A lot of people I know are fans of James Lankford. He’s Christian and a big name in Oklahoma so he’s pretty set. Here are my impressions of his views from his website. This is quickly thrown together with no citations, spell-checking, or proof-reading. I may or may not come back and spruce things up.

Energy

For the security and prosperity of our country, we must allow more drilling, refining and distribution of American oil and natural gas.
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The moratorium on drilling in the Gulf of Mexico must be lifted. Every energy company cannot be punished for the mistake of one company. There are thousands of safe wells in the Gulf and they should continue to function for our energy future and economic stability.

The moratorium on drilling is not blocking the functionality of existing wells. The moratorium is on drilling, not pumping oil. Drilling as in using a giant drill to dig deeper into the earth to reach out for oil. Hundreds of rigs in the Gulf are pumping oil while only three or so are drilling. Why on Earth would you try to protect more deep-water drilling knowing that we have obsolutely no technology to handle an emergency situation? There is not enough oil in the Gulf, or anywhere in the country for that matter, for our growing energy needs. We will run out eventually and pushing for more drilling is not a real solution and actually expedites the problem. Here is an MS paint graphic to help illustrate the problem (this is actually an underestimate):

Nuclear, wind, solar, hydro-electric and other energy options should be encouraged through regulatory reforms, rather than increased subsidies.
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Wind, solar, geothermal, hydroelectric all show great promise for the distant future.

I do agree that these energy options must be encourages. However regulation reform is not sufficient. Oil is cheap and alternative energy sources will not be affordable until the price of oil has risen to reflect its coming scarcity. Subsidies provide funding to adopt these technologies before it is too late and we are scrambling. The view that we can further way to convert is sad and will only make transitions more difficult and costly in the future. Oil is not abundant and ever-flowing.

Family a.k.a. I don’t want to blatanty mention this is about homosexuality

At the heart of many of the problems facing our country stands an institution under siege. That institution is the American family.

I agree that the American family is failing — but not because of what Mr. Lankford is alluding to: gay marriage. The divorce rate is through the roof and it’s not because of an infiltration of rainbows. Plain and simple the government has no right to interfere in relationships as it is blatant discrimination to legally discriminate on legal contracts based on gender. There is no gray area here. It’s discrimination. The government must either allow same-sex marriages or not recognize opposite-sex ones, which I believe to be the best option as it removes the government from what is at heart a religious ceremony & contract. Additionally the idea that families are “under attack” is juvenile and only further plays off fear and ignorance.

Families must continue to be honored and protected.

Firstly, a family is not a mother, father, son, and daugter. This idea of ‘normalcy’ only serves to instill fear of things that are different. There is no normal and I don’t want the government forcing it’s idea of what’s normal upon me, my friends, or my family.

Financial

Congress should audit the Federal Reserve and privatize Fanny Mae and Freddie Mac. If “big banks” operate in a manner that puts their company at risk, they should be allowed to “fail” so they could reorganize in bankruptcy under new leadership.

I absolutely agree with this. The problem with our current government is that it’s not even capitalist anymore, it’s corporatist.

Healthcare

I do not have the responsibility to dictate for other people the choices they make in their lives.

Why is this not said on the ‘Families’ page?

In the past few months, a small group in the federal government decided that because 10% of the country does not have health care insurance (some of them by their choice), 100% of Americans must change their health insurance.

I am sincerely saddened by this quote for a multitude of reasons. 10% of Americans without health care coverage is 10% too many and those of that 10% that are uninsured by choice aren’t doing so because they don’t want coverage, they do so because it is too expensive for them to consider being worth it. This helps create more of a problem as the uninsured get ill or avoid going to the doctor or hospital when they need to and then others get stuck with absorbing the costs. I find it terribly troubling that so many in the Christian community are perfectly fine with this. They will fight tooth and nail to pay a penny to help pay for the less fortunate to be helped. This isn’t Christian, this just makes you a horrible human being. Secondly, the recent laws passed do no such thing as Mr. Lankford states where “100% of Americans” will need to change their health coverage. This is blatantly false. If you have coverage, it stays the same. Simple yet it’s still being spun here to instill fear.

The same Democrat party that talks on and on about a “woman’s right to choose” what to do with her body just told every man and woman in America when, where, and how they can get health care.

They did not tell anyone when, where, or how they can get healthcare that already has insurance. The health bill unfortunately was gutted beyond recognition (by the Republican extremists) and altered so they are now mandating all citizens be covered or purchase coverage from private corporations. This STILL doesn’t involve telling them when, where, or how they can get health care- only health insurance. A huge benefit to the new health care laws however is the removal of the whole pre-existing conditions mess which will save lives and actually allow people to purchase health insurance that previously could not.

The federal government is working to limit the number and role of insurance companies when we should be removing the barriers so that we have more companies and more competition.

I agree that if we are going to have for-profit health insurance companies that people need to be able to shop around and have options and also the ability to transfer to other plans and companies. Currently everyone is pretty much locked in.

We should encourage individuals to start their own health savings accounts (HSA). These allow people to buy catastrophic insurance and to put their money into a HSA so they can spend it for health care as they wish.

Unfortunately HSA’s do nothing to solve the problem. A single diagnosis can bankrupt families. Normal Americans cannot come close to affording the cost from tragic diagnosis by saving up, and insurance companies can easily drop them or cite pre-existing conditions prior to recent laws. Also unfortunately, many people are poor, despite what Mr. Lankford may think. When it comes between putting food on the table and healthcare, most will cut out the healthcare. This puts further strain on our system. Healthcare coverage is a social issue and would do best with everyone paying into the same system and without the overhead of profit. This is why a single payer system would work best. Everyone would keep their system doctors and hospitals but the insurance company wouldn’t be taking a cut of the money. Unfortunately however those better off financially don’t want to pay for help the poor. How is that a Christian stance here in Oklahoma?

Immigration

Copy-pasta from a comment left by a visitor on his site:

“We cannot bail out every inefficient government in the world by taking on their economic refugees.”
-James Lankford

“When an alien resides with you in your land, you shall not oppress the alien. The alien who resides with you shall be to you as the citizen among you; you shall love the alien as yourself, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.”
-God.

I understand we can’t take on everyone. This just isn’t feasible. However this outright hunt and dehumanization of immigrants is a scary way to approach this. Recent bills to ban healthcare to pregnant immigrants or block healthcare to an immigrant having a baby our outlandish. Strangely enough those most adamently against abortion are also for blocking an immigrant having a baby from receiving healthcare. Are immigrants not humans now? It all seems to be based on fear.

“Thank you , you are right! Something must be done about uninvited nonworking aliens not to mention terrorist coming over our border. Some have the argument that there are jobs that Americans won’t do that aliens will. Most of these picking and farm jobs can be handled by Americans if given the economic incentive and machinery. The aliens are cutting down on American inventivness to create solutions to labor problems.” – Site visitor

Obligatory “They took our jorbs!!!”

National Security

Our security budget is insane. We have enough nukes to blow up the entire planet multitudes over. Why must we always live in so much fear?

Second Amendment

I agree with Mr. Lankford here. If guns are banned then only the government and criminals will have guns. (and if you keep your gun, you have become a criminal.)

Spending

Stop spending so much money!

I concur. Spend less and when you do spend, spend wisely.

Taxes

I certainly agree that our current tax system is a mess and is full of loopholes. There is an entire industry surrounding filling out taxes.