Attention Republicans:

Sit down, shut up, pay close attention, and take copious notes! You're about to receive an important lecture on what's at stake and what it means to be a good loyal Republican!

When I first opened and read this week's "e-news" message from Mr. Matt Pinnell writing in behalf of the Oklahoma Republican Party, my first instinct was to fire off a fiery rebuttal using this forum as my vehicle. In fact, I actually did so, but I thought better of posting it, opting rather to give my mind and my emotions a few hours to process what it is that Mr. Pinnell is attempting to shame Oklahoma Republicans like myself into doing. In short, Mr. Pinnell, in the name of the Republican Party of Oklahoma, is advising me and other Oklahoma conservatives to violate both the dictates of my conscience and of my principles.

Mr. Pinnell, Director of Operations for the Oklahoma Republican Party, writes:

As I listened to the Sunday political television lineup, a common theme kept arising from both Republican and Democratic pundits: the talk of a wide “enthusiasm gap” between the Republican and Democrat tickets. I would agree that there may be some truth to this, but there certainly shouldn’t be, and let me tell you why.

Six. That’s the only number conservatives need to remember for the next ten months. Create a bumper sticker, iron press it on some t-shirts, get one of those cool Henna tattoos, whatever it takes for you to remember that number.

Why? Six Supreme Court Justices will be over the age of 70 or nearing that age when the next President is sworn into office. Justice Stevens is 87, Justice Ginsburg 74, Justices Kennedy and Scalia 71, Justice Breyer 69 and Justice Souter 68.

Maybe all of them will still be in place eight years from now. Maybe all of them will be retired. These nine Justices protect our fundamental rights as citizens and even govern over human lives. They matter more than the person living in our Governor’s Mansion, more than our local school boards and city councils, and matter even more than who is in control of the U.S. House and Senate. And one person alone has the power to fill empty Supreme Court seats….the President of the United States.

Two of the most loud and proud liberal Democrats in recent memory, Senators Clinton and Obama, are running for President. If one of these two liberals became our next President and had the power to name six Supreme Courts Justices, historians may look back on this presidential race as the most damaging and destructive ever for conservative Republicans. One we as conservatives may never recover from.

You enthused now?

Let me first say that ever since I signed up with the Oklahoma Republican Party to receive their weekly emails a couple of years ago, I've derived little if any benefit from them insofar as the advocacy of genuine conservative principles is concerned. This bunch is so party loyal and utterly unprincipled that if Hillary were to switch to the Republican party and it looked as though she were going to win the nomination, they'd get behind her 100% and argue the exact same points.

Second, in response to Mr. Pinnell's question to Oklahoma Republicans, "you enthused now?", can you imagine a more stupid question to ask conservative Republicans on the heels of regurgitating so much liberal tripe in such a short space; the same sort of liberal tripe, rife as it is with insinuations toward what I presume is his target audience, which has resulted in the so-called "enthusiasm gap" between Republicans and Democrats? There is an enthusiasm gap, it's both profound and real irrespective of his attempts to discount it, but I think Mr. Pinnell fails to understand from whence it emanates, which is the real issue here.

If Mr. Pinnell actually thinks his message resonates with genuine conservative Republicans, he must be living on a whole 'nother planet. I'll resist the urge to say anything more at this point, and leave it to you, if you so desire, to add whatever you like.

By all means, have at it.