Kinky Friedman Says Goodbye, His Way
Texas independent candidate for governor Kinky Friedman, a cigar-chomping novelist and entertainer who boasted a constellation of celebrity supporters, came in fourth in his Quixotic race to win the governor's mansion, but gave a characteristically colorful concession speech to his supporters.
The race was one of the most colorful in the country thanks to Friedman, who hoped to emulate wrestler-turned-Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura's success in 1998.
But he got in trouble with some voters for his use of racial epithets, and in the end, Republican incumbent Rick Perry won. Democrat Chris Bell had the second-most votes, and even Carole Keeton Strayhorn -- known to the electorate as "Grandma" -- bested Friedman.
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