TX gov's race

[arthursimone]

Ok, I'll be changing my voter registration soon, so I want to hear from you guys about the governor's race in the fall.

I'll shoot myself in the face before voting GOP, so Perry and Strayhorn aren't options. I haven't heard much about Chris Bell, and what I have heard about Kinky Friedman is that he's colorful and outspoken, and I'm sometimes a sucker for the cult of personality.

I just read a poston Daily Kos about some of Kinky's comments, though, and I'm definitely rubbed the wrong way by them. Enough to answer the "Why the Hell Not?" bumper stickers....

The insinuation that anti-war liberals aren't pro-israel or pro-american makes me grumble. Calling Katrina evacuees in Houston "crackheads and thugs" plain pisses me off.

feelings, oh informed texans?

[phlounderphil]

Chris Bell is a really nice guy with a lot of great ideas (especially on health care and education)

He's actually coming very close to Perry (in the polls) and it would be awesome to see a democrat elected governor of Texas again.

I'd say a vote for Chris Bell is your best bet, as Kinky seems like a great candidate, but he's a little unstable to me.

[Wesley]

The truth is that in Texas, the governor is an over-hyped figurehead anyway and you need to pay attention to the Lt. Governor who has most of the real power.

[kbadr]

The truth is that in Texas, the governor is an over-hyped figurehead anyway and you need to pay attention to the Lt. Governor who has most of the real power.

It's true. The governor in Texas is really just a stepping-stone to national politics. All the more reason to elect someone who has no interest in national politics, I say.

[York99]

Coming from Louisiana, I have an affinity for oddball characters in politics.

Kinky all the way!!

He also makes sense... although I can't see other politicians wanting to align themselves with him, which makes it difficult to get initiatives passed.

Still... it's Kinky!!

[arthursimone]

I'm just increasingly wary of independent candidates. Until this country ever picks up on Instant Runoff Voting, third parties will only ever be spoiler parties.

I voted for Nader in 2000 (in Louisiana, fyi), then was a volunteer coordinator for a state representative campaign on Chicago's North Side for a hopeless Green Party candidate who was last seen waiting tables. But then, in 2004, I worked with the Barack Obama primary campaign, and by golly he won! He played by the two-party rules, and now he's in a position to really help mold the definition of a Democrat.

Why vote third party in the fall to have your vote wasted? Why overlook the party primary vote in the spring that matters most?

Sassy Kinky Friedman probably has lots to say about the Democratic Party, but why not say it within the substantive context of the primary and work to change the party from within? Why split the voters dissatisfied with Perry and guarantee his reelection? Retarded.

plus, kinky's pandering the the religious right, and that shit doesn't fly.

[nadine]

plus, kinky's pandering the the religious right, and that shit doesn't fly.

wow. thanks for posting that.

[ratliff]

As is perhaps obvious from a lot of my posts, I have plenty of problems with the Democratic party. Don't get me started. (Seriously. Don't.) However, I thought people might want to read the following letter from Democratic activist Glen Maxey.

For those of you who haven't been here long, or who have not followed Texas politics in the past, Glen Maxey is a longtime Democratic operative who ran Howard Dean's campaign in Texas during the last election.

He is also the only openly gay person to have ever served in the Texas Legislature. What impressed me the most about him as a rep was that instead of using the (very real) prejudice against him as an excuse for inaction (cf. a certain poll-sniffing ex-prexy), he stood up to both Democrats and Republicans on matters of principle, often alone, and though he didn't always win, he got a lot done. He pushed through far more legislation than many of his more mainstream colleagues, often by working with people who refused to even have their desks placed near his on the House floor. His career is an eloquent argument against people who want Democrats to compromise on their core beliefs just to get more votes.

Generally I have little use for party hacks, and I disagree with Maxey plenty. But even when I don't agree with him, I respect him as an idealistic public servant and a very smart, very shrewd politician. So I direct your attention to the following so you can make up your own mind (scroll down to just past the cartoon):

http://www.brazosdems.org/dailynews_092506.asp

[arthursimone]

a column by Molly Ivins, whose columns I started reading as early as 1999, never thinking that I'd ever be living in Texas and paying attention to her every reference....

--------------------

AUSTIN, Texas (CREATORS) -- Chris Bell for governor! I know, I know, it's stop the presses, Ivins favors Democrat! But the Kinky Friedman candidacy is worn thin and no fun. Besides, we actually have a good chance to get Rick Perry out of office. After six years in office, the Coiffure is so little loved he's pulling only 35 percent of likely voters. 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.

I know this is coming third, but I also think Chris Bell is a good man -- intelligent, knowledgeable and funny. You'd like him, honest. Although he would be a step down for us in the hair department.

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?

Strayhorn, normally a bulldog of a campaigner, does not seem to have persuaded many Republicans to her banner: She's no Kay Bailey Hutchison. Since Republicans themselves are fed to teeth with Perry, aside from the right-wing Christian base, this looked to be a chance when they could reclaim their party, or at least redefine it some. Nope, no interest.

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.

I'm all in favor of anti-political correctness -- a great source of humor, it is. After using the N word, Friedman claimed great comedians like him used such language. To belabor the obvious, Richard Pryor and Chris Rock are black -- Kinky is not.

Take a line like, "As Jesus once said to the Mexicans, don't do a thing 'til I get back." A Chicano comedian with great timing could do it. It doesn't work from Kinky Friedman. That's why all his funniest stuff is about the weird existential dilemma of being a Texas Jew. Dropping the N word into any sentence involving something black is just not funny. Unless it's funny, you get no points for being anti-p.c.

Right now, Bell's biggest problem is perception. "Doesn't have any money." "Can't raise money." "Democrats can't win." Once you've lost to a clod like Perry, your confidence kind of slips and you think it can't be done. Those who keep repeating these complaints about Chris Bell forget this is an entirely different race. Perry is running on a 35 percent approval rating and plans for 17 more coal-fired power plants. Not to mention seven special sessions and the Trans-Texas Corridor.

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.

[phlounderphil]

In the words of Stephen Colbert:

"I called it".

Chris Bell, seriously. Do Texas some good, please.

[sara farr]

Yes, please! Chris Bell. Kinky is wacky, but not my taste in govs. I was in Minnesota when Ace Ventura (oops! Jessie Ventura) was voted gov. And it was fun to have everyone in the US talking about us, but not much good came out of it for MN, except free press that we were wacky (stupid?) enough to vote in an ex-pro wrestler for gov.

[ratliff]

The point of the Glen Maxey letter I linked to is that if you want Bell to win, get off your ass and go ring some doorbells. Texas Democrats are so demoralized that they're convinced nothing they do could make a difference, and I don't think I'm the only person who was surprised to hear that Bell actually has a shot. I think it's an incredibly long shot, but long shots come in sometimes. Saying you're going to vote for him is nice, but what he really needs is the votes of people who are not currently planning to vote.

[shksprtx]

I was all about Kinky...until I heard the debate tonight.

Now, I like Mr. Friedman -- the fact that a genuine political outsider is running is a high mark in his favor.

But of the four candidates featured in the debate (the Libertarian candidate was snubbed), only Chris Bell seemed to a) have some really good ideas and b) talk in terms of actual policy measures and verifiable facts.

I am, therefore, wholeheartedly endorsing Chris Bell, the Democratic candidate for Texas governor.

He may not be flashy, but he'll get the job done, I'm sure...

[Brian Boyko]

Here is my problem with Chris Bell.

Chris Bell is a good, solid, democrat, who I agree with on most of the policy choices.

But he has no interest whatsoever in reforming the two-party system.

Kinky Friedman is a conservative, who I disagree with on most of the policy choices.

But he's running as an outside independant and may be more likely to be interested in reforming the two-party system. This is EXTREMELY important in Texas where our U.S. congressional voices were silenced by partisan gerrymandering.

Up until about a few weeks ago, I was a Friedman supporter for this reason, but as time has gone on, Friedman really hasn't shown one bit of interest in actual political reform. The more I find out about him, the less I like about him and I do not think voting for him would be in my best political interest.

So I'm probably going to vote for Bell. I'll register Monday.

[nadine]

"From Friday, October 6, 2006. The full, unedited Texas gubernatorial debate."
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent ... &catId=104