Kinky Friedman for real? Voters may not care



Kinky Friedman for real? Voters may not care

Friedman for real? Voters may not care

By Bud Kennedy

Star-Telegram Staff Writer

A crowd gathered outside the Alamo this week hoping that Kinky Friedman would give Texans a real governor's race.

So far, the cowboy humorist is only offering to redefine the concept of a political party.

From the opening charity plug for Farouk & Friedman's Olive Oil to the last fiddle notes from Asleep at the Wheel, Friedman's first campaign rally Thursday morning had all the seriousness of a Luckenbach chili cookoff.

Sometime between the Billy Joe Shaver song and the moment Friedman asked kiddingly for a whiskey shot -- at 9 a.m. -- it must have dawned on reporters that he meant it when he said this is not a political campaign but a "spiritual calling."

Friedman, 60, of Medina, won't campaign seriously, although he says he is a serious candidate.

He won't be full of policy-wonk ideas or focus-group-approved political doubletalk.

What he will be is a lot of fun.

So far, Democrats have ignored him. They wish he would shut up and go away and not hurt their yet-to-emerge candidate.

Republicans may take Friedman more seriously. A spokesman for Perry's campaign watched Friedman's announcement on MSNBC's Imus in the Morning show and said, "It appears that the Democrats are not the only ones who have been smoking something."

I don't think he was talking about Friedman's Cuban cigar, a Hoyo Epicure No. 2.

Friedman said Perry "spends more time ironing his shirt than he spends ironing out the problems of Texas." But Friedman also said that he is running to solve the gridlock over education and against politics in general, not just against Perry.

"It's not a question of what Rick has done for us," he said.

Although that is a good question.

"We have to get rid of the whole politics-as-usual approach," Friedman said. The Texas political system is "totally corrupt," and he wants to "uplift" Texans and restore Lone Star State pride.

Along the way, he'll save a few homeless dogs and cats at his Hill Country animal rescue ranch and also promote his new mystery novel, Ten Little New Yorkers, to hit bookstores next month.

Thirty years ago, Friedman was a satirical Austin country and folk singer with a band, the Texas Jewboys, that opened for Bob Dylan.

Twenty years ago, he was welcoming touring musical acts as the host at the Lone Star Cafe in New York.

Fifteen years ago, he reinvented himself as a humorist and mystery novelist, which led to a Texas Monthly column.

Former Texas Monthly music writer and editor Joe Nick Patoski, a Fort Worth native, said he doesn't always agree with Friedman politically.

"But the guy is a marketing genius," he said.

Patoski said two questions about Friedman's maverick campaign remain unanswered.

"First, has Kinky matured as a raconteur into more of a sage, a Mark Twain-type figure?"

And: "If Pappy O'Daniel could do it, who's to say Kinky might not?"

Texas has a history of electing bandleaders. Decades before Minnesota elected a wrestler and California an actor, Texas voters chose Gov. W. Lee "Pappy" O'Daniel, the radio host for the Light Crust Doughboys' country music shows from Fort Worth.

O'Daniel won by promoting a song, Beautiful Texas. But he didn't launch his campaign on a national news network.

In a poll on a San Antonio TV news site Friday, about half of more than 600 Web readers said they would choose Friedman.

On the Houston Chronicle Web site, 60 percent of more than 4,000 readers said Friedman has a chance to become governor. Only 16 percent of those voting said they don't give him a shot.

Nearly one-fourth of those voting chose "Who cares? It'll be fun to watch."
Bud Kennedy's column appears Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. (817) 390-7538; bud@budkennedy.com

When this story was posted in February 2005, this was on the front page of PCOL:

The Peace Corps Library Peace Corps Online is proud to announce that the Peace Corps Library is now available online. With over 27,000 index entries in 430 categories, this is the largest collection of Peace Corps related stories in the world. From Acting to Zucchini, you can use the Main Index to find hundreds of stories about what RPCVs with your same interests or from your Country of Service are doing today.

Bush's FY06 Budget for the Peace Corps The White House is proposing $345 Million for the Peace Corps for FY06 - a $27.7 Million (8.7%) increase that would allow at least two new posts and maintain the existing number of volunteers at approximately 7,700. Bush's 2002 proposal to double the Peace Corps to 14,000 volunteers appears to have been forgotten. The proposed budget still needs to be approved by Congress.

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February 5, 2005: This Week's Top Stories Peace Corps swears in 12 new Country Directors 4 Feb Kenneth Hawkinson studies oral traditions of Mali 4 Feb Tony Hall urges politicians to bring religious faith to office 4 Feb Dodd opposes Gonzales nomination 3 Feb Dr. Robert Zeigler to head Rice Research Institute 3 Feb Taylor Hackford going into television with "E-Ring" 2 Feb President Bush's past promises in State of the Union 1 Feb Moreigh Wolf says gays cannot volunteer with partners 1 Feb Coleman to chair Peace Corps Subcommittee 1 Feb Vasquez assesses need in Southeast Asia 31 Jan James Bullington says Bush Inaugural speaks to PC 31 Jan Allen Andersson creates foundation to promote libraries 31 Jan Joseph Opala to film "Priscilla's Homecoming" 31 Jan Donna Shalala embarks on aggressive UM expansion 31 Jan Thomas Dichter says Poor Countries Need Smarter Aid 30 Jan Alberto Ibargüen to head Knight Foundation 28 Jan Helen Sheehy organizes "Endangered Peoples" exhibit 28 Jan

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RPCVs mobilize support for Countries of Service RPCV Groups mobilize to support their Countries of Service. Over 200 RPCVS have already applied to the Crisis Corps to provide Tsunami Recovery aid, RPCVs have written a letter urging President Bush and Congress to aid Democracy in Ukraine, and RPCVs are writing NBC about a recent episode of the "West Wing" and asking them to get their facts right about Turkey.

RPCVs contend for Academy Awards Bolivia RPCV Taylor Hackford's film "Ray" is up for awards in six categories including best picture, best actor and best director. "Autism Is a World" co-produced by Sierra Leone RPCV Douglas Biklen and nominated for best Documentary Short Subject, seeks to increase awareness of developmental disabilities. Colombian film "El Rey," previously in the running for the foreign-language award, includes the urban legend that PCVs teamed up with El Rey to bring cocaine to U.S. soil.

Ask Not As our country prepares for the inauguration of a President, we remember one of the greatest speeches of the 20th century and how his words inspired us. "And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you--ask what you can do for your country. My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man."

Coleman: Peace Corps mission and expansion Senator Norm Coleman, Chairman of the Senate Subcommittee that oversees the Peace Corps, says in an op-ed, A chance to show the world America at its best: "Even as that worthy agency mobilizes a "Crisis Corps" of former Peace Corps volunteers to assist with tsunami relief, I believe an opportunity exists to rededicate ourselves to the mission of the Peace Corps and its expansion to touch more and more lives."

RPCVs active in new session of Congress In the new session of Congress that begins this week, RPCV Congressman Tom Petri has a proposal to bolster Social Security, Sam Farr supported the objection to the Electoral College count, James Walsh has asked for a waiver to continue heading a powerful Appropriations subcommittee, Chris Shays will no longer be vice chairman of the Budget Committee, and Mike Honda spoke on the floor honoring late Congressman Robert Matsui.

Latest: RPCVs and Peace Corps provide aid Peace Corps made an appeal last week to all Thailand RPCV's to consider serving again through the Crisis Corps and more than 30 RPCVs have responded so far. RPCVs: Read what an RPCV-led NGO is doing about the crisis an how one RPCV is headed for Sri Lanka to help a nation he grew to love. Question: Is Crisis Corps going to send RPCVs to India, Indonesia and nine other countries that need help?

The World's Broken Promise to our Children Former Director Carol Bellamy, now head of Unicef, says that the appalling conditions endured today by half the world's children speak to a broken promise. Too many governments are doing worse than neglecting children -- they are making deliberate, informed choices that hurt children. Read her op-ed and Unicef's report on the State of the World's Children 2005.

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