What's the Matter with Oklahoma?
As the ever more combustible health care debate rages across America, the state of Oklahoma has become the poster child for the conflict and its contradictions. A 2007 study by the Commonwealth Fund ranked Oklahoma dead last in state health care performance. Yet in 2008, the Sooner State remained among the most Republican in the nation, giving John McCain a whopping 31% win over Barack Obama. Meanwhile in Washington, its congressional delegation of James Inhofe, Tom Coburn and John Sullivan is waging an all-out war to prevent the health care reforms their constituents of all Americans need most.
As the data show, the Obama birther movement is strongest precisely in those states where Republicans poll best and health care is worst. And at a gathering of the Tulsa Republican Club Friday, First District Congressman John Sullivan embodied that paradox incarnate:
"This is a scary time in Washington. It's a very frightening time. I see Barack Obama is creating an enemies list of people who oppose this miserable health care plan. I think that's frightening. That's from a guy that can't even show a long-form birth certificate. I think we all ought to be prepared to fight that."
But if "miserable health care" described any place in the United States, it would be Oklahoma.
The 2007 Commonwealth Fund report, "Aiming Higher: Results from a State Scorecard on Health System Performance," examined states' performance across 32 indicators of health care access, quality, outcomes and hospital use. Topping the list were Hawaii, Iowa, New Hampshire, Vermont and Maine. Bringing up the rear were the Bush bastions of Kentucky, Louisiana, Nevada, Arkansas, Texas, with Mississippi and Oklahoma. The 10 worst performing states were all solidly Republican in 2004. (8 voted for McCain in 2008.)
And Oklahoma was the worst of the worst. Ranked 50th overall, the state scored 49th on access to health care, 43rd on quality, 50th on avoidable hospital use and costs, 47th on healthy lives and 50th again for equity across its population. Fully a quarter of its residents between the ages of 18 and 64 were uninsured in 2007, a staggering figure truly higher than an elephant's eye.
Despite his vitriolic comments, Sullivan Friday amazingly called for the better angels of our nature to win out:
"Everyone demonizes the other side. We need to all sit down and focus on these vital issues. That's the only way we can address these very, very tough issues."
Sadly, his Oklahoma colleagues in the Senate similarly failed to practice what he preached.
Senator James Inhofe, who six years ago famously called global warming "the greatest hoax ever perpetrated on the American people," came to the defense of the Obama birth certificate crowd:
"They have a point. I don't discourage it...But I'm going to pursue defeating [Obama] on things that I think are very destructive to America."
Of course, one of those "things" is better health care for Oklahomans. As Inhofe made clear, he's fare more concerned about the health of the GOP:
"I just hope the President keeps talking about it, keeps trying to rush it through. We can stall it. And that's going to be a huge gain for those of us who want to turn this thing over in the 2010 election."
Meanwhile, Tom Coburn, Inhofe's fellow Oklahoman in the Senate, has also been fighting health care reform at all costs. Among Coburn's claims to fame is his support for the death penalty for abortion providers and, more recently, his role as C-Street marriage counselor. Ironically, despite their profound disagreements, Senator Coburn is a friend of President Obama.
Though you'd never know it from Coburn's broadsides on health care.
In March, Coburn wrongly declared, "Remember, under the Obama plan . . . all the health care in this country is eventually going to be run by the government." In an April piece titled, "Health Care Reform that Will Kill the U.S. Economy," Coburn argued hyperbolically:
Unfortunately, the President's plan will not only endanger the U.S. economy, but millions of patients as well.
He wasn't joking. In July, Coburn insisted government health care will "absolutely" kill more people than it saves.
While its elected representatives continue their demagoguery, Oklahoma remains the sick man not just of America's heartland, but of the whole nation. For Sooners who desperately need better health care, the likes of Inhofe, Coburn and Sullivan are doing their best to ensure reform will come later - or never at all.
I am a single democrat in a state stupid enough to follow the guidelines of people such as these three "losers". I am 86 and on my first time to vote at 21, my father refused to take me to vote for Roosevelt. He successfuly passed his views on to the rest of my family. So I have put up wih their stupidity most of my life. Oklahoma is desperately in need of good health care - but few care to look at this problem honestly and caringly. I am tired of arguing with my family and friends and cannot say I am proud of them.
I truly do not understand people who vote against their best interests. What is the psychology behind this? How does one value the right to carry a weapon over access to health care? I really do not understand.
I am an Oklahoman as well. I know people who think like that and it drives me crazy. A big problem with Oklahoma is education and how we get our news. Many Oklahomans watch only Fox news and pay more attention to scary, crazy emails friends and relatives pass among themselves than actually listen or read real news or even bother to do research for themselves. I think Oklahomans feel kinda isolated from the rest of the country and a lot of information gets lost or they don't feel that it applies the same to us. I think there should be a concerted effort by the government to inform people of the south of the actual goings on. If they can find the right medium and the right voice I think Oklahomans would be willing to listen.
I was born in Tulsa (got out as fast as I could)and have many family members there. Oklahoma is the land that time forgot.
I live two blocks from Congressman Sullivan's Tulsa office. A week ago I returned the mass mailed "Health Care Survey" to his office in person. At that time I complained to his staff that the multiple choice answers provided in the survey were slanted in favor of "No Change". They assured me that the Congressman was committed to civil discussion of improving health care. After reading the report of Sullivan's remarks to the Tulsa Republican Club, I believe them to be liars. I am embarrassed by our Oklahoma representatives and their skill at getting Oklahomans to vote against their own best interests.
I grew up in Oklahoma, but got the hell out the day after college graduation. And that was almost 35 years ago. I have lived in CA since then. Is CA perfect? Hell no. But it is much better than OK. What tickles me is that so many Okies are actually SCARED of California. Why? Who knows? It is just an irrational fear. (My relatives in Missouri feel the same way.)
I urge all Okies to drop this "I'll stay and fight for good politicians!" It won't work. Move to a sane state NOW.
I live in one of the reddest counties of the very red state. You havnt lived until you have spent 6 hours in an e.r. in Oklahoma, trying to get someone to see your 90 year old mother...while being forced to watch the big talking heads from faux news rant about socialized medicine to a captive audience on a giant hd t.v. !! Sureal and infuriating: All of the channel buttons have been disabled. And at hour 7, we left without being seen.
If Jim Inhofe, who enjoyes excellent medical care at my expense... had walked in to that e.r....
I'm happy to see the excellent comments from the Oklahoma people, and I'm sorry you have to deal with a lot of ignorance where you are. It all comes down to education and self-education. Citizens need to read papers, explore the issues on their own. Instead, we have Faux Noise spewing their hate, and the uneducated people, people who don't like to read, believe this nonsense. We live in a sad political time, and until these people get educated, I cannot see any improvement for the future. I guess I'm just jaded at this point.
I agree with Rider3. Oklahoma is one of the states that is at the bottom of the list for $ that it spends in education. Our teachers are some of the lowest paid in the nation. When I went to school (I'm in my early 30's now) there were no civics classes offered in my school, that I remember, and I doubt many OK schools offer them to this day.
My husband is with his mother this afternoon at the orthopedic surgeon's office. She broke her arm on Saturday at 3:00PM, and the emergency room told her to get with her doctor on Monday she will need surgery. They called first thing this morning and are still waiting to hear from them. 48 HOURS (and you thought is was just a movie) really it's a nightmare. Oh and by the way, we live in southern Oklahoma.
Isn't it amazing how the wealthy get the less fortunate folks to vote against their best interests.
It's good to know they listen to Rush Limbaugh for solutions, just remember you don't make his money.
I am from OK also. I am 23 and still live here. I, too, am embarrassed by this state and the way the majority of the people here vote. I am embarrassed and enraged also by our elected officials! It drives me crazy that some can not see how crazy and horrible Coburn and Inhofe are. I mean, how can anyone not see how inept they are, and not only inept but they constantly vote in the most idiotic ways, and there are so many poor people in Oklahoma! I see so many homeless when I go into Tulsa! Why do people vote against their own self-interests and against those who need the most help???
I have epilepsy and I can get no health care because I have a "pre-existing" condition. Every month my parents have to pay out of pocket for my expensive medications (I can not work as my license has been taken away due to my epilepsy and I live in the country) and this is tough on them especially because my father's company closed down recently, so we are all out of work for the time being.
Oklahoma is in TERRIBLE shape! Low wages, few decent jobs, and poor education, and now on top of that we have the worst health care in the U.S. We NEED to make a change! Something must be done! Oklahoma can be saved! There are intelligent people here! They just need to be taught the importance of voting and voting for their OWN BEST INTERESTS!