Posted on 09/01/2009 7:12:24 AM PDT by laotzu
Texas humorist and mystery writer Richard ‘Kinky’ Friedman is announcing this week that he is a Democratic candidate for governor in next year’s elections, 1200 WOAI news reports.
Friedman, 64, is making his announcement in media interviews and campaign stops in what his campaign calls’ public spaces’ around the state.
Friedman finished fourth in the 2006 election for governor, in which he ran as an independent, running behind Democrat Chris Bell, fellow independent Carole Strayhorn, and Republican incumbent and winner Rick Perry.
“Kinky will provide us all with some light hearted entertainment, and that’s all he will get,” predicted Cal Jillson, a Southern Methodist University political scientist and one of the state’s most astute political observers.
Friedman enters the race, amazingly, as the Democratic front runner, with only little known former ambassador Tom Schieffer in the race.
“Democrats realize they are at least ten years away from winning statewide office in Texas,” Jillson told 1200 WOAI news.
In fact, no Democrat has announced candidacy for Lieutenant Governor, Agriculture Commissioner or Comptroller.
Jillson says the Democrats are setting their sights on the expected special election to fill the seat of Republican Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, who is expected to resign this fall to run for governor.
“It is a lot easier to pop up the winner in a special election where all of the candidates run against one another and the top two finishers, of whatever party, meet in the runoff,” Jillson said, pointing out the fact that little known professor John Tower became the first Republican to be elected to statewide office in Texas in decades when he won the 1961 special election to succeed LBJ, who was elected Vice President.
Jillson says it is also unlikely, as some have speculated, that the two top Democrats in the senate race, former Comptroller John Sharp and Houston Mayor Bill White, will drop out of the Senate race to run for the Democratic nomination for Governor.
“That would be jumping from the frying pan into the fire,” Jillson said, adding he would expect Sharp to return to private business and White to seek a top position in the Obama Administration if they find their Senate chances slipping.
Har!!
The Democrats are leaderless. I hear that should be ridiculed.
Kinky’s running again?
As a Texan, I’m getting kinda tired of this old-hippe with his big cigar.
But I guess he’s harmless enough. He certainly won’t hurt Perry’s chances.
Kinky: The left’s useful idiot.
Okay, I was wrong. There is NOT just one person worse than Kay Bailey Useless to replace Ricky ‘How is my hair’ Perry and that is Kinky. I was able to support him last time but then I actually started listening to the drivel Kinky spouts under pressure.
If the Rats can look past Tom Schieffer’s past ties with W, he could be a formidable threat.
I see Kinky as more of a libertarian. In his last campaign he was ready to put a substantial guard on the border.
I can’t help but like the guy. He would be a lot more honest and willing to ‘stand’ for something than the craven, self loving politicians we now have.
Kinky again? Crap ... I’m not sure the Repub ticket will be strong enough to beat him. Folks are tired of Gov. Goodhair’s lies and KBH ain’t any better.
Damn, gator...these next 15 months are going to be painful. In good conscience, I can't vote for Perry or KBH. There's no way I'm voting for Kinky, even as a protest vote.
Texas’s answer to that idiot wrestler from Minisota.
He is a joke played on Texas.
Schieffer would probably win the Republican vote over Kay Bailey.
Sorry Jewish Cowboy dude, been there didn’t do that, things wont change this time.
If Texas were Minnesota, he’d have a good chance of winning.
Kinky = Jesse Ventura, and we all knoiw how that turned out.
Why not? If a freak like Al Franken can get elected to office, ANY freak can get elected to office.
And I see him as a useful idiot of the left.
So we agree!
The bent one looks a bit wee weed up.
If you really believe Kinky is honest you need to look further. Kinky is as liberal as it gets but he doesn't want us to know it. He is just trying to get a job and he'll say anything to get it.
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