29th June 2016, 7:12 AM
Not even local elections really ever bother to run TV ads around here. For example, I had to be reminded to go vote for a state senator yesterday because there's been zero ads for it. I mean, there's been yard signs everywhere, but none of those signs bothered putting a date on them. I'm not saying we have NO political ads of ANY sort. I recall there being a lot of oil company funded ads about passing the pipe line legislation, for example, but that's basically all you see is ads from lobbying campaigns on specific issues, and they're as ridiculous as you might expect.
But, what you never ever see on the air waves in Oklahoma is your stereotypical "Candidate A SAYS they don't eat babies, but what's the REAL truth? Out of context quote from old news headline. What ELSE aren't you telling us, Candidate A? Sponsored by the heartland organization for betterment of Candidate B." style ad. I can't imagine those ads would do well here anyway, since the entirely of our state's exposure to them has been in the form of parody. As for presidential ads not targetting us, yes, we've got a Republican majority base. But, don't overstate it. We aren't "one of the most republican states in the union". There are at least 5s of states ahead of us on that list :D. At least a third of our population routinely vote democrat, and there's still a solid liberal voting block here, which is something, say, Mississippi can't attest to (even typing that state is exhausting), plus there's the gerrymandering that hurts any attempt to make even local change.
Oh! Here's a frustrating thing. As an independent, I was told I had to pick which thing I got to vote for. I could EITHER vote for a local position, OR I could vote for state senator. What? I really do hate "closed party" voting a lot... It really makes it very hard for liberal Oklahomans to make even nominal changes to the politics around here...
But, what you never ever see on the air waves in Oklahoma is your stereotypical "Candidate A SAYS they don't eat babies, but what's the REAL truth? Out of context quote from old news headline. What ELSE aren't you telling us, Candidate A? Sponsored by the heartland organization for betterment of Candidate B." style ad. I can't imagine those ads would do well here anyway, since the entirely of our state's exposure to them has been in the form of parody. As for presidential ads not targetting us, yes, we've got a Republican majority base. But, don't overstate it. We aren't "one of the most republican states in the union". There are at least 5s of states ahead of us on that list :D. At least a third of our population routinely vote democrat, and there's still a solid liberal voting block here, which is something, say, Mississippi can't attest to (even typing that state is exhausting), plus there's the gerrymandering that hurts any attempt to make even local change.
Oh! Here's a frustrating thing. As an independent, I was told I had to pick which thing I got to vote for. I could EITHER vote for a local position, OR I could vote for state senator. What? I really do hate "closed party" voting a lot... It really makes it very hard for liberal Oklahomans to make even nominal changes to the politics around here...
"On two occasions, I have been asked [by members of Parliament], 'Pray, Mr. Babbage, if you put into the machine wrong figures, will the right answers come out?' I am not able to rightly apprehend the kind of confusion of ideas that could provoke such a question." ~ Charles Babbage (1791-1871)