Earlier by Allan Wall (2016): Oklahoma Voters Immigration Patriots—But Congressional Delegation A Study In Terminal GOP Uselessness
Pro-tip for the editors of Merriam-Webster. In the next edition of the dictionary, illustrate the word “coward” with a picture of Sen. James Lankford, the very junior Republican from dark red Oklahoma. Lesson for the GOP/GAP: If the party wants to continue winning, lawmakers like Lankford must say the right things and vote the right way. Otherwise, it’s time to clean house in the Sooner State.
On January 6, just as Lankford was speaking in favor of a commission to probe the validity of Biden’s miraculous 11th-hour victory on November 3, Mostly Peaceful Protesters invaded the U.S. Capitol. Lankford promptly folded like a cheap suit. No need for a commission, he said, on resuming his speech. And later, he apologized to black Oklahomans who didn’t vote for him. As the cliché goes, with friends like Lankford, who needs enemies?
Here’s a little electoral data to show why Lankford could, if he wished, take a hard America First line on just about any issue and still win resoundingly. Oklahoma is one of the reddest states in the Union. All of its 77 counties voted GOP in the past five presidential elections: 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016 and 2020. Gov. Kevin Stitt and all elected state officials are Republican; the GOP has super-majorities in both chambers of its legislature.
But rather than producing bold national leaders, Oklahomans get guys like Lankford.
Elected to the Senate in 2015, Lankford’s career (2011–2021) grade from Numbers USA is B+, but his most recent report card should get him sent to the GOP principal’s office, if only the GOP had a principal worth sending him to. His latest mark is a big, fat D. In other words, he’s been cucking on immigration.
Examples:
A Perfect Example of an America Last Republican: Senator Lankford
— The Columbia Bugle 🇺🇸 (@ColumbiaBugle) January 10, 2020
-Denies that refugee resettlement contractors make money off the racket
-Claims refugees are starting businesses & aren't a drain on taxpayers
-Asserts that all legal immigration is a net benefit to the country pic.twitter.com/d6I5iVBEj0
On culture and heritage issues, Lankford votes like Kamala Harris.
Upshot is, Lankford won’t defend the Historic American Nation.
That record invites the obvious question: Why join Senators Ted Cruz and Josh Hawley to challenge Tailpuller Joe’s supposed victory at all? Answer: Because Lankford is up for re-election in 2022.
And so on January 6, Lankford proposed a 15-member commission to check swing-state results. Not bad, though it ought to have been proposed earlier.
But after Trump supporters staged their “insurrection,” Lankford and his pals fled. When the “attack on democracy” ended, Lankford resumed his speech. “Obviously the commission we have asked for is not going to happen at this point,” he said after denouncing the Mostly Peaceful Protesters.
And that was it.
Despite Lankford’s ending his support for the probe, Leftist blacks back home were furious anyways. They wanted to kick him off the committee to organize the centennial observation of the 1921 Tulsa Race Riot, now called the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre:
Several prominent Black Tulsans have called for U.S. Sen. James Lankford’s removal or resignation from the 1921 Race Massacre Centennial Committee because of his involvement in last week’s doubtful efforts to delay, discredit or even overturn Democrat Joe Biden’s certification as the next president of the United States…. “This is a great example of black people voting in record numbers, with a coalition of people who look different, who are being told, ‘No, their votes didn’t count,’” said state Rep. Monroe Nichols, D-Tulsa.
[Black leaders want Sen. Lankford exiled from Tulsa Race Massacre Commission after Electoral College challenge by Randy Krebhiel, Tulsa World, January 13, 2021]
On January 14, Lankford apologized in a letter to North Tulsa:
When I announced my support for an Electoral Commission to spend 10 days auditing the results of the 2020 Presidential Election, it was never my intention to disenfranchise any voter or state. It was my intention to resolve any outstanding questions before the inauguration on January 20. I believe Congress cannot legally ignore any state’s electors or change any state’s vote, but we can work to get answers to outstanding questions. I want to strengthen the confidence all Americans have in their electoral system so everyone is encouraged to vote and knows their vote matters.
But my action of asking for more election information caused a firestorm of suspicion among many of my friends, particularly in Black communities around the state. I was completely blindsided, but I also found a blind spot.
What I did not realize was all of the national conversation about states like Georgia, Pennsylvania, and Michigan, was seen as casting doubt on the validity of votes coming out of predominantly Black communities like Atlanta, Philadelphia, and Detroit.
So investigating voter fraud is forbidden if blacks are involved?
“Many Black friends in Oklahoma saw this as a direct attack on their right to vote, for their vote to matter, and even a belief that their votes made an election in our country illegitimate,” Lankford claimed.
Of course, no intelligent person, white or black, should believe any such thing, but that aside, Lankford groveled like one of those white women who kneel before black thugs to apologize for slavery:
I can assure you, my intent to give a voice to Oklahomans who had questions was never also an intent to diminish the voice of any Black American. As a United States Senator representing almost four million Oklahomans, I am committed to hearing from all Oklahomans, answering questions, and addressing our challenges to strive toward a more perfect union.
As per usual, the apology did absolutely no good. Lankford got even more flak.
Protestors outside his office in Oklahoma City demanded his resignation from the commission [Oklahoma City protestors calling for Sen. James Lankford’s resignation from committee, by Jacklyn Chappell, KFOR.com, January 18, 2021].
“No Cops No KKK, No Lankford Representing the USA,” one sign said.
Adriana Laws (pictured right at an “armed protest” in front of a police station) founder and president of Collegiate Freedom and Justice Coalition [Twitter/Facebook], isn’t just angry about the electoral issue, KFOR’s Chappell reported. Despite his pandering, she said, Lankford has been disregarding black Oklahomans for years.
What he’s done is try to invalidate the opinions and voices of Black Americans and a weak apology isn’t gonna change the fact that that’s what you’ve done for four years. I have one main grievance and it is his lack of concern and regard for the Black community of Oklahoma. We’ve seen it all throughout his terms that he served here. Never can I think of a time where he came to the Black community and said, “this is what I want to do to help you.”
What? She didn’t notice the pandering?
“I just want you to resign,” she continued. “I don’t want to have a conversation with you. I don’t want to hear any more weak apologies.”
Monroe Nichols, centennial commission member and state legislator, doesn’t want the apology, either:
I’m not so sure the senator apologized for lying about peddling these falsehoods. It was more so an “I’m sorry that I offended these black folks in North Tulsa,’ when I think who he offended is much broader than those of us in this community. ...
I think we’re at the point in time in our history where we need courageous leaders a lot like that. Folks who are willing to sacrifice for the betterment of all the rest of us. And I think Senator Lankford failed to do that.
[Despite apology, race massacre commissioner still wants Lankford's resignation, by James King, Fox 25, January 18, 2021]
On January 25, the Commission announced it would let Lankford remain as a member. But there's still plenty
of bad feelings over it and I doubt Lankford will want to stray by doing anything particularly nonPC in the near
future. [Sen. Lankford to stay on Tulsa Race Massacre commission, by Jenna L. Smith, KJRH, January 25, 2021]
Poor Lankford. Pandering didn’t pay off. So he not only angered his base—white Republicans—but also did nothing to mollify angry blacks who won’t vote for him no matter what he does.
If Oklahoma Republicans want Lankford [email him/ Tweet him] to knock off the pandering, back an America First agenda on trade and immigration, and defend the Historic American Nation, along with its storied past and culture, their best bet is this: start talking up a primary challenge. If that doesn’t scare him, back a serious candidate.
And this might startle other GOP fence-sitters who can’t decide whether to support their fed-up constituents, or join the Republican ruling class and sell them out.
The Historic American Nation simply can’t afford Republicans like Lankford.
American citizen Allan Wall (email him) moved back to the U.S.A. in 2008 after many years residing in Mexico. Allan's wife is Mexican, and their two sons are bilingual. In 2005, Allan served a tour of duty in Iraq with the Texas Army National Guard. His VDARE.COM articles are archived here; his Mexidata.info articles are archived here; his News With Views columns are archived here; and his website is here.
