Add Jim Inhofe to the list of politicians trying to split the country in two: "real America" versus the rest of us. In his latest attack ad, Inhofe shows he’s taking cues from Sarah Palin, Michele Bachmann, and Robin Hayes.
Jim Inhofe has already tried to beat back Sen. Andrew Rice with smears, but Rice outraised him during the third quarter. Then he tried to beat back Sen. Rice with lies. But Rice continued to rise in the polls.
So what does he try next? Redefine the race as "Oklahoma vs. 'That One' and Andrew Rice."
In the ad, Inhofe puts Andrew Rice next to Barack Obama – whom Inhofe accused just a few weeks ago of being against America because he doesn't wear a flag pin. Inhofe told voters to ask this question of Barack Obama on Election Day:
"Do you really want to have a guy as commander in chief of this country when you can question whether or not he really loves his country?" he asked.
Inhofe is joining with his far-right Republican buddies to try to redefine America. Their America is a George W. Bush America – where the rich get richer, the poor get poorer, the middle class gets trampled, and anyone who disagrees with them is treasonous.
Robin Meyers, an Oklahoma City pastor and professor, wrote this in a column for the Oklahoma Gazette – even before Inhofe's latest ad aired:
Just when the national polls show Americans are increasingly tired of negative ads, Inhofe clings to the GOP's old school fear tactics – vote for me because you should be very afraid to vote for the other guy.
The irony, of course, is that Andrew Rice is the one who has shown time and time again that he demonstrates Oklahoma values.
Take, for instance, the difference in how Andrew Rice and Jim Inhofe answered this question posed by the Duncan Banner: "What qualifications do you have for running for U.S. Senator?"
RICE: I think it is imperative that as elected officials, we listen to people. Listening to people and learning what they want and need from our government allows me to stay true to representing our state effectively. When I'm elected, I plan to continue to talk to people in state, not hide from my constituents. Too often politicians like Jim Inhofe barely come home after they are elected. It is hard to develop solutions for Oklahomans if you don't know what the problems are in the first place.
INHOFE: I have always considered one of my unique qualifications for office to be the 30 years I spent in the business community being overregulated by the federal bureaucracy.
Andrew Rice and his wife, Apple, have been traveling Oklahoma for the last week during their "Working for Main Street Tour." After visiting about 30 Oklahoma communities – with 20 more to come next week – Andrew and Apple know Oklahomans share their values. The Oklahomans they meet aren't afraid of Andrew Rice, or of Barack Obama – they're afraid of losing their jobs, being bankrupted by a health problem, watching their retirement savings disappear, and losing their home. They're afraid of the very problems Jim Inhofe helped create because he thought the financial industry was "overregulated."
Want this to end? We're working every day to defeat Jim Inhofe. And we know that though every race is decided by voters on Election Day, not everyone is going to make a final decision on November 4th. If you want to help Andrew Rice beat back this kind of divisiveness, then the time to contribute is now.
- Karina Henderson, Rice for US Senate
