oklahoma

Frequently ignored, rural voters are sometimes the most insistent. Rural youth, are just as dedicated to policies that can make their lives better. In Oklahoma youth have a solid idea of how issues impact their world. Unique to their area, the environment has a larger impact on their lives than that of urban America.

"In my town, if the river's high, everybody knows it. If the river's dirty, everyone knows about it," young voter Dale Denwalt says.

Kyle Meade is a second generation American whose grandparents came from Mexico. He attacks Republican Tyler Trammell on his assumption that immigration will force Americans into a Mexican culture. Meade says he's living proof that those stereotypes aren't true.

See what they think at the Rural Roundtable...

Youthy candidate in Oklahoma Ryan Kiesel who was elected as one of the youngest people ever in Oklahoma is up for reelection. He will surly win, but I think he's capable of greater things... what do ya'll think?

It’s an Olympic year, so there’s a lot of torch-passing going around these days. But it’s also a watershed year in which the torch is being passed, once again, to a new generation.

Two years ago, when I ran for State Senate and won, I watched a wave of young progressives sweeping across the nation. I was not just watching history happen, I was part of it with all of you.

This year, however, is proving that 2006 was just a prelude to a national movement, a generational shift that makes our nation’s hope for the future incredibly bright. And once again, I’m honored to be a part of history as it happens. This wouldn't be a pivotal year without your work and your involvement, and I wouldn't be here without the support of young people in Oklahoma.

I’m running for U.S. Senate in Oklahoma in part because I’m inspired by these times. A new group of people who have grown up believing that government can be a force for good in people’s lives are working to make sure that it fulfills that mission. We’re changing our nation from the inside out, from the state house to Washington. And the need for well-qualified and hopeful people to serve in the public sphere has never been greater.

We have to shape our own future. If we want to have Medicare and Social Security available when we retire, we must protect it now. If we want to have clean air for our children and energy sources to fill the void left when oil supplies shrink, we must fight for renewable and clean alternatives now. If we want to have quality and affordable health care available for when we, or our children, get sick, we must change the health care system now.

When I’m in the U.S. Senate, I’ll be fighting for all of these issues, as well as protecting our troops and our veterans, keeping our nation’s security strong, spending our tax dollars responsibly, and ensuring a quality education for every child. My opponent, incumbent Sen. Jim Inhofe, has proven to be out of touch with his constituents on these subjects. Being a voice for the people you represent is the basic job of any legislator, and he’s failing to do even that.

I appreciate the opportunity to come on Future Majority and discuss the issues you care about, as well as my U.S. Senate campaign. If you want to find out more about me and about this race, please look at my website, www.andrewforoklahoma.com . I’ll be happy to take your questions below.

Tomorrow at 1pm CENTRAL, 2pm EASTERN, we'll be hosting a live blog with 35 year old Andrew Rice of Oklahoma. Andrew recently won the Democratic primary in Oklahoma, carrying 60% of the vote. He is now going on to challenge Republican incumbent James Inhofe, one of the most notorious global warming deniers in the Senate.

You can RSVP on Facebook, and please invite others to join us. Here's a video from Andrew's site:

At a time when young people are exceeding participation in elections, issue discussion, and politics, progressives and democratic candidates have capitalized on the opportunities of a lifetime to juice up state parties and progressive leaning organizations across the country.

Most that had turnout numbers for the February Super Fat Tuesday elections showed an increase in youth participation and most of them voted for democratic candidates.

Except Oklahoma. As Mike told us Oklahoma had 10,000 more young people voted for Republican candidates - not Democrats.

This is curious to me. I'm familiar somewhat with Oklahoma - I have a few friends who work there and I looked into the kind of organizing the GOP is doing there and I gotta tell you, its not that much. Its in par with normal organizations and normal states. There is a Young Dems chapter in the main universities, and a College Republicans chapter there too. The Oklahoma GOP doesn't seem that active, that involved, or honestly that competent. The Dems don't seem like they have a 100% solid organization but they are more organized, have more staff, and are more open to "outside of the box" thinking - so I feel like they are better poised.

One operative I talked to said it might be a result of the closed vs. open primary. In Kansas we have an open Dem caucus vs. the GOP that has a closed caucus. We've seen in the past that young voters are more likely to register as independents.

Young Voter Strategies shows here

"Young voters' high rate of independence has been true throughout modern American political history. The America Voter noted in 1964 that "young people, just entering the electorate, are more likely than any of the older age groups to call themselves independents." Today about one-third of young adults identify as independent."

My friend in OK agrees with this. With a closed primary you don't get the independent voters or republican voters that want to vote more progressively but are just not registered that way.

Another reason GOP youth numbers were up, might be because this new blood may not have been excited by Bush but were excited by this race.

Another friend says that in Oklahoma they are having problems with an aging and passing democratic electorate. Oklahoma is an old school democratic state. Good old farmers and ranchers who have grown up and lived with staples in the party like Robert S. Kerr. Those folks are quickly dying off - and their children are not following suit in the same family business.

The data hasn't gone unnoticed by operatives there and many progressive leaning organizations have been developing their outreach to young voters. These new numbers are a good indication for the necessity for their organization and enthusiasm to continue. Perhaps, shift more into high gear.

As the data from YVS shows us - if you vote the same way in your first few elections, then you've got them hooked for life.

Seven months ago, Oklahoma Senator Jim Inhofe sat in a committee meeting and told former Vice President Al Gore that global warming was a lie. After a rambunctious few moments where Inhofe refused to let VP Gore answer any of his accusations or questions, Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) who was leading the hearing, informed Sen. Inofe that elections have consequences.

Seven months later, State Senator Andrew Rice is banking on that being the case as he ramps up his 2008 US Senate race against Inhofe.

Why should this matter to FM readers? Because Andrew is half Inhofe’s age, twice the stamina, twice the grassroots/netroots savvy, and most importantly, if elected Andrew Rice will become the youngest Senator in the country by nearly 10 years.