Liz Smith Retracts Endorsement of Kinky

And yet (3.00 / 2)

The straight-talking, truth-telling candidate still has Liz Smith: Kinky Was Ann Richards’ Candidate plastered on the front page of his website with no mention of Liz Smith's retraction.

I guess it is just satire that goes over my head.

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by: George @ Thu Sep 28, 2006 at 00:45:18 AM UTC

When in doubt... (0.00 / 0)

talk about Kinky Friedman.  The infatuation is really cute.  BOR heart Kinky Friedman

Here's a quote from Liz Smith's original column that is positive. 

"It occurred to me that Kinky and Ann had a lot in common. She told truth to power but with humor so people could absorb it. Kinky does the same thing. I hope he can beat the odds against weirdness."

See the article here

To my knowledge she retracted the endorsement due to:

1) She's not Ann Richards and who knows how Ann would have voted,  and

B) Out of respect for Ann's family.

Every time Kinky Friedman is on the news or on your blog, his campaign gets a lift.  You know, they do sell shirts that say "I "heart" Kinky" at the store.

http://www.kinkyfriedman.com/xcart/product.php?productid=16220&cat=249&page=1

Maybe I should send you a dozen.

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by: walt @ Thu Sep 28, 2006 at 01:04:23 AM UTC

It would be nice (0.00 / 0)

if this blog would pay Ann Richards' memory the same respect Liz Smith has with this retraction by holding back from claiming what Ann Richards would or would not have found shameful.

If Liz Smith doesn't know for sure how Ann would felt about Kinky's candidacy, y'all sure as hell don't.

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by: jeremytodd @ Thu Sep 28, 2006 at 01:46:22 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

For shame! (3.00 / 2)

Ann Richards gave her entire life to the Democratic Party.  To insinuate she would vote for anyone but Bell is a travesty.  To blaim BOR for defending her honor as a GOOD Democrat is equally shameful!  She is forever OUR Democrat and those of us who have not sold out to the Bush best buddy are continuing in HER tradition...

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by: David O. @ Thu Sep 28, 2006 at 02:05:07 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

If that's your belief, it's fine (0.00 / 0)

although I don't necessarily consider myself a "bad" Democrat for not supporting Chris Bell in this election.

I'm just saying it strikes me as untoward to use Ann Richards' memory to browbeat people who support other candidates. And there have been a number of comments on this blog - yours just being the most egregiously shameless example I've stumbled across tonight - that do just that.

I tend to think Gov. Richards would have voted for Bell. But that doesn't make Bell-supporters such as yourself weilding her coffin like a blunt object any more attractive. Trust me, if your goal is to help Chris Bell get elected, your efforts could be better put to use raising somewhere between 10 and 15 million dollars. Or, you know, articulating a goddamn platform.

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by: jeremytodd @ Thu Sep 28, 2006 at 02:38:58 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

you sure aren't a good Democrat at least (5.00 / 4)

I'll say it, I don't see how voting for Kinky at all is logical with the goals, aim, values, or vision that Democrats support. Not when you are running against them and trashing them as the same slime and sleaze as the Republican Party of Texas. Sorry- two entirely different worlds.

And Jeremy Todd, were you even around for the literally 5 consecutive days which BOR shut down all political writing between Ann's death and her funeral? Or were you too busy placing Kinky outside of it to suck up some free media without even having the courtesy to be like any of the other guests who knew Ann who made their statements through the formal approved channels in the Press office.

You didn't know Ann Richards and I'll be damned if you ever met her. In Austin, I talk with, work with, and exist around people who non only met her, but worked with her on the campaign or in the Dome to craft policy for the betterment of Texas, a Texas that we could be living in today had it not been for the arrogance and backward ways of the Republicans.

And while Chris Bell may not be the most exciting Democrat on the ballot, he's the only Democrat on the Ballot running against a Joke with good hair, a Joke with a bad mouth, a Joke of a Grandmother, and a Libertarian which is a Joke by nature.  I think the Richards family and Ann herself would know where her vote was and her heart was. It sure as hell wasn't in electing a man who uses humor not to advance progressive politics but for his own self interested book deal making machine.

I've had it, if you won't debate the issues in the threads presented to you or make for any talk about electing Democrats anywhere on this site or take care to learn our history from you Harvard abode I don't have to entertain you any longer.

This is a Pro-Democratic blog and for as much grief as we will give our own candidates and party, at least we are dedicated members working to change the State of Texas for the better than writing off its future as a punch line to another 2-bit Friedman zinger.

¡Ya Basta!

You've had your day as I've had mine. I can no longer tag Kinky on facebook, and as such, you are disabled here.

Please read the Community Guidelines and How to Rate Comments.

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by: Karl-Thomas Musselman @ Thu Sep 28, 2006 at 05:34:06 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Reading is Fundamental (3.00 / 2)

Noone has claimed to know what Ann Richards would or would not have found shameful.

I believe Ann's family would know the truth of her thoughts on Kinky Friedman, and their statement yesterday was this:
"Ann Richards did not support Kinky Friedman for Governor of Texas nor endorse him before she died. She was very concerned about this election. She always voted a straight Democratic ticket."

Of course, you won't find that on Honest Abe's website, 24 hours after the statement was made.

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by: George @ Thu Sep 28, 2006 at 02:06:59 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Note to Kinky supporter above... (3.00 / 1)

If you're not supporting Chris Bell in this election, you're not a "bad Democrat," you're not a Democrat at all. You see, a Democrat supports candidates with real ideas about how to improve things for the people of our state.

Democrats aren't supporting a self-indulgent, boorish individual who cares so little that he rarely votes, and then lies about it...or who passes off repeated racist remarks with excuses (what I heard is not "satire") - while whining like a spoiled kid who wants to have it both ways. Listen to yourselves, talking about all this in terms of "strategy" and "selling Kinky products" with no regard for how these things are  heard and felt by real live human beings who need leaders, not a pathetically needy person without a clue looking for "exposure." Sounds just like the worst kind of politician to me.

So please, if you're for Kinky fine - vote for him and help elect Perry. But in my book, you're no Democrat.

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by: getreal @ Thu Sep 28, 2006 at 04:33:34 AM UTC

Wait - (0.00 / 0)

I'm sorry, sometimes people need to really hit me over the head for me to get the point: do you or don't you consider me a "real" Democrat?

Please answer promptly. I have *a lot* riding on your response.

For the record, I'm supporting lots and lots of Democratic candidates this November. (All of these candidates, incidentally would be well-served by some of the blog space BOR has devoted to its tireless anti-Kinky crusade.) I'm just not voting for the guy who's only real shot at articulating a platform and connecting with voters has now effectively been hijacked by a smear campaign that his generated loads of free publicity for an opponent by his nominal supporters.

I would love for a lot of the things Candidate Chris Bell supports to become the way things happen in Texas. I'd just love to see him communicating those things better to the people of Texas. I'd love to see the Democratic party focusing more on why they should be in power, and less on tearing down others.

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by: jeremytodd @ Thu Sep 28, 2006 at 05:02:32 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Jeremy -- (3.00 / 1)

Get over yourself. We've raised, through a texroots project we have, about $4,000 for Democratic candidates. We've spent every day since the blog started talking about Democratic candidates and Democratic issues. I wrote an extensive, balanced, thought out post on one of those issues -- tuition deregulation -- and didn't hear a single peep from any Friedman supporter. You know why? B/c people like you just want to come here and stir up shit, b/c you think it's cute or fun or I don't know what the point is. We don't take ourselves nearly as seriously as you seem to take us.

As you have yet to actually ever respond to someone's discussion, and the one time I tried to have an honest discussion with you (and disproved several of your flawed reasonings) you responded by launching an attack, I, too, have no reason to see why you need to stay around. If you don't like our blog, stop reading -- because you certainly won't be writing anymore.

Now, a very great man once said that some people rob you with a fountain pen.

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by: Phillip Martin, Progress Texas @ Thu Sep 28, 2006 at 05:54:41 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

That's not the case (3.00 / 1)

The whole problem is that a lot of good Democrats are planning on voting for  one of the Indy candidates.

Simply voting for a different candidate doesn't disqualify someone as a Democrat.

No candidate is owed anyone's vote.  Party identity will supply a foundation, but that's a benefit, not a form of tribute.

Jeremy is an ass, and promoting a joke candidate to the detriment of Texas. I'll have no argument with that.

But no party purges. 

Or, if so, I get to smack Tony Sanchez and Ray Price out of the party first for signing Grandma's petition.

Before you win, you have to fight. Come fight along with us at TexasKaos.

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by: boadicea @ Thu Sep 28, 2006 at 17:41:18 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

on second thought... (3.00 / 2)

...maybe there's a cure for people who consider themselves "Democrats" who are supporting Kinky. We could lock you in a room with him, throw away the key, and make you listen to Kinky talking to himself.

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by: getreal @ Thu Sep 28, 2006 at 04:43:11 AM UTC

You know what... (5.00 / 1)

Jeremy is right. There are a LOT of Kinky supporters or who are going to vote D downballot. You can disagree on their choice for Governor but would you please stop trying to drive them off the damn downballot?

There are a lot of Democrats voting for Kinky, just as there are some Republicans voting for Bell. Let's try to remember to argue the strengths of the candidates, rather than how stupid someone is (or how they aren't 'real' Democrats) for voting for certain people.

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by: McBlogger @ Thu Sep 28, 2006 at 05:35:02 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Actually, I hate the term "real Democrat" (3.00 / 2)

I just assumed you're not a Democrat. Frankly, the use of "this space" on BOR is not going to elect or defeat any Democrats. It does serve and facilitate a conversation and the flow of information. On the other hand, Kinky's candidacy, to the extent he pulls votes away from our Democratic nominee, could help defeat our best shot at a statewide race, Chris Bell. You know, the same way Nader and his followers helped usher in almost six years, so far, of GW Bush and all that has come with him.

So taking you at your word that you are helping a number of Democrats, I can only assume you are a terribly confused or misinformed Democrat - especially if you would really like to see some of Chris Bell's ideas come to pass. The way I see it, simple math and a shot of reality should tell you that all those Democratic candidates you support will be better off the more votes Chris gets, too.

Now I need to get some sleep so I can spend tomorrow working to elect ALL Democrats. Thanks for the conversation, but that work involves reaching hundreds of thousands of people who will never read a word of this. 

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by: getreal @ Thu Sep 28, 2006 at 05:30:34 AM UTC

Ann was likely torn between friedship and party loyalty (0.00 / 0)

Of course Ann's family would say she would have voted straight-party line Democrat, if I'm not wrong they are all active Democrats. I'm sure the Bell campaign freaked out on them to "clear this up quick". I'm sure she would have voted for Bell to be loyal to the party, though she never gave Bell an endorsement.

I don't think It's shameful for the Kinky campaign to promote that Liz Smith endorsed him and she thought Ann would have voted for him, that's her opinion. Liz was out of line to offer Ann's hypothetical enorsement without the family's approval, but the interesting thing is Liz perspective is very credible. Best friend vs. family, is the truth somewhere in between? Liz and Ann had often talked about the election and Kinky and Liz thought Kinky was "Ann's candidate." That has to mean something, even if Ann didn't endorse Kinky they were friends and she was interested in his candidacy. Sadly we'll never know from her directly what she thought of this crazy election. The important point here is Ann didn't think he was the right-wing racist devil so many on this blog paint to him to be.

I'm starting to think BOR dislikes Kinky more than Rick Perry, that's screwed up.

"I am not sure the Democrats are the solution, but I do know that the Republicans are a problem." -- Lewis Black

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by: toddram @ Thu Sep 28, 2006 at 05:57:46 AM UTC

Well... (3.00 / 2)

First of all, I don't Friedman is a right-wing racist devil. I think everyone seems to only think of racists in a 1960s frame of mind, where a racist is a life-long racist that turns a firehose on African-Americans. That's not how I was taught about racism, and it's not what I think about it. I think perfectly good, kind, honest people can act like a racist by mistake or without thinking sometimes, just as some people will sometimes act like jerks, or cowards, or whatever. That doesn't mean we're a lifelong jerk. But there's a balance in-between, and in those times when -- be it unintentionally, or be it misunderstood, or whatever -- your actions are considered offensive, a caring person would say, "ah hey, I didn't mean that. I'm sorry, my bad." Not launch a counter-attack like Friedman has done.

On the Smith/Richards who would have voted thing...I don't know, and no one knows for sure. Personally, I don't think it matters, and I think folks that try to claim Richards for Bell (as some on BOR do) or folks that try to claim her for Friedman (as the Friedman website does) both miss the big, beautiful picture of Governor Richards: the only group that can claim Richards is Texas. It's an honor we have, to be able to say we had such a tremendous person as our Governor. I say let's be happy with that, and leave the politics out of it.

Now, a very great man once said that some people rob you with a fountain pen.

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by: Phillip Martin, Progress Texas @ Thu Sep 28, 2006 at 06:10:25 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Now you're putting words in Ann's mouth (3.00 / 1)

Just like Liz did.

It was inappropriate from her, which she has now acknowledged, and it's inappropriate from you.

Before you win, you have to fight. Come fight along with us at TexasKaos.

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by: boadicea @ Thu Sep 28, 2006 at 17:42:51 PM UTC

[ Parent ]