The Trib sums up the reasons for voting for the Kinkster in the runoff.
Kinky Friedman
The race for agriculture commissioner is far down the list, both in terms of voter interest and the interest of people who write checks to political campaigns. It is the backwater of state politics, which makes it a great place for a candidate who is well known and doesn’t need the help of the financial people to get the attention of voters.
Miller and Merritt have never run statewide races. Friedman ran for governor in 2006 in a pack that included Republican Rick Perry, Democrat Chris Bell and Republican-turned-independent Carole Keeton Strayhorn (who has since divorced and changed her last name back to Rylander). Friedman finished fourth.
Let us argue the case on behalf of the Republican candidates.
One, Friedman got decimated in the 2006 race even though — and perhaps because — the voters knew who he was.
Two, it’s a Republican state, and the Democrats are unlikely to win, especially with a candidate who can be difficult to take seriously.
Three, Friedman’s idea of legalizing marijuana and making it a cash crop in Texas is out of the mainstream and cannot possibly be a winning issue in a Texas election.
The other side? He is better known than either Miller or Merritt. They, like Friedman himself, have been rejected by voters, and the deficiencies that made their opponents successful are there for new opponents — like Friedman — to exploit.
It will be hard for all of the candidates to raise money — an advantage for the best-known candidate, as long as it’s not a bank robber.
Marijuana — if it doesn’t turn off the voters — sets Friedman’s campaign apart. It’s something for voters who are not otherwise interested in the Texas Department of Agriculture to talk about. Public opinion is shifting; the governor recently talked about decriminalizing pot. Perry is not for legalization, but decriminalization is a long way from the zero-tolerance policies that were in vogue a few years ago.
We’ve covered this before. Other than the Trib’s mention that Kinky could highlight his differences with the state Democratic Party as a general campaign theme, there’s nothing new there. Either you buy into the idea of Kinky as a viable and potentially successful candidate, or you’d sooner French kiss an electric outlet. I can’t say either of these views are wrong, but if you vote in the runoff – and you should come out to vote for David Alameel, because Kesha Rogers must be stopped – then you’ll have to decide how you feel about this.
HARK!
I have been touting the legalization of POT for several years.
WHY!
Because being 90 years old and haing lived through the LAST OF THE ROARING 20’S and seeing how PROHIBITIONS ONLY MADE THINGS WORSE I REMEBER that the government finally decide to repeal PROHIBITIONS because THERE WAS SOMETHING WRONG WITH A LAW THAT SO MANY FOLKS BROKE.
It’s the same with POT and some other drugs.
Did you know that 52% of our populations is doing some kind of drug and POT appears to be one of the most sought after and one that is transported to this country from other countries
and are the cause of DRUG WARS that cost money and lives.
There are some folks prone to be addicts from their DOB , to drugs and alcohol, the water
signs are among these.
I lost my significant other from drinking, a friend , a nephew and a my inherited nephew
and my inherited nephew- ALL AT AGE 56.
I don’t think legalizing POT will increase the users and with additional income to the government -perhaps it can be controlled better with
I dreaming of coat-tails on that preacher’s coat were he to draw a million potheads to the polls.