Kevin Stitt Learns the Definition of Irony the Hard Way

Kevin Stitt was inaugurated as the Governor of Oklahoma on January 14, 2019 despite not even taking the time to vote much of his adult life. He claimed he was too busy running his business, Gateway Mortgage, and raising his family to wait in line at a polling place.

In 2009 Business Insider ranked Gateway as one of the 15 shadiest lenders in the government backed mortgage industry.  According to various media reports the company was fined $10,000 by the state of Illinois. In Georgia Stitt was personally banned for five years from doing any business in the state and his company was exiled for life. After a series of staff firings and another fine Georgia let the company back in. The future Governor claimed he didn't know anything about the wrong doing in both instances.

So let's just say when it comes to business practices he and Don Trump serve in the same band of brothers.

After becoming Governor one of Mr. Stitt's first acts was to sign off on a bill which allows any Oklahoman 21 years and older--18 if you're in the military--to carry a loaded weapon, concealed or openly, without a license, or any sort of training. He named the bill, Constitutional Carry and claimed he didn't want to spoil the fun for huge numbers of paranoid yokels just because a few demented cranks had used firearms for evil purposes. You know, like shooting up classrooms, robbing banks, and such.

All of which brings us to this year and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Like Trump, Stitt didn't think much of it. But then he doesn't think much of any disease. In fact, he's is an anti-vaxxer, although not a vocal one, who refuses to let his six kids be vaccinated for anything.

In March, as things were beginning to seriously spin out of control the Governor posted a picture of himself and two of his children in a crowded Oklahoma City restaurant on Twitter. Part of the caption read, "Eating with my kids and all my fellow Oklahomans...It is packed tonight." He also urged everyone in Oklahoma to get out and enjoy themselves.

He quickly deleted the post after local public health officials went ape shit. Three days later the Governor ordered all restaurants, bars, barber shops, gyms, tattoo parlors, and other non essential businesses closed. He would give the okay for them to re-open about 30 days later.

The President praised him for his, swift and responsible re-opening of the state and rewarded him by planning a giant, huge, really huge, rally in Tulsa on June, 20th. (Actually the original date was the 19th, but the campaign ran into a little trouble when it was pointed out that was Black Independence Day.) Trump predicted the 19,000 plus arena would not only be filled, but there would be a huge overflow crowd outside A few days prior Gov. Stitt publicly assured him the crowd would be SRO and everyone would be safe.

The get together took place on a Saturday night. Unfortunately the BOK Center was just barely over a third full and there wasn't any overflow. Afterward Trump stormed out of Tulsa in a huff. The Governor was there however, unmasked like so many, eschewing social distancing, sitting right next to Herman Cain, a prominent member of the GOP.

A little over two weeks later Cain was hospitalized with the Coronavirus. Two days ago, as Oklahoma reels from record numbers of new cases, Kevin Stitt announced he too had tested positive. During the statement he expressed surprise he had become the first U.S. Governor to come down with it.

Irony, thou art a bitch.

Despite all this, Kevin Stitt still refuses to mandate a requirement to wear masks while out and about. He says he won't even consider it until the Oklahoma COVID rate reaches 7,000 people a day. That would be a little more than the entire population of Blackwell becoming infected every 24 hours.

We can only imagine what his thoughts would be if someone comes up with a vaccine somewhere down the road.

Hey, here is hoping the Governor recovers swiftly and completely. And, on behalf of everyone, I'd like to thank him for being, so responsible through out his entire private and public life.


sic vita est


7-17-20