Kinky Friedman running for Governor

"We hope the people of Texas are going to reject the choice of paper or plastic," the humorist told Reuters earlier this year.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/11/04/AR2005110401242.html

I guess I'll smile at it, since the real race won't be very amusing to watch.

And he aint funny.

He knows how to frame, and he appeals to lots of Texans, but last I heard, he doesn't know how to keep any traction for his campaign. Didn't Kinky have to let a lot of his staffers go not too long ago?

What he lacks in plot, he makes up for in style.

Can he do any worse than the last two Govs we've had?

Anyone else remember his band, The Texas Jew Boys?

He wasn't much of a musician, either. His head hurts, his feet stink, and he don't love Jesus, either (apologies to a real musician/author, Jimmy Buffet, who knows better than to run for political office).

Can he do any worse than the last two Govs we've had?

Try to imagine this being a resounding 'yes'.

I think his non-fiction is weak (except the piece on Texas music in his recent etiquite book) but his novels are pretty good.

Why are people bothered by his "run for office?"

I'm bothered by him.



He needs to go away. This state's government is too mucked up as it is. Or hadn't you noticed?

And may I add, FUCK KINKY!

I lived in this funky apartment building in Austin. My neighbor directly across the hall had a RED Kinky for gov bumper sticker on his DOOR. Every time I walk out in the hall, there's that damn sticker. He cut out the part that said "hell", as in "why the hell not". So, one day, this neighbor had plans with me, but kept putting me off. Later on .. ya know the type? SO! I pulled his Kinky sticker off his door. Yes. Guess I should be ashamed. I got so SICK of looking at that thing. He thought management had done it, and I fessed up, of course.
No worries. He had another one.
Okay. This guy? If this is Kinky country then we're in BIG trouble.

Kinky has always been the real thing devoid of any and all political correctness. He's friends with all the politicians. He gets on with everybody. Bill Clinton had him to dinner in the White House. In fact, when Bill was in Austin for the Book Fair last week, he made time to meet with Kinky Friedman.

Check out the t-shirt on the guy next to Kinky --



This is the CBS Sunday Morning profile of Kinky which is pretty entertaining:

http://www.kinkyfriedman.com/dmdocuments/kinkycbs.wmv

As Kinky says ... May the God of your choice bless you.

Here's his platform on issues he considers most critical:

Kinky's Common-Sense Priorities

EDUCATION

Texas has the second-largest population of any state in the country and two of the ten largest cities. That's an awfully big cart to pull with the horsepower we're currently giving our kids in Texas schools. An educated workforce and top-notch schools are essential to keeping our state attractive to new business, but we're failing the test.

-Texas has the 8th largest economy in the world, but we're 1st in drop-out rates and 49th in education spending in the country.

-Teachers' salaries in Texas are over $6,000 below the national average. This lack of respect for the people who do our state's most important job must stop. As governor, Kinky will work to make sure that teachers are paid what they're worth. Period.

-The TAKS test and its predecessor, TAAS, were invented essentially to make legislators look good on education. But studies show that rigid enforcement of standardized test scores doesn't help kids learn or make teachers more effective. Teach to the test and kids will learn the test—but not much else.


HEALTHCARE

Texas ranks rock-bottom in providing for the basic needs of its youngest and poorest residents. More than one fifth of Texas children have no health insurance at all.

In 2003, Texas legislators slashed the Children's Health Insurance Program, pulling the rug out from under 170,000 kids. Not only did this put more of our children at risk, it ended up costing the state tens of thousands of health care jobs and $16 billion in lost productivity. Kinky believes this is reckless and short-sighted—no way to invest in the future of Texas.

We're a state that prides itself on friendliness and responsibility, but the message we're sending our kids is that if you're going to be born poor, you'd better not be born in Texas.


RENEWABLE ENERGY

It's time for Texas to reclaim bragging rights as an energy icon. As governor, Kinky will accomplish that by encouraging investment and innovation in new methods of electricity generation and new fuels like biodiesel.

Think these are fringe technologies? Think again. Wind power plants, solar power arrays, and landfill gas capture systems are already in operation across Texas in cities from Fort Stockton to Fort Worth. Texas has been called "the Saudi Arabia of renewable energy," and firms from TXU to Kyocera are already clamoring for a piece of the action.

-Despite our staggering potential, only 0.7% of Texas' energy needs come from renewable sources. That puts us 51st in the nation, behind even Washington D.C.

-Biodiesel—it's good enough for Willie Nelson's tour bus, and the city of Denton is using it to fuel their entire fleet of diesel trucks. Biodiesel is fuel you can grow. That's good for farmers, good for the air, good for the Texas energy industry and good for Texans. With biodiesel, everybody wins but OPEC.

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"With all respect, when the governor fills the education system with people who have never seen the inside of the classroom, it's the kind of thing that really irritates the Kinkster," Friedman said.

With his "No Teacher Left Behind" program, Friedman is taking aim at teaching to tests and low teacher salary in the state.

http://www.kinkyfriedman.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=166&Itemid=27

He is NOT a progressive.

His campaign advisor is TOM DELAY'S attorney

The one time he ran for office before (and LOST), it was as a REPUBLICAN

Fuck Kinky!

progressive, he is hurting progressives; especially those who believe he is a viable choice.

Take a look at Dick DeGuerin's political contributions.

And ... when Kinky ran for Justice of the Peace in Kerrville back in 1980 it was a joke that he ran as a Republican. It wasn't a serious campaign.

I'm defending Kinky a lot here lately, because I don't think he's getting a fair rendering. I'm a Chris Bell supporter all the way. But, Kinky's not a bad guy.

...that celebrity Governors have not one clue about what it takes to govern and thus should stick to doing whatever it is they do. In Kinky's case, he should write books and make salsa.

thinking maybe I should start talking him up to all the republicans around here. :D