Quarterlife Café » Youth trumps experience in Oklahoma election

Youth trumps experience in Oklahoma election

May 20th, 2008 by Kim

Filed under MSNBC’s “Weird News” on Friday … voters in Muskogee, Okla. reacted to politics as usual in their town by electing 19-year-old John Tyler Hammons as mayor.

The college freshman, who will be sworn in today, was elected with 70 percent of the vote in a runoff election. Residents say he represents a “fresh start” for Muskogee, population: 38,000.

Hammons will be one of the youngest mayors in the United States, but he is not without political experience: he was president of his senior class at Muskogee High School in 2007 (Yes, 2007. We are all old.) and president of BOTH the Young Republicans and Young Democrats clubs, although he now considers himself a Republican.

AND he’s a political science major at the University of Oklahoma. Although, he was moving out of the dorms and back in with the ‘rents this week as he prepared to be sworn in.

Does this qualify as “weird news”? It’s actually so rare to see young people interested in politics, let alone running for office that — unfortunately — yes, this is a little weird. It’s bizarre because it’s so rare.

As a very young mayor, Hammons is always going to face challenges and stigmas because of his age and lack of experience. Check out this video of an interview with Hammons from The Oklahoman. As the interviewer puts it in one of her first questions: “You’re 19. You should be in college or tuning up a truck or something.”

Ouch. But true?

At the same time, his youth could very well be an advantage. The image of aged politicians scheming in smoke-filled back rooms has long been notorious for turning people off from politics. Hammons’ opponent was a 70-year-old, former three-term mayor. I admit that I know very little about the issues at stake in the Muskogee race … but there’s something to be said for that.

I think Hammons’ story is interesting and inspiring, and I hope he does good things for the city of Muskogee. He has the opportunity to set an example for other aspiring young leaders looking to make a difference and prove to everyone else that the under-30 crowd isn’t just about iPods and reality TV. Let’s hope his heart is in the right place.

(Mahalos to JMAW for the link.)

Photo: AP/Sue Ogrocki

Tags: government, politics, young leaders

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7 Responses to “Youth trumps experience in Oklahoma election”

Frankie:
May 20th, 2008 at 8:02 am
Think of it this way, at least he’s not old enough to drink and won’t get in trouble driving with a broken foot and a defective contact lens.

Although I applaud his desire to save the world (he’s playing the political game well already, being the prez of democrat and republican clubs), the people of Muskogee have made a mistake electing someone to be their mayor who hasn’t even finished 1 year of college yet. How is he supposed to make decisions that impact the economy, health industry, the elderly, law enforcement, etc.? He will not have any clout in representing his city to the rest of the state or nation. I guess he can always ask his parents since he lives with them now.
just an opinion:
May 20th, 2008 at 11:22 am
i hope this kid knows what he’s getting into. it seems like his youth will help bring a fresh attitude and balance to all the old futs that usually make up government, but, on the other hand, politics is one area where experience really does matter. knowing your way around a committee or how to compromise goes a long way. the back room deals are the ones that get done. he may be rubber-stamping a lot of things as a puppet. if he blows it, his future in that town could be ruined. at least he has something to catch the recruiter’s eye when he grads from college. “you were really the mayor?” ” no sh*&?!”
MoOgooGuypAN:
May 20th, 2008 at 11:26 am
There’s only 38,000 people in his town. That wouldn’t even be enough to fill Aloha Stadium. I’m sure this will be a good starting point for him. Think of all the ladies he’ll score.
Nickolaus Sugai:
May 20th, 2008 at 10:08 pm
Granted there are kids his age who have earned millions of dollars playing professional sports (i.e. Kobe Bryant, Tiger Woods, etc.),but being a star shooting guard and the mayor of a small city are entirely different things.
What will he use as a reference point when making decisions that, will affect an entire generation’s lifestyle? What experiences will he draw on in order to relate to his constituents?
Here is a guy who has never even truly lived on his own (his freshman year he lived in the dorms) and he wants to be the head of the city government?
I am 21 years old, and although I cannot speak on behalf of this ambitious gentleman, I know for a fact that I have matured in leaps and bounds in the two years since I have been 19. I know I will even mature more when I’m 23, and even more when I’m 25, and so on. To even think that a 19 year old, in any case, regardless of intelligence or ambition is ready to take on such a responsibility is unthinkable.
I’d like to imagine what this young man was thinking when he decided to run for mayor, but I’d what I’d really like to imagine what the 70% of Muskogee, Oklahoma was thinking when they elected him into office.
Andrew:
May 21st, 2008 at 10:17 am
I’m only 24 now, but there were many of my peers at who, at 19, I would have been comfortable voting for for mayor. Experience is a big deal, but the fact that this town elected him should be proof enough that experience isn’t everything. He demonstrated his ability clearly enough to convince 70% of his town to vote for him over a three-term former mayor.

Rather than judge him before he’s had a chance to do anything, I’m much more interested to see what he accomplishes and how he behaves in office.
carolyn:
May 21st, 2008 at 3:54 pm
I graduated high school in Oklahoma - then watched almost my entire grad class get married within one year of ending 12th grade. by age 25 they were all divorced parents. they do things at an early age there…. I guess even politics….
JMAW:
May 25th, 2008 at 8:45 pm
Thanks for writing about this and the nod Kim.

I am stoked for this Mayor. What this young man has done is break barriers even if his community is one of 38,000. More people need to be open the possibility of younger candidates because younger people are facing more challenges in this day and age and in some ways are in a better place starting out than those judging them based on their own experiences.

As Frankie so subtly pointed out, look at what our own elected officials have done in the past year, two got DUI’s, you got Big Island Mayoral Candidate and County Councilman involved in a alleged sex harassment case that awarded the person who accused him something like 250,000 grand, and then there was SuperFerry.

Does experience really matter? I always thought so as an experiential learner but the conclusion I’m finding more and more is intent of heart is more important and will carry people much farther, experienced, inexperienced, learn-ed, un-learn-ed…