In the 1986 Democrat primary for governor, then Attorney General Mike Turpen, the favorite to win the Democratic nomination for governor, was forced into a runoff by a then unknown David Walters, who had used money from rich buddies to buy ads belittling the appearance of the young AG. The ads used Turpen’s face superimposed on a clock with the hands spinning and an announcer proclaiming that “Turpen time is up.”

Turpen, beside himself over Walter’s conniving tactics, appeared on live television, dripping in sweat , stuttering, stammering and generally looked unhinged. Kind of like he did in this video:

Many observers pointed to his performance as a primary reason why he lost to Walters in the runoff some weeks later.

But Turpen turned “celebrity” when he was paired with Burns Hargis on the long-running “Flashpoint” program, which was the most influential political show in Oklahoma until revelations of Turpen’s censorship of anti-Edmondson journalists, his undeclared pimping of clients and Hargis’ departure all combined to sink the show’s reputation. That, and Turpen’s use of the stinky dough he’s received from WAD Edmondson for doing next to nothing in the phony tobacco suits, have made him a laughingstock as he tries to buy his way into polite Oklahoma City society.

Turpen has over the years tried to emulate former Attorney General Larry Derryberry and become one of the most politically skilled and respected operators in the state, but he had neither the skills nor the table manners to garner that respect, and after ruining the Democratic Party, set out to buy his way in respectability. Like a trailer park dandy who wins the lottery, he’s spreading it around, or as James Carville says, “drag a dollar through a trailer park…….”

For those of you who weren’t fortunate enough to see Turpen’s political time expire on the tube in 1986, we’re sorry. We’re even more sorry that KFOR has edited out the exchange last Thursday night between anchor Kevin Ogle and Turpen in which the name dropping 2008 version kept blabbing and going off maniacally until Ogle finally had to tell producers to “cut him (Turpen) off.”

“Susan and I have hosted presidential candidates, first ladies. We’ve spent the night at the White House…”

“I visited personally with Bill Clinton…I think he (Obama) laid out tonight what Bill Clinton told me yesterday at lunch.”

(Click here to listen) AMAZING!!!!

Turpen gets so excited, he even throws in a pandering and patronizing shout out to African Americans! We almost expected him to break out into a chorus of “We Shall Overcome.”

“I got a text from my daughter Sarah just a few minutes ago. She told me that they’re studying in school today Frederick Douglas and Martin Luther King.”

Too bad you can’t seen Ogle’s throat slashing gesture as he frantically tries to cut Turpen off.
For those of you shocked to learn that KFOR has edited out the Turpen’s meltdown on their website, this further cements the notion that new KFOR management will do nothing to stop Turpen from ruining their journalistic reputation as the station goes into the toilet.