Comments on: Kinky Friedman …. why?

By: Old Whip

Old Whip — Tue, 14 Nov 2006 17:28:55 +0000

I voted for Kinky because I believe he was hands down the best man for the job.

Like was stated earlier, the power of the Texas Governor isn’t in making direct policy. It’s in using the bully pulpit to get the State Legislature to get something done and in appointing qualified people to various state commissions.

No matter what happened in the Guv’s race, the Legislature was still going to be dominated by the GOP so….

If Perry wins, it’s 4 more years of the same.

If Strayhorn wins, it’s 4 more years with a differant set of fat cats on the state’s teet.

If Bell wins, the republicans dig in their partisan heels and keep him from accomplishing anything. (Bell just doesn’t have the strength of personality to bring them along. The man couldn’t inspire kids to eat ice cream.)

If Kinky wins, you have someone who knows how to draw public attention to issues and someone who can bring both sides to the table to hash out real compromises.

IMO, Texans missed a real chance here.

By: Alex Higgins

Alex Higgins — Sat, 11 Nov 2006 21:40:03 +0000

I was under the impression that Kinky Friedman was an advocate of gun control and not much in favour of the death penalty – which is a hard ticket to sell In Texas.

By: Randy Paul

Randy Paul — Sat, 11 Nov 2006 20:16:54 +0000

Nell, It's David Dewhurst. I saw him about two years ago at the Texas Association of Broadcasters where he was invited instead of Governor Perry.

By: Nell

Nell — Fri, 10 Nov 2006 17:43:59 +0000

So who is the current Lieutenant Governor of Texas?

By: The Guilty Reader

The Guilty Reader — Fri, 10 Nov 2006 16:41:42 +0000

You can’t be a perfect campus liberal and win in texas.

Indeed, unless you’re running for Congress in Lloyd Doggett’s district (which is now long, thin, and weirdly running all the way to Laredo or something now that the districts have been all carved up).

Bush was governor for six years, so it would have been three times, no?

JP: heh. Good call on the maths! My bad. And yeah, we should be sure to give him credit for that one more time; it makes all the difference! ;)

By: garymar

garymar — Fri, 10 Nov 2006 13:37:09 +0000

Fascination with Friedman reminds me of the fascination with Cicciolina, the Italian porn star elected to the legislature. But at least she actually won office!

By: jordan delange

jordan delange — Fri, 10 Nov 2006 10:21:57 +0000

His website did promise drastically higher spending on people like firefighters and teachers, and he advocated increasing taxes on oil companies (in texas!) and finding green alternative energy sources. You can’t be a perfect campus liberal and win in texas. Plus here in houston I saw like five willie nelson commercials for him during the last few days. Still voted for the democrat, but he isn’t as bad as ya’all make him out to be.

By: Anthony

Anthony — Fri, 10 Nov 2006 03:17:42 +0000

From the looks of it, Kinky Friedman is a right-wing populist, as opposed to a right-wing corporatist. Texans are, in general, pretty right-wing, but they’re not necessarily fans of corporations, unless they happen to own one.

That doesn’t answer why Europeans would support him (excepting right-wing populist Europeans, but that doesn’t sound like Chris Bertram’s friends). I suspect it’s because people like Kinky Friedman (and Jesse Ventura) are colorfully eccentric, and mostly harmless.

A right-wing populist who proposed essentially the same things Kinky did who had actively toiled in the trenches and worked his way up to Governor would be able to get some significant part of his program enacted. But Kinky, who has nobody in Texas who owes him political favors, wouldn’t get much of anything done, even those things which appeal to a majority of the legislature.

By: vivian

vivian — Fri, 10 Nov 2006 02:59:31 +0000

The man wrote some really entertaining mystery novels too. Vivid prose, good pacing, etc. Apparently Clinton is (was?) a big fan of them too (the Bushes are fans of his music instead). He lost me with his immigration and Katrina comments, but I’m really quite disappointed because I was primed to like him, and before them, he seemed like a reasonable and moderately intelligent guy with a mostly-good platform and no chance of winning.

Besides, Belle’s right that Governor Kinky sounds way awesome, much better than Jesse “the governor” sounded.

By: Ian

Ian — Fri, 10 Nov 2006 01:17:27 +0000

Chris W – by “modern” I meant anything more recent than, say, Bechet. I know that was sweepingly philistine, but life is short, etc etc. I’m intrigued: why is Atzmon’s jazz political? And what [resigned sigh] should I listen to?

By: Chris Williams

Chris Williams — Fri, 10 Nov 2006 00:54:14 +0000

Atzmon’s views may be repellent*, but his jazz ain’t modern. Actually it’s rather political in itself, and in a good way.

*OK, ‘are repellent’.

By: Xanthippas

Xanthippas — Fri, 10 Nov 2006 00:35:43 +0000

I thought Europeans were fascinated with kooky Texans? Am I wrong?

I ask because I’m counting on that for my future Euro-pop career.

By: Ian

Ian — Fri, 10 Nov 2006 00:32:37 +0000

Will the Kinky Friedman = Gilad Atzmon debate be on the grounds of moral or musical equivalence? If it’s musical, I’m not buying it: I gave up trying to like modern jazz a decade ago.

By: Daniel

Daniel — Thu, 09 Nov 2006 23:27:54 +0000

funny though; they never seem to get the joke aspect of Gilad Atzmon

By: DC

DC — Thu, 09 Nov 2006 22:51:38 +0000

Ditto comment 5 – Norm was obviously amused by this guy, who was, after all, a joke candidate, no?