The Conservative Kinkster, Part II: Friedman and Race

Some Things Aren't Jokes... (4.00 / 4)

Ryan and I had actually talked about this interview a while back, and tried to find this on his website. At the time, we couldn't - though clips from other interviews, where the candidates just gave him 3-5 minutes to tell jokes - were easily found. So, we ended up buying this video from MSNBC, because someone should at least see it.

KT and I ran into Laura Stromberg on primary night, as we wound down at Opal Divine's. She criticized us for Ryan's original post (which was quite good, in my opinion), and when I told her I could never vote for someone - if nothing else - who thought jokes like that were funny, she blew me off and turned away.

I also met Dean Barkley a while back, and went to him with an open mind to see if, hey, maybe Kinky had some real policies up his sleeves. The plan, apparently, is to wait until after the special session to roll out anything more than catchy slogans and action figures. What then? More failed leadership, like what happened with Jesse Ventura?

Thanks, but no thanks. Kinky's obviously an extremely entertaining guy, but if it weren't for the fact that he helps sell papers, the media would pounce on remarks like in the video above. Instead, it's all excused as "the Kinky way."

Vote for Kinky, because he'd never vote for you!

If Kinky had some ideas, it'd be something else. If he had something more than celebrity, it'd be something else. Hell, if he'd ever voted before in his life, it'd be something else. But look at Kinky through anything beyond, "hey, wouldn't it be cool to elect the class clown," and you're left empty.

Sorry. I'd rather try to rebuild the broken-down house from within than throw rocks from the curb.

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

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by: Phillip Martin @ Tue Mar 21, 2006 at 21:03:18 PM CST

Can We All Agree... (3.67 / 6)

that this joke is over?

There should be a handful of goals for Democrats over the next few weeks-- Get Borris Miles elected, Get Barabra Radnofsky Elected, have a strong debate about the party, and make sure people understand what a vote for Kinky really is.

Racism, a lack of a plan, and jokes are the problems and Kinky is not the solution.

Texas is already looked at as a joke, and I am ready for real change in our schools, taxes, the environment, and jobs.

Read Just Another Blog

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by: Matt @ Tue Mar 21, 2006 at 21:20:46 PM CST

Is the Joke Over? (0.00 / 0)

"There should be a handful of goals for Democrats over the next few weeks-- Get Borris Miles elected, Get Barabra Radnofsky Elected, have a strong debate about the party, and make sure people understand what a vote for Kinky really is."

Can we say the joke is over when the Texas Democrats' serious candidate for Senator, Barbara Radnofsky, finds herself in a runoff with Gene Kelly, perennial joke candidate of the decade?  After a primary with an unbelievably low turnout?  What, exactly, is a vote for Gene Kelly?

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by: carmelita @ Wed Mar 22, 2006 at 16:01:19 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Out on a limb (0.00 / 0)

A joke? Is that the right answer?

I am just as frustrated with the current state of the party as the next person but the best answer is to get the best possible candidate on the ballot.

Barbara Radnofsky or Gene Kelley? Which one is better? BAR!

Boris Miles or Al Edwards? Miles!

Uresti or Madla? Uresti!

If we are going to take back the state it cannot and should not be in one election season. We need to build lasting roads to different communities and different parts of the state.

Read Just Another Blog

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by: Matt @ Wed Mar 22, 2006 at 16:18:30 PM CST

[ Parent ]

PLEASE PEOPLE...anybody is better than Perry (0.00 / 0)

Ok, first of all, the card-carrying conservatives are complaining that Kinky is too liberal.  Take note that he wants to reexamine death row, begin investing in alternative energy sources (biodiesel), and bring back funding for the CHIP program.

You try to stand in the middle and you get skewered by both sides.

And I dispute that his candidacy is bad for Texas or the Democratic party.  He's going to energize the vote -- something that can only help Democrats with current demographic trends.  And why is it so bad to have a moderate candidate out there?  He'll pick off a lot of moderate Republican voters and provide a clear template for Democrats to win elections and lure voters to the center.

Agree/Disagree?  Anybody?  Bueller?

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by: thegipper @ Tue Mar 21, 2006 at 22:48:50 PM CST

Disagree (3.17 / 6)

Claiming that the term Negro is "charming" is not a moderate position. You might disagree, but I don't feel uncomfortable stating that you would be wrong.

Kinky's strategy right now seems to be to cherry-pick a few issues that resonate with white liberals and anti-authoritarians (e.g. animal rights, marijuana decriminalization), as well as disenchanted conservatives (e.g. build a wall to stop the al-Qaeda Mexicans), write jokes around those issues, and repeat them ad nauseum.

Friedman isn't a moderate; he's a conservative and an opportunist, and he doesn't deserve our support.

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by: Ryan Goodland @ Tue Mar 21, 2006 at 23:03:16 PM CST

[ Parent ]

for the sake of thoroughness (0.00 / 0)

>a few issues that resonate with white liberals and anti-authoritarians (e.g. animal rights, marijuana decriminalization)

Also he's pro-choice, anti-death penalty. Also pro-renewable energy, and not in the Dubya, "I'm for it because I mention it every year in my SOTU speech before I cut its funding." kind of way, but in the "What Would Willie Do" kind of way.(his tour busses run on biodiesel)

And I swear I don't work for the Kinky campaign, I just like his point of view on most things. (though the school prayer thing kind of irks me, and I do wish he wouldn't toss anymore N-bombs) But he wasn't being racist, he recorded several popular songs that spoke out against racism, he was just being colloquial(if indiscrete).

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by: dogalmity @ Wed Mar 22, 2006 at 08:09:09 AM CST

[ Parent ]

At what point and time (3.00 / 1)

Did the word 'negro' become everyday colloquial again?

thejeffersonian.blogspot.com

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by: Cincinnatus @ Wed Mar 22, 2006 at 08:32:20 AM CST

[ Parent ]

He's Not A Moderate (3.43 / 7)

He is an extremist at both ends-- if it’s possible, he would be a bipolar ideologue. He believes that the death penalty is horrid and that same sex marriage is okay. He wants to implement a pro-gambling initiative to pay for education called slots for tots. At the other end of the spectrum, he thinks that it is possible to cut property taxes by 15% and doesn’t have a plan to make it revenue neutral. He wants to promote school prayer even though the Supreme Court has called it unconstitutional over and over and over again.

He isn’t a moderate. He is about quips and one-liners. What happens when a serious problem needs a representative for real solutions? What happens if we need a spokesman for education or civil rights? What happens when we need a spokesperson to build a VA hospital south of San Antonio?

Kinky is the candidate you go out with for a little while but never tell your parents. For real change, Chris Bell is the guy you take home to meet the family.

Read Just Another Blog

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by: Matt @ Tue Mar 21, 2006 at 23:08:20 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Nice (2.67 / 3)

Bipolar ideologue...hahahaha...I like it.

Kinky's candidacy hovers at joke status, but he isn't on the ballot yet either.  He should not be held to the "seriousness" standard at this point in time.  Once he's on the ballot and an official candidate, he's open range.

Ryan, I agree - I don't care for his racist remarks and I think he should apologize for exploiting a minority for political advantage.  Its on par with the Bush campaign calling SC voters about McCain's adopted asian child in the 2000 primaries.  To be fair, however, I trust that Kinky, a Jew and owner of an animal rescue shelter, had no such intentions.  He does, however, need to watch his mouth a little more closely.

Ultimately, I'm hopeful that he'll enliven the debate and bring the excitement back to politics.  Its a personal opinion, but politics is largely a personal affair.  I'd rather people show up to the polls because they're excited to be there, not just because they want to give someone the boot.

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by: thegipper @ Wed Mar 22, 2006 at 00:15:31 AM CST

[ Parent ]

Once he's on the ballot? Horseshit. (3.25 / 4)

When a candidate asks people not to vote for everyone else from Senator down to dogcatcher just so they can sign his or her petition, he damn sure is open range. Polling shows that Kinky's support is strongest among liberals and non-existent among conservatives.  He kept a lot of liberal votes away from the primary. Ciro probably could have used some more liberal votes. Radnofsky might have avoided the expense of a runoff. Miles might have avoided the expense of a runoff.

Friedman is as worthy of contempt as Gene Kelly.

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by: George @ Wed Mar 22, 2006 at 12:52:46 PM CST

[ Parent ]

You get a 3 (3.00 / 1)

For coming up with the term bipolar idealogue.  This is a term we need to use all the time when talking about Kinky.  I like it.

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by: trowaman @ Wed Mar 22, 2006 at 09:31:24 AM CST

[ Parent ]

Thanks (0.00 / 0)

It's amazing the lines you can come up to refer to Kinky.

On a similar note, here is something that scares me about the viability of Kinky.

Read Just Another Blog

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by: Matt @ Wed Mar 22, 2006 at 09:50:35 AM CST

[ Parent ]

Bipolar idealogue - give us more like this (3.00 / 2)

At this point, I'm taking Kinky Friedman VERY seriously.  I have a Google Alert set up on Friedman, and every day my mailbox gets four or five stories that feature him.

Almost without exception, the stories have been fawning and he has largely been exempt from the kind of scrutiny a "normal" candidate would get from the press.  His name ID is enormous and I think he poses the greatest danger to Democrats.

I think he is likely to get on the ballot, and I think he needs to be undermined now, before he can establish momentum to carry with him into the general election.

Maybe the best thing that the bright minds here can do is come up with some devastating phrases - like "bipolar idealogue," but with even more mass appeal - that can be used to define and reveal him and ultimately diminish his appeal.

That said, I love Kinky Friedman for a dozen reasons, not least of which is his dedication to animal rescue - I'm an animal rescuer myself of long standing and deep involvement, both hands-on and financially.

I honor him for that, and enjoy his clever turns of phrase and respect the way he has carved out an iconoclastic, multi-faceted life for himself.

But even if he could get elected, I think he'd make a lousy, ineffective governor who would set the state back decades and leave us worse off than when he started.

My biggest concern, though, is that he will take the focus off Perry's failures and ultimately be the spoiler who helps Perry get re-elected.

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by: aerialist @ Wed Mar 22, 2006 at 14:28:49 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Hmmm...did I make myself clear here? (0.00 / 0)

I'm taking the prospect of a Kinky Friedman candidacy seriously, and looking at it as a threat to the chances of defeating Rick Perry.

I didn't mean I was looking at Friedman as a serious alternative for governor.

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by: aerialist @ Wed Mar 22, 2006 at 18:24:40 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Several thoughts on Kinky... (0.00 / 0)

I was an early supporter of Kinky but have been frustrated by his unwillingness to be more specific about his stand on various issues.  I am also a big supporter of easier ballot access.  Having read a few of his books made me more likely to support him but his unwillingness to take a stand on much of anything makes me uneasy. I'm also uneasy with some positions that Chris Bell has taken, so I put off deciding to support either Chris Bell or Kinky Friedman until both of them get more specific on their campaign. 

I talked to a bigwig in Harris County about Kinky's campaign and he said that except for the Governor's race - which Kinky definitely hurts the Democrat's - Kinky's campaign is probably good for the other Democrats down ballot.  People coming to vote for Kinky are angry at the current state of affairs and that is ultimitely bad for the Republicans because they are in charge.  If Kinky's on the ballot we might not win the Governor's race - but in this scenerio probably David Van Os wins, Tom DeLay loses and other good things happen. 

My roommate is still a Kinky supporter and I told her about this gaff that was highlighted in the clip.  Ok, it sounded bad to me.  But it's very clear to me from Kinky's writings that he is not a racist.  At one time in the not too distant past Negro was a perfectly legitimate non-racist term to refer to a black person. Kinky is about the same age as my roommate and she didn't consider the term racist but she's 65 - Kinky is 62 so he probably didn't think it was racist term.  As for child molesters having to "listen to a Negro talking to himself", she said he was probably refering to the fact that the prisons have more minorities especially black people.  I will accept that because I know how he feels about the criminal justice system putting too many non-violent offenders in jail. 

So for now I'm undecided.  I personally like Kinky.  I've met him several times and read several of his books and know some personal details that really give me a good feeling about him, but at the same time I am a bit uneasy about some of his stated positions.  So that leaves me still undecided - but I have until November - and as a Democrat I lean to Chris Bell - but as I say he leaves me feeling uneasy also.

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by: cannabisflower @ Thu Mar 23, 2006 at 09:03:34 AM CST

[ Parent ]

I disagree Kinky helps down ballot (3.00 / 1)

I read about his 150 supporter turnout in Houston last week and it looks like most people they interviewed, just like their hero-Kinky, don't vote.  So the idea that there will be a huge number of them voting Democrat down ballot doesn't seem likely.  They'll be there for Kinky.  If they were, as you say, angry enough to vote down ballot, why the hell weren't they angry enough to be voting against Bush.  Sure Perry is bad, but damn I'd vote for Perry before I'd vote to condone W-Iraq, and all the other crap he represents.

The biggest problem is that the best thing for down ballot candidates is the straight ticket voter.  Even after using the damn e-machines for two years, I still can't figure out the "over-ride" function well enough to feel secure doing it, trusting that I'm not invalidating my vote.  I think Kinky and the possibility of the first name on the ballot being Gene Kelly is going to screw us on the straight ballot campaign.

 

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by: merci_me @ Thu Mar 23, 2006 at 10:54:19 AM CST

[ Parent ]

Tell you what.. (0.00 / 0)

I didn't say it.  I don't know if that will be true.  I'll tell you who said it..Gerry Birnburg, chair of the Harris County Democratic Party. It may or may not be true but that's what he said to me. 

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by: cannabisflower @ Thu Mar 23, 2006 at 13:14:30 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Don't try to hide ... (5.00 / 1)

behind justifications that don't hold water.

As for child molesters having to "listen to a Negro talking to himself", she said he was probably refering to the fact that the prisons have more minorities especially black people.

The point is, Kinky is clearly suggesting that Negros, wether he uses it as a disparaging term or not, are ignorant and people don't want to listen to them talk. He is grouping an entire population, based on color, and saying they are irritating. That's racism, and age has nothing to with it.

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by: matthew_lt @ Thu Mar 23, 2006 at 10:57:09 AM CST

[ Parent ]

You could look at it that way or.... (0.00 / 0)

perhaps he's suggesting that the people who go to prison are the poor, the mentally ill and the minorities. And especially the mentally ill minorities.

You could be right because I haven't really heard Kinky say anything about blacks one way or another. But he does poke fun at everyone and much as I feel for mentally ill people, I don't want to be force to listen to their delusion either. I'm not convinced that your right because I haven't ever heard him say anything racist before.

But I also know that Kinky has a hairdresser who's a Palestinian.  Kinky is Jewish.  They formed an enterprise together that makes olive oil.  It's a nonprofit and all the proceeds go to helping Palestinian and Jewish children who have lost their homes.  He's definitely not one of those Jews that is racist against Palestinians. 

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by: cannabisflower @ Thu Mar 23, 2006 at 11:33:58 AM CST

[ Parent ]

The fact (3.00 / 1)

That he doesn't acknowledge that he made a horribly racist statement and that he thinks it was cute and funny enough to keep saying it is telling in itself.
I wonder if black Texans get the joke.

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by: Tejana @ Thu Mar 23, 2006 at 11:46:16 AM CST

[ Parent ]

You're trying to justfy the rascist comments again ... (3.00 / 1)

perhaps he's suggesting that the people who go to prison are the poor, the mentally ill and the minorities. And especially the mentally ill minorities.

But Kinky never says anything about a Negro in prison does he. Admittedly we all have some racism and prejudice inside of us, but we make it worse when we don't check our thoughts before they become words. Kinky doesn't check his thoughts before they become words, and for every anecdotal piece of evidence you use to justify his comments I'm sure there is one more on the other side.

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by: matthew_lt @ Thu Mar 23, 2006 at 11:48:56 AM CST

[ Parent ]

he was talking about prison (0.00 / 0)

He was asked about child molesters and said they should go to prison and have to listen to a "negro" talking to himself.

Ask the next guy you meet who just got out of prison if there were any guys of any color in prison talking to themselves.  Ok, out of that group that were talking to themselves, how many of them were black?  Considering most of the people in prison are black - and I didn't make this up - the criminal justice system is in and of itself racist.  49% of the people in prison are black (http://www.hrw.org/reports/2000/usa/Rcedrg00-01.htm)
I agree, it was a stupid thing to say.  If he had just said that child molesters should be put in prison and be forced to be in a cell next to someone talking to themselves no one would have said he was racist.  It shows he doesn't have good political sense - it's something that if you say it a lot of people will think you are racist, but does it actually prove you are racist - only if you already don't like the guy and want to believe it.  As far as I know I haven't seen anyone on the news demand that he apologize and since this has only been less than a day since I've seen this I can't say that he's actually been asked to explain himself, I'm going to wait for his explanation to decide whether it was a racist remark.  And I still am not saying I'm going to vote for him - they guy doesn't seem to have very good political sense.

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by: cannabisflower @ Thu Mar 23, 2006 at 13:32:43 PM CST

[ Parent ]

That *was* racist... (0.00 / 0)

Cannibisflower.. you paying attention?  Kinky is no Nader... not even close.

The harsh reality is that he will most likely get on the ballot.  What the Bell campaign then needs to do is attack attack attack and cut his arteries if they want any chance of winning.

Paint him as the conservative he is.  All Bell has to do is be the Democrat, paint Kinky as a Republican and keep telling folks Kinky voted for Bush.. theoretically, Bell should win right?

Go at him fast and cut his arteries.

Arm chair progressives/democrats should be ashamed of themselves even considering voting for this guy.  It's blatantly obvious they haven't done their homework. 

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by: whoisgringo @ Thu Mar 23, 2006 at 11:36:16 AM CST

The only .. (0.00 / 0)

armchair progressive democrats that are even considering voting for him are those that have read his books or know him personally. Have you read his books?  And I didn't even say I was going to vote for him.  I have problems with a number of the stances he's taken so far.

On the other hand, I haven't heard much about Chris Bell that makes me want to vote for him either.  He has however, at times said he supported medical marijuana and then said he didn't.  Although, I don't vote only on that issue (although drug policy reform and criminal justice are important issues for me), the fact that he has told people he supported it and then voted against it doesn't give me a lot of confidence in him. 

If you didn't know Dave Chappelle was black and heard some of the things he said you might think he was a racist.  And Mark Twain's books are often protested because of the "racist" language he used.  But at the time it was the common venacular and in the 60's and even later Negro was in common usage for a black person and many people used it.  If Negro is such a racist term then why doesn't the United Negro College Fund change their name?

People get set in the way they talk and they can get in trouble for saying things in ways that make people think they are racist.  My roommate got our neighbor bent out of shape because she asked if the "boys" could help her with something.  She is 65 and the "boys" she was refering to were 20 somethings.  She would have called them boys whether they were white, black, hispanic or green - if they were youngsters to her.  He told her there were no "boys" living there and she told him she meant no offense, she was refering to their age and not their race and he accepted her apology.  I haven't seen anything about my roommate to lead me to believe she is racist.

If Kinky would have used the term "nigger" or said something like "jungle bunny" I most definitely would have considered it offensive, and at first I considered what he said racist but reconsidered after she pointed out the fact that the majority of people in prison are black and many in prison - those that talk to themselves - are mentally ill.  I'd have to hear more to decide someone his age was racist.

Miriam Webster lists the word "negro" as sometimes offensive.  Dictionary.com has this to say - "However, it was not until the late 1960s that black (or Black) gained its present status as a self-chosen ethnonym with strong connotations of racial pride, replacing the then-current Negro among Blacks and non-Blacks alike with remarkable speed. Equally significant is the degree to which Negro became discredited in the process, reflecting the profound changes taking place in the Black community during the tumultuous years of the civil rights and Black Power movements."

It seems to me that those who grew up in the 40's and 50's should usually be given the benefit of the doubt when they use this word because although it's usage is not so common, it hasn't gone completely out of usage.  Unless you have some other evidence of racism and not something that could be considered a joke, I'd have the tendency to give anyone over 50 who used this term the benefit of the doubt. 

I've come to see Kinky as more of a joke than a racist but I still haven't seen much of a reason to vote for Chris Bell other than he's better than Perry.  Not only that the Green Party has a candidate for Governor - Jerry Larson also. Who knows if the Green Party will get on the ballot!  And we all have a long time to decide who we are going to support.

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by: cannabisflower @ Thu Mar 23, 2006 at 13:05:16 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Kinky is not some uneducated backwoodsman (2.00 / 1)

I don't care what his age is!  I'm the same age as your neighbor and in the 60's my own  very young children were taught to use the term Black, even though it was still sometimes iffy to me, wondering if it really was ok. 

But believe me, by the late 60's on, I rarely ever heard the term Negro among people I associated with, including my parents, who today would be approaching 90.  I certainly don't think Kinky deserves a pass based on his age or lack of social interaction.  He hasn't been isolated in the hills.  The man just thinks the world is a playground, waiting to hear his jokes and he plays it as such. 

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by: merci_me @ Thu Mar 23, 2006 at 13:50:51 PM CST

[ Parent ]

What bothers me (0.00 / 0)

I think what bothers me about it is simply that he apparently thinks the joke was and is acceptable. It is not.

I still intend to vote for him just the same. If for no other reason than he  is the only candidate who so far has managed not to sell himself to the highest bidders for cabins on the governor's yacht. 

SS Perry or SS BEll or SS Strayhorn, the passengers are the same. 

Someone needs to sink the ship so to speak.

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by: Baby Snooks @ Fri Mar 24, 2006 at 00:34:10 AM CST

[ Parent ]

Highest bidder? (0.00 / 0)

As noted in a previous post, Friedman has pledged to appoint John McCall, Friedman's campaign treasurer, as Secretary of State.

But if you search John McCall at the Texas Ethics Commission, you'll find this list of campaign contribution:

Mccall, John H -  Friedman, Richard S.  $ 216,000.00 7/01/2005 
Mccall, John H -  Friedman, Richard S.  $ 150,000.00 11/29/2005 
Mccall, John H -  Friedman, Richard S.  $ 100,000.00 10/17/2005 
Mccall, John H  -  Friedman, Richard S.  $ 100,000.00 3/03/2005

Most of the time politicians wait until after elections to let the public find out about this kind of cronyism. I guess Kinky's just different.

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by: Ryan Goodland @ Fri Mar 24, 2006 at 09:01:41 AM CST

[ Parent ]

Who do you suggest ? (0.00 / 0)

Who do you suggest he appoint? Be careful criticizing apppointments.  Everyone went after Harriet Miers and ended up with Samuel Alito instead.

You could end up with me as Secretary of State for instance.

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by: Baby Snooks @ Fri Mar 24, 2006 at 09:48:12 AM CST

[ Parent ]

What? (0.00 / 0)

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

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by: Phillip Martin @ Fri Mar 24, 2006 at 09:59:16 AM CST

[ Parent ]

Southern Terms (0.00 / 0)

Merci_Me, it doesn't sound like you're originally from Texas.  Trust me, until the mid-70's the term "negro" was extremely common and an accepted polite term by blacks and whites here in Texas, and the rest of the Southern US.  There was nothing derogatory about it.  Granted, today Webster's might consider it an archaic term, but still not racially disparaging. Also, Kinky won't be 62 until October 31st.

However, getting back to the original "beef," his comment was referring to a desire to scare the living daylights out of a child molester.  In this particular instance a white child molester.  Now what incarceration scenario do you think would really scare the hell out of such bottom feeding scum? If the entire interview had been posted, rather than the selected snip, that would have been obvious even to those individuals furthest to the left of center.

Secondly, for the record, Kinky's problem with applying the death penalty has more to do with our judicial system and the lack of prosecutoral and defensive due diligence in many cases.  He would just like to be extremely sure the wrong guy isn't getting the needle with the toxic cocktail in it.  There are far too many blocks and delays in the appeals process, especially where current scientific analysis, such as simple DNA tests, can possibly redress a horrible injustice before it becomes terminal.

BTW, I'll agree that heretofore Kinky hasn't made a clear stand on many issues, however, now that it has become apparent that "other parties" have him squarely in their crosshairs, he's finally started defining his stance on many issues.  If you have the time or inclination go to http://www.kinkyfriedman.com/issues, you might find it enlightening.

For the rest of the "informed" out there who think they know everything, you might be interested in the fact that without exception, his campaign is pulling almost equally from both the Democrats and the Republicans.  Personally, I don't understand anyone who would blindly vote a straight ballot for either party.  Is it that they aren't capable of making an intelligent decision without "Big Brother" telling them what to do?

Oh,BTW, yes I am a Kinky supporter, and I happen to be the county coordinator for Harris County.  I've always been a conservative independent, and I'll never vote for a Democrat or Republican who supports a state income tax or continued implementation of the Trans Texas Toll road. 

Another point of trivia...while Kinky may have voted for GW in 2004, he campaigned for Ann Richards, a Democrat, during the '90's.  Kinky is a centerist in a lot of areas, but mostly he's a common sense candidate, and he's at least willing to take action rather than being an armchair coach.

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by: texasbelle @ Fri Mar 24, 2006 at 01:26:03 AM CST

[ Parent ]

What Issues? (3.00 / 1)

I don't care if anyone votes straight ticket or not. I just care if they vote. Kinky hasn't even done that, so calm down with the "Big Brother" rhetoric and remind me why I should care about someone who's as active politically as I was when I was in high school.

Sorry, I'm not impressed with someone who may have voted once or twice in his life. The day I turned 18, I voted. I'm 21, now, and I've worked for a political communications company, at the Capitol, for candidates in rural and urban parts of the state. When I'm not at work, at school, at Church, traveling back and forth from Houston, or with my family here in Austin, I'm here on BOR, blogging for free. So don't try to sell crap about being an "armchair coach" to me.

As for the issues on his page...what are they exactly? On education, he talks about how teachers aren't paid well and TAKS tests have too much emphasis. Wow, congratulations. He's come to the same realization as every other candidate in the state. His health care platform is "we've done a bad job with CHIP." Great, great leadership there. What's next - is Kinky going to come out and declare that jobs are good? That water is a valuable resource? That puppies are cute?

Give me a break. He's got biodiesel, and that's it. All the rest is a joke and lame rip-offs of what Democrats in Texas have been saying for years.

Vote for Kinky, even though he'd never vote for you!

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

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by: Phillip Martin @ Fri Mar 24, 2006 at 01:57:24 AM CST

[ Parent ]

Issues (0.00 / 0)

Did I not just indicate that Kinky voted in 2004?  I guess you missed that part.  As for issues, with regard to educational spending and teacher's salaries, he would like to see funds currently being routed into the General Fund spent to raise teacher's salaries, rather than forcing local ISD's to raise property taxes to cover the expense.  Of course that would mean getting the legislature to pass a property tax cap as well, to insure the State bore the responsibility for the pay increase.  Some of that same funding could be used to raise the level of public health care for children currently without such basic needs. 

We've got over $4 BILLION in the State treasury that hasn't been allocated.  You tell me why many Democrats are pushing for a State Income tax?  It's not strictly a one party legislature.  Dems and Repubs have done a wonderful job of dipping into the coffers for their special interests.

Your young and you've got an opinion.  Good for you.  It shows you're using your head for something other than a hat rack.  You're also politically active to a degree, unlike 90% of the rest of the voting public, so obviously my comment wasn't directed at someone like you.  To imply such is pretty silly. 

Social and economic reform has been a topic of both parties for years, not just the democrats.  You've been old enough to vote for three years. That would be one presidential and statewide election, and a primary. It's a good start. I've voted in every election for the past 38 years, and I've seen enough controversy to last a life time, including the Kennedy assassination, Kent State, MLK's assassination and a host of other incidents.  Please don't begin to "inform" me about the political agendas of candidates, or either party.  Do yourself a favor, read up on the history, good and bad, of ALL the candidates.  What the Republican party is guilty of now, the Democratic party was guilty of during the 60's.  It's a cycle that turns about every 10-12 years. 

You're impressionable, and both parties know how to manipulate youthful zeal.  It's grist for the political machine.  Educate yourself, get some "real world" experience, then you might just find that you don't subscribe to a strict party line in either direction.  Independent thought is a wonderful thing.  You might also take the time to read Orwell's "1984" and "Animal Farm."

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by: texasbelle @ Fri Mar 24, 2006 at 02:53:19 AM CST

[ Parent ]

WTF (0.00 / 0)

Just to let you know: personal attacks aren't really decorum here, texasbelle. You don't know Phillip, but I'd be willing to bet he's forgotten more about Texas politics than most of the people on this board have ever known.

So rather than simply noting that you're older than Phillip and repeating the trope that both political parties are bad, maybe you could explain why Friedman wants to use this year's budget surplus on a tax rebate rather than direct it towards a teacher pay-raise, which he ostensibly supports?

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by: Ryan Goodland @ Fri Mar 24, 2006 at 09:12:46 AM CST

[ Parent ]

Jim Wright (0.00 / 0)

Don't forget Jim Wright who was forced to resign as Speaker of the House in 1989 over ethics violations.  His endorsement of Bob Gammage in fact may have had a negative rather than a positive effect on voters.  The way an endorsement by Tom De Lay at some point may as well. The pendulum swings both ways.  And chops off heads on the both sides of the aisle. Which makes all the "stop the Republican corruption" battle cry of Democrats a little hollow and at times a little hypocritical.

Laws are laws and rules are rules and no, Nancy Pelosi, being a Democrat doesn't make something a little less illegal or a little less unethical.

Kinky Friedman is many things.  And can be accused of many things.  The one thing he cannot be accused of is being tied into the corruption. On either side of the aisle.

And that is the number one concern of most voters in this state - the corruption in both parties.  That is why so many simply no longer vote. But may vote for Kinky Friedman. If for no other reason than to send a message to both parties.

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by: Baby Snooks @ Fri Mar 24, 2006 at 09:35:14 AM CST

[ Parent ]

OK (0.00 / 0)

No one called him corrupt. Way to take up the off-topic cause...

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

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by: Phillip Martin @ Fri Mar 24, 2006 at 09:36:52 AM CST

[ Parent ]

OK (0.00 / 0)

Like I already said, I'm not some member of a machine. I don't care if people vote straight ticket. I just care if they vote. Congratulations, Kinky voted in 2004. Great to see him getting as involved in the process as my younger sister.

"We've got over $4 BILLION in the State treasury that hasn't been allocated."

First of all, it's $4.3 billion. It's a one-time surplus, and to use that money to buy-down property taxes (or give teachers a pay raise) would only put us back in the same situation we are now when the legislature meets in 2007. It's a half-ass idea that won't work (congratulations, you're living up to the wonderful reputation of Jesse Ventura).

Besides, part of that money has already been allocated to the HHSC, if I'm not mistaken.

Your read on "many" Democrats pushing for a state income tax is way-off. What's more, in the education summit held yesterday, a lot of the Republican lawmakers and policy-makers in attendance expressed interest in a state income tax.

Finally, I read Orwell in ninth grade, twit. Get off your high-horse about any kind of political machine, and stop throwing stones from the curb at people who are trying to fix the house from within.

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

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by: Phillip Martin @ Fri Mar 24, 2006 at 09:46:12 AM CST

[ Parent ]

This thread (0.00 / 0)

Just made it onto every yahoo group Carl Whitmarsh subcribes to.

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by: Tejana @ Thu Mar 23, 2006 at 11:49:45 AM CST

I think I just heard (0.00 / 0)

The Internet melt.

Hope is not a plan.

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by: Dave In A Cave @ Thu Mar 23, 2006 at 12:26:49 PM CST

[ Parent ]

noooooooooo (0.00 / 0)

Please read the Community Guidelines and How to Rate Comments.

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by: Karl-Thomas Musselman @ Thu Mar 23, 2006 at 13:56:00 PM CST

[ Parent ]

A Few More Thoughts On Kinky (0.00 / 0)

A reader at Just Another Blog wrote this.

Here my longer feelings on the subject of the Governors race.

There is a new site dedicated to Stop Kinky!

It's great you are involved in the process TexasBelle, but keep in mind that most of us that read these kinds of blogs want to know two things: How are they going to do it, and what do they pick when two issues conflict.

Kinky has half of his agenda, conflicting with the other half-- hence the bipolar.

Then, he fails to mention how he is going to do a single thing (except that he wants to have gambling to fund schools even though we have a multi-Billion dollar surplus). Hence the  ideologue.

I am for voting what you believe, but I am going to make sure people understand the solutions, problems, and conflicts of every candidates platforms, and Kinky's has more of the latter two than the former.

Read Just Another Blog

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by: Matt @ Fri Mar 24, 2006 at 09:43:33 AM CST

The Stop Kinky site (0.00 / 0)

...is a great contribution.  If you're responsible for it, Matt, thanks for thinking of it and getting it done. I hope you - or whoever is doing it - has time to keep up with it.

Do you suppose the author (s) would be interested in receiving tidbits the rest of us pick up in monitoring the news and Friedman's appearances?

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by: aerialist @ Fri Mar 24, 2006 at 10:12:26 AM CST

[ Parent ]

I wish... (0.00 / 0)

I was clever enough to come up with it. They posted a comment on my site, so I am sure that they are a regular blog reader.

Read Just Another Blog

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by: Matt @ Fri Mar 24, 2006 at 10:18:25 AM CST

[ Parent ]

Thanks (0.00 / 0)

I just made them an offer I hope they won't refuse.

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by: aerialist @ Fri Mar 24, 2006 at 11:11:49 AM CST

[ Parent ]