Guess Who Wants to Be Governor of Texas....Kinky Friedman.

[Enquiringkitty]

By RALPH BLUMENTHAL
From NYTimes.com
photo by Bryce Harper for The New York Times


MEDINA, Tex., Nov. 22 — As a campaign slogan, it leaves something to be desired: "Why the hell not?"

But Kinky Friedman, the irreverent Texas author, songwriter and salsa maker, and self-described "Gandhi-like figure" at the animal rescue ranch he runs here in the Hill Country west of San Antonio, says the message could propel him into the governor's mansion in Austin.

The election is not until 2006, when Gov. Rick Perry, the Republican incumbent, will presumably run again. But that has not kept Mr. Friedman from dreaming of a grass-roots army to collect the 45,000 signatures that an independent candidate needs to run, or from printing bumper stickers reading, "He Ain't Kinky, He's My Governor."

Anyway, the job — heavy on ceremony in Texas, where the real power lies in the lieutenant governor's authority to control the Senate agenda — does not daunt the curly-mopped Mr. Friedman, whose real name is Richard and who gives his age as 59, though adding, "I read at the 61-year level." Given those who have come before him, he said, "how hard could it be?"

http://www.kinkyfriedman.com/nytarticle.html

In Texas, for an independent to get on the ballot, 50,000 signatures must be collected from qualified voters who DID NOT vote in the last election. Friedman said in an interview with CNN today that this is the way the politicians in power keeps the legislative power out of the hands of the "little people".

[TreasonousBastard]

1. Hasn't he been "running" for years?

I vaguely remember him changing the name of the band from The Texas Jewboys to something else so it wouldn't be a political issue.

[Vickers]

2. "how hard could it be?"

:headbang::headbang::headbang::headbang::headbang::headbang:

Hey Texas, get Kinky!

[Anakin Skywalker]

3. Gonna Be Hard

to win over the rednecks with a funky name like "Kinky".

[nirvana3240]

4. I dont like him....

I dont like him at all...idk why. He just seems gross, like someone who would talk about their bowl movements at press conferences.

[Enquiringkitty]

6. That pretty much cover him. He would and might have already!

He wants Willie Nelson to be his Energy Sec. because his bus is fueled by a "bio-diesel" he wants the government to make available to the public. I think between them they could finance that. Willie has paid off his tax and drug issues. Willie should be new drug czar.

[crispini]

5. I think the article got it wrong.

I believe the sigs have to come from folks who did not vote in the last PRIMARY election, i.e. the 2006 primaries. This gives him a pretty short time to get on the ballot. Probably not that do-able.

[Enquiringkitty]

7. Yes, you are right. Anyone who wants to run is pretty much blocked from

the political process. I thought we weren't suppose to put restrictions on an individual wanting to run that were so limiting or is this boarder line but legal?

[crispini]

8. Well, I can see the rationale for it.

If you vote in either one of the primaries presumably you are satisfied with the choices. If you're not satisfied and you don't vote then your sig on the petition would be equivalent to a "vote" on the independent candidate. And the collection of the sigs means you're serious -- it's quite a lot of work to do that kind of petition collection, how many is it?

But even the REGULAR candidates have to do petition drives in order to get on the ballot in their primaries. At least, all the judicial candidates I know are always passing around petitions; I'm not sure now if that's for the primary or for the general. :shrug:

[realFedUp]

9. kinky Caleefornia governator

If Californians can have a historic
recall, recalling a governor who was
basically dull, for a steroid user,
sexual harasser, B movie actor who
speaks using monosyllabic and adolescent
phrases, then Texas can have a Kinky for
Governor too.

I'll trade ya.