Only three of the five candidates for governor will be addressing the Texas NAACP convention this week. Perry is scheduled to speak to the convention on Thursday, and Bell and Grandma will speak on Friday. Kinky Friedman and James Werner were not invited to speak.
I don't know why they didn't invite Werner, the Libertarian candidate. Evidently, they're like many others, and only want to hear from candidates they perceive as having a chance of winning. But Kinky is a different matter. Gary Bledsoe, Texas NAACP president, said, "Clearly, Mr. Friedman has shown ... ill will toward the African-American community, and there is no obligation for someone to enlist or invite someone who has illustrated that kind of attitude or demeanor toward African-Americans."
Bledsoe had demanded an apology from Kinky for comments that Bledsoe had deemed to be racist. Kinky refused to apologize and said he was not a racist - but that the material in question was satire. Kinky's spokeswoman, Laura Stromberg, had this to say about not being invited, "We're really disappointed that Kinky won't have an opportunity to speak with them. If they'd given him the time I think they would have been pleased with what he has to say and with the kind of candidate he is. We're talking about a candidate who was picketing Rexall drugs in Austin as a freshman in college because they wouldn't cash checks for black people. They know nothing about his record as a man with a civil rights background."
I'm not sure I buy the "attitude toward African-Americans" excuse. The national NAACP invites George Bush to speak every year, even though no one could accuse Bush of being a friend to African-Americans. I think it probably has more to do with politics and protecting their personal candidate. Right now, Bell and other Democrats think they have the African-American vote locked up. Why give Kinky a chance to speak, when the only candidate he could hurt at the convention would be Chris Bell?
There are only two candidates in the race who don't support the corporate-owned politics of the present, and neither was invited to speak. Are African-Americans really that satisfied with the status quo in this state?
They should have invited Kinky. As for Werner, traditionally candidates that do not poll higher than 6% are not invited to attend candidate functions such as debates, forums, etc. An Independent, Green, Libertarian, etc. must actually make a showing in the polls to be given any sort of credence. A prime example would be Ross Perot - he consistently polled with over 10% (nearly 20% if I remember correctly) - who was invited to the presidential debates. Ralph Nader - he consistently polled poorly - was not.
ReplyDeleteI'm guessing that the NAACP was more focused on the fact that Kinky gave High Times permission to reprint this article in the July 27, 2006 edition of that magazine.
ReplyDeleteThat article is not "satire" and the last three paragraphs are neither funny nor flattering to the NAACP's base.
Please read the article (or if you can't abide to read the whole thing, please at least read the last three paragraphs) and ask yourself two questions:
First, why would Kinky give his express permission to re-print this article in the middle of a heated political campaign?
Second, in light of Kinky's decision to republish that article less than three months ago, can anyone wonder why the NAACP did not extend an invitation to Kinky?
I truely wish I understood Kinky's motivation in authorizing the re-publication of this article.
It's their party, and they can invite who they want. Warrented or not, Kinky is no longer an acceptable candidate to the NAACP.
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