Kinky Friedman announces run for governor
Quick; name one thing Rick Perry has accomplished during his tenure as Governor of Texas.
Go ahead…I’ll wait….
Really…take your time….
Still stumped? Hey, don’t feel too badly; I drew a blank myself. The fact that Governor Goodhair has distinguished himself by being so thoroughly undistinguished should speak volumes about his ineptness. (Of course, it’s not as if the Governor of The Great State of Texas actually has to DO anything.) It doesn’t take a genius to see the need for a new face in the Governor’s Mansion in Austin. Finally, we have an alternative: Kinky Friedman.
In a state with exceedingly low expectations of it’s Governor, Rick Perry has been a surprising underachiever. It’s not as if Friedman is going to have a difficult act to follow.
It’s not even as if Democrats have an alternative. Until I read this article in yesterday’s Chronicle, I had no idea that Chris Bell was even as much as entertaining a run for Governor. And who else might be out there? No one worthy of anything resembling press coverage at this point. So why not Kinky Friedman?
SAN ANTONIO — Musician, author, jokester and occasional politician Richard “Kinky” Friedman stood before the Alamo today to officially launch his independent campaign for Texas governor.
“We’re gypsies on a pirate ship, and we’re setting sail for the Governor’s Mansion,” said Friedman, who calls himself ‘The Kinkster.’ “I’m calling for the unconditional surrender of (Governor) Rick Perry.”….
To get on the Texas ballot as an independent, Friedman will have to collect 45,540 signatures between March 8-May 11, 2006, from registered voters who did not cast a ballot in any party primary or runoff. Friedman said he will use volunteers to collect the signatures and is predicting success.
“We’re definitely going to win this booger,” Friedman said.
Of course, the initial reaction of many will to dismiss Friedman out of hand. “He’s not a serious candidate.” Byron LaMasters at Burnt Orange Report thinks that Friedman is simply a vanity candidate. It’s a easy conclusion to jump to, but you might want to be careful before you consign Friedman to the remainder bin.
Political insiders dismiss Friedman’s run for governor as little more than a joke or a publicity stunt.
“There’ll be no surrendering,” said Luis Saenz, political director for Perry’s Republican re-election campaign. “Kinky definitely has the potential to enliven the debate and after watching him on the Iman show it appears the Democrats are not the only ones who’ve been smoking something.”
Jason Stanford of the Chris Bell for Governor exploratory committee said, “Kinky’s funny, but Rick Perry is a joke.” Bell, a Democrat, lost his re-election campaign for Congress last year.
Friedman said no one should consider his run as just a laughing matter.
“Humor is what I use to attack the windmills of politics as usual,” Friedman said.
There were those who wrote off Jesse Ventura in Minnesota and Arnold Schwarzenegger in California. Why being a celebrity in an arena other than politics is seen as a liability by so many is something I find difficult to understand. After all, look at the mediocrity y’all elected as President. Didn’t he trade Sammy Sosa to the Cubs?
It’s too early to know whether Friedman will prove himself a viable alternative to the walking, talking monument to mediocrity currently inhabiting the Governor’s Mansion in Austin. At least we know a little bit about what he stands for, though.
Friedman said teachers, policemen and firemen have been left behind in a state that is first in the nation in executions and trailing in education funding. He supports the legalization of medical marijuana and wants to increase public school funding through casino gambling. He also wants a return of non-denominational prayer in school.
Friedman also is a champion of Max Soffar, a former death row inmate from Houston whom he believes was wrongly convicted. Harris County prosecutors are considering a retrial for Soffar.
“I’m not anti-death penalty. I’m anti-the-wrong-guy getting executed,” Friedman said. “Two thousand years ago we executed an innocent man named Jesus Christ. The question is: what have we learned in 2000 years?”
At the height of the redneck rock music era in 1970s Austin, Friedman and his Texas Jewboys became an outrageous hit with audiences nationally. His songs included They Ain’t Makin’ Jews Like Jesus Anymore and Get Your Biscuits in the Oven and Your Buns in the Bed.
If a wrestler can be elected Governor of Minnesota, and an actor Governor of California, why not a Jewish Cowboy Governor of Texas? Why not, indeed?
