logo
Login Subscribe
Google Play App Store
  • News
    • Obituaries
    • Lifestyle
    • Opinions
  • Sports
  • E-edition
  • Calendar
  • Archives
  • Contact
    • Contact Us
    • Advertisers
    • Form Submission
    • About Us
    • News
      • Obituaries
      • Lifestyle
      • Opinions
    • Sports
    • E-edition
    • Calendar
    • Archives
    • Contact
      • Contact Us
      • Advertisers
      • Form Submission
      • About Us
‘Jumping the Shark’ as bad in politics as on TV
commentary
June 26, 2024
‘Jumping the Shark’ as bad in politics as on TV
By JOE DORMAN OICA CEO,

OKLAHOMA CITY – Growing up as a child in the 1970s, I enjoyed my fair share of television shows. One of my favorites was “Happy Days,” celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.

“Happy Days” starred Ron Howard, a Duncan native, who played Richie Cunningham. The show followed the Cunningham family and friends, one of whom was Arthur “Fonzie” Fonzarelli. Fonzie epitomized coolness for his teenage neighbor, and a lot of kids like me.

In Season 5, a threepart episode included a plot where Fonzie jumps over a shark on water skis. The term “jumping the shark” came to mean any creative work that is out of ideas and relies on extreme exaggeration.

Oklahomans saw many candidates “jump the shark” with their campaign literature and promises this year.

People running for office made extreme overstatements on how bad their opponents are, or they promised policies that simply cannot happen without drastic changes. The side effect of this type of campaigning discourages many middle-of-the-road, or moderate, Americans – frustrated with the extremist rhetoric – from even voting.

As evidence, only 20 to 25 percent of registered Republican voters bothered to vote, with the only statewide race garnering just over 237,000 total votes. Democrats had no statewide elections, so turnout was even more sparse with just local races occurring.

Expect the turnout percentage to be even less in the August 27 runoff elections.

What is dangerous about the campaign rhetoric is that the candidates want to appeal to the few they know will show up, moving policies farther to the extreme positions. Case in point, you will hear much about rejecting federal funds for operating government services, and you will also hear candidates want to cut taxes.

Our state government runs on a finite amount of money based upon our state tax collections. Some of those programs receive matching funds from federal taxes collected, including education/ schools, children’s support services, road building, and health care programs, with the latter sometimes getting a seven-to-one match from federal appropriations.

If federal funds are rejected, the state must either drastically cut services or raise state taxes to pay for those programs.

Here is the kicker, those federal funds many candidates say they do not want…that is our money, taxes we have paid to the federal government. If we do not accept them, you can bet some other state will.

One example is the rejection by the state of funds to provide food support in the summer for children who qualify for the free and reduced lunch program.

The nonprofit sector simply cannot meet the demand of hungry children, so the Legislature allocated more than $8 million of state money to assist with needs this year, a much-needed boost, and thank you to the state lawmakers who did that.

That $8 million of state dollars is only a fraction of the $42 million in federal matching dollars that was turned away. That difference of $36 million was taken from Oklahoma families who would have spent it in local grocery stores, making it an even bigger boost to our economy. Instead, it went to other states’ children.

Be wary of the rhetoric when it starts back up in August and again for November 5, the General Election; do not fall for exaggerations, and certainly do not sit out by not voting.

Voters need to elect reasonable, rational candidates who will vote on policies for the best interest of Oklahomans, and especially for children who cannot vote for themselves.

If a candidate is going to “jump the shark” with their campaign promises, do you really want them to make decisions for all Oklahomans?

Seminole survives Checotah 34-27
B:, sports
Seminole survives Checotah 34-27
By Rodney Haltom sports EDITOR 
September 10, 2025
The Seminole Chieftains were lucky to go home with a 34-27 win over the Checotah Wildcats Friday night. Checotah’s penalties that accumulated to over 100 yards. The Wildcats moved the football up and ...
Council votes to dismiss former Mayor Warren
A: Main, news
Council votes to dismiss former Mayor Warren
By JERRY FINK MANAGING EDITOR 
September 10, 2025
The Eufaula City Council removed former Mayor Todd Warren from the Council Monday night citing excessive absences. City minutes of past meetings presented to the Council showed that Warren missed the ...
Church celebrates 160th anniversary
A: Main, news
Church celebrates 160th anniversary
By JERRY FINK MANAGING EDITOR 
September 10, 2025
Decades before Oklahoma became a state in 1907; years before the first railroad track was laid in Indian Territory in 1870 and the year the Civil War ended, folks in a remote area of what is now McInt...
Mild weather, just what the festival ordered
A: Main, news
Mild weather, just what the festival ordered
By JERRY FINK MANAGING EDITOR 
September 10, 2025
Mayor James Hickman perhaps summarized best when he sent a letter of appreciation to Karen Weldin and the Vision Eufaula Board of Directors for one of the best Wine & Art Festivals held in the city. “...
9/11 – Never Forget
A: Main, news
9/11 – Never Forget
By JERRY FINK MANAGING EDITOR 
September 10, 2025
At about 7 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2001, I strolled into the Las Vegas Sun newsroom where I worked as an entertainment reporter. The room was quiet, a palpable feeling of dread filled the air as the f...
Margaret Floyd Homecoming Parade Marshal
A: Main, news
Margaret Floyd Homecoming Parade Marshal
September 10, 2025
Margaret Marie Vickery Floyd has been named the 2025 Eufaula High School Homecoming Parade Marshall. Born in 1927 in Ramona, she is the fourth greatgranddaughter of Chief McIntosh, and the mother of f...
ePaper
google_play
app_store
Editor Picks
A: Main, news
Ironhead Homecoming Friday
September 10, 2025
The Homecoming Weekend kicks off Friday, Sept.12, with a Pep Assembly at the Eufaula High School Auditorium at 9:30 a.m. followed by a parade at 1 p.m. The coronation of Homecoming Royalty takes place...
New library coordinator challenges Checotah
A: Main, news
New library coordinator challenges Checotah
By JERRY FINK MANAGING EDITOR 
September 10, 2025
September is Library Card Sign-up Month, and so the new coordinator of Eufaula Memorial Library is taking that opportunity to challenge the Jim Lucas Checotah Public Library to a competition to see wh...
Braddock Dobbs joins School Board
A: Main, news
Braddock Dobbs joins School Board
By JERRY FINK MANAGING EDITOR 
September 10, 2025
Braddock Dobbs, 31, son of the late Margaret Dobbs, who was on the Eufaula School Board for 15 years, is following in his mother’s footsteps. Monday night, Aug. 8, at its monthly meeting, the Board ap...
Drillers honor Eufaula veteran
news
Drillers honor Eufaula veteran
September 10, 2025
Former Army Sp4 Timothy Pickering of Eufaula was honored recently at the Driller Stadium in Tulsa as a “Hometown Hero,” a program that honors people who have had a lasting impact on the community. Pic...
news
Flea Pop-Up Market
September 10, 2025
Friday – Sunday, Sept.12-14 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., 210 N. Main St. Booth rental available. Call Mr. Printer at 918-689-5998, Jani at 918-839-8494 or Ricky at 918-424-9961. Prices for all three days: ...
Facebook

THE EUFAULA INDIAN JOURNAL
100 N. 2nd Street
Eufaula, OK 74432

(918) 689-2191

This site complies with ADA requirements

© 2023 THE EUFAULA INDIAN JOURNAL

  • Contact
  • Privacy
  • Accessibility Policy