"A Time for Ideas"

By Keith Gaddie
from Tailgate Politics
Thursday, Jan. 19, 2007

The fashion in American political punditry is to be cynical. The cynic, after all, is rarely disappointed by failure, but instead revels in a snide grin, confident in their knowledge that father figures have feet of clay and the promises of politicians are fleeting at best, driven by the need to garner votes from a public that wants to be fooled.

I'm going to fight cynicism and will argue for the conversation emerging in Central Oklahoma over Ideas. The conversation for ideas comes from many directions – a young house speaker who is seeking public input on possible new policies, from an ambitious mayor who is building on the ideas and successes of his predecessors and asks how we can direct tax dollars to build more private opportunity and a more capable community. It will doubtlessly surprise old-line conservatives that these ostensibly conservative Republicans are talking about new ways to use government, but, at base, that is what the legislature and the media are for – to talk about how to do things better. Instead of staring at its boots, saying "aw shucks" or waiting for the next oil boom, Oklahomans are looking forward and saying "what next?"
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