This weeks column: Getting Kinky

Texas Governatorial candidate, Richard “Kinky” Friedman has unveiled his first cartoon for the 2006 campaign.
The KinkyToon features an animated Friedman, in his usual outfit, a black cowboy hat, white shirt, black coat and his infamous cigar.
The 60-year old candidate’s cartoon is about as untraditional as the candidate himself.
Friedman, born and raised in Texas, leader of the Kinky Friedman and the Texas Jewboys band, a novelist and most recently a columnist for Texas Monthly, announced his campaign earlier this year with his campaign slogan, “Why the hell not.”
Since then he has found unique ways to make his name known and raise campaign funds as an independent candidate.
A few months ago he released a talking Kinky action figure that repeats a number of Friedman’s witticisms. The doll is available on his website to donors of $100 or more to his campaign.
“If you elect me, I’ll be the first Governor in Texas history with a listed phone number,” Friedman writes on his website, www.kinkyfriedman.com.
He touts education reform, a Texas Peace Corps, criminal justice reform, new energy — including bio-diesel fuels and the de-wussification of Texas.
“This is the great state of Texas! We are not wusses, we are Texans,” Friedman said. “We will beat back the wussification of Texas if we have to do it one wuss at a time.”
But Kinky faces a huge uphill battle as an independent candidate in Texas.
The Texas Constitution stacks the cards against a third-party candidate.
He must get more than 45,000 registered voters’ signatures on a petition in just 62 days after the March primaries. If a runoff happens, he’ll have half that time.
Another issue Friedman faces is that petition signers must not have voted in either primary.
So to encourage voters to stay away from the polls he is urging voters to “Save Yourself for Kinky.”
So how and why does an outsider use a cartoon on the web to boost his campaign?
Friedman uses the cartoon to tout his independence, while standing in front of a picture of Texas’ own Sam Houston. He says people want something different.
“Our schools leave every teacher behind,” Friedman says in the ad. “We’re in a race with Mississipi to the bottom of the barrel.”
“Every few years its election time again, which means it’s time to choose between paper and plastic,” Friedman said. “It’s not much of a choice… maybe that is why 75-percent of you voters avoided the polls in 2002.”
The ad takes jabs at “politics as usual” with politicians who continue to tout their love of Texas and their love of Jesus — including a politician yelling, “Jesus es grande!” atop an oil pump.
The ad also takes a jab at the Texas Legislature and their debate over “sexy” cheerleading.
In interviews since the cartoons release, Friedman and his campaign have explained the Jesus references are not a jab at Jesus or Christianity, but a jab at politicians who continue to politicize religion, Christ and Christianity.
Friedman has also noted that his is proud to support prayer in Texas schools.
The ad also contains a menorah spewing red, white and blue near the end of the ad.
The ad is unusual, irreverent, but funny enough to get your attention.
I don’t personally agree with all of Kinky’s platforms and beliefs, and don’t know if I’ll vote for him in November yet; but I can say, I’ll be saving myself for Kinky in March.
He can count on me to sign his petition.
Texas needs a third-party candidate to help steer us from politics and business as usual.
He may not have a shot in the dark at winning the campaign, but then again California elected Arnold and Minnesota elected Jesse “The Body” Ventura.
So who knows, maybe this cigar toting singer/songwriter from Kerrville can make a big enough splash and win the campaign.
I for one want to give him at least a chance to get on the ballot.