One visit to Republican gubernatorial candidate Mark Sherwood's social media sites might make you think he sees himself as Ronald Reagan reborn. Or, perhaps, Trump triumphant.
He exhorts all the requisite conservative rhetoric, to be sure. But there is little evidence he will try to reach people concerned about current political divisions.
"It is no longer enough to be a moderate conservative, focusing on business and economics," Sherwood said in a recent social media post. In other words, the liberty-sensitive and inclusive policies of the Reagan administration would be a memory. Like his dismissal of critical elements of Reagan's policymaking, Sherwood's embrace of Trump's policies is equally troubling. Just a few months ago, Sherwood wasn't even a registered Republican.
Sherwood claims he is opposed to COVID-19 mandates, rules, and regulations. Still, he supports a range of government economic regulations.
He wants to tell people what to eat and drink – or, perhaps more precisely, force us to pay higher taxes at the grocery store if we don't eat and drink what he prefers.
Conservatives get tired of the media's use of the term "far-right" – and understandably so, as it seems to apply to all of us who are more conservative than, say, Mitt Romney.
But some of newly minted Republican Mark Sherwood's allies do not seek to reform but to overthrow the rule of law as we understand it in southwest Oklahoma.
Rather than lingering on serious discussions about public policy, this guy is known for his ability to rip phone books in half. Yep, he's made some of his living ripping phone books in half.
Perhaps Sherwood will evolve with a few decades more seasoning and experience and acquire an ability to work with common sense Oklahoma conservatives.
Born in 1964, he describes himself as a non-denominational Christian who puts a lot of stock in "natural health" approaches. To some extent, that's fine.
Encouraging people to eat well, making wise use of America's abundant food resources, and advocating for a healthy lifestyle are all good things. But is that all there is to Sherwood?
Perhaps because Sherwood has spent so much time pursuing his alternative medical treatments and nutritional research, he hasn't had time for anything else of substance. According to Oklahoma State Election Board records, Sherwood hasn't voted in a primary election since 2004.
What is one to think about the circumstances swirling around the end of his first marriage, after his then-wife filed a domestic assault case?
In 2006, as a Tulsa police sergeant, Sherwood was charged with misdemeanor domestic assault and battery. The charge stemmed from allegations he kicked his wife and hit her with a bowl. Sherwood was booked into jail and bailed out after about a 30-minute stay. A couple of years later, his then-ex-wife failed to appear in court, and the case was dismissed.
Sherwood is affiliated with a group calling itself the Power Team. Group members use "feats of strength" to deliver a message. Members bend steel bars and rip the phone books in half as they profess to hold to a "family-focused evangelism."
Is the Power Team's purpose truly Sherwood's own?
In a 2020 tweet, he expressed frustration with health policies during the pandemic, saying he wanted to take a different approach:
"It is called ACTION. If leaders truly cared about the health of the people they led they would:
- mandate healthy eating and exercise
- make available necessary vitamins and minerals
- ban highly processed, sodas, and unhealthy foods
- acknowledge the creator (God) is supreme," Sherwood tweeted.
In 2021, Sherwood also tweeted about his opposition to mask and vaccine mandates while endorsing other mandates:
"The greatest threat to our health is our current lifestyle choices. We should, therefore, be forcing total abolition of disease causing food/beverages. Leaders needed!"
Total abolition? He's talking about some of the most popular foods and drinks around.
Like many politicians (he thinks he is a politician now), Sherwood seems to want to have things both ways — and every way — if it's his way.
Sherwood professes he and his wife are Christians — and perhaps each of his wives was/are.
But he has devoted some energy to trying to explain away an article he wrote titled, "Religion is a Fatal Disease."
Provocative titles — much like the title of this editorial — can be eye-catching and intended to make a point.
In our view: Oklahoma does not need Mark Sherwood as its governor. We would urge him to learn the virtue of conversation, practice engagement with people he doesn't always agree with, and make amends for past calumnies.
Oklahoma Republicans are intelligent, fiercely conservative, and family centered.
Voters deserve to know if Sherwood is more focused on ripping phone books in half and preaching his rhetoric than engaging in serious policy debates and answering questions about his past run-ins with the law.
We urge voters not to support Mark Sherwood for any public office, let alone governor.