What the FOKs?

Friends Of Kinky may be dismayed to read the new Texas Monthly’s story on Chris Bell’s run for Governor. They get down to some inside baseball and the handicappers aren’t exactly bullish on the Friedman campaign. One is left to hope for a big debate scene where the Kinkster does some major giant-killing. (Note to Dean Barkley: Is this how it went in Minnesota?) After that is election day with John and Jane Q. Public swarming the polls to get Kinky in the mansion. Friedman needs tons of non-voters to register and then vote for him.
This leaves me conflicted , as I have a problem with the platform calling for initative and referendum in Texas, as well as same-day voter registration. I see I&R being one more club for monied interests to beat us with. More of the sort of stuff the Bush campaigns gin up when they smell trouble, like ‘Texans for Clean Air’ and ‘Swift Boat Veterans for Truth.’ And I have nightmares where our political process morphs into something like ‘American Idle.’ Admittedly, that’s not much worse than ‘The Price Is Right’ we have now. I keep remembering voting for John Anderson and seeing Reagan elected. Or what Ross Perot did to George H.W. Bush. I hope Friedman can convince me that I’m not just clearing the way for Rick “Mo-Fo” Perry or Carole “Mean Gramma” Strayhorn.