Kinky's donors hardly typical

Exclusive: Most are new to political giving, bought fan items online
09:29 PM CST on Friday, February 17, 2006
By WAYNE SLATER / The Dallas Morning News
AUSTIN – Kinky Friedman's campaign donors have one thing in common – they aren't your typical political contributors.
More than 70 percent of the donors backing Mr. Friedman's bid for governor are political newcomers with no history of giving money to statewide candidates in the last five years, according to campaign finance reports filed with the state.
A review of Mr. Friedman's latest campaign report found that of 151 donors giving $500 or more to his campaign, 112 are first-time givers in statewide politics, according to records.
Plus, the vast majority of the $1.5 million he raised came from what his campaign manager calls "a new universe" of donors – direct contributors and hundreds of Friedman fans who have purchased T-shirts, bumper stickers and other items from the campaign Web site. The purchases are considered contributions under state law.
Overall, Mr. Friedman reported donations from about 5,000 contributors. Most of those made small merchandise purchases, so standard donations of larger amounts accounted for the bulk of his campaign funds.
Together, the contributions constitute a campaign-funding model unprecedented in Texas. And Mr. Friedman's campaign aides hope the experience in drawing new donors will help them energize new voters, too.
The author/musician has said that to get elected, he must reach the millions of Texans who did not vote in the 2002 governor's race, persuading them to sign petitions to put him on the ballot and to vote for him in November.
"We tried courting traditional givers, I'll be honest with you," said campaign manager Dean Barkley. "We met with them and talked to them and tried to convince them to give us money. But quite frankly, they've been reluctant."
Mr. Friedman's campaign contributors say they're attracted by the candidate's direct, uninhibited style and his independence from traditional Texas politics. With his iconic black hat and ever-present cigar, the singer-turned-politico launched his unorthodox bid for governor with the slogan, "How Hard Could It Be?"
"He doesn't owe anybody anything. He's not in anybody's pocket," said Cris Rullo, a moving company owner in San Antonio who contributed $1,000. "He would rattle things up, and that's what this state needs."
Mr. Friedman is running as an independent, as is Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn. Each must gather 54,450 signatures to get on the November ballot. Republican Gov. Rick Perry is expected to win the GOP primary, and Democrats Chris Bell and Bob Gammage are vying for their party's nomination.
A review of Mr. Friedman's latest report, covering six months of fundraising ending in January, indicates that more than one-third of his donations – $576,000 in contributions and donated office space – have come from one person: Dripping Springs hair products executive John McCall, a longtime Friedman friend.
Mr. McCall said he last voted in 1992 for Dallas billionaire Ross Perot for president. Until this year, he had given nothing to any statewide candidate, according to computerized state finance records of donations since 2000.
Of the rest of Mr. Friedman's money, about 55 percent has come from individual donations and 45 percent from sales of campaign paraphernalia, including $100 autographed Kinky Friedman action figures, $20 T-shirts and $15 bumper stickers.
"They're basically new to the political process," said Mr. Barkley, who ran former professional wrestler Jesse Ventura's successful campaign for governor of Minnesota.
"The only way Kinky is going to win this race is to motivate nontraditional people who normally do not get involved in politics or vote," Mr. Barkley said.
In contrast, the campaign reports of Mr. Friedman's rivals indicate they are depending heavily on perennial contributors from past Texas races.
Tom Vick, a Weatherford lawyer who sent $500 to Mr. Friedman's campaign, said he's disappointed with both political parties.
"There are a lot of people who aren't big players who kind of feel the same way I do," he said. "They're frustrated and think it's time to shake some things up down there."
Dennis Laviage, a Houston scrap metal recycler, said he's known Mr. Friedman since 1963 when the future gubernatorial candidate was his camp counselor.
"There are some things about him that you're not going to find in other politicians, and one of them is that he's as honest as you can get," said Mr. Laviage, who contributed $1,600. "I personally feel that if somebody's honest, it might not be a bad deal for us."
Roger Gary of San Antonio, a former officer of the Republic of Texas, which believes that Texas should be its own nation, gave $1,000. He said Mr. Friedman is the first political candidate he's ever supported with a contribution.
"He's for the dewussification of Texas," said Mr. Gary, quoting one of Mr. Friedman's campaign quips. "It just chaps my fanny that everybody in this state wants to become like New York."
Thomas Overland, a retired lawyer from California who moved to Texas 10 years ago, said he gave $1,500 to Mr. Friedman because "he's not a politician, not beholden to people in there." But he said Mr. Friedman needs to move his message beyond witty one-liners if he hopes to win in November.
Nearly 90 percent of Mr. Friedman's money has come from Texas donors, but he has received contributions from every state and several foreign countries.
Mr. Barkley said his goal is to raise $8 million to mount a television ad campaign for the fall. He said he anticipates that fundraising will pick up once Mr. Friedman officially gets on the ballot.
Future efforts to boost the campaign treasury will include everything from appealing to new donors, asking existing ones to give again, selling bobble-head dolls and conducting fundraisers featuring Willie Nelson, Bob Dylan and Billy Joe Shaver.
"We can't run this like a Democrat or a Republican campaign," Mr. Barkley said. "If we did this the traditional way, we'd be dead in the water."
E-mail wslater@dallasnews.com
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