Kinky Friedman: "I was a Democrat before you were born."
Ignore the "I" next to his name on the ballot in 2006.
Kinky Friedman says he's always been a Democrat and he's ready to run as one for governor if he can just raise the cash.
“If they’ve got the money then I’ve got the time,” Friedman said in a wide-ranging interview with the Star-Telegram Tuesday evening in the Hilton Garden Inn Fort Worth. Friedman's in town for a few events, including two in downtown Fort Worth Wednesday.
The cigar-toting humorist is convinced his broad-based appeal will spur those who recently supported presidential campaigns of Democrats Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton and Republican Ron Paul to coalesce behind him in 2010.
“I believe I can not only appeal to Obama people and Hillary people, but Ron Paul people and the independents and the people we used to call rednecks who are now sitting in a Starbucks some place in the suburbs,” Friedman said.
Writing off his previous independent gubernatorial campaign as failed from the start, Kinky Friedman thinks he’s the best chance for a Democrat to be Texas’ next governor.
Friedman said he would only run again if he could raise $3 – $5 million for the Democratic primary.
Whether that’s possible, he said, will depend on if the Democratic grassroots can move past the attacks some lobbed at Friedman in 2006, much of which focused on decades-old comedy routines in which he used racial slurs.
“I think it was standard sleaze...There never was a black community against me. It was some bloggers who felt that I was doing too well. That’s all. And they had to reach back 27, 29 years..and the question is does any of that stuff stick or it doesn’t. I don’t think it does.”
In fact, Friedman think he had a bigger problem in the last election than the charges that he was a racist.
“I think what hurt me worse than the racist stuff was they had a stealth campaign in the hunting and fishing magazines saying that I was against hunting and fishing. And I think it was organized." (For the record, Friedman said he is not opposed to hunting and fishing.)
More of Friedman's musings:
On why his campaign will focus on abolishing the death penalty: “To most people, it’s issue #47 but it’s the defining issue of our age spiritually. It’s what’s giving Texas a black eye."
Why he's not sure who he'll support for president: “I know where Bill O’Reilly stands on just about every issue. I don’t know where McCain or Obama stands on anything and nobody can honestly say they do.”
On charges he hurt Democrat Chris Bell's chances of beating Rick Perry in 2006:“Chris was what he was. He was very flat as a candidate. Grandma didn’t hurt him at all. She killed me...If Dems all feel that I’m the guy who torpedoed Chris Bell’s chances, then I’ll have to accept that I don’t fit in this party anymore. I don’t think they think that at all. I’ve heard very little of that.”
On Gov. Rick Perry: “Rick Perry told me during the debate that words can be hurtful. All we’ve had are words from him. He’s the perfect politician but a pathetic leader.”
On Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchinson: "She is part of the old establishment...She’s had too much experience. She’s been around so long that I don’t think anything’s going to change."
On the legacy of his independent campaign: "We kind of softened up the battleground for Obama and Ron Paul. We were the ones that had an Internet deal that really raised a lot of money. We were the first campaign in American history to sell bumper stickers. None of them ever did."
If you want my vote Kinky, drop the "Willie Nelson" for Szar of Energy or "Jimmy Buffett" for whatever and hire Texans from the private sector......my feeling it's just another joke from Kinky.
Posted by: Hank Hill | June 24, 2008 at 10:50 PM
of *course* this is just another joke or an excuse to write another book. this guy's got an ego the size of texas and frankly, if he thinks that he can just waltz in and get the dem nomination he's got another thing coming. there is an entire army of people who will work hard to prevent this sexist idiot from holding office.
kinky only wants to be governor of those who worship him. i found that out when i asked him a simple question after the health care forum at UTA during the last gov race. i pulled him aside, away from the camera crews he always seems to have tagging along, and politely asked him if he could understand how his old routines could offend someone. he freaked out on me, accused me of all kinds of shit, then stormed off like a little crybaby. it was then that i knew kinky was a freaking joke who was only running to be governor of syncophants.
if kinky can't handle a perfectly civil question from a voter, how the hell can we expect him to handle the texas lege?
the guy's a joke. always has been. always will be.
Posted by: annatopia | June 25, 2008 at 10:40 AM
Just another joke from Kinky, and Rick "Mofo" Perry is the punch line. Thanks, Kinky.
Posted by: Reveille | June 25, 2008 at 10:43 AM
Well Kinky...
The Democrate party ain't what it used to be...it has changed since I started voting and now I cannot support it...and I most assuredly will not support you...take a hike we are tird of your silly jokes.
Posted by: preacher | June 25, 2008 at 12:25 PM
The Kinkster is a joke and very much a republican.
Posted by: JLZ | June 30, 2008 at 08:43 PM
Before you were born, the Democratics were the party of choice for conservative Christians. Think MLK, Jimmy Carter, etc. If he was a Democrat back then, Kinkster's got his lines crossed!
Posted by: Mr. Smith | January 26, 2009 at 06:30 AM