Strange things started to happen, 61-year-
The old Jewish cowboy with an evil sense of humor decided to run for governor of Texas.
The most famous tongue ever -- the eccentric Friedman --in-
Country singer and half cheek
Eighteen months ago, the self-proclaimed mysterious novelist put on his hat and announced that he was firmly independent. The Politics of the Lone Star state has undergone a remarkable transformation.
Most of the time, they have more fun.
Friedman has been loyal to the opening slogan of his campaign --
"Why not? " -
Give the whole system a reckless possibility.
The joke applies to everyone: professional politicians, corporate lobbyists, Christian fundamentalists, liberals, moralists, and many friends and enemies of George Bush.
Friedman, his dry voice and the impeccable timing of his birth in the stands over the years --
Comedy tours keep string them together. His one-
Rumors about the president are that he is "a good man trapped in the Republican body ";
Overall, politics is the only career you have experience with, he says.
So far, the whole state is sharing this joke.
Did people intend to vote for Friedman in the November 7? terms or not.
Of course, no other candidate will receive a letter from Friedman like a doctor recently sent to a Dallas suburb.
The good doctor asked, if he noticed the sale of the Trojan vibration ring --a semi-
Unknown sexual assistance
Banned in Texas?
Friedman's reporter lamented a "serious injustice" caused by religious bias and regrettable local priorities, and went on to say: "It is legitimate to buy a at the moment.
357 Magnan hotel Walmart
But I can't buy a French itchy device with high technical content at the local Walgreens supermarket.
Where is logic?
"Prior to Friedman's appearance, the 2006 election of the governor of Texas was becoming a snoring person who was not interested in sex --
Aid lovers or others.
Sitting in the corner of the Republican Party is Rick Perry, the current governor who took over George Bush six years ago, and since then he has done little to inspire anyone --
Besides his lobbyists in the energy, insurance and construction industries.
In Texas media, Perry is often known for his smooth, full hair, not for anything he might have.
Meanwhile, in the corner of the Democratic Party, there is a former congressman and policy expert named Chris Bell.
As of a few weeks ago, Bell's performance in the campaign was so obvious that when his name was mentioned, the stock reaction was: "Who is Chris? " In a two-way stand-
Closed, Perry may take advantage of the on-the-job advantage, spend a lot of money on negative advertising, screaming home with extremely low turnout.
In 2002, Perry and his Democratic opponents spent $100 (£53m)
Between them, only attracted voters.
It was before Friedman appeared in his signature black hat, black waistcoat, jeans and cowboy boots, blowing Cuban cigars and wisely talking about the need to reform a broken system, so that Texas can be executed, highschool drop-
Toll roads and property taxes ".
One of his favorite stories is that he talks to an outdoor person. of-
Visitors to the town said: "You have a beautiful statue of Rick Perry.
Friedman replied, "but that's Rick Perry.
There are a lot of people like Friedman.
He drove them out happily at every possible opportunity.
"This is my definition of politics," he said . "
"" More "means more than one," itch "is blood-
Sucking parasites
Or: "A fool and his money were soon elected.
Or: "Friedman is just a word that has nothing to lose.
When Friedman first joined the campaign in early 2005, the audience fell in love with his comedy routine, but did not necessarily know if they should take him seriously.
Twenty years ago, he did not have any political experience. he only ran short and unsuccessful for public office near the ranch in Hill Country, Texas.
In the first days, his stump speech was clearly influenced by policy provisions in addition to some fascinating folk aphorisms. "I am not anti-
He said, "but I must have done it . "
The executed person is wrong.
"Or, when asked to pronounce it forever --
The controversial issue of abortion: "I am not in favor of abortionlife. I'm not pro-choice. I'm pro-football.
"However, his campaign benefited from several key early breaks.
First, he was described in detail in The New Yorker magazine.
The ultimate sign of any American seriousness in public life.
Then the Texas media realized that he was more interesting than anyone in the game and gave him a No.
There is no political advertising budget in the world to match.
Finally, it's finally high in a series of voters-
The high-profile scandal, as well as the incompetence of the state and the federal government, has attacked the two.
The party system is worthy of recognition and support.
It's about the time Hurricane Katrina and Rita have a significant impact on Texas, and it's also the fall of super Hurricane Tom Dilley
Strong House majority leader
To benefit his fellow Republicans, he redrew the Texas constituency line with one hand, only to fall into a spider web in campaign fundraising practice.
In the end, Texas voters signed a petition demanding that one candidate not be included in the vote, but two independent candidates for governors --
This is the first time in more than a century.
Friedman is one of them, and the other is Carol Keaton strenhorn, the state public account auditor general and a renegade Republican, striking alone is smarter than trying to challenge Governor Perry and his vibrant war treasure chest in the Republican primary.
Despite the fascinating campaign slogan of Strayhorn, her campaign never really started --
"A strong grandmother"(
Everyone, including Strawhorn himself, now calls her "grandma ". )
On the other hand, Friedman slowly accumulated the power of spring and summer in the polls.
Most surveys showed he was second, ahead of Bell, and some even thought he was at a disadvantage under Governor Perry.
He and his campaign have been counting on large numbers of voters.
If only 29 points in Texas come back then Perry can think of himselfelected.
If Friedman's grassroots efforts attract young people
However, when voters get paid off and the turnout even jumps to a relatively modest $40, the Lone Star State is likely to be surprised --
Like Minnesota in 1998, wrestling champion Jesse Ventura shocked the institution with his experience of successfully running for governor.
Texas may also find itself being sung by one once: "They no longer make Jews like Jesus.
"'I'M NOT ANTI-
But I must have opposed the death penalty.
The wrong people who have been executed like to tell a political joke, which may be more general than anything else as to why American politics is so caught up in corruption and so hated by voters --
In Texas and anywhere else.
Perry, who told his audience that he had died, arrived at St. Peter's Pearl gates.
When St Peter stopped him and told him to wait a moment, he tried to go straight through.
St. Peter said that a person with excellence and influence should have a good look at Heaven and Hell before deciding where he wants to spend eternity.
So the two of them visited the underworld and to his surprise Perry found a large private golf course inhabited by all his old politicians and lobbyists.
They played several rounds together, drank champagne and yaks, talked about all the big back office deals they cut to enrich themselves, and sacrificed ordinary Texans.
Next, Perry made a trip to heaven, where, as he might have expected, he sat on the cloud and played the piano with the angel.
Nice too, but far less interesting.
When St Peter asked him about his decision, Perry said: "I never thought I would say that, but I think I would rather go to hell.
St Peter asked him if he was sure --
This is an eternal decision.
Perry agreed.
So they took the big elevator back to the underground world.
This time, however, the golf course had disappeared when the door opened.
It's a huge garbage in its location.
Scattered wasteland
Perry's friends are miserable now, wearing rags and putting rubbish in big bags.
The confused Perry turned to St. Peter and said, "What happened?
This is not what I saw here the other day.
St. Peter replied, "Ah, but you don't understand.
This is just a campaign.
You voted today.
Friedman told the joke while visiting the university campus, and he started with Ventura last month.
He already said it.
Scrub Rotarians in affluent suburban communities and in-house
Poor Latin American in the city
They all love it because it speaks directly to their distrust of politics and its false commitment and a good environment for catering
Interest groups.
In other words, this is not only a joke on Perry, but also a joke on the whole two --party system. "The two-
"The political party system is destroying the soul of the country," said Friedman's campaign manager, a veteran of the Minnesota Ventura campaign called Dean Barkley. (
Barkley is an avid rugby player, and like Friedman, he is also a cigar smoker, although he has something to do with Friedman's "refusal --
The Dominican, not the Cuban montjues that Friedman has reserved for himself. )
"It will take someone to break it sooner or later.
It's impossible to happen, the way they're going.
"Texas is my country, the truth is my religion --
If Friedman represents such a threat in Texas, then it may explain why Republicans and Democrats have been approaching him and attacking him for the past few weeks.
It is true that Friedman did not help himself with inappropriate wording, such as calling Hurricane Katrina evacuees who live in Houston a "madman and mob ".
In fact, what he says is that artists and musicians have returned to New Orleans, while crackles and thugs have stayed --
Houston's soaring crime rate proves that.
But his opponents took the phrase gratefully, thinking that he had demeaning black people on race --
Most of the evacuated population.
Soon after, a 26-year-old stand-
Friedman plays the role of an unreconstructed racist, using the word "black" in daily life.
Similarly, allegations of racism have begun to flood, eventually leading to a clear rejection by the Texas branch of the National Association for the development of Colored People, the country's leading African-
The American lobby group invited Friedman to attend the annual meeting in Austin earlier this month.
The allegations of racism contradict Friedman's record of student activity against apartheid in 1960, but this does not make it less attractive as an attack line.
Bell, who has a close relationship with the Texas Association of People of color, even urged Friedman to withdraw from the campaign and support the Democratic campaign. (
Friedman's answer: "We don't negotiate with terrorists. ")
Friedman's dirty brushpolitics-as-
Normally there may be no surprises, but it still hurts.
He and his staff are considering ignoring allegations of racism.
They want to refute it.
They want to treat it as a reverse compliment.
After all, why attack a candidate unless he is a real threat?
They want to turn it into another joke. (
He asked an audience why to pick reviews in my old practice of offending Blacks, when my bigot characters have so many offensive words to say about women and gays as well)
Under his joygo-
Fortunately, Friedman was obviously angry.
The day I was invited to Austin's house
Where he grew up in the North-
West of the city-
The National Association for the advancement of people of color has just given him an ultimatum: apologize for what you said and we will invite you to speak at our general assembly.
He rejected the offer.
"Tell them I won't apologize to the person who is trying to intimidate," he yelled at his press secretary.
"I don't apologize to people on the agenda.
I never apologize for the truth.
The fact is that there are many different colors for the racist.
Texas is my country, truth is my religion
Have sex with them and have sex with them if they can't joke.
"It remains to be seen whether the allegations of racism ultimately hurt Friedman, or backfire on Friedman's opponent. African-
Americans have been calling radio stations to say they are shocked by the decision of the National Association of People of color to freeze him.
Larry Williams, a former Texas Association of Colored People, even came to Friedman's campaign office to invite candidates to have breakfast at the Association of Colored People meeting Hotel.
The danger is not that Friedman's former supporters will turn to other candidates, but that voters will be intimidated and will not appear at all --
This is likely to be the ultimate goal of the two major parties.
Friedman told me: "What I Want for Christmas, what I want for Hanukkah, is a large number of voters. "'I'M A JEW;
The United States has a long tradition in which performers and entertainers continue to enter the political arena --
Everyone from Jimmy Davis, the songwriter, took advantage of the success of his popular song, "You Are My Sunshine," to push himself to become governor of the state of Luis Anna in 1944, ventura and Arnold Schwarzenegger
Ventura's campaign is very similar to Friedman's campaign, although he has never been taken seriously by the two major parties, not to mention being attacked by them.
Friedman also took advantage of a proud part of Texas culture-the ungodly, independent character.
Sam Houston, the state's first governor, has ambitions to make Texas an independent nation.
Recently, different politicians like Lyndon Johnson and Ann Richards, who were governors before Bush, relied on a blunt and populist humor, in another state, it may only confuse voters or make them feel cold.
Friedman himself believes that his campaign is a way to take back the Texas soul from oil workers and company lobbyists who have given Texas such a bad reputation --
Because of Bush's presidency, all over the country, now, all over the world.
"What is lost is the morality of cowboys," he said . "
"Cowboys don't create Texas that people are talking about right now.
Cowboys are never a bully.
The Cowboys always stand up for this little guy.
"Texas is really the last place.
Very flexible.
This is a real time of choice.
"It's easy to underestimate the power of Friedman's campaign, especially in the past few weeks.
According to his own admission, Kinky is not a person in the policy details category. (
He joked: "I am a Jew and I will hire good people. ").
Along the way, he also made some loud disfigurement.
In an interview with The Dallas Morning Post last month, when asked about the state's education budget, he was blank --
Education is the top priority of his campaign.
He has to ask his staff on a regular basis to remind him of some key data because it is difficult for him to keep it in his head.
Part of the reason is that he did not perform well in the only candidate debate a few weeks ago.
But Friedman is not stupid at all.
When he played folk cowboy in the campaign, he was equally capable of showing his wealth of knowledge --
To the right audience
One of his favorite lines came from Horace Walpole: "Life is a tragedy for those who have a feeling, but for those who have an idea, life is
"When his opponent --
Like most American politicians, suffer what he calls a "humorous bypass --
Try to devalue or discredit him.
"Look," he said, "it's a comedy, whether they like it or not.
Friedman is in
Power household.
His father is a professor of psychology at the University of Texas and his mother is a speech therapist.
He was a chess prodigy at the age of seven and performed well as a student at the University of Texas. before starting his music career, he worked for the Peace Corps in Borneo, lead singer for eccentric Friedman and Texas Jewish boys.
He was stumped by many of his old friends.
In fact, his closest campaign assistant is the former band.
A member named after little Jewford. (
"He's Jewish and drives a Ford car," Friedman explained . ". )
Also, in a way, Bill hillsmann is one of the smartest political advisers along the way, who helped make a funny and quirky talking doll to raise money for the campaign, willie Nelson, a veteran country singer and advocate for alternative fuels, said he would become his energy czar.
If Friedman is finally elected, much of it is because he has the ability to win people's support face to face.
For the two days I was with him, I saw his charming conservative suburban resident 40 miles north of Austin and was supported by Little Joe, a Chicago singer and performer, with many followers in the Latino community of Texas, he pursued him on a tour bus parked outside a huge bingo hall in the suburbs of San Antonio.
However, it remains to be seen whether Texas is simply fascinated by Friedman, or whether it is actually confident to lead the state out of the political wilderness.
Unlike Britain, the United States has little tradition of incorporating humor into political discourse.
This, in turn, explains why many of Friedman's media coverage looks like a comment on comedy performance, not a serious political cause.
Friedman himself hopes that whatever happens, he can help change that perception.
"Running is a privilege, it's fun," he said . ".
"If I can't put fun into politics, running doesn't make sense.