| Kinky Friedman is officially exploring another run for Governor. This time he is embracing the party he has routinely voted against and blocked from the Governors mansion in 2006.
That's right, Kinky Friedman is exploring a run for Texas Governor as a Democrat.
Elise Hu has the full announcement but Kinky's math looks like basic.
Here's the way I see it: Democrats + Independents = Victory
Problem is, Kinky's Democratic support is soft if not virtually non-existent. After his 2006 "campaign", Democrats throughout Texas justifiably look at this as another marketing stunt.
As recently as February, Friedman admitted he didn't take the 2006 campaign seriously.
I'm toning down the one-liners a bit. If I run, it's going to be a serious run,' Friedman told The Associated Press on Tuesday, peppering the interview with one-liners.
Interesting to say back in February, but he briefly explained to Christy Hope back in March why he would run as a Democrat and not a Republican.
He's running as a Democrat because, "I can't afford to be a Republican."
"There's a lot of young people and no one I've met wants to grow up and be Rick Perry."
In one month, Kinky embraced the campaign as a joke meme that laced his 2006 campaign. Rather than explaining why he is a Democrat and embraces the party of the people, he made a joke. Rather than talk about the problems facing Texas or his proposed solutions he went for the funny. Friedman is right about one thing, "these are not humorous times for a lot of us".
Perhaps that is why his announcement is laced with statements to simply ignore his affect on the 2006 campaign. We are asked to ignore he ever threw our party aside in 2006.
I was serious when I ran for governor in 2006 and I'm serious now. I am a humorist, but I know these are not humorous times for a lot of us. Part of the reason is the pathetic lack of leadership at the state level. The last governor, I believe, who was truly on the side of the people of Texas, was Ann Richards. She was a very funny lady - she was also a great governor. I'll take my cues from Ann Richards
[...]
But I do not wish to fight yesterday's campaign again. Today, I have taken the first step toward running for Governor in 2010 by forming "Texans for Kinky," a committee to help with research and raising the funds necessary to launch a successful campaign. Now is the time to win...
I don't speak for the staff on this. I don't know where they are on this race, but I will say Kinky Friedman's hostility to his critics is scary and shocking.
Friedman talked to Aman Bethja at the Fort Worth Star Telegram and finally discussed race in response to research and reporting here and here were Kinky used racial slurs.
Friedman said he would only run again if he could raise $3 - $5 million for the Democratic primary.
Whether that's possible, he said, will depend on if the Democratic grassroots can move past the attacks some lobbed at Friedman in 2006, much of which focused on decades-old comedy routines in which he used racial slurs.
"I think it was standard sleaze...There never was a black community against me. It was some bloggers who felt that I was doing too well. That's all. And they had to reach back 27, 29 years..and the question is does any of that stuff stick or it doesn't. I don't think it does."
In fact, Friedman think he had a bigger problem in the last election than the charges that he was a racist.
Friedman at no point apologized for those statements. In fact his only response was to criticize Burnt Orange Report and liberals for attacking him.
If Kinky wants to run, let him. If he wants to shun the party or use Republican jargon, let him. Hopefully 2006 was a stunt. Hopefully 2006 was a one time act. Perhaps he will take this race seriously and respect voters. Hopefully he will raise and spend money to help the party and down ballot candidates and not just himself.
The reality is, actions speak louder than words and the way he acted in 2006 doesn't make it easy to trust him, his campaign, or his motives. Before he starts running, maybe he should start apologizing.
Until then, we will join Kinky in one singular belief.
So I say to Democrats who may not yet take me seriously, I'll stick with you just as far as you want to go. If we stick together we'll go very far indeed. All the way to the Governor's Mansion!
We don't take you seriously. And we will pay attention to you and your race. But once you burn the activist who elected Barack Obama or the Democrats who volunteered hundreds of hours to help get us within two seats of the House or pick up a State Senate seat for the first time in year, once you burn them, the bridge is gone. You weren't there to turn Dallas blue or make Harris 85% blue. You never helped the Travis County efforts and you have been hidden since 2006 except to promote yourself.
This party is bigger than anyone of us and this state needs a leader not a self promoter. Prove us wrong. Be everything you so elegantly wrote, but don't be surprised if we remain skeptical and don't blame us for your choices. All we want is a better Texas. |
