AHC: Governor Kinky Friedman

So with a POD after George Bush's election in 2000, is there a way that country music singer Richard "Kinky" Friedman can become Governor of Texas? IOTL, he pulled 12.5% statewide in 2006, down from an early polling high of about 20%. What would be the effects of a Friedman administration on the state and nationally as well?
 
So with a POD after George Bush's election in 2000, is there a way that country music singer Richard "Kinky" Friedman can become Governor of Texas? IOTL, he pulled 12.5% statewide in 2006, down from an early polling high of about 20%. What would be the effects of a Friedman administration on the state and nationally as well?

The first step would be removing Strayhorn, not only giving Friedman more of the independent vote but allowing him to gain rather than lose momentum.
 
I strongly supported Kinky in the last gubernatorial race, before he dropped out. I don't have a lot of material to draw from to help out your ahc, except anecdotal.

Kinky was unique in his appeal to both older classical liberals and neo-liberals, both of the Democratic variety. He attracted a lot of media attention ensuring that everyone knew he was running. There was a lot of "well, maybe I'll vote for Kinky." A lot of the opinion that if you're voting for none of the above, you may as well vote Kinky, as well as genuine support for being an outside the beltway politician.

In short, I think with the right circumstances and perhaps a little more seriousness in finding the right campaign wranglers, Governor Kinky is very plausible in an AH setting.
 
He would have to swear an oath stating he wouldn't "leave the cat in charge" for extended periods of time nor sign off decrees with his trademark "fuck'em if they can't get the joke".
Apart from that, let's make him president!
 
I remember reading recently that he is actually serious about wanting to change things in Texas, about wanting to be a political leader. The problem seems to be that he just doesn't present himself very seriously in spite of that desire.

Maybe the best way to have Kinky elected governor would be to have Strayhorn stay in the race for the Republican nomination. Perry wins pretty easily, but his war chest is drained a little more and Strayhorn is unable to run thanks to Texas' sore-loser laws.

Friedman, for his part, could put together a more able GOTV campaign (since that was his goal in the first place) and, with a diminished Perry and support from would-be Strayhorn voters, wins a VERY narrow victory over Perry and Bell in November.

But that's just my idea. I want to hear what everyone else thinks!
 
Seeks the Democratic nomination in 2006; Strayhorn seeks the Republican and loses after a bruising primary against Perry; Kinky doesn't say so much goddamn stupid shit ("I don't use the internet. I think it's the work of Satan," having an immigration platform of bribing Mexican military officers, and especially, retroactively, "Nigger eggs".)

And I voted for him.
 
Something I put together a couple of months ago and placed in my 'Junk Drawer'.

Kinky Friedman manages to remain a major player during the Gubernatorial Election, and combined with Strayhorn's oppositional appeal, drain much of the momentum that was going the Democrat's way earlier in the year. The end result is a comfortable reelection victory for incumbent Governor Rick Perry, though at an embarrassingly low percentage compared to the number of votes cast. Friedman himself now eyes another bid for the Governorship in 2010, though this time it is expected that he will seek the Democratic Party nomination.
uBFWa.png


Kinky Friedman is I think one would call a "Tea Party Democrat", and despite the Pro-Republican atmosphere I figured he might be able to succeed where Bill White had failed, being able to appeal to the disgruntled Conservatives who dominated that cycle. It may be a distance too far, but it made for a good infobox, I like the idea of a significant Tea Party Democrat, and no one likes Rick Perry.


jncpA.png

 
Kinky was interesting but lightweight

I gotta say I'm a Democrat who occasionally votes Libertarian or Green when I genuinely like the candidate's platform off the bat, but Chris Bell ran the most piss-poor excuse for a major-party Texan gubernatorial campaign I've ever seen in my adult life.

2006's gubernatorial race was so bizarre Texas out-Florida'd Florida and could've been scripted by Carl Hiassen or better yet, Elmore Leonard.

Perry was vulnerable, but the anthill mob/Three Stooges of challengers ensured his victory. Carol Strayhorn Nader'd the protest vote just enough to rob Kinky and/or the Democrats of winning the general election.

As sicarius mentioned, Kinky being a little better at image and message management might have butterflied the catastrophe of Perry being Gov another four years.
IDK if the Democratic party machine would've been on board with Kinky as their candidate in the general election.
Believe it or not, I'm thinking a reverse Lieberman.
You'd need a Draft Kinky motion or write-in campaign for him or some kind of "no-confidence" vote in Chris Bell of county party chairs in Dallas, Harris, Travis, and Bexar for Kinky to be Democratic candidate.
 
Top