Editorial: Oklahomans Don't Need Outside Help

Editorial In The Norman Transcript ~ A national Republican Governor’s Association television ad hammering Lt. Gov. Jari Askins for an old vote on an immigration issue is another attempt by outsiders to sway Oklahoma voters.

We’ve railed against such a practice before and it may be a lost cause but we just think Oklahomans should decide who will lead their state next year. Those other governors — no matter their political affiliation — have enough issues pending in their own states to have time to try and help us backward Okies.

The outside ad buys also happened in the Fifth District Congressional election when pro-business groups support Kevin Calvey’s bid for the Republican nomination. The ads may have backfired on Mr. Calvey who lost the nomination.

The new anti-Askins ads show unflattering photos of Ms. Askins and President Barack Obama and try to tie the two to a liberal view on immigration. The state legislation referenced in the ad involves allowing undocumented students who graduate from Oklahoma schools to apply for in-state tuition and begin the path to citizenship.

Most of those high school students affected didn’t choose to come here illegally. They were born here or brought here at a young age by their parents. Why punish them for trying to further their education in a state that has graduated them from high school?

Up until now, the race has been fairly clean and issue oriented. The primaries, too, were uneventful. A spokesman for Ms. Askins’ General Election opponent, U.S. Rep. Mary Fallin, R-Oklahoma City, says she wasn’t involved in the ad purchase.

We hope both campaigns push back at such outside influence and voters reject their message.

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