Updated: A report on Tulsa Mayoral Candidate Brent VanNorman apparently angered Candidate Karen Keith so much that she ran from this reporter in public. It was sad. We have been associates for over twenty-years in media, on stage together in several Gridiron Shows, and co-workers when I served as Public Information Officer for the now complete Tulsa County Vision 2025 program approved by voters in 2003. Keith should have known; refusing an interview only makes reporting more likely to be critical.
After noting that Keith did not attend a nonpartisan Women For Tulsa event, the June 23 story continued, “Demonstrating both command of municipal history and the current failures of the Bynum Administration, VanNorman provides a dramatic difference with Keith who has publicly supported open borders, public health lockdowns and LGBTQ(+whatever) agendas.”
When crafting those words, I mistakenly believed Keith’s media background would inform her that those topics would be reviewed during the campaign. Her reaction, however, was that of just another thin-skinned ego-driven politician dedicated to avoiding substantive coverage. However, citizens of Tulsa expect more from candidates for mayor and regular readers have concerns about Karen Keith.
After Keith’s assistant promised to set an interview then failed to do so, I approached Keith prior to a regular County Commission Meeting asking politely again for an interview. Commissioner Keith replied with a smile and a hand briefly on my shoulder, “David, I read what you write” then quick-walked away.
Keith must have misspoken. If she regularly reads my work, she would know first of the public concern over her attacks on Tulsa County Sheriff Vic Regalado as he sought to renew a cooperative agreement several years ago with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Open Border Karen
Keith held special meetings in the Tulsa County Board of Commissioner’s room for those that support open borders. The focused attacks on our sheriff were the most vicious public abuse of an official I have observed. The protests were well organized and coordinated by critics.
Tulsa Realtor David Hughes spoke at the meeting in support of Sheriff Vic and said for this report, “Vic is a great sheriff and good for Tulsa County. Many youths, apparently from the law school at TU, were protesting. They jeered those supporting law enforcement. As a native, I ask why should we pay to house those here illegally? The premise that we should… makes no sense. People invading our country without going through the proper channels (criminals) are killing our economy and weakening our nation.”
COVID Karen
During the COVID panic, County Commissioner Karen Keith was a supporter of masks and lockdowns. For months after the public and national media had moved on to other areas of interest, she would ask the Health Department representatives attending regular Commission meetings, “How many deaths from COVID were reported last week?” Keith was a devout disciple of the World Health Organization, Dr. Anthony Fauci and others promoting the Big Pharma agenda with advice now proven and admittedly unscientific and unhealthy.
TulsaToday.com carried hundreds of stories from experts like Robert W. Malone MD, MS, Marilyn M. Singleton MD. JD, Dr. Elizabeth Lee Vliet, Dr. Jane Orient, Robert E. Wright AIER, and others who disagreed with the established narrative. This writer has asked repeatedly when the City of Tulsa will make right with small businesses and churches harmed by local lockdown policies.
Most critically, should Public Health officials be allowed again to self-declare crisis limiting Constitutional Liberty for others? We find no report that Karen Keith has inquired about or directed a study on local deaths from the so-called vaccine that did not and does not stop infection or transmission. Scientific Studies on Vaccine Injuries are available on KC’s COVID Facts at this link.
On Race Relations
Keith has declared publicly, “I will continue the path of creating a commission to address the harm caused by the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre.” Her election then is likely to continue the slander of our city with the term “massacre.” As regular readers know, Tulsa Today asserts the 1921 racial event was an armed civilian insurrection or civil war if you prefer, but not a massacre. Two groups of armed civilians marched on the Tulsa County Courthouse and proceeded to fire on each other. The number of official victims is less than the number typically killed in modern Chicago on a holiday weekend.
Oklahoma has suffered massacres before, from the Tonkawa Massacre to the Murrah Building bombing. Tulsa in 1921, by objective analysis, was a civilian battle. Nevertheless, Senator James Lankford wrote and is championing a federal bill to designate a huge area of downtown Tulsa a National Park, legitimizing the massacre title promoted by self-serving reparations advocates. More on that issue is available at this link.
Tulsa World political writer and author of the book, “Tulsa 1921, Reporting A Massacre” Randy Krehbiel told this writer in a recorded interview that local advocates pushed the word massacre, over his objections. Krehbiel said, “The original title was Politics, Race, and the Tulsa Riot of 1921. The [Commission] folks came in and said it was not a riot, it was a massacre in about 2018.” Click here for that story published March 1, 2024 on Straight Up on Substack.
Follow Up
After Keith declined an interview, her campaign manager was contacted with topics and questions for the candidate. Keith was offered the opportunity to write or have her team craft responses. Given ample time to reply, a further follow-up was sent by email. No response has been received to date.
Back to the Brent VanNorman story, One Keith supporter self-identifying as “Tulsa Voter” wrote in our comments following, “Thanks for sharing – cementing my Karen Keith vote. Any candidate who thinks socialism is a serious issue in Tulsa is a fool. Will be chipping in some money for Karen after reading Brent’s thoughts.”
Socialism or Progressive policies have been a problem for a long time locally, often covered by Tulsa Today. One current candidate, Matthew Nelson, running for City Council District 9 headlines, Progressive Leadership for Tulsa. Further, Tulsans will vote in the national election in which Obama/Biden/Harris terms demonstrate “Hard Left” and Democratic Socialists now claim to lead. We have had a Socialist/Marxist group paint their name on a Tulsa street.
In justified sarcasm, that is not rain on our boots.
Claims & Disputes
Keith claims bipartisanship because she worked as one of many staff for Republican Mayor Bill LaFortune. It was my understanding, in those days, that she was the token Democrat staff member in no way serving as a policy maker or administrator with authority.
Further, Karen Keith taking credit for the funding of the Tulsa County Levee Project is exaggeration at best. U.S. Senator Jim Inhofe was the key player in Federal funding and Oklahoma Representative Lonnie Sims, now running for Tulsa County District 2 Commissioner was far more impactful as a State advocate. Keith did attend meetings and all three County Commissioners voted to add public money to the project.
On Karen Keith’s website, the tab “Accomplishments” lists “Boards & Memberships” and “Awards.” Neither are accomplishments. They are appointments and honorariums from the power elite.
What has Keith done as a Tulsa County Commissioner for the people of her district? Not much according to Josh Turley, who withdrew this week from the County Commissioner race. On Facebook, Turley lists fourteen reasons not to vote for Karen Keith for Tulsa Mayor in one post and in another writes, “Those of you who live in the county and have experienced Karen Keith’s false words, you must let those in the City of Tulsa know what a poor leader she was” then he praises Brent VanNorman for saying, “My opponents on this stage tonight are both liberal Democrats. They’re great people; they’re wonderful to be around. They’re well intended, but their policies will lead us toward being the next Seattle, the next Portland, the next Minneapolis or the next San Francisco.”
Gene Savage also on Facebook wrote, “Please, please, PLEASE don’t vote for this woman August 27th! Karen Keith voted to tear down the Tulsa Skyride before it could be put on the National Register of Historic Places. She ignored answers to the Fair Board’s concerns about the Skyride’s future. She ignored pleas from Tulsa citizens asking her to wait.
“If she can’t be bothered to care about something like the Tulsa Skyride, a historical ride unique in the United States that she was told could never be rebuilt if torn down, how can we trust her to take care of our city as mayor? I don’t believe we can. Her behavior suggests she will trash Tulsa history while taking money from foreign organizations. Karen Keith has proven she is WRONG for Tulsa,” Savage concluded.
Reader Note
Finally, dear reader, please know that if Karen Keith or her campaign become willing to engage in a full discussion on these and other topics, Tulsa Today will provide coverage. We also hope to interview Monroe Nichols soon.
For a Democratic Republic to function, people must freely consider issues and leadership at every level of government. While this writer is known as a Traditional Republican, former Democrat Mayor Kathy Taylor once publicly identified me as, “An Equal Opportunity Aggravator.” She was not wrong.
You cannot give offense in a free society, it can only be taken. If you don’t talk to those who disagree, you cannot claim to represent all the people. In her actions, Karen Keith has ended Tulsa’s pretense of nonpartisan elections.