James Lankford (R OK-5) to run for Tom Coburn's Senate Seat

[RogueBeaver]

Cruz endorses Shannon.

[RogueBeaver]

Lankford's been branded as establishment.

[LeBron]

Geez, what Republicans will do for the most conservative candidates possible. Let alone one who, if elected, would give Republicans two African American Senators and then set up the Tea Party spokesmen for their opportunity to start lying talking again about how friendly the party is nowadays on race, civil rights, voting rights, poverty programs and wages etc. It's weird to how Cruz and Lee have endorsed Shannon so far but not the 3rd Stooge, Curly (Rand Paul). I have little doubt he'll eventually endorse Shannon to and he might be waiting for the primary to end for now just so he doesn't upset his fellow redhead congressional buddy.

I still have a little faith in Lankford though that he could eek out a win, but man, he should have been prepared for this. It is after all Oklahoma which obviously has a strong bench of young Republicans who were vying for the seat even before Coburn decided to retire.

[Indy Texas]

Lankford's been branded as establishment.

I"m sorry but, seriously, WTF?

The guy was elected in 2010 and has never held a public office apart from that.

T.W. Shannon and Randy Brogdon have longer political histories than Lankford does.

At this point, does Establishment just mean not crazy enough?

[RogueBeaver]

That's how the TP groups see it. To them Shannon has the preferable record, Lankford's more socon than C4G and is also a member of House leadership. Both men have support from the local establishment. Shannon has TP grassroots and the insurgent mantle.

[IceSpear]

Lankford's been branded as establishment.

At this point, does Establishment just mean not crazy enough?

Welcome to 2009.

[publicunofficial]

Establishment = Early frontrunner, basically


Shane Osborn, Mead Treadwell, and Neil Riser all suffered from it too. It's why I expect Brannon to be the nominee in North Carolina over Tillis.

[Keystone Phil]

Guys, you could never hold elected office in your life and still be part of the "Establishment." It's all about who you're cozy with. The point (and I'm not agreeing or disagreeing because I know next to nothing about Lankford) is that he's been close to the House leaders who are generally regarded as Establishment forces.

[Maxwell]

Guys, you could never hold elected office in your life and still be part of the "Establishment." It's all about who you're cozy with. The point (and I'm not agreeing or disagreeing because I know next to nothing about Lankford) is that he's been close to the House leaders who are generally regarded as Establishment forces.

Thank you. It's really not that hard to see.

[Niemeyerite]

Guys, you could never hold elected office in your life and still be part of the "Establishment." It's all about who you're cozy with. The point (and I'm not agreeing or disagreeing because I know next to nothing about Lankford) is that he's been close to the House leaders who are generally regarded as Establishment forces.

Thank you. It's really not that hard to see.

Yes, someone had to say it.

[Indy Texas]

Guys, you could never hold elected office in your life and still be part of the "Establishment." It's all about who you're cozy with. The point (and I'm not agreeing or disagreeing because I know next to nothing about Lankford) is that he's been close to the House leaders who are generally regarded as Establishment forces.

Thank you. It's really not that hard to see.

Yes, someone had to say it.

And why is that a bad thing? Why is it not okay to be close to House leaders for sake of actually, I don't know, getting $#!@ done, but it's perfectly okay to be close to the leaders of the Tea Party-Industrial Complex that exercises far more influence over Republican policymaking than anything that spineless chump Boehner does?

Is T.W. Shannon some lone wolf with no connections to anyone? Do you think he doesn't have his own closed-door meetings with people he owes favors to and will owe more favors to once the election's over and the checks have been cashed?

Please tell me just what far away planet you live on where that kind of "Establishment" is perfectly acceptable to you but James Lankford's isn't.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Guys, you could never hold elected office in your life and still be part of the "Establishment." It's all about who you're cozy with. The point (and I'm not agreeing or disagreeing because I know next to nothing about Lankford) is that he's been close to the House leaders who are generally regarded as Establishment forces.

Thank you. It's really not that hard to see.

Yes, someone had to say it.

And why is that a bad thing? Why is it not okay to be close to House leaders for sake of actually, I don't know, getting $#!@ done, but it's perfectly okay to be close to the leaders of the Tea Party-Industrial Complex that exercises far more influence over Republican policymaking than anything that spineless chump Boehner does?

Is T.W. Shannon some lone wolf with no connections to anyone? Do you think he doesn't have his own closed-door meetings with people he owes favors to and will owe more favors to once the election's over and the checks have been cashed?

Please tell me just what far away planet you live on where that kind of "Establishment" is perfectly acceptable to you but James Lankford's isn't.

Lankford panders to the interests of the Congressional Republican leadership. Shannon panders to the interests of the Oklahoma Republican establishment, thus making him the outside voice....technically.

[Indy Texas]

Guys, you could never hold elected office in your life and still be part of the "Establishment." It's all about who you're cozy with. The point (and I'm not agreeing or disagreeing because I know next to nothing about Lankford) is that he's been close to the House leaders who are generally regarded as Establishment forces.

Thank you. It's really not that hard to see.

Yes, someone had to say it.

And why is that a bad thing? Why is it not okay to be close to House leaders for sake of actually, I don't know, getting $#!@ done, but it's perfectly okay to be close to the leaders of the Tea Party-Industrial Complex that exercises far more influence over Republican policymaking than anything that spineless chump Boehner does?

Is T.W. Shannon some lone wolf with no connections to anyone? Do you think he doesn't have his own closed-door meetings with people he owes favors to and will owe more favors to once the election's over and the checks have been cashed?

Please tell me just what far away planet you live on where that kind of "Establishment" is perfectly acceptable to you but James Lankford's isn't.

Lankford panders to the interests of the Congressional Republican leadership. Shannon panders to the interests of the Oklahoma Republican establishment, thus making him the outside voice....technically.

The same logic that prevailed when "outsider" incumbent governor Rick Perry ran against incumbent US Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison who had not held elected office for as long as Rick Perry had and had a far more substantive career outside of politics than he did.

[RogueBeaver]

Freedomworks endorses Shannon.

[Tender Branson]

Shannon takes the lead (POS poll for OKLAHOMANS FOR A CONSERVATIVE FUTURE):

42% T.W. Shannon (+14% in the last month)
32% James Lankford (-5)
  7% Randy Brogdon (nc)

Methodology

Public Opinion Strategies is pleased to present Oklahomans for a Conservative Future with thekey findings of a telephone survey of likely Republican primary voters conducted statewide inOklahoma. The survey was completed April 21-22, 2014 among 500 likely GOP primary voters, including 100 interviews with cell phone respondents, and has a margin of error of +/- 4.38 in 95 out of 100 cases.

http://de.scribd.com/doc/219868261/OK-Sen-April-Memo

[RogueBeaver]

That's an internal. Hopefully PPP looks there soon enough.

[RogueBeaver]

Tulsa's importance in the primary.

[Maxwell]

Oh boy!

As a Tulsa voter, I am totally undecided between Shannon and Brogdon. Lankford has been an Religious Righter and affiliated with Republican leadership, and that's unacceptable to me. Not that Shannon isn't, but Lankford has certainly embraced those values and said no to Fiscal Conservatism by comparison to other Oklahoma Republicans.

[Miles]

Video of Shannon stumping with Palin/Cruz/Lee.

[RogueBeaver]

Politico on the race.

[Indy Texas]

Oh boy!

As a Tulsa voter, I am totally undecided between Shannon and Brogdon. Lankford has been an Religious Righter and affiliated with Republican leadership, and that's unacceptable to me. Not that Shannon isn't, but Lankford has certainly embraced those values and said no to Fiscal Conservatism by comparison to other Oklahoma Republicans.

What has he done, other than have the nerve to keep the federal government funded and in existence, to make you say that?

[njwes]

Per OK laws, can Lankford still run for his House seat or does competing for the Senate mean he can't run in his district (if he loses the primary)?

Also, I see plenty of SoCon appeal here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phGxltebZAI

[TX Conservative Dem]

Any new polling between Shannon and Lankford ?

Lankford's military service will be a big boost with Veterans.

[Joe Biden 2020]

As most everyone knows Congressman Lankford is an unashamed Southern Baptist Christian and he preached at my parents' church in March (I was unable to attend unfortunately) and I saw him at the Men's Retreat I went to at the youth camp grounds that he oversaw before running for Congress.  James Lankford has my full support for the United States Senate.

[windjammer]

As most everyone knows Congressman Lankford is an unashamed Southern Baptist Christian and he preached at my parents' church in March (I was unable to attend unfortunately) and I saw him at the Men's Retreat I went to at the youth camp grounds that he oversaw before running for Congress.  James Lankford has my full support for the United States Senate.

Bushie, you won't support the OK democrat?