his endorsement. He had the highest hopes from the discussions with LaFortune that it would be a new day in Tulsa politics, but LaFortune’s failure to take substantive steps ahead of the election have led him to lose faith in his decision. He needs to do so soon, too.

And Chris, I have seen you say in person that you were not running for Sam Roop’s job. That better still be the case. If LaFortune has failed to put legs under the assurances he made to you, you need to abandon ship. Don’t let LaFortune play rope-a-dope. He either acts or you’re gone. He’s running out of chances, if they are not already exhausted. It might be time to say, "You know what, I thought I saw a slim chance, but it was a mistake. I withdraw my endorsement of Bill LaFortune for mayor."

And finally, I have been thinking about the Faulk candidacy some. If he is conservative, and I know very little about him, conservatives should get behind him. If he doesn’t have the "experience" to be mayor, that could be a good or bad thing. All mayors have staffs to do all the things one mayor cannot handle. If Faulk were to win, his success would depend upon the caliber of the people he surrounds himself with…kinda like every other mayor.