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[Jude]

This guy isn't a joke.

Yeah, but he's a Palestinian running for governor of Texas. He has no chance.

Not that I know anything about Texas politics; I'm just working on the assumption that there is a solid enough majority of racist hicks there to make it impossible for him to win

[nil]

This guy isn't a joke.

Yeah, but he's a Palestinian running for governor of Texas. He has no chance.

Not that I know anything about Texas politics; I'm just working on the assumption that there is a solid enough majority of racist hicks there to make it impossible for him to win

Bobby Jinal is governor of neighboring Louisiana, and he's of a similar hue.
 
edit: I'm assuming he's not Muslim... if he is he's really, really wasting his time.

edit2: Somehow missed that he was running as a democrat...  Doesn't matter if he's a Muslim or not in that case, all the people who care will err on the side of bigotry.

[Aqizzar]

edit2: Somehow missed that he was running as a democrat...  Doesn't matter if he's a Muslim or not in that case, all the people who care will err on the side of bigotry.

I was hoping the Democrat part would be brought up.  Here's the funny thing - Texas isn't as rabidly Republican as George Bush made it look.  Yes, Texas has the image of the super-right reactionary culture and so forth, but is becoming more cosmopolitan all the time.  In addition to the like 30%ish Hispanic population, as the only part of the country where the economy isn't in the toilet, Texas attracts business-class immigrants from around the world.  DFW and Austin are among of the most diverse cities after New York, including large populations of Arabs and Muslim Africans.  But enough brochure crap.

The big issue is that the Republican party his is likely to rip itself in half (or more) during the primary elections.  His Majesty Richard Perry, First Emperor of Texas, only won his 2006 reelection with 40% out of a four-way race, and has only lost popularity since then.  He's despised by pretty much everyone but the hardest core yet savviest Republicans for the immigration issue turning into a firestorm, the budget going to pot, his openly corrupt attempts to imminent-domain people out of their houses to funnel "public works" contracts to his contractor cronies, and all that smoke and noise about secession.  Reasonable people (i.e. me) think he's knowingly spouting nonsense to jump on the superpatriot-governor bandwagon.

Not surprisingly, if hilariously, he's now challenged by Larry Kilgore, a bona-fide secessionist who thinks Perry isn't going nearly far enough.  More realistically, Perry might lose the Republican primary to Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, who used to be one of the voices of Republican reason in Congress until she started crazying it up to run for governor.  She's actually got the money and recognition to make it happen, and Perry is conceited (and rich) enough to fund his own campaign should he be unseated.

The other part is that Texas' most beloved governor in living memory was Democrat Ann Richards, though that was mostly in name nearly 20 years ago.  More recently, McCain only beat Obama here 55% to 45%, and Obama took all the urban areas.  Hell, Tom DeLay lost an election to the guy he gerrymandered out of his district.  The Texas Democratic party is pretty self-sufficient since it's been completely written off by the DNC, though they have anchored themselves to some truly useless candidates like Chris Bell from the last election.

But this time, after a litany of Democratic candidates designed to be as bland as possible, Dick "Kinky" Friedman, comedian turned musician turned novelist turned D-list celebrity is running in the Democratic primary.  And winning.  He ran in 2006 and won a whopping 13%.  If you know anything about American politics, earning 13% as a fourth place Independent is simply astounding, but obviously not a win.  If he was actually on the Democratic ticket, running against "politics" in general as Texans are wont to do, with the Republican candidates eating each other alive, I think he could really pull it off.

Legalized gambling, gay marriage, open borders, two BioWillie hybrid-electrics in every garage, a cigar in every pot and pot in every cigar.  Kinky Friedman - Why The Hell Not?

Pity the governor is more a figurehead than the senate-appointed Lieutenant, but hey, who's keeping track?

[Randall Octagonapus]

Here in Illinois our governor just got impeached

[KaelGotDwarves]

Eh, no one liked Blago-muffin-head anyhow. (ex-Illinoisean)

Heck, not many people like The Governator here either.

And if Texas elects a Democratic governor I will eat my boxers.

[LegoLord]

And if Texas elects a Democratic governor I will eat my boxers.

Aqizzar already said it.
Ann Richards.  20 years ago.
Eat 'em 

[Ampersand]

Number of Governors of Texas by party affiliation
Party               Governors
Democratic           39
Republican            6
Unionist               1
Independent         1

[Aqizzar]

Correct.  However, most of those were during the days of the Solid South, back before the parties swapped identities in the 1960s.  Republicans were the party of Northern progressives (usually) and Democrats were the party of Southern racists (somewhat).  Then again, Texas' first female governor in the 1930s (one of the nation's first woman governors) was a Democrat and effectively outlawed the Klan from operating in Texas.

[Neonivek]

I was about to say something stupid

It is a "Mayor" where Party Affiliation has little effect.

[x2yzh9]

In this town most are Republican, though i'm Democratic Liberal... These people in our neighborhood had shitfuck Steaming Turd-Monkey Fucktons of shit banners for like.. All over their lawn. You could barely walk on it [I'm being serious]. Anyway, these kids X'ed one out and my 'sis was drivin me home from school and we were both like "Fuck yeah!".

EDIT:In b4 Sofia.

[KaelGotDwarves]

I mean if they elect a Democrat this cycle. I am aware of the shifting of republican -> conservative from Lincoln's years.

[Duke 2.0]

In this town most are Republican, though i'm Democratic Liberal... These people in our neighborhood had shitfuck Steaming Turd-Monkey Fucktons of shit banners for like.. All over their lawn. You could barely walk on it [I'm being serious]. Anyway, these kids X'ed one out and my 'sis was drivin me home from school and we were both like "Fuck yeah!".

EDIT:In b4 Sofia.

I was always annoyed over election sign drama. Sure enough one can express their wish for their candidate to win and how hopelessly retarded the other candidate is, but defacing signs just seems a bit low-class unless the sign features a bold face lie. Saying "Vote for me!" ain't something one can deface and not look like a jerk.

[nil]

I was hoping the Democrat part would be brought up.  Here's the funny thing - Texas isn't as rabidly Republican as George Bush made it look.  Yes, Texas has the image of the super-right reactionary culture and so forth, but is becoming more cosmopolitan all the time.  In addition to the like 30%ish Hispanic population, as the only part of the country where the economy isn't in the toilet, Texas attracts business-class immigrants from around the world.  DFW and Austin are among of the most diverse cities after New York, including large populations of Arabs and Muslim Africans.  But enough brochure crap.

Heh, I don't mind being the hook for your spiel because there's a lot of international folks here who might have found it interesting/informative, but for the record I wasn't saying that a Democrat can't win in Texas.  A Palestinian immigrant Democrat, on the other hand...  When I googled him one of the first hits was a FreeRepublic thread where everyone talked about how evil Muslims are--I don't even know if he is Muslim, but I know it doesn't matter.  People think Barry's a Muslim and he's been (famously) going to church for 20 years, this guy doesn't stand a chance.

None of this would apply if he was a Republican and Christian--there are very, very few Americans bigoted enough to be prejudiced against the people on their "side."

[Gorjo MacGrymm]

Being a republican conservative white male christian (yeah, i know!  im such a cliche!) born and raised in Texas, you might think this thread pisses me off.  But, really, it doesnt.  I think there are less than 10 texans who regularly post here.  The other opinions are silly because they have no idea what the power arrangment of Texas is or what the job of the governer is.  Its not a bad thing, I dont live in Wisconsin and have no idea how their state goverment works either, for example, which is why I dont comment on it.  There are those also who seem to feel that any state not on the east or west coast is full of "racist hicks", being that in this case "racist hicks" is a synonym for "people who are more educated and experienced than me", or, if you prefer, "please let me out of my plastic bubble!".  I know some people want to elect Kinky Friedman, cuz they think it would be just so "hilarious" and "way wicked cool".  Since these people think of these things between premiers of Twilight and New Moon, i can forgive them for their apparent lack of political savvy.  But anyone thinking rationally would know that electing Kinky to public office is a freakin train wreck on all tracks.  Me, personally, I am not into train wrecks, at least not ones going thorugh the governers mansion.  Some people think its funny to deface signs and vandalize property.  But republicans are crafty, they have lots of signs and good camera's......  These attacks only help the republican movement when its played on the nightly news.  Physically attacking others for political gain only works in St. Louis.  The left side talks and talks, puts out poll stats, thinks that "this is the year!", but always conviently forgets that Texas is a succesful state with lots going for it.  Political change doesnt come when everything is going good.  I know, i know, you are gonna say "but the economy blah blah blah..." and I say to you, yeah, exactly.  Texas ain't going broke and it aint giving out IOU's to its debtors.  Heck, it hasnt even had its state comptroller look into dissolving the state and returning to territory status because it cant pay its debts (ahem, wtf cali?).  Texas has been riding through some severe times but is proving that its models and policies were the right ones for the times, so far.  I dont know about you, but it would seem to make sense that jumping off this wagon would be tantamount to standing in front of a train.....even though your not on train tracks, and the governers office is right behind you.


sincerely,
Gorjo "Kill the Donkey" MacGrymm

[Reasonableman]

I'd just like to step in and say that, although I couldn't vote until just this year, I'd like to apologize for our choice of governor. That is all.