Put Kinky on ballot signature gatherer...

[sendero]

.... appeared at my door tonight. I signed, and so did my wife :)

[NoPasaran]

1. Fuck Kinky!!!

[GOPisEvil]

2. Why'd you sign for that Bush-supporter?

We need people who AREN'T a joke as Governor.

[sendero]

3. This is Texas...

... we only elect jokes.

Get real, no Democrat is going to win Governor in this state for a long, long time. Kinky is a joke, but not the kind of joke the asshole we have now is.

[WestHoustonDem]

5. No Democrat can get elected if Democrats don't support him/her

we need you out there working for Bell, not giving up on him!

[GOPisEvil]

12. No Democrat wins if Democrats don't support them.

Have you read what Kinky supports? Seriously, do you know what the man stands for?

[sendero]

14. Education, renewable energy, getting..

... money out of politics. Now you tell me the heinous things I apparently don't knwo about.

[GOPisEvil]

18. I'm not saying the man has no good ideas, but he did vote for Shrub in '04

You really should get to know the Democrats running this year. Sure there are some jokes (coughGene Kellycough), but we've got some damn fine candidates. Between now and November, I bet you find that you'll like what you see with our candidates.

I don't mind Kinky running, really I don't, I just don't want him winning.

[Czolgosz]

21. Money out of politics? He pre-offered a top appointment to his biggest

campaign donor. His education policy calls for mandatory prayer in school plus he wants to privatize physical education classes.

Which part of Kinky's great policy machinery was the big selling point?

[texastoast]

39. Is it true what I heard?

Republicans financed his petition drive? If that is true (and I did hear it from a pretty good source, but haven't seen it in print), wonder why they did that?

Maybe because they are so very worried that the pukes did such a bad job over the last few years that they were DESPERATE to split the Democratic vote. None of us should play into any of their little schemes.

I like Kinky as an entertainer. But I don't really think he is the caliber of leader we need. Good to laugh with, sing with, and likely drink with, but not who we need to lead to a better future for the kids.

[Czolgosz]

40. It is true that several of Kinky's contributors have also given to Perry.

Here is how you can see for yourself. Go to Kinky's Texas Ethics Commission Campaign Finance Report: <http://www.ethics.state.tx.us/php/filer.php?acct=00056764coh>. Once you have identified a contributor who you might recognize as a Perry supporter, you can confirm that this contributor has donated to both Kinky and also either directly to Perry or to one of the PACs that support Perry: <http://www.ethics.state.tx.us/php/cesearch.html>.

I checked the "likely suspects" from my hometown and found an example of a contributor who has given $2,578.36 to Kinky after giving $750 to Perry (see <http://www.ethics.state.tx.us/php/fsearch.php>), and another contributor who's given Kinky $2,500 and who has also given $4,425 to one of Perry top PAC contributers (the Texas Restaurant Assn PAC). I haven't got the time to systematically check all of Kinky's contributors, but I checked the folks I recognized from my hometown and there was an definite overlap between Kinky's financial backers and Perry's supporters.

[WestHoustonDem]

4. If you voted in the dem primary, your signature won't count

anyway

[crispini]

6. Did you vote in the primary?

If so, then you just broke the law.

And if you expect us to congratulate you, you haven't been reading this forum much, have you? He's pretty much a Republican with a good marketing spin. He's got a cute story, but he's not going to win--- I got over my flirtation with third party candidates a loooooooooong time ago-- and heaven help us if he does, 'cause he's pretty much a drunk with a cigar and a guitar.

[sendero]

7. Of course..

.. I didn't, and that was the first question the canvasser asked.

And no, I don't read this forum much. Sorry to have ticked everyone off, but seriously, I can't see how 1) a Dem could win Governor of Texas in our lifetimes and 2) how Kinky could be worse than Perry.

Forgive my lack of sophistication.

[crispini]

8. Well, that right there is pretty sad.

We had several important races in the Democratic primary in Dallas county where we could have used your vote-- the stupid Gene Kelly / Barbara Radnofsky race, and the District Attorney's race, (where, unfortunately, the better candidate did not win, at least in my opinion) and, depending on where you live, maybe a County Commissioner's race or a State House district race.

Democrats can't expect to make change in the Democratic party if they don't participate, and voting in a local Democratic primary is about as basic as it gets in Democratic participation. You are actually not officially a Democrat if you don't vote in the Democratic party, because that's how you register your party affiliation in Texas.

Edited to add: If we could keep the number of candidates on the ballot down to three, and two of them split the Republican vote and the Dems stay with the Dem, then I've seen analyses where we might actually win. But I don't think that's going to happen if we have four candidates on the ballot.

[acmejack]

9. Why any one who purports to be a democrat would do such a thing

Baffles me!

[Czolgosz]

10. That's good to know about you. You missed a chance to vote for Gene Kelly

for Senate in the primary -- I think him and Kinky are running on a ticket, and they both need support from voters of your ilk.

[muse]

11. We all need to seriously get behind Chris Bell

As I may have said before, I sent in a contribution to his campaign immediately after he won the primary and I urge everyone else to do the same. They need $$ to run an effective campaign. I communicated with someone on his staff today and they are energized about the real opportunity they see for Chris to win this thing.

[sendero]

13. Clearly...

.. I've stepped in a huge pile of hoja here.

Fact is, I don't pay much attention to Texas politics. Sad, yes, but there is a reason. It's called resignation.

Our senators are jokes, our governor is a joke and frankly, most Texans are a joke and that is why we have so many jokers running things.

I realize I have no excuse. I've heard Kinky on a few radio talk shows and frankly, he doesn't seem like the devil incarnate as so many here seem to think.

And Bell? I coulnd't tell you one thing about him, I'm sure he's a great person but really the only Texas race I have paid any attention to is Tom Delay's house race.

I'm sorry to piss you guys off, but frankly, is having Kinky on the ballot going to really be a negative for Dems?

[WestHoustonDem]

15. This is not a game, this is about our future

We have a chance to take the state back. Yes, having Kinky on the ballot would take the potential Bell votes of Republicans who are very dissatisfied. We can do it without your help, but please don't work against us.

[muse]

16. Yes, because he will draw democratic voters away from Bell

Whereas Strayhorn will draw Republican voters away from Perry.

All that matters in the end is who has the most votes. There won't be a runoff. It's just whoever has the most votes. So, if you want a democrat in the governor's house - Bell - than you don't want anyone on the ballot who will draw votes away from him.

Plus, as clearly has been stated, Kinky is a joke. So, no, I do NOT want Kinky on the ballot.

[sonias]

17. Kinky is a big stinking idiot and he is a negative for the Dems

Stinky Kinky will take votes away from our candidate Chris Bell. We can win a three way race between Bell, Perry and Carole 4Names. In a 4 way race with Kinky in the mix, it becomes a lot harder, because Democrats like you think our candidates are a joke. Have you bothered to read up on Kinky at all? Did you know that the only time in the last 12 years he's voted, he voted for that idiot bush?

You need to go get informed. Why don't you start here
http://www.burntorangereport.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=355

Thanks for dropping by.

Sonia

[crispini]

19. Please don't be resigned.

:hug:

There is a lot of hope this year! For one thing if you live in Dallas, our county is going blue blue blue! We will get a lot of good Democratic judges in the courthouse and hopefully pick up a couple of State House seats. Even four or five pickups in the State House could make a difference in the Texas Lege, especially because we had a couple of incumbemnt Republicans lose their seats in the primary because people are so pissed off about the school finance situation.

But we can't do it without you! Would you like to be involved? There are several good campaigns I can hook you up with. Also, John Edwards is coming to town next month. That would be a great time to come out and meet some wonderful Democrats! Does that sound like fun?

[Czolgosz]

20. I understand that you can nullify your signature by voting in the runoff

Barbara Ann Radnofsky is a great candidate who could really use your vote in the runoff.

Kinky is a joke candidate who hasn't bothered to vote but once in the last 12 years and that was when he voted IN FAVOR of Bush/Cheney '04. Plus, his immigration plan to outsource border control to Mexican generals is dangerous, his mandatory-prayer-in-school bullshit is an infringement on the first amendment, and his unwillingness to take any position a women's sovereignty over her own womb is disheartening.

Perry's campaign supporters have given Kinky some of the money he used to hire those petition pushers because they want the anyone-but-Perry vote split by as many candidates as possible.

How could anyone with even the slightest sympathy for the Texas Democratic Party help put him onto the ballot?

[muse]

22. I have to say this

I have friends who are democratic sympathizers - usually vote democratic - who think Kinky's running for governor is "cute". They don't know the first thing about Bell. Why? Maybe because there isn't a ton of media out there about Bell. Commercials? Billboards? Bumper stickers? All of this takes money. I'll say it again. We need to support Bell like crazy with our dollars so that he can get his message out and present himself as a powerful, serious candidate so that some of this other nonsense goes away.

[sonias]

23. Great idea Czolgosz!

Great way to make up for the mistake. Take it back, by voting in the runoff. Barbara wins, the Democratic party wins and sendero and wife win by making their vote count. Kinky is not going to win anything.

Think about it sendero and please vote in the April 11th runoff.

Sonia

[Lithos]

24. That is a great suggestion

This is probably the only viable solution. Very good to know. Thank you.

While I'm thinking about this, a comment to all.

Given the dire straights the Republican party has left not only the State of Texas, but also the nation and the fact that there is NO other option besides the Democratic Party which is capable of reforming this situation. You may not like some of the individuals or platforms associated with the Democratic Party, but independent candidates or so-called third party candidates lack the necessary infrastructure and experience to be effective. You want to make a change, and make a difference there is only one way to do it - the Democratic Party. This forum is full of great people who are proof positive that the Democratic Party is alive and well and amenable to Progressive change. (I salute you all).

Believing anything else is just kidding yourself.

You must excuse me if I've lost my sense of humor and tolerance.

</soapbox>

L-

[TexasThoughtCriminal]

25. Texas politics becomes national politics

You MUST pay attention to the politics of your state. The evil that is BushCo had its incubation right here in Texas. Right now, the next generation of evil is running for State House, Courthouse, school boards, etc., and must be nipped in the bud. The alternative is to be caught off guard, like we didn't see it coming...

I guess you can tell that a number of us have not given up on Democrats in Texas. I hope it gives you inspiration and hope to join us in the fight. :)

[sendero]

26. Ok...

... folks I've already admitted, and it is an embarassing admission, that I've paid little attention to the governors race in Texas. I always vote in the governors race, but as yet have not really paid attention. Frankly, from what little I DO know, I'd prefer Strayhorn over Perry, I'd prefer just about anyone with a pulse.

Some here are saying Kinky is RW, others that he will split the Dem vote. Frankly, it needs to be one or the other - but I can understand that in politics you never really know what a wild card will do, so best to avoid wild cards.

I did not VOTE for the man and based on comments here you can rest assured I won't. But please don't expect me to get excited about a candidate who is practically anonymous. From what little I DO know, I doubt very much that Kinky Friedman is going to have much trouble getting on the ballot, my signature or not.

Anyway, I humbly accept my spanking, whether or not it was a good idea to sign the petition, it was clearly a bad idea to admit it here :)

[johncoby2]

27. So instead of getting out and working for a candidate...

you decide to take the easy way out and sign a stupid petition for kinky.

Kinky is a joke. I wish they would come to my door.

Dumbass supporters probably don't know how laws are passed in this state, or how many of us work to stop laws that hurt us from being passed. Most of them will wither away back into the smoke filled bars from where they came from when he fails to get on the ballot. Never to be heard of again, until another joke comes around.

If he does get on the ballot, I am going to love watching him make a fool out of himself and his supporters on the campaign trail and debates.

The people who are going to vote for kinky are the stupid ones of our society. The polyannas of Texas. and they will be the first to bitch and whine when the state goes to hell.

kinky is a joke. he will not win. and we will have someone to blame for perry's re-election.

[sendero]

28. Ya know...

... I've admitted that I haven't followed the governors race.

But I'm gonna say this whether you like it or not. Kinky would not be ANYWHERE NEAR the joke Rick Perry is. Deal with it.

[Czolgosz]

32. A few more thoughts: Kinky is the SAME joke as Perry because Kinky on the

ballot assures a Perry re-election. Rick Perry has about 38% hard-core support. The Democratic base is about 38%. In a three-way race, we stand a good chance so long as Bell can hold the base and 4n3p takes no more from our base than she takes from Perry's hard-core. A Bell victory along the lines of Bell - 38%, Perry - 36%, 4n3p - 26% is wholly conceivable, but there is no scenario where we have any margin for error.

Kinky cuts disproportionately into Bell's base (because his music and books are popular among Bell's base and because Kinky's anti-establishment campaign overlaps in appeal with Bell's anti-Perry-establishment base). Kinky also weakens 4n3p's standing on the ballot by diluting her status as the only "former" Republican who voted for Bush/Cheney and is now running as a so-called independent candidate (that describes both 4n3p and Kinky is he gets on the ballot). Because of Perry's faithful kowtowing to the powerful corporatist/anti-consumer, Christofascist/homophobic, and anti-public-education/don't-charge-me-for-my-governmental-services blocks within the Texas Reptilican Party, his hard-core won't go much lower than 36% no matter how many candidates enter the race. In sum, Kinky takes mostly from Bell, somewhat from 4n3p, and almost nothing from Perry. Kinky helps Perry MORE than Nader helped Bush in Florida in '00 (which is to say Kinky guarantees a Perry re-election). Moreover, Kinky increases Perry's incentive to protect his base so Kinky's candidacy pushes Perry to the right (hard to believe, but there is room to the right, and in a four-way race, Perry can freely concede the small number of moderate Republicans to 4n3p and walk away with the election simply by rallying his arch-right-wing base).

When you say "Kinky would not be ANYWHERE NEAR the joke Rick Perry is," you are right in the sense that riding in a pretend car is better than riding in a real car that is driving off a cliff, but in the more meaningful sense of who will run Texas and make critical decisions about our children and our well-being, Kinky is the exact same joke as Perry because Kinky is Perry's free pass to re-election.

[MagickMuffin]

33. Here's Something you should know about Chris Bell:

From your post #13.
And Bell? I coulnd't tell you one thing about him, I'm sure he's a great person but really the only Texas race I have paid any attention to is Tom Delay's house race.

When Chris Bell (he is no joke) was in congress he is the one who exposed Tom "the Hammer" DeLay. He is the one who brought ethic charges against Tom "the Hammer" DeLay.

He wasn't afraid to take the responsibilities of bringing those charges into the spotlight for all to see. He was the one to shine the spotlight on "BugBoy", and "BugBoy" has been scurrying ever since.

I am trying to become more pro-active and I do a lot of internet research regarding who I will be supporting in the election. I know which candidate will provide the state of Texas with the power it needs to improve our education system, highways, wages, jobs, technology, you get the picture.

I will work to support Chris Bell, mainly because he brought down the Hammer! :evilgrin:

[derby378]

35. Let me put it to you this way...

Come November, your vote is your own, no matter what. Cast your ballot for whom you think will best serve the state as Governor, by all means.

But there's two words I want to plant in your brain: Tom DeLay. I know MagickMuffin already did, but I want to make sure it sticks. Rick Perry won't lift a finger against DeLay and his culture of corruption. Neither will Carole Keeton Strayhorn, I figure. And as for Kinky, let's say he actually gets elected Governor. Who is he going to caucus with? Will he caucus with the Democrats or with the Republicans? Do you really want to take that chance?

And then there's Chris Bell. The only progressive gubernatorial candidate with any chance of winning in 2006. He's earned his nomination by going after DeLay and making his life more uncomfortable in Texas. We need more Democratic representation in Texas, not less - especially if we want to throw out DeLay's illegal 2003 redistricting scheme.

I like Kinky on a personal level, and he knows how to frame, but all he has to offer Texas is a smile, a wink, and a couple of ballads with the Texas JewBoys. Me, I'll go for substance over symbolism. It's time for Texas to be "Saved by the Bell."

Are you with me on this?

[TexasThoughtCriminal]

36. Wouldn't it be funny to have Tom DeLay in state prison...

...asking for a pardon from Gov. Bell?:rofl:

[derby378]

37. Ah, but to dream...

That WOULD be hilarious, though!

[NoPasaran]

38. As long as we're dreaming

Let's imagine DeLay strapped in the electric chair as the clock ticks closer and closer to midnight.

[muse]

29. I'm glad you won't be voting for him

I'm happy we convinced you to not do that, at least!

I hear your comment about Bell being anonymous. I have that concern, also. He's not anonymous to us, but he wouldn't be. We should pay attention to that comment of yours. If that's your perception, then that is legitimate and he's probably anonymous to a whole bunch of people right now, including a bunch of democrats. That needs to change and quick.

[crispini]

30. Hee hee hee.

I understand why people are attracted to Kinky. He's got a great website and great marketing and people like the offbeat. I'm not going to flame you for signing the petition. :D John has already done that. :rofl:

BUT, I *am* going to encourage you to join us in working for November! You've found a bunch of badass precinct captains, blockwalkers, phonebankers, and frontline soldiers in the war to Take Back Texas! Please help! We can hook you up with some fun volunteer opportunties in any town in the state! :bounce:

Check out the DCDP website: http://www.dallasdemocrats.org/default.aspx and sign up for the Roundup -- click "Read / Subscribe to the Weekly Newsletter"

[Freddie Stubbs]

31. Kinky is a populist

Sometime populists are right-wing, sometimes they are left-wing. Sometimes they are all over the place politically.

[Czolgosz]

34. Kinky is a PHONY populist. Here's why:

Populists want to return power and rights to the people . See <http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=populism>. If you want a model for a true populist candidate, look no further than Texas Attorney General Candidate David Van Os.

Kinky has been deliberately vague about what he stands for, but it's clear that he's no populist. Here are five examples:

(1) Kinky says "I'm not pro-life, and I'm not pro-choice. I'm pro-football." That's not funny to the many Texas women (and Texas men, too) who consider this an important issue. Texas imposes some of the harshest restrictions on women's reproductive rights, and any populist would say this freedom of choice is the right of the people, and not the business of the government. Kinky won't tell us where he stands on this matter and just sloughs off the question with a joke. He's more "politician" than "populist" on this issue.

(2) Kinky supports school prayer and posting the Ten Commandments in Texas classrooms. A true populist would say that the people, not the government or the government's school system, are the best source for teaching their own children what, if anything, they ought to know about prayer and the Ten Commandments (does Kinky even know that the Jews, the Catholics, and the Protestants have different "Ten Commandments" and which version is he proposing we post in all Texas classrooms?). Kinky's view is also blatantly contrary to the First Amendment of the Constitution, which is the source of our rights most cherished by any true populist.

(3) Kinky hasn't even gotten on the ballot yet, and he's already offered the top political appointment to make his biggest campaign contributor Texas Secretary of State. Any true populist would be appalled by the idea that this no-nothing campaign contributer would even be considered for any political appointment, let alone a top appointment, when his only qualification is giving the Kinky campaign almost a million dollars.

(4) Kinky proposes to outsource our border security to five Mexican generals who we'd pay based on how successfully they kept immigrants from crossing the border into Texas. A true populist would oppose bringing in our own own military much less inviting a foreign country to encamp an armed militia on our southern border.

(5) Kinky proposes to fix our public education funding crisis by privatizing public school physical education programs to the highest corporate bidders. Leaving aside the obvious fact that there is no evidence whatsoever that this half-baked scheme would raise even the tiniest fraction of the money we need to fix the public education system, any true populist would reject this corporate intrusion into our public schools. What exactly does Kinky think the corporations will be getting from our children in exchange for their high bids?

[PDittie]

41. Kinky's a racist

On a November 8, 2005 appearance on 'The Big Idea with Donny Deutsch,' gubernatorial candidate Kinky Friedman had this to say:

Donny Deutsch: "What would you do with sexual predators?"

Kinky Friedman: "Throw 'em in prison and throw away the key, and make 'em listen to a Negro talking to himself."

He was repeating a "joke" he had made in one of his books, back in the early '90s.

Talk like this only confirms previous reports on the kind of politics Kinky Friedman practices. Kinky may be a lot of things, but a progressive, populist alternative to Chris Bell he ain't.

Racism like this has no place in our society, and candidates like Friedman who spread it deserve neither our respect nor our support.

[Czolgosz]

42. Kinky also has a bizarre bias against older people. When asked why it was

important in involve young people in the government (as easy a softball question as you could get), Kinky's response was "because young people are less corrupt." WTF? He's so proud of this asinine statement that it's on his official campaign website: <http://www.kinkyfriedman.com/2005/11/kinky_swings_through_the_gatew.html>

[Czolgosz]

43. Check out the stopkinky blog:

<http://stopkinky.blogspot.com/>