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bobbyw24
09-01-2009, 06:42 AM
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/254/story/74660.html

Friedman tossing cowboy hat back into the ring today in Texas governor's race

By DAVE MONTGOMERY

dmontgomery@star-telegram.com

AUSTIN — Calling himself the "only true man of the people" in the race, Austin author-entertainer Kinky Friedman plans to launch his Democratic campaign for governor today with a statewide media tour starting in Austin.

Reached Monday, Friedman had little to say about the other Democratic candidates, saying his main objective is ousting Republican Gov. Rick Perry.

He also spun off a campaign line from the dust-up this year over Perry’s much-publicized suggestions that some Texans are so fed up with Washington that they might want to secede from the rest of the nation. "I think it’s time for Texas to secede from Rick Perry," Friedman said.

Making his second run for governor, Friedman would bring to five the number of Democrats seeking the top state office in 2010. The other candidates include Fort Worth attorney and former U.S. Ambassador Tom Schieffer, Fort Worth school teacher Felix Alvarado, Garland therapist for the blind Mark Thompson and rancher Hank Gilbert of Whitehouse.

The widening Democratic race has been overshadowed by the Republican primary showdown between Perry and U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, but Friedman could liven things up with his arsenal of irreverent quips and one-liners.

Friedman, 64, drew 12 percent of the vote as an independent among six candidates in the 2006 governor’s race. He has spent the past four months preparing to take on Perry as a Democrat and has vowed to run "a serious campaign" inspired by past Democratic stalwarts such as former Gov. Ann Richards and former U.S. Rep. Barbara Jordan.

Democratic analysts and party activists offered differing assessments on his potential impact. "Kinky is a character and he can be funny, but I don’t think many Texans are going to think this is a time for a distracting entertainer," said Democratic consultant Glenn Smith of Austin.

But Houston consultant Dan McClung said Friedman could hurt Schieffer’s candidacy by drawing away activist Democrats who distrust Schieffer because of his friendship and past business ties with former President George W. Bush. Schieffer served as an ambassador to Australia and Japan under the Bush administration and was a partner with Bush in the Texas Rangers baseball organization.

Schieffer has repeatedly sought to erase party skepticism over his ties to Bush and recently won the endorsements of four leading Democrats in the Texas House of Representatives. Asked about Friedman’s impact on the race, Schieffer spokesman Clay Robison responded, "All I can say is I hope it’s minimal." Schieffer declined to comment.

Friedman campaign manager Rania Batrice said the statewide announcement tour will consist primarily of media appearances and interviews in selected cities. The tour will run from Tuesday through Thursday and include stops in Houston, Dallas, El Paso and the Rio Grande Valley.

"We’ve got lots of supporters," she said. "We’ve talked to a lot of people who will be endorsing us, but we haven’t rolled those out yet."

Friedman also plans Bloody Mary Morning, a high-profile fundraiser with fellow musician Willie Nelson on Sept. 16 in Plano.

FrankRep
09-01-2009, 06:54 AM
Debra Medina for Texas Governor 2010

http://www.medinafortexas.com/


(She's a Campaign for Liberty (http://www.campaignforliberty.com/) leader in Texas)

haaaylee
09-01-2009, 12:19 PM
great, he is going to split the vote again and Medina won't have a chance . ..

MRoCkEd
09-01-2009, 12:22 PM
great, he is going to split the vote again and Medina won't have a chance . ..
Kinky's running in the democratic primary. He and Medina won't be facing each other unless both of them win their primaries which is unlikely.

acptulsa
09-01-2009, 12:24 PM
Well, if ol' Kinky can't get any traction this year, y'all might as well just go on and ....

rp4prez
09-01-2009, 12:24 PM
I'm voting for Medina. Most likely she won't win against Perry or Kay. :(

max
09-01-2009, 12:31 PM
i wish RP would run against Kay Bailout and Bildberger Rick

acptulsa
09-01-2009, 12:37 PM
i wish RP would run against Kay Bailout and Bildberger Rick

Not me. I think the emergency in D.C. is much more pressing than the emergency in Austin.

Of course, that may just be a question of perspective. Things look a little different north of the Red...

Bryan
09-01-2009, 12:39 PM
Kinky's running in the democratic primary. He and Medina won't be facing each other unless both of them win their primaries which is unlikely.

We have open primaries here (you don't have to be registered in a party to vote in their primary, but you can only vote in one)-- this will split the anti-establishment vote, even across party lines.

Bryan
09-01-2009, 12:41 PM
Not me. I think the emergency in D.C. is much more pressing than the emergency in Austin.

Of course, that may just be a question of perspective. Things look a little different north of the Red...
The emergency in Austin is to insulate us from the emergency in DC. :) Of course we're still trying to deal with DC...

MRoCkEd
09-01-2009, 12:44 PM
We have open primaries here (you don't have to be registered in a party to vote in their primary, but you can only vote in one)-- this will split the anti-establishment vote, even across party lines.
Oh. I see.
How good is Kinky? He was on Alex Jones show not too long ago asking for the support of Ron Paulers.

tmosley
09-01-2009, 01:01 PM
RP, were he governor, might actually pull the trigger and secede. Hopefully others would follow suit, but I think Texas has enough nukes to defend herself.

acptulsa
09-01-2009, 01:03 PM
RP, were he governor, might actually pull the trigger and secede. Hopefully others would follow suit, but I think Texas has enough nukes to defend herself.

Oklahoma is likely to be right there. Won't have bells on, but we'll bring along the McAlester bomb plant... :cool:

Cowlesy
09-01-2009, 01:08 PM
Oklahoma is likely to be right there. Won't have bells on, but we'll bring along the McAlester bomb plant... :cool:

Hey don't forget to bring NYC along --- we bring Charlie Rangel, Anthony Weiner, Gerrold Nadler, Melinda Katz and Mike Bloomberg along with ridiculous gun laws and sky-high taxes to the table.

Slutter McGee
09-01-2009, 01:17 PM
This is from his 06 campaign.

Q: Why should I vote for Kinky? What are his main issues?
A: Kinky believes there are several key issues facing Texas, including:

The state of our public education system,
The lack of affordable healthcare for Texas children,
Our border relations with Mexico,
Our reliance on foreign fuels, which would be lessened by the introduction of renewable energy sources such as biodiesel and ethanol.


Q: How does Kinky plan to slow down illegal immigration into Texas?
A: Kinky's plans for illegal immigration include increasing the number of Texas National Guard troops on the border (from the current 1,500 to 10,000), imposing $25,000 and $50,000 fines on companies that hire illegal immigrants and requiring foreign nationals seeking employment to purchase a foreign taxpayer ID card once they have passed a criminal background check.

"Texas can no longer wait for our federal government to solve our illegal immigration problem," Friedman said. "These are steps that Texas can immediately take to help stem the tide of illegal immigrants penetrating our border."

If elected, Kinky also promises to meet regularly with Governors Bill Richardson (New Mexico) and Janet Napolitano (Arizona) to develop a coordinated border state plan to supplement federal efforts to curb illegal immigration.

Q: How would Kinky improve the education system?
A: Kinky proposes several options that, if implemented, would bring new money into the education budget and improve the state of education in Texas:

Legalizing casino gambling to bring in billions per year,
Closing corporate loopholes so that the 10,000 Texas businesses that are not currently paying taxes will be charged,
Increasing teacher salaries—currently $6,000 below the national average.
Establishing a Trust for Texas Heroes program to increase the salaries of teachers, cops, and firefighters through a 1 percent tax on oil and gas produced in Texas
Outsourcing sports funding to sports companies/retailers, and
Stopping the practice of "teaching to the test." The TAKS shouldn't be the sole focus of education in Texas.
Establish the Texas Peace Corps, which would mobilize retirees, musicians, celebrities, and members of the community to volunteer in schools across Texas. This program would allow these volunteers to 'share their wisdom and love' by teaching music, the arts and shop in the public schools on a volunteer basis.

Q: What's Kinky's feeling on gun control?
A: The second amendment is every bit as important as the others. Texans have the right to keep and bear arms, as well as to hunt.

Q: How does Kinky feel about Trans-Texas Corridor (and toll roads in general)?
A: Kinky is opposed the Trans-Texas Corridor since it relies on toll road construction. He feels that the TTC is a land grab of the ugliest kind, with land being taken from hard-working ranchers and farmers in little towns and villages all over Texas. The people who will ultimately own that land are the same people who own the governor.

Q: What's Kinky's position on capital punishment?
A: Kinky is not anti-death-penalty, but he IS "anti-the-wrong-guy-getting-executed." Texas needs to take a serious look at the way it implements capital punishment—no one in this state wants the blood of innocent people on their hands.

Q: How does Kinky feel about abortion?
A: Kinky believes in a woman's right to choose.

Q: What is Kinky's position on gay marriage?
A: Kinky supports gay marriage and equal rights for homosexuals. He believes that the constitution protects everyone. As he says, "I believe love is bigger than government. And besides, they have a right to be as miserable as the rest of us."

Q: What is Kinky's position on school prayer?
A: Kinky favors optional, non-denominational prayer in school. He believes there's nothing wrong with children believing in something even if it's a rock or a tree. (I can handle this as well)


Q: What is Kinky's position on the National Animal Identification System (NAIS)?
A: Though many livestock owners agree with the idea of a national tracking system, Kinky believes the proposed system places too much of the burden on the animal agricultural community and should not be mandatory.

Q: What is Kinky's position on stem cell research?
A: Kinky favors both state and federal funding of stem cell research.

Kinky Friedman ain't a bad guy. He is most certainly liberal on social issues, and I agree with him on those do not necessitate an increase in taxes or advocate wealth redistribution. He seems like a fiscal moderate.

Overall:

Civil Rights : A (Gay rights, gambling, etc.)
Immigration: A
Gun Rights: C (could be higher or lower. not enough informtion.)
Healthcare: D (Supports some government funded healthcare)
Education: B (The TAKS test is a major problem. I support an increase in teachers salaries as well, although, Im not sure it could be paid for under his plan.)
Taxes: D (The only thing keeping him from an F, is that he does not advocate an increase in taxes on the individual, but rather on business, which will translate into higher costs. Honestly, it could be a lot worse.)

I don't know if I would vote for Kinky or not. I thought about it last time around. But for a Democrat, he could be a lot worse.

Sincerely,

Slutter McGee

acptulsa
09-01-2009, 01:20 PM
Hey don't forget to bring NYC along --- we bring Charlie Rangel, Anthony Weiner, Gerrold Nadler, Melinda Katz and Mike Bloomberg along with ridiculous gun laws and sky-high taxes to the table.

Fortunately, you and the other seven sane individuals on that rock are far, far more portable. :p

V-rod
09-01-2009, 09:31 PM
Kinky said this week proudly, I am willing to officiate at gay and trans-gendered weddings, I'm anti death penalty, I'm pro-abortion choice.

He went from catering to independent/libertarian ideas last election to giving the talking points of a Leftwing Austin Democrat.

His chances in Texas are nil.

Andrew-Austin
09-01-2009, 09:40 PM
Not me. I think the emergency in D.C. is much more pressing than the emergency in Austin.

Of course, that may just be a question of perspective. Things look a little different north of the Red...

One emergency is just a little less hopeless than the other, and as governor he could really pimp the idea of secession.

Him becoming governor here would probably even kick start a whole new Free State Project for Texas, which well, would be nice for me.

Fuck the other states, hehe.


Kinky said this week proudly, I am willing to officiate at gay and trans-gendered weddings, I'm anti death penalty, I'm pro-abortion choice.

He went from catering to independent/libertarian ideas last election to giving the talking points of a Leftwing Austin Democrat.

His chances in Texas are nil.

Can't argue with that.

james1906
09-01-2009, 09:45 PM
I'll feel safe with my civil rights with Gov. Kinky. Economic rights is another issue. I'm behind Medina, but if she loses the primary and Kinky wins his, I'll probably get behind him.

Andrew-Austin
09-01-2009, 09:48 PM
I'll feel safe with my civil rights with Gov. Kinky. Economic rights is another issue. I'm behind Medina, but if she loses the primary and Kinky wins his, I'll probably get behind him.

Damn don't you wish we had instant run-off voting.

jsu718
09-01-2009, 11:15 PM
If Medina doesn't win the primary I'd definitely vote for Kinky again... more likely is that they will both lose, but I think that is why Kinky is favoring the left views right now in his rhetoric. He is trying to win the primary. If he gets into the general election you will see more of the Kinky from 2 years ago.

BlackTerrel
09-02-2009, 12:17 AM
Who? Never heard of this guy..... cool name though I'll give him that.

specsaregood
09-02-2009, 12:38 AM
Hey don't forget to bring NYC along --- we bring Charlie Rangel, Anthony Weiner, Gerrold Nadler, Melinda Katz and Mike Bloomberg along with ridiculous gun laws and sky-high taxes to the table.

Hey can we hitch NJ to that wagon too?

nobody's_hero
09-02-2009, 12:57 AM
Kinky is going to be reduced to a blip in the polls if that is his attitude on secession. Maybe he should run for governor of Massachusetts.

jsu718
09-02-2009, 08:28 AM
Who? Never heard of this guy..... cool name though I'll give him that.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinky_Friedman


Kinky is going to be reduced to a blip in the polls if that is his attitude on secession. Maybe he should run for governor of Massachusetts.
Right now anyone being against Rick Perry and any of his comments is a good thing in Texas. Whatever support Kinky can pull, especially from Democrats at the moment, helps. If he can win the Dem primary, things will get interesting.

Bern
09-02-2009, 08:57 AM
Doesn't Kinky run in every Governor's race? It seems like it anyway.

Athan
09-03-2009, 12:21 AM
Guys this will NOT effect Medina unless she beats Perry in the primaries.

Consider Kinky a "second chance" if Medina doesn't win.

FrankRep
09-04-2009, 05:51 PM
I wouldn't vote for him.


Kinky Friedman:

1.) "If I were Governor, I would absolutely take the Federal Government stimulus money"

2.) Doesn't support Texas Sovereignty under the 10th Amendment.

3.) Kinky supports Obama. Gives him a 7 out of 10.

YouTube - Kinky Friedman Speaks To Ed Schultz (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9K8sJthrJnU)

Athan
09-04-2009, 06:04 PM
Aww.. dang. Thanks for the info Frankrep.
I'm not against his campaign, but I'm definitely fighting for Medina.
I only hope the Dems decide Kinky is more appealing than their last laughable attempt.

Imperial
09-04-2009, 08:44 PM
I'll be voting Medina in the primary and (hopefully) Kinky in the general. If he doesn't make it, I'll vote for the Libertarian.

FrankRep
09-04-2009, 08:47 PM
I'll be voting Medina in the primary and (hopefully) Kinky in the general. If he doesn't make it, I'll vote for the Libertarian.

What are Kinky Friedman's political views?