Yesterday, one of my commenters posed a question that has come up repeatedly during this campaign. Is Kinky Friedman a liberal, or is he a conservative? Supporters of Perry and Grandma would like for voters to believe that Kinky is a liberal. Supporters of Bell want voters to believe that Kinky is a conservative. Each group hopes that by labeling Kinky, they can stop the flow of votes into his campaign - votes that they had hoped to get for themselves.
It's pretty easy to label the other three candidates as either a liberal or conservative. Perry and Grandma have made no secret of the fact that they are right-wing conservative fundamentalists. They do not disagree on the issues - they just don't like each other. Grandma is not running as an independent because of political differences with conservatives, but because she couldn't beat Perry in the Republican primary.
On the other hand, Bell is definitely a liberal politician. But don't expect him to admit that in public. Texas Democrats are scared to death of being labeled a liberal. Many of them try to hide their liberal beliefs, and present themselves as centrists. This is one of the reasons Texas voters have abandoned the Democrats in recent elections. Why would you vote for a candidate who is ashamed of his beliefs?
Kinky does pose more of a problem when it comes to trying to fit him into either the liberal or conservative mold. Does he have conservative views? Yes. Kinky's views on immigration fall within the conservative realm. Does he have liberal views? Yes. His views on gay marriage and a death penalty moratorium are definitely liberal. The truth is that Kinky has some views from both camps, but he is not tied to the dogmatic beliefs of either one. Having no ties to either political dogma allows Kinky to do what he truly feels is best for the ordinary citizens of Texas.
When it comes to Kinky, the old political labels just do not work. I think that is one of the reasons people like him. He is not liberal or conservative. He is just Kinky, and that's enough.
Kinky is Awesome:
ReplyDeleteI think you are right about the two important points.
First, I agree Kinky is conservative.
Remember Strayhorn's first words in announcing her campaign: "I am a Republican. But I know I must set partisan politics aside and do what's right for Texas. That is why I am running for governor as an independent." Because there are already two other Republicans running for Governor, running as a third Republican would set three candidates after the same voters. Kinky is a professional entertainer who has a marketing team to manage his image. Kinky knows that he has to appeal to some measure of liberals as well as his conservatives. If Kinky wants to win, it must be Kinky's NUMBER ONE JOB to appeal to both types of voters. Of course, Kinky is going to have to say things which increase his appeal among liberals or else Kinky is just soaking in the same ol' hot tub as Perry and Strayhorn. Kinky is smarter than that.
So how do we know which are Kinky's real values and which are the statements he makes to broaden his appeal? Measure Kinky's words against Kinky's actions.
The gay marriage issue is a good exammple. He says he supports gay marriage (in a joking way), he says he voted against the ban. Those are his words. Kinky's actions were not to vote when the ban was on the ballot. What has Kinky accomplished? He has come out in favor of a liberal issue (but in a non-threatening joking way) but he hasn't done anything to support it, and Kinky builds credit with liberals on an issue that is over and done with and which requires no future action because the constitution has already been fixed. That's smart.
Take Kinky's other votes. Kinky says he voted for Ann Richards (or Strayhorn the First, as I think of her). Kinky says he voted for Gore. Those were Kinky's words. What were his actions? Kinky didn't vote in those races. Kinky's words bolster his status with liberals and enhance his image as bi-partisan. Again, that's smart.
What about the death-penalty? Kinky has said different things to anti-death penalty crowds (which you can confirm from checking their websites) than what Kinky tells a general audience. This is called triangulation, and it's a smart political move.
What about abortion? Same deal.
Kinky's campaign is genuis.
Second, you are right about the most important point. While Kinky needs to peel off some liberal votes, he can't be defined as a liberal because the bulk of Texas votes come from the other end of the political spectrum. That's why you see Kinky saying "I'm not a liberal." He will let liberals soak up his one-liners about gay marriage and voting for Al Gore, but in the end Kinky's message to the more astute voters is straight forward: "I'm not a liberal."
I don't care which way Kinky leans, he will get my vote and a lot of my friends and family who are Democrats. Don't beat up on the Democrats too much, as the Republicans deserve a much bigger beating. There is no question Kinky leans conservative on a vast majority of his platform, but the whole idea here is both sides have good ideas. We need to put people in charge that are here for Texas not their party. Yes, though, Kinky is Awesome.
ReplyDeleteI spreading the good things about Kinky and try to steer clear from any bashing at only one party. The campaign is very clear about this.
While the campaign probably wouldn't agree, what I've been thinking about doing, is making a credible Anti-Perry/Strayhorn blog. Want to help?
Kinky Friedman and Texas Issues
Kinky Friedman Video and Audio Links
thelonghaul -
ReplyDeleteI try not to beat up on Democrats too much. In fact, I'm supporting the entire Democratic ticket this year, with the exception of the governor's race. I will be voting for Kinky for governor.
I like your idea about the Anti-Perry/Strayhorn blog, but I don't know how much help I'd be. Working full time and trying to keep this blog going pretty well fills my time.
By the way, I like your blog a lot. I've put it on my blogroll - hope you don't mind.