Obama still not OK in Oklahoma

Unlike a majority of Americans, Oklahomans are not feeling positive about the job President Obama is doing.

Only 38 percent of Oklahomans approve of Obama’s work so far, according to a new survey from Public Policy Polling. The North Carolina-based polling organization surveyed 715 Oklahomans about their political viewpoints.

Sixty-five percent of Americans approve of the job the president is doing, according to a May 23 Gallup poll.

Gary Jones, Oklahoma Republican Party chairman, said Obama’s record in office thus far has turned off many Oklahomans.

“Oklahoma is a conservative state,” Jones said. “Obama has turned out to be more liberal and progressive than voters expected him to be, and that is not the direction Oklahomans want to see the country go in.”

Jones said many voters who are registered Democrat do not vote along party lines.

“In counties where only 20 percent are registered Republican, we see Republicans winning by 65 to 70 percent,” he said. ”There are a lot of people in rural counties that are registered Democrat that consider themselves conservative.”

Jones said it is hard to merge conservative philosophy with the platform of the Democratic Party, and that is why many voters disapprove of the president.

Todd Goddman, Oklahoma Democratic Party chair, said his party believes the low approval numbers are an issue of lack of education on current events and facts.

“If you look at the numbers, 1.2 million Oklahomans have received a tax cut under President Obama,” Goodman said, “but the average person on the street, they think Obama is a ‘tax and spend’ liberal. [Obama] is really working hard for Oklahomans.”

Goodman said the Republican Party and conservative talk radio has been successful in painting the Democratic Party as a negative brand.

“We’ve allowed the Republican Party to frame us,” he said. “We aren’t doing a good enough job to counter balance the attacks.”

Goodman said people agree with what the president and Congress are doing when they watch him on television and look into the truth of what has taken place.

He said when people look beyond the rhetoric and look at the facts, “people see what the Democratic party is all about, and when they see our strong traditions, Oklahomans will return to us.”

Ricky Maranon

Ricky is a former staff member of The Oklahoma Daily who worked as Staff Writer and Assignment Editor.