This post is an attempt at analysis, explanation, and an appeal for help. The complexion of the country's leadership may well depend on the elections in Texas. I ask your indulgence to follow my perhaps incomplete research, my not-all-filled-out logic and the conlusions I draw from them. Perhaps I can make the case to help head off a real disaster. We here in Texas may understand this, but this is as much for visitors from elsewhere.
The thesis
Texas elections for US congress seats, and for State House and Senate seats, matter not just to Texans, but the whole country, perhaps for a decade or more. One of the major actors, Rick Perry, and his larger aspirations, are of concern. It's his power base, donors, and where he wants to take us that we need to pay attention to.
Some corollaries The Texas Governor's race sets the tone in our state for an off-year election, and voters are tuned in to this race. Folks are generally not paying as much attention to the state House and Senate races, nor to the US Congressional races. But the governor's race may greatly influence the down-ballot races. Turnout of loyal supporters is the key.
After the 2010 Census, Texas will add 3 US Congressional seats, possibly 4, depending on how the math comes out. The outcomes of these state races will matter because of redistricting which will be done by the Texas Legislature in the 2011-2012 session.
Let me share some thoughts, and see if you agree, or challenge my point of view.
Let us take Texas back from these GOP "leaders" who will take us to ruin, perhaps even more than W did, if given the chance. Let's not give them the chance.
In front of a packed house at a meeting of the Houston GLBT Political Caucus, I outlined my plan to repeal the Texas Defense of Marriage Act and all statutory and constitutional barriers to equality for LGBT citizens, as well as ending discrimination in hiring and employment, public accommodations and real estate transactions, insurance, and more.
After The Advocate took note of this policy release, a Texas reader in their comment section said he though, with a policy like that, I don't stand "a snowball's chance in hell," of winning this election because of the reputation Texas has under Rick Perry.
In the only two polls conducted after the gubernatorial candidates' debate, Bell is in second place emerging as the only challenger who has a chance of beating Perry. Both polls confirm that Kinky is nothing but a spoiler bottoming out in the polls more than 10% below Bell.
Wall Street Journal (an internet based poll using a methodology that may oversample pro-technology voters, but the poll is weighted to match the race, age, economic profile, education profile, and party affiliation splits corresponding with the splits from the latest exit polls from comparable elections in Texas):
37.5% - Rick Perry
26.2% - Chris Bell
13.2% - Richard Friedman
13.0% - Carole Strayhorn
Texans for Insurance Reform (a land-line telephone based poll using a methodology that may undersample younger, pro-technology, economically disadvantaged voters, and the poll is weighted to match the polling population to the assumption that 40% of the voters will be Republicans, 30% will be Democrats, and 30% will be independents - this poll is conducted by an independent polling firm but it is financed by Strayhorn supporters):
34.4% - Rick Perry
18.7% - Chris Bell
18.5% - Carole Strayhorn
_8.6% - Richard Friedman
When Kinky appears before Democratic crowds, he falsely plays down his support for Bush.
First, there is no question that Kinky voted for Bush/Cheney in 2004 (some Kinkaholics on "Satan's internet" still dispute this fact):
"The voting record doesn't look strong, but my voting record is better than Dick Cheney's," he said, referring to reports in 2000 that Cheney skipped 14 of 16 votes in Dallas County - including the presidential primary in which he could have voted for his future running mate, George W. Bush.
According to Kerr County voting records, Friedman voted in the 2004 presidential general election but not in any other contest since 1994.
(Something fun to help pass the time. - promoted by Phillip Martin)
Test your knowledge of the Texas gubernatorial candidates.
1. Who said "I think Rick Perry is an inspiring leader; he inspired me to run for Governor"?
A. James "Rick" Perry
B. Chris Bell
C. Richard "Kinky" Friedman
D. Carole Keeton Strayhorn
2. Who said "I'm not a liberal, believe me; I'm a compassionate redneck, far more conservative than I am liberal"?
A. James "Rick" Perry
B. Chris Bell
C. Richard "Kinky" Friedman
D. Carole Keeton Strayhorn
3. Who said "I'm not a supporter of using embryonic stem cell research; frankly, I think it's a very narrow, at best, area"?
A. James "Rick" Perry
B. Chris Bell
C. Richard "Kinky" Friedman
D. Carole Keeton Strayhorn
4. Who said "Stem-cell research isn't just a good idea; it's a moral calling"?
A. James "Rick" Perry
B. Chris Bell
C. Richard "Kinky" Friedman
D. Carole Keeton Strayhorn
5. Who said "After nine legislative sessions full of name-calling, our school funding is in crisis, property taxes are up and judges are having to do our governor's job"?
A. James "Rick" Perry
B. Chris Bell
C. Richard "Kinky" Friedman
D. Carole Keeton Strayhorn
Of course, it is no surprise to the reality-based community that Molly Ivins would endorse the most progressive candidate who would best serve the interests of most Texans.
So it is finally put-up-or-shut-up day for those fact-deprived residents of Kinkistan who have been touting that Ann Richards supported Kinky (false) and that Molly Ivins supports Kinky (also false).
Besides, we actually have a good chance to get Rick Perry out of office. After six years in office, the Coiffure is at 36 percent approval. He gets another four years, I don’t think we’ll have a public school system left—he really does intend to destroy it, at far-right GOP donor Jim Leininger’s bidding, you know. We may never again get a chance to do our state such a great service. This could be the Alamo of elections.
For those, like me, who believe in music and laughter in politics, Kinky Friedman appeared to be a natural—and besides, how hard can it be?
It turns out, a little harder than Kinky is willing to make an effort to go. In an excruciating interview with the Dallas Morning News, Friedman not only got about half his facts wrong (this is why we accuse Bush of misleading people), but also demonstrated that he does not understand school finance or taxes, nor does he have any intention of trying to do so.
...
One of the great mysteries of this race is why Carole Keeton Strayhorn has imploded almost as fast as Friedman. The only reason Friedman is still in the race is because of free media: Reporters were all so bored by the thought of another snoozer Republican victory, they fought to keep Friedman’s candidacy alive long past the point when it was clear that the Kinkster was in it entirely for ego and publicity. I still like the idea—maybe next time, we should get a funny, smart musician who cares enough to study up a little. Marcia Ball, anyone? Joe Ely?
...
Bell is looking like a better bet because: (A) He has the Democratic base vote going for him, and (B) Perry is just so lame. As we start down the stretch, Bell is picking up on the outside, Perry is still at 35 percent after a year, Strayhorn is fading and Kinky stopped to poop on the track.
...
There was a bit of flap recently when Liz Smith claimed the late Ann Richards would have been in favor of Kinky for governor. Maybe Liz knew Ann better than I did. But I’d bet not. Listening to her memorial service, I was reminded how hard we fought and how tough it was. I thought of the slippage since she left office—blacks and browns left out again. All we have to do to win this is get Democrats to vote. Let’s make it a vote for Annie.
After months of treating Kinky Friedman as nothing more than a sideshow freak in the three-ring circus that the Texas governor's race has become, the media have finally begun to explore the inherent flaws in Kinky's campaign.
True to its nature, the first of many flaws which the media have fixated upon is the more sensational misjudgments (and less policy-oriented errors) represented by the strain of racial tension undercutting Kinky's campaign efforts.
On Wednesday, September 13, 2006, the Dallas Morning News published an Associated Press interview with Kinky Friedman. Kinky tried to downplay the racist nature of his recent unfortunate comments saying that the black hurricane refugees in Houston from New Orleans were "thugs and crackheads":
Yet on September 9, 2006, Guillermo X. Garcia with the San Antonio Express-News Staff reported on a question-and-answer session with Kinky and directly quoted him:
This latest lie follows Kinky's previous lies about his past claims that he vote for Ann Richards and Al Gore and against the Constitutional Amendment rejecting equal marriage rights.
