Ride 'Em Jewboy

After a stupidly protracted legal battle, country singer/novelist Kinky Friedman, a candidate for governor of Texas, will be allowed to use his stage name on the ballot. He'll appear as Richard "Kinky" Friedman - even though he hasn't used the "Richard" since the early 60s.

This might not have become an issue at all, but for the ploy of rival independent candidate Carole Keeton Strayhorn (Scott McClellan's momma). Strayhorn claimed that voters knew her best as "Grandma," because 1)she used "One Tough Grandma" as one of her slogans and 2)she's old. There's no love lost between the two independents: When Strayhorn claimed her entry into the race to beat Gov. Rick Perry made it a "two-way contest," Friedman snarled: "I agree with her; it's between Carole and her ego."

Comments

[ChicagoTom]

Strayhorn claimed that voters knew her best as "Grandma," because 1)she used "One Tough Grandma" as one of her slogans and 2)she's old

In fairness, Strayhorn also claims that people might not be familiar with her since she has previously run and won office with the name last name Rylander, which she changed this year once getting re-married.

Although I wonder if this was such a concern, why wouldn't she just keep her last name -- thats what I would do if I was an elected official.

[JParker]

Just let them name themselves and if they use scatological or other offensive terms, I'll leave it to the TV stations and the newspapers to self-censor. As far as appearing on the ballot everyone should be adults if they are voting. If an adult can not stand using a ballot with dirty words then the terrorists have already won. Looking forward to running in 2008 as The Real George W. Bush.

[Chaim]

The world has precious few philo-semites with a more intense love of the Hebrew nation than myself. And I have to say, Richard "Kinky" 'Big Dick' Friedman is one of my favorite Jews on all of planet Earth.

[Matthew Rensen]

Will someone tell me what the title "Ride 'Em Jewboy" has to do with the story? So what if he is Jewish?

[AC]

Will someone tell me what the title "Ride 'Em Jewboy" has to do with the story? So what if he is Jewish?

It's the name of one of Kinky Friedman's songs.

[stubby]

Matthew:

One of Kinky's best known songs is "Ride Em Jewboy." He was originally a folk/rock/60s singer songwriter, and his band was The Texas Jewboys.

Kinky's pretty funny when he talks about growing up Jewish in the 50s and 60s in Texas. He says that when someone was describing someone of the Jewish persuasion, the word was one syllable: Oh, Kinky? He's Jewsh.

But when describing someone Jewish doing something they didn't like, the word was 6 or 7 syllables: Did you hear about Edna? She's marrying a Jooooooooooooooo.....

[Gene Berkman]

Kinky Friedman also writes detective novels, which take place in Texas or in New York City. Pretty entertaining, if a little lightweight.

[Ron Hardin]

He's regularly known on Imus visits as Kinky ``Big Dick'' Friedman, so the Richard is in there somewhere.

Kinky on Mother Teresa http://rhhardin.home.mindspring.com/transcription.kinky.txt from an ancient Imus show.

[biologist]

a morning shock jock in Tampa/ St. Pete, FL had his name legally changed to "Bubba the Love Sponge" Clem (from Todd, I think) so that he would be easily recognized on the ballot for (I can't remember) either sheriff of Pinellas County (where St. Pete is) or chief of police of St. Pete

[Uri ben Tzvi]

"Ride 'em Jewboy" is a song about the Holocaust. Very haunting. Kinky's best song is "They ain't Makin Jews Like Jesus Anymore" that contains the line "They ain't makin carpenters that know what nails are for."

[Angela Keaton]

The real mystery is how someone as unappetizing as Carole Keeton McClellan Rylander Strayhorn can change out husbands like boxes of baking soda in the freezer.

[Huh]

I wonder how Kinky, with his empty populist rhetoric and clearly non-libertarian views on issues such as health care, can get any love from this website.

It must be because he used to sing, cause it sure as hell isn't his political stance (although I agree his stances are difficult to find).

Of course, maybe I'm missing something.

[Nicholas Sarwark]

I wonder how Kinky, with his empty populist rhetoric and clearly non-libertarian views on issues such as health care, can get any love from this website.

I think there are three answers to that question: Chris Bell, Rick Perry, and Carole Whatshername.