That Texas governor's race

Last Friday we put up a "quote of the day" from Kinky Friedman, an independent candidate who is running for Texas governor. A couple of folks weighed in with their opinions, and they're interesting enough to elevate into a post.

(Two disclosures here. First, I used to cover politics as a newspaper reporter in Texas, so I'm interested in this sort of thing. Second, neither this blog nor NCADP endorses candidates in partisan elections. NCADP isn't allowed to because of our tax status, and this blog is an extension of NCADP. So, we play by the rules. However, we are allowed to educate the public as to candidates' positions on issues such as the death penalty.)

In response to the post below, "Stop Kinky" wrote:

Kinky has been a disappointment on the death penalty. I thought he'd be promising, but his website now brags "Kinky is not anti-death-penalty."

In response to "Stop Kinky," "Persian Cowboy" wrote:

Dear Stop Kinky,I think I have enough information to comment on Kinky’s view about the death penalty. I have talked to him a few times since last year and every time the Kinkster said that his main concern was to focus and to be "Damn sure we won't execute the wrong guy." Mr. Friedman went so far as to boldly state he would find an alternative to Texas' "Eject 'em or inject 'em" policy on death row legislation. However as you said he would always say that “He is not against the death penalty, but he is against killing the wrong guy.” He signed TSADP’s Moratorium petition last year and said that he would support a moratorium on executions in Texas. Also if you read his last book, he talks about it too. He changed his position from moratorium to abolition when he testified on Soffar’s case. He said, “The (criminal justice) system is not perfect,” he said. “Until it’s perfect, let’s do away with the death penalty.”

Then, some anonymous person posted this (s/he is referring to Democrat Chris Bell, Republican incumbent Rick Perry and independent candidate Carole Keeton Strayhorn):

Thank God Kinky has come out against killing the wrong guy! I've tried to find Perry's, Strayhorn's, and Bell's position on killing the wrong guy, but they all appear to have ducked this important issue. I suppose we can assume Strayhorn is in favor of killing the wrong guy because she's one tough grandma, but I really want to know where Perry and Bell stand on the critical question of executing innocent people who have been wrongly convicted. If Kinky changed his position from moratorium on the death penalty to abolition when he testified in Soffar’s case, someone ought to tell those folks who are running Kinky's campaign website because they are actively soliciting support for Kinky's campaign based on a position which you say he has now rejected. Between your conversations with Kinky and his own website, I'm betting that you have the more accurate information because the website also contains conflicting information about Kinky's views on reproductive freedoms, Kinky's voting history, and Kinky's views on immigration.

Then Persian Cowboy concluded the discussion (for now at least) with this remark:

Do you have the link to his website about the death penalty? I can call them and ask them to correct it in their website. If they don't do it, then it means that his campaign is not against the death penalty. I asked Chris Bell to sign our moratorium petition. He said that he is for the death penalty and he is still thinking (whether he) should support a moratorium on executions or no. So I guess he would not be much help to the (anti) Death Penalty movement in Texas.