Burnt Orange Report

Great Moments in Texas History

By Jim Dallas

OK, so by now you've read here and here that a Zogby Interactive poll shows that Governor Perry ain't looking so hot, and the Bell campaign is spinning it (and I mean this in the nicest way possible) as a sign that Chris Bell can win. Frankly, I don't need no signs, and since I'm pretty securely set in my preference for Bell, I can sort of look at this as a spectator (after all, spin is aimed at you people).

Yes, it's true, this is good news for Bell, but contrary to assessments by others, I'm actually more impressed by Kinky Friedman pulling 18 percent in the poll. Let's be clear about this - if that translates into votes on Election Day, that would give Friedman the best showing for an independent in a statewide election (or atleast that top-ish part of the ticket I am aware of) since Ross Perot ran for President in 1992. It's only once in a blue moon that you see an independent polling in the double-digits. If the Zogby poll is a true and fair representation of the electorate, then the real "we can win" energy ought to be coming from the Kinky camp (in a sort of man-bites-dog way). That I'm not seeing this (maybe it's there; I'm just not seeing it) tends to make me wonder about the accuracy of the poll. Nonetheless, Kinky Friedman is clearly electable; after all, in the not-to-distant-past, we elected "Pass the Biscuits, Pappy" O'Daniel. Flash forward about 70 years and it's not too hard to imagine Kinky "Get your biscuits in the oven and your buns in the bed" Friedman. Though, granted, I sincerely doubt Friedman would do something truly O'Daniel-esque crazy, like appoint numbskulls to the UT Board of Regents (and yes, this is yet another t-sipping tribute to the genius and greatness of Homer Rainey).

Of course this all serves as an excuse to relate an anecdote I just read on the Internet, to wit: that much of what we call Western Swing exists today because of Pappy O'Daniel's megalomania. True, I knew O'Daniel was a singer. I just didn't know he worked with Bob Wills; moreover, that the legendary Texas Playboys were formed after Wills and O'Daniel had a falling out over management style. The rest is history: After all, O'Daniel got to be governor, and Bob Wills is still the king.

This serves as a lesson to remind us all that even in the mundane, the cheap, or the tacky, there can still be great talent. (Also, a couple of free mp3 downloads.)