Like cicadas on a four-year cycle, he keeps coming back.
Bi-polar and tri-partisan
Kinky Friedman doesn’t know if he’s ready to jump back into Texas politics.
But the cigar-chewing humorist and musician — known for the black attire and cowboy hats he normally dons — said he may soon create an exploratory committee to help him decide whether to run for office again.
And if so, for which one.
“Maybe I should do what Rick Perry does and pray for an answer on what to do,” Friedman, 68, said with a chuckle Tuesday during a telephone interview with the Star-Telegram.
Some political observers say they wouldn’t be surprised to see Friedman throw his hat into the ring for nearly any statewide office.
“A comedian needs an audience,” said Harvey Kronberg, editor and publisher of the Austin-based Quorum Report, an online political newsletter.
Friedman said he probably will run for office as a Democrat, as he did during his unsuccessful 2010 bid for Texas agriculture commissioner, rather than as an independent, as he did in his failed 2006 gubernatorial bid.
“I’m keeping my options open,” said Friedman, a self-proclaimed Jewish Cowboy who lives in the Hill Country.
Yes, well, what else is new? If you need a reminder why Friedman is rather less than beloved among Democrats, read this blast from the recent past. Of course, he went from that to being a Wendy Davis for Governor cheerleader, which I suppose at least shows he’s capable of learning. I’m tired of bashing Friedman all the time, so let me make him a deal. If he promises to run for Railroad Commissioner, or Land Commissioner if John Cook decides against it, I’ll shut up about him through next November, assuming he doesn’t say anything too stupid. Hell, he can run for Attorney General if he wants to, on the premise that even a non-lawyer jokester like him would do a better and less detrimental job than a blinkered partisan hack like Greg Abbott, and I’ll be okay with that. Just stay the hell out of the Governor’s race, and don’t go up against a better Dem in anything else, that’s all I ask.
On Tuesday, he outlined his top two political priorities if elected to office: Legalize marijuana use and casino gambling in this state.
“Texas is going to do all this in the next ten to 15 years,” he said. “But by then, he will be the caboose on the train.”
Making his top two priorities reality, Friedman said, will provide a key boost for Texas’ economy.
Legalizing casinos in Texas would “stop the bleeding from all the billions of dollars that are walking out of the state for gambling,” he said.
And making marijuana use legal in Texas, he said, “would put a real crimp in the Mexican drug cartels — and make Willie Nelson very happy.”
I admit, Railroad Commissioners don’t have much to do with either of these things. He’d have to learn some actual policy stuff to be RR Commish, not that that was a prerequisite for the likes of David Porter or Elizabeth Ames Jones. But he could possibly get elected to the Railroad Commission, and that would give him a real platform to advocate for these things. Best I can do, sorry.
On a side note, since I mentioned the office of Attorney General, I’ll note that State Rep. Dan Branch announced his intention to run, a move that was almost as widely expected as Greg Abbott running for Governor. In doing so, Rep. Branch did his best Abbott impersonation, promising to protect the right of unborn babies to carry assault weapons so they can defend themselves from a rapacious federal government, or something like that. I might be a bit fuzzy on the details. I’m not sure if it’s more a pity or just pathetic that a generally low-key legislator who’s built a fairly solid reputation as a policy wonk has to spout such pablum – I suspect he didn’t sound much more genuine in saying it than I would have – but these are the times we live in. And as a result, and because Branch’s main competition is people like the more ludicrous and less substantive Barry Smitherman, you can see why Kinky for AG isn’t such a crazy idea after all. It’s not that hard to sound sensible opposite the likes of that. Kinky is downright statesmanlike in comparison.
But, he still wants prayer in schools, right? What a maroon. The man will probably NEVER have a clue that people who want that simply aren’t in the same camp as pot or gay marriage legalizers.
Actually, I just invented a new acronym for how much I do not want him to run, which would also be a statement on today’s Texas Democratic Party: http://socraticgadfly.blogspot.com/2013/07/dear-kinky-friedman-please-please-stfu.html
“to spout such pablum” – The lawsuits are real and Texas has enjoyed several victories. How is that “pablum” even if you disagree with Texas standing up for Texas against the Federal Gov’t?
His 2006 gubernatorial campaign was so lousy – no novel ideas, no good jokes, nothing but a few lackluster appearances on MSNBC – that I can’t imagine it matters much whether he runs.
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