I've blogged previously about singer-novelist Kinky Friedman's independent candidacy for Governor of Texas (here and here). Of course his chances are slim, but he sure puts the fun back in politics. Here are a few choice nuggets from an article just posted by the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, about Kinky's University of Texas at Arlington appearance today.

"My goal is to get the politicians out of politics," he said. "I have no experience whatsoever. None. I have a lot of human experience." Students in attendance cheered and said they liked his off-beat message. "He’s the only candidate for prayer in schools and gay marriage. I think that was pretty ground breaking," Cody McCafferty, 21, a junior.

Friedman pledged to do away with state testing of school children and put more power in the hands of teachers. He said people of many vocations should be brought into the schools to show students different career options they have and inspire them to pursue their dreams.

He said gambling should be legalized so property taxes could be cut and the Lone Star State could make money off its namesake poker game, Texas Hold ’em. Friedman also said he would shun lobbyists and only appoint competent people.

Although I agree with neither stand, that's a brilliant juxtaposition - being for both prayer in schools and gay marriage. Is he really a hard-core libertarian? But ixnay on 86ing state academic testing, Kinkster. There's this little thing called the No Child Left Behind Act, and see, ah, your state is sorta obligated to take the temperature, in a sorta standardized quanitifiable way, see, at its public schools.

Yet such flubs underscore that Kinky's not packaged to within an inch of his life, like most candidates. He's got that populist thing down pat, because for the most part, it's not an act. Kinky first gained notoriety in the early 70s with songs such as, "They Ain't Makin' Jews Like Jesus Any More," and "Asshole From El Paso." He subsequently went on to write what are considered to be some pretty decent whodunits. Now that he's running for Governor, shouldn't he be releasing some downloadable new tunes?

TECHNORATI TAGS: KINKY FRIEDMAN, TEXAS, GOVERNOR, UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS, ARLINGTON, GAY MARRIAGE, STANDARDIZED TESTING, SCHOOL PRAYER, TEXAS HOLD 'EM

Posted by Matt Rosenberg at March 21, 2006 12:59 PM