Now that the speeches have concluded and the balloons have dropped, what does all the hoopla of the political conventions mean for Oklahoma? Not much, says The Tulsa World. At least, not in terms of the November elections.
Presidential politics haven’t been competitive in Oklahoma for a long time. Republicans have carried the state in every presidential election for over half a century. It’s been 40 years since a Democrat even got close. That was in 1976, when Jimmy Carter narrowly lost to Gerald Ford.
Oklahoma may be looking at another low-turnout election this November. Neither of the parties’ respective nominees won the state’s primary. Ted Cruz won for the GOP, and Bernie Sanders carried the state for the Democrats. But Republican consultant Fount Holland thinks voters might turn out anyway. “There are an awful lot of angry voters," he said, "and an angry electorate tends to turn out at a higher rate.”