Kinky Friedman for Gov!!!

From the Houston Chronicle:

Kinky heats up a race on a bitterly cold day
He files to run for governor and vows to put 'chill up the spine of every politician'
By CLAY ROBISON
Copyright 2005 Houston Chronicle Austin Bureau

AUSTIN - Humorist Kinky Friedman took his first formal step toward the governor's office Thursday, promising, on a bitterly cold day, to work hard at putting "a chill up the spine of every politician."

The musician-turned-mystery writer officially filed his declaration of intent to run as an independent candidate for governor with the secretary of state.

To get on the ballot in November, he needs to collect at least 45,540 voters' signatures — or 1 percent of the votes cast in the last gubernatorial election — from people next spring who don't cast ballots in a party primary or runoff.

Friedman told a few dozen supporters and reporters huddled for a brief, sidewalk announcement that his real opponent was not Gov. Rick Perry, but voter apathy.
Only 29 percent of Texas' voting-age population cast ballots in the 2002 gubernatorial general election.

"If we can get the 29 percent who voted last time up to 39 percent, it'll all be over, and there will be a whole new spirit blowing through Texas," he said. "There will be a smile on everybody's face and a chill up the spine of every politician."

Wearing his trademark, black cowboy hat and puffing on a cigar, Friedman said his heroes were the legendary American humorists Will Rogers and Mark Twain, who often used their humor and satire to critique the culture and politics of their times. "They were truth-tellers," he said.

"The point of humor and the point of fiction that I write is to sail as close to the truth as you can without sinking the ship."

Friedman, who has been campaigning for months after announcing his candidacy in front of the Alamo, said his campaign has about 20 staffers, thousands of volunteers and offices in Austin and Fort Worth.

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