After Impressing NDGOP, Zinke Invited to Give Keynote at Oil Conference

April 25, 2018 T. Arthur Mason North Dakota
Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke addressed the 2018 NDGOP State Convention. (Picture via fair use.)

Earlier this month, we published an article in which I was critical of the way in which the NDGOP handled the selection and announcement of their keynote speaker for the State Convention in Grand Forks. In a nutshell, I just don’t think it’s good practice for the party to hold off on their selection and announcement until the week going into a convention.

While I stand by those feelings, I’ll also say that Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke – the NDGOP’s choice for the keynote address – really seemed to impress North Dakota’s Republican delegates. Not only does the former Montana congressman have family connections to North Dakota, but his experience as a Navy Seal and ability to connect on issues like traditional values, lower taxes, immigration, border security, and energy really resonated with convention-goers.

According to reports back in February, Zinke had been invited to speak at the Williston Basin Petroleum Conference to be held in Bismarck May 22nd-24th. But a report this morning shows that, from the dozens speaking at the event, he’s now been invited to be the keynote speaker.

The attendance at this years 26th annual conference is expected to be about 2,500— that’s about 1,000 more than Zinke spoke to at the NDGOP State Convention earlier this month. Some delegates to the State Convention initially expressed their disappointment at the NDGOP’s choice of Zinke as their keynote. But based off of my observations, he won them over. I’m guessing he’ll have no problem doing the same next month at the Williston Basin Petroleum Conference.

For more information about the event, you can click here. A list of main presenters can be seen here.

 

Sources:

  1. https://theminutemanblog.com/2018/04/04/ndgop-disappointed-delegates-choice-keynote-speaker/
  2. http://bismarcktribune.com/news/local/speakers-lined-up-for-williston-basin-petroleum-conference/article_f521cc7c-764f-591f-917f-c8d75a145cff.html
  3. https://www.seattletimes.com/business/zinke-invited-as-keynote-at-north-dakota-oil-conference/
  4. https://wbpcnd.org/default.aspx
  5. https://wbpcnd.org/presenters.aspx
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About T. Arthur Mason 883 Articles
T. Arthur Mason is a native North Dakotan who has spent nearly all of his life in the Peace Garden State. As the third of four children in Western North Dakota, Mason grew to appreciate family and the outdoors. Some of his fondest memories are annual deer hunts with family and friends. In his early teenage years, faith became a central part of T. Arthur Mason's life. He and the majority of his family attend church together on a weekly basis and find this a fulfilling aspect of their lives. Through the influence of his father, T. Arthur Mason became intrigued with politics. As a boy, he attended political events with his father and enjoyed the friendships that resulted as a byproduct of those political associations. As Mason grew older, he became convinced that the quote often attributed to Thomas Jefferson was true, "That government is best which governs least." Today, T. Arthur Mason enjoys time with his wife and children, an occasional hunt, and an increasingly active life on the political scene. This blog is the fulfillment of a dream to design a web site in the realm of politics and to advocate for the principles of Liberty and constitutionally limited government. On behalf of all those that contribute to The Minuteman, we hope you enjoy your time on the site and will share the message with others.

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