NEW ENERGY: Kinky To Make Texas #1 Again For decades, Texas was #1 in US oil and gas exploration. It once even led the world! Texas can reclaim its role as world leader in new energy production with alternative solutions. Kinky is our ‘energizer’ candidate.WILLIE AND KINKY: Bio-Diesel Buddies
Bio-diesel fuel powers Willie Nelson’s famous bus, the Honeysuckle Rose. Bio-diesel, eco-friendly and produced from agricultural products - even reclaimed frying grease - is a first step in the right direction. Willie will work with Kinky in promoting and developing bio-diesel and all of Texas’ vast, untapped, environmentally friendly resources. Currently, we’re using this fuel source for landfill. Surely, pulling a rutabaga out of the ground is more cost-effective than drilling a two-mile-deep hole in the sand. "How hard could it be?" - Kinky Friedman.ABOLISH POLITICAL CORRECTNESS
Political correctness must be abolished. Texans need to be told the truth. Texans do not need opaque, carefully scripted press releases.. "A man oughtta be able to light his cigar once in a while." - Kinky Friedman
Okay, Willie Nelson's tour bus powered by bio-diesel, very funny. Even reclaimed frying grease! How hard could it be? But along with the humor seems to be a serious platform issue, alternative power. And the abolition of political correctness, that's really the heart of the Friedman campaign. Friedman is running as an outsider, just like Coke Stevenson and Pappy O'Daniel and Lyndon Johnson. It's the 'no bullshit' ticket. The 'no bullshit' ticket has found great success in Texas in the past. It elected all three of the men that I mentioned above. More recently, outside of Texas, it elected Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jesse Ventura.
No one is taking Kinky's campaign very seriously, least of all him. "I'm just doing it for the closet space," he has said. It obviously started as a bit of a joke. Then Kinky discovered that there were people out there who felt abandoned by the government. He's been receiving the rock star treatment, and with thousands of volunteers signing on, there is less talk about closet space and more about serious issues.
Article comments
1 - Nancy
No more outrageous than having former B-actors, wrestlers, or anyone else as governor. Actually, I'd rather have a REAL person be governor than a professional politician.
2 - Leoniceno
I don't think that I said it was outrageous. And I certainly agree with you, Nancy. I like Kinky a lot.
3 - Leoniceno
Say, I just noticed that this piece has been linked from the Kinky Friedman campaign site.
4 - Eric Berlin
So a profile on him on This Week. I say, Go for it -- why the hell not?
5 - wil
Kinky for President!
6 - Leoniceno
Why not? We've had Reagan and Teddy Roosevelt, not to mention William Henry Harrison.
7 - Dave Nalle
The Kinkster still has to qualify and get on the ballot, of course - it's not an easy thing here in Texas.
The democrats are effectively dead in this election, so the big question is the Republican primary. Perry thinks he has a lock on reelection, but everyone I know who's a Republican is voting for Carol Keaton Rylander McClellan Strayhorn or whatever name she has this week. If she gets the nomination the election might well come down to her vs. Kinky, and he could well get most of the Democrat votes.
An interesting struggle, because Carol Strayhorn is a kind of an outsider too, a moderate Republican with some unusual ideas and a reputation for being a fiscal hardass. Between her and Kinky we can't go wrong, so long as Rick Perry gets buried along the way.
Dave
8 - Leoniceno
That's good to hear, Dave.
9 - Sarah
I usually dislike blogs, but this caught my attention. And you're damned thorough. Personally, I love Kinky Friedman, And I hope he wins, i'll sure as hell vote for him.
And you're absolutely right. Texans hate politicians, And we love outsiders. The state was BUILD on outsiders, and we never really shot for the 'law abiding citezen' routine. :D
10 - Brian
doesn't have a chance w/ his no exception anti-hunting sentiment
11 - Ruvy in Jerusalem
The no-bullshit ticket, huh?
I remember Jesse Ventura when he ran for governor in Minnesota. He was the candidate of the little guy, the bartender, the foodie with no health insurance, etc. The fact that he was a millionaire was not important to the folks who backed him.
He won on a total surprise and was a lousy governor helped by the fact that he had a great economy. We got all sorts of tax rebates whiel there was money in the treasury. the year IU left was the first year the gov had trouble. When it came to the inevitable budget cutting, Ventura had a bad time. He realized that he didn't want the headaches - and didn't run for a second term.
So much for no-bullshit candidates.