Tag Archives: Kinky Friedman

We’ll always have Kinky

Posted on July 24, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Like cicadas on a four-year cycle, he keeps coming back. 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 … Continue reading →

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Oh, God, make it stop

Posted on August 9, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Hell, no. [Kinky] Friedman, the singer-satirist and unsuccessful candidate for governor in 2006, says Perry is vulnerable to a challenge if he runs for re-election in two years. And Kinky knows just the challenger to beat him — Kinky Friedman. … Continue reading →

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Americans Elect starts the petition process

Posted on March 19, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

And they’re off. Americans Elect — an emerging, alternative third party that plans to use the Internet to field a presidential ticket this year — is starting to gather signatures of registered voters in Texas to try to gain a … Continue reading →

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About the Tommy Lee Jones bandwagon

Posted on March 14, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

I really don’t think this will amount to anything, but I have three things to say about it anyway. In recent weeks, an idea of Houston attorney Geoff Berg’s turned into a Facebook page and then became a website that … Continue reading →

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Rick Perry and the Latino vote, part 3

Posted on June 21, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Having looked at the 2002 election last week, I turn my attention now to 2006. This presents a number of challenges, thanks to the bizarre four-way contest that was the Governor’s race. In all my previous work on the 2006 … Continue reading →

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Hey, remember when Kinky Friedman wanted you to believe he was a Democrat?

Posted on June 15, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

There’s a reason why some of us never believed a word he said. I figure he’ll reinvent himself again in 2012 as a Green, thus completing his tour of the Texas political world. Some people just don’t know when to … Continue reading →

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The Commissioners

Posted on March 12, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s a look at how the candidates in the three Commissioner races did across Texas. – In the Democratic primary for Land Commissioner, Bill Burton won a majority in an astonishing 193 counties; of those, he scored better than 70% … Continue reading →

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Election results: Other statewides

Posted on March 3, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

The big story in the other statewide primaries is the loss of Railroad Commission Chair Victor Carillo to a first-time candidate. David Porter, who moved to Giddings after building a business in Midland, ousted Victor Carrillo, the highest-ranking nonjudge Latino … Continue reading →

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Two Trib primary stories

Posted on February 27, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

The Trib has done a series of good, informative stories on primary battles across the state, which I recommend you read. Two of their most recent are especially worthwhile: First is HD43, in which freshman Dem Rep. Tara Rios Ybarra … Continue reading →

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Eight days out reports

Posted on February 24, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

The 8 days out reports aren’t available on the TEC website yet for the Governor’s races, so I can’t show you the details. The Trib did it the old-fashioned way, by viewing the actual paper forms, so go look at … Continue reading →

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Endorsement watch: Land Commish and Ag Commish

Posted on February 22, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Two more endorsements from the Chron, both for the Democratic primary. First, for Ag Commish: In the Democratic primary contest to select an opponent to face Republican incumbent Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples in November, the Chronicle recommends native Houstonian and … Continue reading →

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Endorsement watch: Star-Telegram goes Kinky

Posted on February 17, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

I’m not sure if there’s something in the water up in the Metroplex, but the Star Telegram joins its sister paper to the east in endorsing Kinky Friedman for Ag Commish. Although Friedman has pockets full of one-liners at his … Continue reading →

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Two more polls

Posted on February 13, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

We are suddenly awash in hot polling goodness. First up, a new result from the University of Texas/Texas Tribune poll: Gov. Rick Perry is well ahead of U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison and former Wharton County GOP chair Debra Medina, … Continue reading →

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Statesman on Hank versus Kinky

Posted on February 13, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Pretty good overview of the Ag Commish primary race between Hank Gilbert and Kinky Friedman. The winner will face Republican incumbent Todd Staples, who heads the state Department of Agriculture, which has a biennial budget of $905 million, 666 full-time … Continue reading →

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Endorsement watch: DMN for Ratliff and Kinky

Posted on February 9, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

The Dallas Morning News has a couple of endorsements of interest, one good and one puzzling. In the good one, they endorse challenger Thomas Ratliff in his GOP primary race for the SBOE against wingnut Don McLeroy. McLeroy, a board … Continue reading →

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RIP, Laff Stop

Posted on December 21, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Rats. The Laff Stop is closed … forever. On Saturday, the legendary club — that gave rise to national names such as Sean Rouse, Brett Butler and Ralphie May — ended it’s nearly-three-decade run of comedy in Houston. In other … Continue reading →

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Kinky drops out of Governor’s race, will run for Ag Commish

Posted on December 15, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before. Musician and author Kinky Friedman will drop his Democratic bid for Texas governor and seek the agriculture commissioner post, instead. “This has never been about me; this has always been about what … Continue reading →

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Carole the chameleon and Kinky the commissioner

Posted on December 5, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

This would be a little too weird. [Bill] White, expected to say Friday that he’s shifting his political sights from the U.S. Senate to the Democratic nod for governor, confirmed Thursday that [former Comptroller Carole Keeton] Strayhorn has tried to … Continue reading →

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Roundup and reaction to White’s announcement

Posted on November 24, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Bill White isn’t officially a candidate for Governor yet, but he’s already picked up endorsements from State Sens. Kirk Watson and Eliot Shapleigh. I feel confident that many more such endorsements will follow, perhaps even before he commits to the … Continue reading →

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Shami and Shapleigh

Posted on November 18, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Farouk Shami will make his entry into the Democratic primary for Governor official tomorrow afternoon at his business’ headquarters in Houston; details are on his website. The Trib gives us a peek behind the curtain. Shami, running as a Democrat, … Continue reading →

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Who you calling “Democrat”?

Posted on November 8, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Kinky Friedman wants us to believe he’s one of us. Friedman, who is running in the 2010 Democratic primary after finishing fourth out of four major candidates in the 2006 governor’s race with a little more than 12 percent of … Continue reading →

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One step closer to expanded gambling in Texas?

Posted on September 25, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Maybe, though I’m not sure how much closer this really gets us. [The] Chickasaw Nation of Oklahoma is poised to take possession of an existing horse racing track in Grand Prairie. The tribe runs one of the biggest Indian casinos … Continue reading →

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Gilbert makes his official entrance

Posted on September 22, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Democrat Hank Gilbert has officially entered the Governor’s race. Hank Gilbert – East Texas rancher, former schoolteacher and newly announced Democratic candidate for governor – said today that improving public education is critical in revitalizing the state’s economy and putting … Continue reading →

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Katz announces for Lite Guv

Posted on September 9, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Well, at least we have a candidate. Marc Katz can’t help it. He’s gotta tell you. He’s planning to run for lieutenant governor. Katz, 62, Austin’s self-proclaimed deli king, said he plans to file paperwork to enter the race as … Continue reading →

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Another Democratic gubernatorial hopeful

Posted on September 4, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Well, you can’t say that the Democratic cast of characters for Governor lacks characters. Rick Perry might not be the only candidate in the 2010 race for Texas governor who is known for great hair. As the Republican governor with … Continue reading →

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Kinky announces (yawn)

Posted on September 1, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Here comes Kinky, in case anyone still cares. Humorist Richard “Kinky” Friedman, loved by some and loathed by others, is running for governor again – this time as a Democrat. Unlike the launch of his 2006 campaign as an independent, … Continue reading →

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The state of the Governor’s race

Posted on August 30, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

So we know that Tom Schieffer is in. So are Mark Thompson and Felix Alvarado. Ronnie Earle may or may not be in. Hank Gilbert now says that he’s in. Kinky (sigh) is fixing to be in. Some people think … Continue reading →

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Earle is running for something

Posted on July 3, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Well, he’s taken the first step towards running for something, anyway. Democrat Ronnie Earle today filed paperwork with the Texas Ethics Commission to run for office in 2010 but did not specify which office he will seek. The former Travis … Continue reading →

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Jeff Weems

Posted on June 30, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

We’ve been hearing plenty about the top of the ticket for Democrats in 2010, but there are still several slots to fill. One of them is the Railroad Commissioner seat held by Victor Carrillo. Via email to Carl Whitmarsh, here’s … Continue reading →

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The latest Lyceum poll

Posted on June 25, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

The Texas Lyceum just released a poll on various campaigns and politicians, and well, I’m not sure that it says much of anything. I’ve got the PDF here, and the problems begin right away: We interviewed Texas adults during the … Continue reading →

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Keep your eye on the ball, Tom

Posted on April 21, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

I have three things to say about this: So how does a former ambassador gird for a possible battle with the ever-black-hatted, cigar-chomping Kinky Friedman for the Democratic nod for governor? Campaign honchos who faced the finger-in-the-eye-of-the political-establishment candidate in … Continue reading →

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Perry walks back secession talk

Posted on April 16, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

As the sun rises in the east, so do politicians who say stupid things revise and extend those remarks afterward when people start asking them questions about what they really meant. And so it was the case with Rick Perry, … Continue reading →

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Kinky makes it official

Posted on April 14, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

sigh Failed 2006 independent gubernatorial candidate Kinky Friedman has taken the first step toward another bid for Texas governor, this time as a Democrat. He sent out a letter to Texans this morning, which is in full after the jump … Continue reading →

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Meet Tom Schieffer

Posted on March 23, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Real good interview by BOR’s Todd Hill with prospective Democratic candidate for Governor Tom Schieffer. I’ve said before that while I’m glad to see a Democrat with some stature take steps towards the Governor’s race, Schieffer is a big unknown … Continue reading →

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