To my Republican Friends in the OK 1st District

Sometimes it really IS just about voting for the best guy.

Doug Dodd, like me, is a Democrat. You probably don't agree with his positions on a number of the issues. I'm not going to try to convince you that he secretly agrees with you, or try to convince you to change how you think about such issues. Instead I want to convince you to vote for him in spite of those differences.

Why? Because sometimes it's just about choosing the better candidate. Who is going to best be able to look out for our shared interests and represent our shared values?

You know me - and you know that despite OUR differences, we have a heck of a lot more in common than our two political parties would like us to believe. We send our kids to the same schools. We contribute a few bucks for flowers when a co-worker's parent passes away. We complain about the same bad Oklahoma roads and the same corrupt Oklahoma judges. We try to stay employed in the same erratic Oklahoma economy.

And we know better than to talk about politics. So I don’t want to talk about politics. I will, however, talk about character.

In person, Doug Dodd comes off as a pretty quiet guy. He looks sort of like, well, a church deacon – which in fact he is. But then you look at what he's done - how he's served his country and his community, how he has worked with people from different backgrounds to bring about positive change - and you realize this guy is not a wall flower, but a different kind of leader than we are used to seeing in politics.

When you ask him a question, he does three things that are really amazing for a politician:

1. He listens
2. Then he thinks
3. Then he answers your question.

You can actually see this happen. I mean, he answers your question; he doesn't just plug in some catchphrase or campaign slogan. Have you ever had a manager who really listened? Or a parent? It's a really remarkable leadership skill. It’s the kind of skill that brings about bipartisan agreements and win/win solutions.

In short, Doug Dodd is what almost every voter says they want in a representative: A thoughtful, honest, principled person who will listen to them and look out for them.

The difference between Doug Dodd and his opponent, John Sullivan, is made clear in a one-page year-by-year summary that one national commentator called, “what might be the best piece of political literature in any race of this cycle.” Take a look:

http://www.mydd.com/files/admin/choices.gif

Tough ad? You bet. Sort of like comparing a Lexus to a Hyundai. But the price tag is the same - your vote. Which would you rather drive?

Now, the Republican majority in the House of Representatives is not in danger. You're not going to lose Denny Hastert as Speaker of the House or any of your favorite Republican committee chairs. They'll still be there to put the brakes on any wild-eyed domestic spending or outrageous tax initiatives. So I'm not asking you to make a choice that's going to end up changing any scenery on the national stage.

I'm just asking you to vote for the best guy.

Marty

PS: If you find this message compelling, please pass it along. We’re neighbors, and we shouldn’t be afraid to talk to each other.