Pragmatic Tejans .... talk Kinky to me ......

[Stinky The Clown]

I was talking to one of my business partners earlier today. She's a lefty, too, and an East Coast native, only having been in Austin for three years. She's been talking "Kinky this" and "Kinky that" for the last month or so.

Just the other day I saw a piece here in GDPol about Kinky's ..... uh .... inconoclastic stands on various issues, and of his support for Bush and disdain for Dems.

I mentioned this in my chat with my partner earlier today. Yeah, she said, she knew about all that. Her view - apparantly shared by many on our side - is that there's no chance in hell of a Dem beating Governor Goodhair, but at least with Kinky we get rid of him and make the seat more open and competitive next time around.

Okay .... that sounds not unreasonable. Then there's the fact that the Tejas Guv just ain't all that anyhow.

I'm interested in the take of any Tejas DUers on this notion .....

[Wickerman]

1. I lived in Texas until 2000

In the mid 90's we had a real doofus run for gov. At first we all thought Ann Richards would kick his sorry, sullied, lilly white ass back to Connecticut where he really seemed to live. Lo and behold he won, but, hell, it was only the Texas Governorship - no real power. We figured the state could weather the storm and he'd be voted out next term. Next term, he won again, but, well, hell, its only the Texas Governor - what's the worst that could happen?

edit 200 not 200 :eyes:

[Dora]

2. I'm not voting for Kinky. It's a Yellow Dog year.

The only thing I know about Bell is that his campaign flooded my inbox with e-mails, but he has my vote.

[ceile]

3. I think Kinky is more Repub than Perry.

At least Perry has the god given sense to keep religion out of schools (something Kinky wants to add), he doesn't bad mouth blacks and immigrants (on a daily basis anyways) like K does, and he doesn't lie about his support for Bush (K says he voted for Gore in 2000-he didn't).
The only way this state is going to change AT ALL is if Bell is elected. As a Texan, I am voting for Bell, but my second choice is Strayhorn. I don't care that some think a Dem doesn't have a chance. It will be a cold day in August before I vote for that attention whore Kinky.
Here's a good thread:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x1904623

[Stinky The Clown]

5. Thanks ... that thread you linked is the one I was thinking of in the OP

I'm going to let a few more comments pile up here and then e-mail this thread to my partner.

[Dragonbreathp9d]

4. I happen to agree with your co-worker

I love Chris Bell, but he dont got a chance in hell. I hate going against myself like this, but, I'd rather Kinky than Perry. Plus, I like Kinky's stance on education (my most important issue for Texas) and I think he will shake up Texas politics. People say he is a Republican in sheep's clothing, ok, even though I disagree somewhat, I'll give you that, but he is not a lock-step, nor a rapture nut. I've already taken enough flak on here for stating basically the same thing, I am open to criticism of facts and policies, but please do not attack me personally without actually adressing anything. I'm always open to a good, honest debate :)

[Stinky The Clown]

6. I sure won't attack you for your views .....

... but I thank you for your thoughts.

[KaptBunnyPants]

20. In what way is Kinky the more electable candidate?

He has run a joke campaign and made no serious attempt to present a coherent governing philosophy. Do you really think the guy whose best comercial so far was about how his pubic hair is as impressive as Goodhair's rug is really going to get even 20%? The only people I see voting for this guy are the completely uninformed who think its funny to vote for the most asinine choice possible

[dolstein]

7. There's a Democratic nominee -- it's against DU rules to promote

Kinky's candidacy.

[Stinky The Clown]

8. And who would be 'promoting' Kinky's candidacy .......... ?

The Thought Police?

If you read the OP you'd see it was a question.

[acmejack]

9. Kinky is a charismatic goofball.

He has no business being governor of Texas period. It really aggravates (I'm being really polite) me when I see otherwise rational people promoting him especially here, And our friend Dragonbreath here isn't alone. No one stops and thinks if they weren't all defecting for God knows what reason to Kinky that maybe Chris, who I would Point out for someone "who doesn't have a chance in hell" is polling the same as Kinky right now. Explain that Professor? Your 20.7% better than our 20.8%?

WSJ Aug14, 2006
Perry: 38.3% (+0.6 since June/no change since January)
Bell: 20.8% (+1.1/+2.9)
Kinky: 20.7% (+3.2/+6.3)
Strayhorn: 11% (-3.1/-9.5)

http://online.wsj.com/public/resources/documents/info-flash05a.html?project=elections06-ft&h=495&w=778&hasAd=1&mod=blogs

Lets look at another one:

Rasmussen Aug 8,2006
Perry: 35% (-5 since July/-3% since June/-5% since April/-5% since February)
Bell: 18% (+5%/+4%/+1%/+5%)
Kinky: 18% (-1%/-2%/+3%/+9%)
Strayhorn: 18% (-2%/-1%/-1%/-13%)

http://www.chrisbell.com/blog/080806_rasmussen

Same question?

[Stinky The Clown]

10. Awright .... lemme try this straight .......

Are you saying that I am promoting Kinky?

[acmejack]

19. Not you! Heck you're in MD!

I am having fun at the folks expense who say they would prefer to vote for Kinky instead of Mr. Bell, who deserves to be the next Governor of Texas IMHO!

[Sooner75]

16. I agree

Kinky is a goofball and a cheap sideshow. The good news is that if he somehow made it the governor can't really do much. The office of governor in Texas is more figurehead than leader.

The gubernatorial race is as lackluster as it gets. I don't remember seeing one with as little interest as this one. The only bumper stickers you see are Kinky's and not all that many of those. I actually saw some dumbass with a Strayhorn sticker the other day.

The sad part is that no one really likes Rick Perry as far as I can see, but he may get re-elected because voters are just so accustomed to pulling the GOP lever. I've seen some great Democrats go down to defeat merely because they were on the Democratic ticket and so many voters voted straight Republican. I'm hoping that at least one or two of the Democrats can somehow get into office. We need SOME Democrat in a statewide office.

Back to the gubernatorial race, I honestly don't think Strayhorn has a chance. I don't think Kinky has a chance...although he's tailor-made as the anti-politician. Makes him a bit of a wild card. I don't see how Chris Bell has a chance. He barely seems to be a blip on the radar. That leaves Rick Perry who hasn't done anything and can't do anything but he sits atop the Republican nomination with his name listed first on the ballot. It's a pathetic state of affairs.

[Totally Committed]

11. I have two words for ya... "Jesse"... "Ventura"...

Another great exercize in "pragmatism" of the Kinky kind. Just my opinion.

TC

[Name removed]

12. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Skinner]

13. Upon review, the moderators have decided to unlock this thread.

We do not permit advocating for third-party candidates here on DU, and this OP seems to come close to the line. But upon review it is apparent that that was not the intent.

[Stinky The Clown]

14. Thank you ... and it was NOT the intent at all.

This started with a conversation with someone in Texas. I have no ammunition to defend against what she's thinking. I posted this thread to get some and it was - and is - my intent to send it to her, including all the links provided - as a way for her to do the research.

She's a lefty and lifetime Dem and Dem voter, like everyone here, but is currently being exposed to the "Dems can't win" mantra by some people she knows in her new location.

With that said .... refutations of why Kinky's a good idea are sought.

[Stinky The Clown]

15. A link to another DU thread ... from the Texas forum

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=180x35924

[NoPasaran]

17. One stop shopping for all your anti-Kinky information

http://stopkinky.blogspot.com/

Anyone who thinks that Chris Bell DOESN'T have a chance but Richard Friedman does needs to step away from the bong.

[Stinky The Clown]

18. I was gunna ask who the blogger was .... then I looked at the links ......

.... DU's there.

:)

[Stinky The Clown]

21. Aug 18 Update ........

I spoke this morning with my partner. Her and her husband's votes will be going to Chris Bell.

They see that Kinky's a bit of a character and has that whole "I'm independent. I'll clean up corruption" thing going on. But they also see him as a nut in the mold of Ventura and Swartzenegger. Most importantly, they see how conservative he really is.

For whatever its worth, they didn't see Bell as having much chance, if any at all. From their perspective, they don't see Bell, they don't hear about Bell, they don't know much about Bell. My partner admits to not taking too much time to learn about him, but I see this as a message to the Bell supporters as much as any possible failing on her part.

The message would be ..... Why doesn't this good Democrat (my partner), who is busy with her business, her two active kids (10 and 12), a reasonably heavy travel schedule, and a husband who travels a lot, not know about the Democratic candidate for Governor? I know for a fact that she's more politically aware than many, many other people - not as much as we are here, to be sure, but aware nonetheless.

Anyway .... thank you to those of you who took my original post in the sense it was made and answered my questions. The links provided were very helpful.

[BlueGirlRedState]

22. Kinky's just another word for nothing left to lose...

... well, no, not really, but I know a lot of people think that way.

If a major hurricane hits the Texas Coast, or even our neighbors on the Gulf Coast, I don't want a ceegar-smokin', black-hat wearin' good old boy in charge of our state and deciding how we going to get people out of harm's way.

I'm a Yellow Dog, I'll be spinning the wheel for Dems, but if I didn't know Chris Bell was the nominee, I would not know who to vote for -- I have seen one Chris Bell commercial, no bumper stickers, no billboards.

Gov. Goodhair Perry has some mighty pretty "I'm so proud to be a Texan" commercials on TV, but really, Kinky's the one who's got the bumper stickers and the appearances.

I just don't want our own version of Jesse Ventura running the state.