NOTE: this blog is no longer active as of 12/07. New one: http://blog.kirchhof.com
Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum viditur.
Thu, 19 Oct 2006
Sorry, Kinkster
New Zogby is out:
Rick Perry: 37.5%
Chris Bell: 26.2%
Kinky: 13.2%
Keeton-McClellan-Rylander-Strayhorn-er-Keeton: 13%
I've supported the Kinky campaign, enthusiastically and from the
start as a vehicle to get issues to the forefront that otherwise
would be ignored. In that context, he has run a very successful
campaign. And I think that he would make an entertaining if
ineffective governor (and "ineffective" is not a bad thing here; it's
much preferable to "incompetent and self serving," which is our
current state.) I was a true believer, and for the most part I've not
been disappointed in my chosen candidate.
But it's gut-check time: Kinky Can Not Win. It's over.
Happily, though, the Texas Democratic Party has finally stepped up
to the plate after a decade of tossing clowns into the shark tank and
fielded a competent and savvy
candidate that can go toe-to-toe with the Tom Delay/Dubya machine
in Texas.
Chris Bell has the momentum, the money, and the burgeoning name
recognition now to take it all, and he has my support. If half of
Kinky's camp and half of Grandma's camp give their vote to
Bell—and that
is doable—Texas will have a competent and progressive
governor who can start to disassemble the good 'ol boy corruption
machine, even if outnumbered by vestigial obstructionist yahoos in
every other elected office.
And really; stop for a minute and think. If a Katrina hits Houston,
would you rather have a witty musician/writer or an experienced
public policy administrator at the helm?
Don't get me wrong. I love Kinky and I believe that he has done a
tremendous service to this state by simply running. He turned it into
a race for the first time since Ann Richards. I've done
benefits for him, I've blogged about him, I've talked him up. If I thought
that he had a chance, I'd still be riding that train. But Kinky's shot
is
over—in no small part due to his abysmal
performance in the debate—and the other good guy, a genuinely
competent and proven candidate, has a real chance to get in there
and represent the interests of the citizens who don't have a voice in
their current government.
I urge all of you to think about it. If you're passionate about
Kinky, cool. Vote for Kinky. He is a smart, great guy who has
revitalized the better portion of our disenfranchised electorate. Good
for him. You can be a part of an amusing political footnote this
election year, and we can all do yet another cycle of GoodHair McDubya
and the Tom Delay Players.
However, if you're passionate about political change in this
state, I'd like to suggest that there is an excellent alternative
candidate available to you, one who actually has a shot. One who might
end up representing your views and make a difference. That
candidate is Chris Bell.
Posted at 07:10 by Randy Kirchhof [Permalink]
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