The Return Of Kinky Friedman – With Video

Nov 4, 2009 6 Comments ›› Pat Dollard

The post-Election Day glow means a bit of reflection for both winners and losers. But for Kinky Friedman, it’s a day to look forward. One year from today, he might be the newly elected governor of Texas — or an also-ran.

He still has to capture the Democratic nomination, and his chances to do that and win, as he sees it, are both “excellent.”

“I think I’m the only man of the people that’s in the race,” Friedman told POLITICO in a podcast interview. But the road for Friedman remains a rough one.

Though widely known for his quirky first name and his music, including songs such as “Get Your Biscuits in the Oven and Your Buns in the Bed” and “The Ballad of Charles Whitman,” he’s been to this rodeo before. He sought the governor’s mansion back in 2006, as an independent, but finished fourth with just 12 percent of the vote.

Still, Friedman hopes that a feisty and testy race between Gov. Rick Perry and Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison for the Republican nomination could provide a new opportunity for him and Democrats generally. “It’s going to be very expensive, very nasty and ugly, their side of the race,” he said. “And it’s going to leave a lot of potential for us — if we don’t nominate another generic establishment candidate.”

Friedman also thinks that the Democratic Party’s struggles in Texas can largely be attributed to a lack of candidates. “My heroes have always been Democrats,” said Friedman. “But I must admit: Since [former Texas Gov.] Ann Richards, the powers that be, which are the career politicians, insiders of the Democratic Party, have presided over a 17-year unbroken string of losses. So a lot of customers have left the showrooms.”

He’s hoping to offer the party a new model. “I believe that I’m capable — and I’ve demonstrated [this] before — of inspiring a lot of independents, libertarians and Republicans to come over to our side. I think the problem is that the Democrats have run very uninspiring candidates, and they don’t run on ideas. They run on demographics, and that’s a mistake.”

Where does Friedman stand on the issues? Here’s a cheat sheet.

Toll roads: “We’ve gotta get rid of the toll roads. I don’t want any toll roads in Texas.”

Education: “I want to give all teachers a $3,000 raise across the board.”

Health care: “Nothing Obama has said is wrong. Everything he’s said about health care I think is correct. It’s a great system that no one can access except for the very rich and the very poor.”

Gov. Rick Perry: “It’s time for Rick Perry to take the lampshade off his head and go home.”

President Barack Obama: “I think it’s still early days on Obama, but I think he definitely has the inspiration chops that I’m talking about. This is going to pay big dividends.”

On whether he’s going to seek the vote of Texas resident George W. Bush: “No, I’m not going to be doing that.”