Brownwood, Let's Get Kinky !

Abilene Reporter News
 URL: http://www.reporter-news.com/abil/nw_lc_columns/article/0,1874,ABIL_8856_3527312,00.html
Kinky puts the fun in our politics
By Ken Ellsworth
February 6, 2005

Kinky Friedman officially announced his hopeless, unfunded Texas gubernatorial candidacy Thursday, and I'll bet lots of Texans are still in the throes of the giggles and aching mightily.

I am, too. It feels sort of good.

I'll bet Gov. Rick Perry is still shaking in his Texas boots - and not with political fear, but with joy. Kinky is unlikely to cost his campaign money or effort. Perry is more likely to be shaking in fear over the possible candidacies of two Republican women - U.S.

Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison and Carol Keeton Rylander, the comptroller of public accounts for Texas.

Politics haven't been this funny since Dan Quayle. Before that, Will Rogers kept us in stitches over government antics. Before that, it was Mark Twain. So, thank you, Kinky, for bringing us back to the rare state of being able look at politics from a proper, absurd perspective.

A friend of mine welcomed funny Kinky's announcement.

''We have a lot of jokers in politics, but not many humorists,'' he said, or words to that effect. I wasn't taking notes.

Kinky, 60, writes detective novels in which the hero is Kinky Friedman. The real Kinky says he will kill off the fictional Kinky in the plot of his next book.

He writes a column for Texas Monthly. He writes kinky songs and sings them.

He once was the leader of the Texas Jewboys, a band. He's Jewish and lives on his Texas family's ranch. He once ran for justice of the peace in Kerrville and lost. He wears a black cowboy hat and cowboy boots. He constantly smokes exotic cigars.

Kinky's money supports the Utopia Animal Rescue Ranch near Kerrville. Living there are 62 dogs, 22 horses, three donkeys, nine pigs, 16 chickens, two goats, 11 cats and two turkeys, according to Kinky's February Texas Monthly column.

He's slept in the White House twice, once the guest of President George W. Bush and once the guest of then-President Bill Clinton. He's a political independent and has nothing good to say about the Republican or Democratic parties.

Instead, he saves his kinder words for dogs, cats and other pets. His band toured with Bob Dylan's band. Kinky once played a round of golf with John Lennon, John Belushi and Willie Nelson.

Kind of makes Rick Perry seem one-dimensional, don't you think? But then, Kinky is having fun - a lot more fun than Perry. Perry has to carefully watch what he says.

Kinky would rather not.

A University of Texas graduate, Kinky served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Borneo in the 1960s and says he'd like to create a Texas version of the Peace Corps. I like Kinky for his notion, though I've no idea whether it's a good one. Another thing I like Kinky for is that he's promoted the preservation of the culture he found in Borneo ever since he left it.

Kinky's a friend of Bob Dylan's and Willie Nelson's. I think lots of people around here would vote for Nelson for governor, especially considering the reception Nelson got when he performed in Abilene in December. It was one we generally reserve for deities, soap opera stars and football players.

However, I don't think Kinky's friendship with Willie will pull down many area votes.

Kinky's book-signing event in Abilene in October, however, did reveal Kinky has many local fans, if not voters.

My political advice: Don't spend your own money on this, Kinky. Your animals, your true friends, are a worthier cause. But thanks for brightening the dreary political landscape.

Contact City Columnist Ken Ellsworth at ellsworthk@reporternews.com.