Kinky would be an embarrassment to the party.

[johncoby2]

We should be working to find an embarrassment to run as a republican.

kinky is a joke of a candidate for anything.

Anything.

[johncoby2]

1. No I take that back

He would be an embarrassment to the state. He has absolutely no idea of what he is doing.

[Ranting_Wacko]

2. I'd still prefer him to Kay or Perry. -nt-

[johncoby2]

3. Actually sometimes people have to get what they want

Look at Minnesota (?) who voted for Ventura after running on a "common sense" platform.

He sucked. Had no chance of being re-elected.

kinky would do the same, but would leave 4 years of wreckage and lots of hurt people. Or he would just quit after a year or two. He has absolutely no idea of what he is doing. Nothing. Zero. Zip.

I wish Democrats would quit thinking kinky could be good for Texas.

[WolverineDG]

4. then dammit, put up someone who people can get excited in

Chris Bell? Nice guy but :boring:

The current Dems in power think we're not going to win, so why even try (which is why we're going to get a Bush appointee shoved down our throats)?

dg

[NoPasaran]

5. After 2006 I'm not sure I have any embarrassment left

Ah, memories...

Fred Head's main campaign issue: an "immoral" novel penned by Susan Combs. :scared:

Barbara Ann Radnofsky's sockpuppet ads. :scared:

Chris Bell underperforming his own estimate of how many votes a corpse running on the Democratic ticket would get. :scared:

Don't like Kinky? Show me something better.

[johncoby2]

7. uh....kinky got 9% of the vote

He has absolutely no chance of winning anything, much less governor. No matter how much you wish, or want, or whine. He is not going to win.

Bank on it. talking him up as a democrat does nothing for the people of this state.

[NoPasaran]

8. Well, if Kinky can't win anything, there's no cause for you to fret

Of course, that nine percent he got in the 2006 general election equals more voters than all those who voted in the Democratic primary that year.

Is that something to be concerned about?

[PDittie]

9. Well, he got 12 % of the vote

http://www.austinchronicle.com/gyrobase/Issue/story?oid=oid%3A418661

But I don't disagree with your OP. At this (extremely early) moment, I would have to say that he is the front-runner, ahead of Tom Schieffer.

You would prefer maybe Henry Cisneros? Or someone with name recognition approaching zero?

Is one of Sharp or White going to quit the Senate race and run for Governor? I would imagine that person would get the institutional Democratic support, such as it is, from the likes of Void Richie and whomever is going to replace the late Fred Baron's largesse.

Seemingly our only chance is for the loser of the 2010 GOP primary to run as an independent in the general (if that is possible, as NoPasa has previously questioned), but even then, splitting the Republican vote doesn't help us all that much (as we have already observed in 2006).

So ... why the hell not?

Kinky brings an energized base and the elusive name recognition. But Richie is going to shun him like a red-headed stepchild, the moneymen will absolutely not open their wallets, and that may cause Kinky to avoid the race. And he'll pour a little piss out there for the media to lap up as to the effed-up nature of the Texas Democratic Party when he does.

So bottom-line: I don't think you got much ta worry about as relates a Kinky candidacy, John.

[johncoby2]

20. Oh true. true.

Good point. He would have little if any support from the party.

If by chance he would get the nomination, I can see the delegation walking out on his speech so we could get to the bar faster.

[Aragorn]

6. embarrassed

The most embarrassing thing is the inability to get these horrible repubs un-elected! I say run Kinky and Willie, throw in some CW singer(s), maybe an athlete. If we can find an athlete who's not repub/FCA.

[sonias]

10. Athlete - Lance Armstrong perhaps?

With all the crap Phelps is getting for smoking a little pot and A-Rod floating on steroids - I don't think Lance would dare to step into the nutty world of Texas politics.

We got nothing. No farm team training to step up. :shrug:


Sonia

[NoPasaran]

12. Has it ever been established whether Lance Armstrong is a Democrat?

I remember it being rumored that he was a republican, the only evidence offered against it being that he and Sheryl Crow were a couple. Does anyone have access to the VAN for Travis Precinct 237 who can verify his voting record?

[sonias]

13. Well he's a conflcited Republican at worst

He's an atheist for dog's sake! That plus his conceiving a child out of wedlock, well that pretty much knocks him out of the Texas R club don't ya think? No way he could run as an R in Texas.

I don't have access to VAN in that PCT and whoever does certainly can't reveal that. And you could only tell if he voted in the primary. What if he only voted in the November election?

This is what he says about himself:

Huffington Post 1/18/09
Lance Armstrong "Optimistic" About Obama Administration
"I'm optimistic in this new administration. I'm optimistic because of" Obama, Armstrong said. "I think the best thing he can do is come in and reform our health-care system. And do I think he'll increase the funding? Yes, absolutely."

Armstrong was reluctant to consider himself a Republican or Democrat.

"I wouldn't say I'm a Republican and I wouldn't say I'm a Democrat. I'm probably stronger on the first part than the second," he said.

Lance wikipedia entry

Armstrong has described himself as; "Left of center, against the war in Iraq, and pro-choice"

He's more effective just working on cancer like he does and he says as much.


Sonia

[derby378]

11. Ten Reasons why we should nominate someone other than Kinky to run for Governor

Yes, he's colorful, he loves critters, and all that. But here's a list adapted from http://stopkinky.blogspot.com to help put things in perspective:

1. Kinky's own website quotes Kinky telling the New York Times, "I'm not pro-choice."

2. At a recent death penalty trial, Kinky testified under oath that although "he used to support the death penalty, Friedman told jurors he's now against it." Yet Kinky's website also says "Kinky is not anti-death-penalty." So, which is it?

3. Kinky gave an interview to Susannah McNeely of Ruminator magazine where Kinky said "I voted for Gore" in 2000. According to Kerr County voting records, however, Friedman voted in the 2004 Presidential general election but not in any other contest since 1994. If he can produce proof of his 2000 vote, good for him, but...

4. Kinky wants to take money generated from sales tax and other state revenue sources and give that money away only to Texas property owning corporations and people with those owning the most valuable property getting the biggest windfall. Live in a modest house or an apartment? You're out of luck.

5. On a November 8, 2005, Kinky appeared on a nationally televised CNBC news program, where he was asked about his views on criminal punishment. Kinky replied, "Throw 'em in prison and throw away the key, and make 'em listen to a Negro talking to himself."

6. Kinky would address Texas' public education funding crisis by letting "the corporate sector bid on funding athletics." What exactly does Kinky think Halliburton and KBR will be getting from our children in exchange for their high bids?

7. Kinky proposes to deal with immigration issues by building a wall along the Texas-Mexico border and by outsourcing our border security to five Mexican generals who would let armed thugs patrol our border. We already have a wall that we didn't want yet are being forced to pay for - and it doesn't work.

8. Kinky supports organized, state-sponsored school prayer and posting the Ten Commandments in classrooms. No matter who leads the prayer, your tax dollars paid for it.

9. Kinky made plans during his 2006 campaign to offer top political appointments to his biggest campaign contributors. We saw how well this worked for Illinois' ex-Governor Rod Blagojevich.

10. Kinky’s 2006 campaign was bankrolled by wealthy Republicans who support Rick Perry. Voting for Kinky helped siphon votes away from Chris Bell to guarantee the re-election of Perry and continue the culture of corruption in Texas.

In summation, if Kinky really wants to run for Governor as a Democrat, he's got a lot of soul-searching and explaining to do.

[Melissa G]

14. Thanks for that, Derby! I was hoping someone would post it. n/t

[Baby Snooks]

15. Which wealthy Republicans?

I'm not aware of any and I looked at his contributors very carefully as I do everyone else's. I saw only one and that one I know contributed on the basis of friendship rather than conspiracy.

We were in the mood for a joke in 2006. Even Molly Ivins was. At least Kinky was a funny joke. The joke in Austin wasn't a funny joke. And still isn't. The problem with Kinky, really, was his previous joke.

[derby378]

17. Honestly, I once had a list...

Wish I knew what I did with it.

[Baby Snooks]

18. Well I checked the TEC records...

The problem with Kinky is he sort of disoriented everyone. Which may or many not explain why Sissy Farenthold and some of the other "Dirty Dozen" issued their damnation/endorsement which was an endorsement of Chris Bell and a damnation of Bob Gammage, emphasis on the damnation, and then ran off to Carolyn Farb's for a fundraiser for Kinky. They should have known better than to trust gossip and society columnists to keep secrets. They seemed not to appear at fundraisers for Chris Bell. Despite having endorsed him. Of course most figured out the real purpose of the endorsement was really the damnation. And so they weren't disoriented at all.

But everyone else was. Kinky Friedman was fun. He was maybe. He was "why the hell not?" He was a joke that at the time we needed. Until the reality of his jokes came to light.

Rumor is Carolyn Farb is backing him as a Democrat. As are others. They like Kinky. They maybe don't like Texas.

I only saw one Republican "stalwart" on the TEC records and I wondered about it and then realized he was friends with him. As was Molly Ivins. As was Ann Richards. As were quite a few. And quite a few still are. But Molly Ivins at this point would have at least two columns about "Why the hell absolutely not" with regard to Kinky Friedman running for governor.

Maybe we needed the diversion of disorientation. Who knows. We were diverted. We were disoriented. We need to avoid becoming diverted and disoriented again. Or we will be looking at either Rick Perry or Kay Bailout Hutchison winning in 2010.

As for Kinky Friedman drawing votes from Chris Bell maybe he drew the 1% who thought Kinky was the corpse instead of Chris Bell.

I just hate the thought of Rick Perry winning. But it's a whole lot better than Kay Bailout Hutchison winning.

We need the proverbial white knight on the white horse. And not Bill White.

[johncoby2]

22. What we need is a true liberal running.

A liberal of all liberals.
That's the ticket!

[derby378]

24. I thought Bill White was campaigning for Hutchison's Senate seat

He'll probably face John Sharp in the primary next year.

[sonias]

25. I had to go google Carolyn Farb

I didn't know who she was. I see she's a professional fundraiser.
http://www.carolynfarb.com/

Thanks for that info.


Sonia

[johncoby2]

21. but but but.....

He brings excitement and a large base!

[Lithos]

16. talking party or Party?

to the "party" he would bring booze and cheap cigars and be the typical sexist, "look at me", blow-hard who walks around spilling cigar ash on your clean shoes. He's the type of guy I avoid because I don't want my clothes to smell of cheap smoke for days afterword.

To the "Party", he would be a disaster for the reasons you cited.

And while I could argue that a cigar smoking, sexist cheap bore would be better than what we've seen since Ann Richards, I refuse to sully the office of Governor or her memory with someone whose claim to fame as a musician is to argue the virtues of a 1960's redneck honkey tonk. I wouldn't categorize him as a joke as it would imply some redeeming quality. Yes, we can do better though once again we're gonna be pulling in someone who the state is not fully aware of.

This all boils down to the fact that if we want better candidates, then we need to get them running in the core cities - DFW, Houston, SA, Austin, El Paso, and metropolitan areas such as the Valley where we have shown strength. We can own those areas and once we get the machines in those areas, we can win races. Yes, it is not a 254 county strategy, but it is a good start towards that. We also have to do things to get people known across the state. How many people in Dallas really know the Houston Mayor? Vice-versa, etc.

L-

[sonias]

19. Those are really good points Lithos

We have been thinking about this the wrong way. And unfortunately it's going to hurt to think about just running with an urban/border and S. Texas strategy. That's so contradictory to a 254 county plan. But that is the way to win. Concentrate your efforts where the votes are which means blowing off 80 percent of the state - the rural areas which are going to vote R anyway.

A good Democratic candidate is going to have to get huge turnout in Harris, Dallas, Tarrant, Austin, El Paso, & S. Texas. And if that person could establish offices and coordinated campaigns in the main metropolitan areas to get out the vote we could squeak by. We have the votes in the major urban areas to cancel out the rest of the rural areas. But we have to get out the vote.

And so far no one with the excitement of Obama is catching the state's attention.

Sonia

[Lithos]

23. The 254 county strategy is a good end goal

But right now we need machinery for our GOTV efforts. The front lines right now are not in the super Red counties, but those with the highest rates of change. Texas is rapidly changing demographics and becoming more blue (or purple) with each passing year. That means that those areas of higher change are where our greatest opportunity lies. Yes, we should be leveraging the core population areas as this is where our core votes are and where we will have our best source for getting state wide candidates initially, but the fight is on for these types of counties: Rockwall, Williamson, Collin, Hays, Denton, Montgomery, Kaufman, Comal, Kendall, Ellis and Burnet. Some of these are incredibly Red now, but this is where Texas is changing and where the fight must be carried.

L-

[shagsak]

26. love me some Kinky

Not what Texas needs as a politician, but a damn likable guy if you ask me - well, aside from being a chauvinist.

[sonias]

27. And of course racist

Although he doesn't think he is. The point is many others see him that way. I think he's either incredibly stupid or insensitive, and maybe even both, if he doesn't understand that the "n-word" is not acceptable for him to use - anywhere!


Sonia