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Originally Posted by
g0zen
Okay, so from reading that website I know the following about Kinky Friedman:
1.) He has no party ties. This seems like a good thing, but being unconnected in politics doesn't necessarily mean you're untainted or, more importantly, are in any position to lead. What it says to me is that even if he does somehow get into office he'll have no leverage whatsoever with the state legistlature, so none of his initatives will have any traction and his term will be spent entirely in the governor's mansion with his feet propped up smoking cigars.
A very good point and a very large problem. He may not be totally effective in inacting his own solutions to existing problems, but pending problems, such as toll roads, taxation and quite a few others might find him to be a roadblock. Still this is my biggest concern.
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2.) He points out the problems with education in Texas, but no solutions. I'll just take Tracer at his word about the lottery plans and spending the surplus and such. Education is a pretty safe issue to run on as a candidate, because everyone wants it to be better, but to this day I've yet to see a politican put forth a reform that had any measurable positive effect.
Texas has a lottery, unfortunatly, the claims that it would go to education and enjoy a system not unlike Georgia's (students with over a B average recive signifigant financial assiatance to go to state universities) were never seen. The money generated has done absolutely nothing - because those funds were not legaly bound to any specific cause. Friedman most adamantly states the legalizing of gambling, as well as money from TX Lotto would be bound to education consitutionally.
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3.) He wants to provide healthcare for children. Sounds great. But how will he get the votes for it from a legistlature that's still the same mindset if not the same people who already put the kibosh on it in '03?
Unsure, and generally I wouldn't consider this as one of his primary goals as governor. His biggest points are Energy, Education and Immigration.
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4.) Renewable energy in Texas. Wow. I love the idea, good luck getting anywhere with it. I expected that kind of pie-in-the-sky proposal from the protest candidate (Bell, who despite being part of a major political party already has LESS of a chance of winning than Kinky, hurray for redistricting!), but surely Kinky knows that it's not so easy as just standing on the front porch of the governor's mansion and giving a royal proclaimation. In a state that houses the heads of the oil & gas hydra, what chances are there really that renewable energy will get anywhere?
This, ulitmatly, will be in the hands of Texans. A governor can put forward action, the legislature needs to approve it and they, uliimately need to listen to the people who vote for them. The end result, probably no change at all. But the prospect of change is better than none, the Incumbent has no problem with the way things are being run currently.
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Tracer, I think I understand a lot of why you want to support Kinky, and hey you vote for whoever the hell you want do, but when you say "Why the hell not?" I say, "Because he's not suited for the job."
A reply I respect. Given the current direction, I tend to think that "not being suited for the job," hasn't stoped anyone in the past. I suspect there are many others, in perhaps higher positions across the country, that you yourself might consider ill-suited.
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One of the best speakers and, from everything I've read, one of the better governors Texas has had. Especially considering the administration that followed.
Richards may look good when compared to Bush - I don't see how this is diffrent from my saying Friedman sounds a hell of a lot better than the other candidates including and especially the Incumbent.
However, the whole lotto debacle was started by Richards. Texans are still highly skeptical of ideas like, "new industry to fund education," since that card has been played before with very, VERY obvious results. Friedman at least addresses this, acknowledges it and offers a solution. Gambling will not be legal in Texas untill it's illegal for the goverment to do what it pleases with the tax revenue.
