Kinky Friedman Gets Serious About Run for Governor

You probably know that Kinky Friedman smokes cigars, helps animals, and in 2006 ran by far the wittiest campaign for governor in Texas history. But what you might not know about him is that behind the roguish, Tex-ified demeanor is a mind full of serious ideas about politics and an unfeigned indignation against what he views as the self-serving, myopic political class currently shortchanging the people of Texas.

If Friedman decides to run for governor again, he feels the situation of his fellow Texans is too critical to take the folksy jokey attitude he did last time. He would run to win, and he already has a distinctive platform to prove it.

The ire that corporations and the federal bailout have drawn since last year come at a perfect time for Friedman’s anti-corporate stance. While he admits that Gov. Rick Perry has a lead over Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in managing one of the most populous, economically productive states in the union, he contends that ostensible lead doesn’t hold up.

“He’s bringing in foreign corporations to say we’re doing better than California, but the people and small businesses here are not doing well,” Friedman said.  “They’re paying the highest utility bills and insurance premiums in the country. I’m not going to let this government crucify the people on a corporate cross.”

On education, he believes money won’t necessarily fix the problems. Teachers demoralized from states wearing them down and  playing “Mickey Mouse games” with retirement, as well as the test-driven No Child Left Behind have inflicted damages only someone who really cares about teachers could change.

As a self-described populist candidate, he believes that people will realize he wants to speak for them, not for his own self-interest.

“When I walk into the Governor’s Mansion, every teacher will have a $3,000 raise, the death penalty will not exist, and I want to find out where all the money is that the lottery is holding, because it’s not going to education. I want to get government off the backs of the people, particularly people that are helping others: firefighters, nurses, teachers, and so on,” he said.

The road would be tough trying to convince Republicans to abolish the death penalty, but he has a nuanced take on it. If hundreds of people sit on Texas’ death row, they should get DNA tests to exonerate them if found innocent, not be executed because they couldn’t afford expensive lawyers.

“I’m not soft on crime, but we need to look at each case individually,” he said. “Nebraska did this and out of nine people on death row, five were innocent. What if that’s the case in Texas? I think it’s time for people who consider themselves to be Christians to stand up for the innocent.”

And, despite his promise for fewer quips, he adds, “Too bad you gotta hear it from a Jew, but that’s who you heard it from the first time.” Too good to pass up.

Perry, “nothing but a guy in a $5,000 suit,” has more on his list of failures that Friedman thinks have prepared the way for change. He cites the widely opposed Trans Texas Corridor, and his mandating young girls across Texas get a Merck cervical cancer vaccine with a three percent effectiveness rate as well.

He believes the Democratic Party has been transforming itself over the last 3 to 4 years to fall more in line with these values, which makes him happy. He wants to run as an inspiring populist nominee, like his heroes from that party: Sam Rayburn, Molly Ivins and Ralph Yarborough.

 He also calls himself “the great unificator” and believes he can win -- with support from independents in this state who have always been friendly to him, a majority of Democrats and disgruntled cross-over Republicans.

“Look at the logic,” he said. “Obama lost in the rural areas and won in cities. My base is in rural Texas so if I can remain strong and go where Dems fear to tread I will do well and we will win. All of them used to be Democrats anyway, and now the Democrats are coming back around to being very for the people. If there’s one thing I am, it’s a man of the people.”

Kinky, it would seem, has a lot of faith in the people -- his strategy of counting on maintaining his base while growing support elsewhere is a gamble. But electoral politics is nothing if not gambling, and a Texas-sized character such as he is could easily prove equal to the task.

“I’m not a professional politician -- I’m not even a lawyer,” he said. “But it’s time to win for the Democrats. The last time was Anne Richards and she had rural support. Given a choice between Perry and me, they’ll choose me, and I plan to go to every rural town in Texas.”

This would seem to be Kinky’s moment -- people all over the nation are still fed up with the status quo and ready to support risk-takers and outsiders, so come next year, given his newfound zeal and passion, he could be riding high in the saddle. 

Holly LaFon is a Dallas journalist who has written and worked for various area publications including Examiner and D Magazine.