Kinky's Run For Governor Of Texas

Such independence led him to a campaign manager who helped turn Jesse Venture into the governor of Minnesota. Dean Barkley loves underdogs.

"I've been through this before. I've been through the, you know, this, 'Ha ha, you can't win,' and all this other stuff. This guy can win," says Barkley of Friedman.

Is Barkley concerned that some of Friedman's songs, such as "They Ain't Makin' Jews Like Jesus Anymore," might offend religious Christian voters?

"I mean, Kinky has never been one too worried about offending people by telling 'em stuff," says Barkley. "And I've told him, 'Don't change.' I mean, be who we are. Don't turn into a typical politician and start telling people what they wanna hear. Because I think it's style as much as anything with Kinky. Just keep on being you."

Which may mean appearing dressed as the Queen of England on the cover of "Texas Monthly" — Friedman did that back in 2004. But this outsider has been an insider enough to have been invited to the Clinton White House and the Bush White House.

How does he explain his unique relationship with the presidents?

"Well, that should be easy," says Friedman. "Bill Clinton was a fan of my books. And he wrote me, wrote me a letter here, which the postman of Medina thought was from the White Horse Saloon in Nashville where they do line dancing. And it was really from the White House. And George W. Well, he wrote me first too. And I don't know why these guys write me. But, he wrote me and I wrote him back and he invited me to the White House. I guess it's alarming that the president has time for this sort of a pen pal relationship. But, everybody needs a laugh."

The first lady is also a fan, a proud supporter of his dog pound, though as far as we know, not his political aspirations.

His candidacy does raise the delicious possibility of Gov. Perry having to debate the Kinkster.

But Perry might welcome him into such a debate, in order to split the opposition vote.

"Well, I hope he does welcome us into the debate, 'cause that's what they thought in Minnesota," says Barkley. "And guess what happened?"

The odds are long that this outsider will get to hang his hat in the governor's mansion, but Friedman is pushing ahead one voter at a time.

"Me winning, an independent winning, in Texas would be great for the governorship itself, great for the people of Texas and great for the Kinkster," says Friedman. "I'm gonna win, win, win all around. And we'll put a smile on everybody's face in America and it would send a shiver up the spine of career politicians everywhere."

In closing, Friedman likes to repeat his trademark one-liners. "May the God of your choice bless you," he says. "Criticize me all you want, but don't circumcise me anymore!"

By Alden Bourne

• « Previous Page
• 1
• 2
• 3