Texas Politics and other strange animals

A platypus is a strange looking animal. So is the breed of dog known as the Shar Pei (the very, very wrinkled dog). Okay, I've gotten "other strange animals" out of the way. :-)

Now on to Texas politics. I am watching the governor's race very closely, because if Kinky Friedman and Carole Keeton Strayhorn can each get enough signatures, we could very well have a 4-way governor's race. Already the national media has taken note, as I've already seen interviews done of Friedman by CBS and PBS (free publicity! What a boon for an independent candidate who's relying on his own resources!). Along with Friedman and Strayhorn are the incumbent Rick Perry and the Democratic candidate, Chris Bell.

I had hoped to find a petition of one of those candidates circulating around so that I can sign it and do my part to have an independent on the ballot. As it turns out, one of them appeared at the Student Center of the campus where I work (Texas Christian University), and it was of Strayhorn. I don't know a lot about Strayhorn or her politics, and I would have signed Friedman's petition had I come across it first. I wasn't signing Strayhorn's petition as a way of supporting her anyway, I was just supporting her independent candidate status --which won't count as a vote in November if she turns out to have views that I find disagreeable.

Right now, I don't know who I'll vote for. None of the candidates are exactly outspoken about their views right now, which is probably how they want it until the election is a few months away. However, I want 4 candidates on the ballot as a way to shake up the old two-party system that has been in place for too long. I hope that the two independents prove to be very influential in the election rather than as flashes in the pan. And if an independent is elected governer, what a message that would send to the leaders of the two major political parties. I think the parties have forgotten that they work for us rather than we working for them, and a Governor Friedman or a Governor Strayhorn would be a rather pleasant surprise for those who have been resigned to the fact that we essentially have only two political parties. Who knows? Maybe the election of Governor Kinky or Governor Grandma can be the start of something big.

But first, they gotta get on the ballot!