Kinky Friedman may run as a Democrat

[Freddie Stubbs]

Perhaps it's because he can't make the ballot as an independent unless he raises signatures from 45,540 voters who fail to vote in the 2006 Democratic or Republican primaries, equal to 1 percent of the votes cast for governor in 2002.

"How perverse is that?" Friedman said. "That's making it extra hard."

The candidate said he would consider running as a Democrat, though he didn't sound enthused.

"If the Democrats came to me and said here's $30 million, you know, we'll put this together, we'll try to make a centrist Democratic Party that brings things back to the great era of (John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson), we'll make it moderate, we'll try to get the Republicans and independents aboard, and we will win," he said.

more: http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/metro/stories/MYSA020305.1A.kinky_profile.6da382ba.html

[crispini]

1. Humph.

:wtf: what Kinky apparently fails to understand is that the entire political spectrum has moved so far right that we really ARE uber-moderate already.

ptttttttft, Kinky. the populist revolution needs a leader! you aren't sounding like it. Here's $30 million, my ass. Are you in any kind of touch with what's going on out here in the real world?

[Pirate Smile]

2. He was all over Imus this morning. They showed a ton of stuff from

San Antonio. He said he was running as an Independent. The only people I heard him say he admired was Jesse Ventura (who he said his run was somewhat like) and Arnold.

He was quite funny and entertaining.

[PDittie]

3. Go ahead and run as an indy, Kink

I might even vote for ya.

Ain't no movin' nothin' to the right (which is what you mean by 'centrist') though; not even an inch.

"Here's 30 million"...Ha.

I think you need to be raisin' your own dough and collectin' your own signatures (and both're prolly gonna be comin' from lotsa Republicans)...

[crispini]

4. AMEN, PDittie.

Let him suck up THEIR air. And maybe we'll run someone really really good and win. :evilgrin:

[Bouncy Ball]

5. That's too bad

because I really like him.

What is his problem?

WE ARE IN THE MIDDLE! WE move any more right and we'll all have our noses up the rights' collective ass.

[Texicrat]

6. Exactly what we need...

If he makes the ticket, it will be the Democratic version of Clayton Williams..

[crispini]

7. I just can't see him really trying for the Dem nomination.

And for that matter I can't see a bunch of Texas Democratic primary voters voting FOR him. We're pretty practical around here; we have to be.

And welcome to DU, texicrat! Come back now!

[pmbryant]

9. Who else do we have?

Seriously, I'm pretty clueless about who would be a good 2006 candidate for Governor. Last time around our choices were pretty pathetic (Morales vs Sanchez).

And I've only been in Texas since 1998, so could someone explain the Clayton Williams story for me. :-)

Thanks,
Peter

[crispini]

11. Other rumoured choices:

Chris Bell, John Sharp, Eddie Bernice Johnson.

Eddie Bernice would get BIIIIIG support from me. But she is my representative, and I (heart) her.

On edit: And here's all you need to know about Clayton Williams:

When Ann Richards was running for governor in 1990, the jerk Clayton Williams was the 1990 Texas GOP gubernatorial candidate. He was leading Democrat Ann Richards in the polls, but then he spoke the words that ultimately cost him the governor's race.

Talking to reporters about the weather, he joked that bad weather is like rape: "as long as it's inevitable, you might as well lie back and enjoy it." Williams' comments created a major firestorm. Nothing else he said throughout the rest of the campaign mattered.

http://www.ariannaonline.com/blog/?postid=228&replyto=20933

[pmbryant]

12. I would like Friedman to run as a Dem

John Sharp hasn't been able to win recently, and the others have so little name recognition statewide (or so I presume, at least) that their chances seem remote.

Friedman looks like as good a choice as any of these, if he runs as a Dem. Perhaps better, since at least he has a knack for attracting press coverage.

EDIT: What about Martin Frost or Ron Kirk? I've also heard Chet Edwards suggested as a possibility. :shrug:

--Peter

[crispini]

13. Kinky's attitude towards the Dems ....

is pretty condescending IMO. If he doesn't like us, why would WE want HIM?

I think Ron's pretty sick of statewide races after the Senatorial thing, although I could be wrong. Martin, dunno.

[Liberal In Texas]

17. Kirk

I'm surprised he's even a democrat. During his time as mayor of Dallas he was really cozy with big business.

[atxryan]

10. HI Texicrat!!!

:hi: Welcome to DU!

[Texicrat]

14. Thanks for the warm welcome, y'all!

The guy is popular and attracts press, which is good. And he's also very good with the "folksy satirist" approach that works so much better here than the "preachiness" (is that a word?) that the liberal message is sometimes delivered with.

But he's already said things like putting Willie Nelson in charge of the Rangers, and similar silly things.

I just don't think he's our guy.

[crispini]

16. Yep, I agree. He's good press, but....

Where in Texas are you? We post all kinds of good events in this forum. Plenty of opportunities to get involved. :D

[Texicrat]

18. My "home base" is Sherman...

But I travel quite a bit in Latin America on business.

[alarimer]

27. He is big into animal rights

I just saw him on e a commercial for SNAP, something to do with low-cost spay-neutering programs. I believe he has some kind of animal rescue ranch. I could be wrong.

[johncoby2]

8. Yea. And if grasshoppers carried 45's

Birds wouldn't f*&^ with them.

uh....replying to the quote by the kinky.

[merci_me]

15. Kinky should just

get the hell out of the way and go back to chomping on his ceegars and doing whatever else he does. We need strong DEMOCRATS across the ticket and he isn't it.

Hopefully things will work out well for Chris and Allison Bell and he'll be in a position to enter the race.

We have good plenty Democrats, we need to work with them, helping them with petitions, money and time and stop even thinking in terms of jokes. We already have the world laughing at what Texas comes up with.

Mary

[PDittie]

19. Kay Bailey, the Kinkster, and Chris Bell on the November ballot

I kinda like our chances. ;)

[merci_me]

20. Really?

You don't see Kinky cutting into the Democratic vote waaaaaaaaay before he takes the first vote from the lock-step repukes?

Mary

[PDittie]

21. I see Kink taking more Repuke votes than Dems

and not only because there's more to take from that pile.

The Bubbas -- East, West, and especially in the 'burbs -- will go for Kinky. They're much more R than D. And I think that's particularly true if Kay unseats Governor Goodhair in the primary (but is much less likely if she does not).

Bubbas would rather not vote for a woe-man if'n they kin hep it.

Back to serious...his campaign could easily take on a Ventura-like momentum. Yes, he could win.

[merci_me]

22. Hmmmm

Interesting. I still think the rightwing christian vote will comeout and the bubbas, not so much. But then, I still don't know "texan". I think you almost have to be a native to get a handle on it.

I just hope Chris still tosses his hat in the ring. He does get a good share of indy/rep leaning vote. Maybe some of those R's and indies who hate Delay will vote for Chris as a thanks. Of course, he's also so "white" and sounds so Texas, that he shouldn't scare too many of them, especially against a "woman". I also like his ties to a variety spots around Texas.

BTW, I pm'd you.

Mary

[crispini]

23. A.A.S. article on Kinky's run:

Excerpt:

Perry's campaign reacted earlier in the week by chuckling at Friedman and comparing his prospects to those of Democrats. Come Thursday, the candidate was still not under Perry's skin.

"I think that Kinky has the potential to enliven the debate," said Luis Saenz, director of Texans for Rick Perry. Noting, probably, the cigar Friedman clenched in his mouth during the dawn announcement, Saenz added, "It appears that the Democrats are not the only ones who have been smoking something."

A spokesman for former U.S. Rep. Chris Bell, a Houston Democrat who has formed an exploratory committee for the race, embraced Friedman even tighter.

"This will be a campaign to fire Rick Perry, and we welcome Kinky Friedman to the cause," said Jason Stanford, spokesman for the Chris Bell for Governor Exploratory Committee. "We are really, really looking forward to the debates."

http://www.statesman.com/metrostate/content/metro/02/4kinky.html

[PDittie]

24. smart move by Chris

and those comments by Saenz verify how worried the Pukes are about this.

[Sparkle]

25. This was posted on freakrepubic:

Heard on KPRC 9.50AM (Houston) that a key Gov. Perry aide worked for the Contractor that just won that $9B I-35 corridor project. Major conflict of interest, which could affect the Governor's re-election bid. I'm sure the Dems and media are going to make this a big deal - probably rightly so.

[crispini]

26. Sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet.

Between us and Kinky, Perry is toast. I bet Senator Bighair will take him out in the primaries, and if we HAVE to have a Republican, I'd definitely prefer her.

[queeg]

31. Just another cheerleader to gov story

[erpowers]

28. No Need to be Centrist

JFK and LBJ were not centrist. The Democratic Party does not need to become moderate. The Democrats will win when they start fighting again.

[queeg]

29. Dont care if he runs as a Klansman -- still got my vote

[ChemEng]

30. Run Kinky, Run!!!! n/t