A sample of what's being written about Kinky Friedman .....
From the Brownwood Bulletin: Op Ed: Columnists
Friedman serious about campaign, but humor lingers — Robert Brincefield
Independent candidate Kinky Friedman, made a convincing argument to members of the West Texas Press Association that he is serious about becoming the next governor of Texas. Many of the newspaper professionals attending the Friday luncheon meeting were more than a little skeptical that the Texas humorist would get serious during the campaign, even after he made it onto the November ballot. But Friedman dispelled much of the skepticism shortly into his prepared remarks.
The humor will remain a part of Friedman’s campaign. That is as much his trademark as the ever present cigar. It is also a way to emphasize his point, that he is different from the politicians. He is not going to act like a politician and has no intention of becoming a politician. He said he is the only one of the four candidates with no previous political experience. The other three have over 88 years in politics between them, according to Friedman. He told the audience it is not only time for a change — it is time for a fundamental change. It is time for a spiritual lifting in Texas.
The governor has the bully pulpit and unlike strong leaders before him, Perry has failed to use it. While the governor has been cheerleading for legislation mandated by the courts and chasing the gay marriage issue, the state has tumbled into last place among the 50 states in education. Friedman added that Guam and Samoa are not far behind. Calling his idea for legalizing casino gambling in the state to finance education common sense, he said it would bring in between $6 billion and $8 billion and provide a permanent revenue stream. He said he would press for a constitutional amendment to dedicate the gambling revenue to education. Friedman shared the story of the Georgia program where the state’s lottery proceeds fund a college education for every student graduating with B-average or better from Georgia high schools.
Friedman drew large applause when he said we need to do away with the TAKS Test. It was clear that the comment was not for effect, and that he is really sincere about it. Another of his education ideas involves taking the sports programs and the coaching salaries out of the education budget and letting the private sector sponsor and pay for them. He said in addition to the financial savings, it would provide better sports programs.
The immigration issue is another example of the current governor’s failure to provide leadership, according to Friedman. He said the videocams recently installed on the border are a stunt for the campaign season. Where were they five years ago, last year? What will they accomplish? Now we can watch people coming across the border on video screens, but we can’t do anything about them. Friedman said he guessed we could pick out our favorite and call the program “Mexican Idol.” He said his is a hard-line position on illegal entry into the state. He believes, as the late Cesar Chavez did, that allowing illegal immigrants to enter the state is unfair to Hispanics who are already here. He believes the border needs to be secured and he would get tough with the Mexican government, who he said is being hypocritical on the issue.
One can see the influence of the former independent governor of Minnesota, Jesse Ventura, on the Friedman campaign. He said that in four years in office, Ventura never met with a lobbyist. Friedman promised that, if elected, he would not either. The politicians and lobbyists are the two groups holding back the greatest state in the country, according to Friedman. Honesty and common sense are and will remain the keystones of his campaign.
In the summer before the election for governor of Minnesota, Ventura garnered only 10 percent in the polls. In a poll conducted by the Dallas Business Review, Friedman got 47 percent, outdistancing Governor Perry and the other two candidates. However, in the polls of those “most likely to vote,” he does not fare nearly as well. He said the race is really between Kinky and apathy. Young people comprise the largest voting block in the state, but they are also the most apathetic about voting. If there is a large voter turnout in November, Friedman is convinced he will be elected. Who knows, he may be right, but what is no longer in doubt — he is serious about this race and his humor remains intact.
Robert Brincefield is publisher of the Brownwood Bulletin. His column appears on Sunday. He may be reached by e-mail at bob.brincefield@brownwoodbulletin.com.
source: http://www.brownwoodbulletin.com/articles/2006/07/24/op_ed/columnists/opinion08.txt
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