DUNCAN —
Robin Robertson of Duncan has been a lifelong Democrat, and on Nov. 6 she’ll be proudly casting her vote for President Obama.
But Robertson, 83, says there just aren’t a lot of Democrats in Duncan who share her enthusiasm when it comes to the presidential race.
“There’s no pep in the pep club,” she said.
Shelly Coker, a Democrat who lives in Empire, agrees.
There are Democrats in the area who will vote for Obama, but being outspoken about it? That’s another story.
“They don’t want to make anybody mad by saying they want to vote for Obama,” said Coker, 45. “They don’t want to make their friends or neighbors or anybody mad by saying they will vote Democratic.”
Labor Day marks the traditional start of the fall campaign, and this year it falls in between the Republican and Democratic national conventions.
Republicans finished their convention on Thursday night, with Mitt Romney formally accepting the GOP nomination in Tampa, Fla.
Democrats begin their three-day convention in Charlotte, N.C. on Tuesday, with Obama scheduled to speak Thursday night.
The presidential race is expected to come down to results in a dozen or so swing states, and Oklahoma is not among them. It is one of the most Republican states in the nation at the state and national levels, including the presidential level.
In the 2008 presidential race, Republican John McCain won Oklahoma’s seven electoral votes with 66 percent of the vote – the biggest margin of any state he won.
In Oklahoma’s Democratic presidential primary this year, Obama won only 57 percent of the vote.
He got only 38 percent of the vote among Democratic voters in Stephens County, though it was still enough to win. He actually lost in 15 counties.
Richard Johnson, chairman of the political science department at Oklahoma City University, said Democrats feel a little trampled on in Oklahoma when it comes to this year’s presidential race.
Republicans are enthusiastic about it, he said. He thinks that is not so much a case of being pro-Romney as being anti-Obama. Part of that sentiment in Stephens County could be tied to Obama’s lack of support for the Keystone XL pipeline, he said.
“If you look at that part of the state, energy is a big part of the local economy,” Johnson said. “The pipe line costs him some votes. There are at least some policy-based reasons. Halliburton is a big chunk of the economy.”
Coker said some opposition to Obama in this area has bordered on hostility. She lives out in the country, and said she’s had some Obama signs posted near the road taken down by people. She now has them posted by her house, off the roadway.
She said there are folks who support Obama, she just wishes they would be more outspoken about it.
“On Election Day, our yard ditch will be lined with signs for all my Democratic candidates, but why put them up now if they’re just going to get ripped down?” she said. “But I’m a happy person, I keep my enthusiasm. If you can just sway one person to look at what he’s actually done.”
Meanwhile, election results in Stephens County for the Republican runoff in state Senate District 43 became official on Friday. Peggy Winton, secretary of the Stephens County Election Board, said they were unchanged from election night, with Corey Brooks getting 852 votes in the county to 564 votes for Peggy Davenport.
Brooks won the overall district vote and faces Democrat Mike Fullerton on Nov. 6.
The deadline for registering to vote in the Nov. 6 election is Oct. 12.
Local News
County democrats quiet in GOP country
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Tornado warning at DIA delays Duncan resident's flight home
Update: Carberry's plane arrived as scheduled back in Oklahoma at Will Rogers International Airport.
Two tornados were spotted and National Weather Service confirmed that one touched down at Denver International Airport around 2:18 p.m. today.
Duncan resident Jamie Carberry was going through the security checkpoints as she waited to board a plane home after a short vacation there. That’s when the alert was sounded and people began taking cover. -
Duncan resident takes tornado precautions at DIA
People at Denver International Airport are taking shelter, and there are unconfirmed reports that a tornado touched down at Denver International Airport.
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Hastings to close Duncan store
Corporate officials with Hasting’s Entertainment informed its employees early today at the Duncan Hastings Entertainment store that their store will be closing Aug. 9.
This news came during a mandatory store meeting, where two corporate representatives, district and store managers, were present to make the announcement, confirmed a store employee, who spoke with The Banner after the meeting. -
Former Duncan city manager leaves legacy, inspires current leaders
There are many who love their city, but one of the first things people would learn about Doug Johnson when they met him was his love and dedication to Duncan.
Johnson, a former councilman and city manager for the City of Duncan, passed away Thursday at the age of 82. A lifelong resident of Duncan, he only spent time away from the city during his years attending Baylor University on a basketball scholarship. -
Digital images land man behind bars on child porn charges
Samuel Wesley Brackeen, 34, of Duncan, was charged in Stephens County District Court with two felony counts related to pornography.
Brackeen was originally arrested on both counts.
According to the affidavit filed in district court on June 14, count 1 was possession of child pornography, AFCF, from Jan. 23 to Jan. 30; and count 2 was manufacturing child pornography, on or about Jan. 3, at a Comanche residence. -
Court: Ariz. citizenship proof law illegal
The Supreme Court ruled Monday that states cannot on their own require would-be voters to prove they are U.S. citizens before using a federal registration system designed to make signing up easier.
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Events this week include Dinos at Duncan Public LIbrary today, ends with Founder's Day fun Saturday
Events at the Duncan Public Library this week include Dinosaurs Live from 2-4 p.m. Monday for ages 7-11 Juggle Whatever from 10-11 a.m. or 2-3 p.m. Wednesday for ages 7-11, 11-11:45 a.m Thursday for ages 3-6 and 2-3 p.m. Thursday for ages 10-17.
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Stephens County unemployment rate dips to 4.1 percent
Unemployment in Stephens County is sitting at 4.1 percent, which is lower than the state average and the averages of the surrounding states.
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June sales tax report for county released
For the past three years, the June distribution report of sales tax collections has reflected a steady growth for Duncan.
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Fracking fuels water fights in nation's dry spots
The latest domestic energy boom is sweeping through some of the nation's driest pockets, drawing millions of gallons of water to unlock oil and gas reserves from beneath the Earth's surface.
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