Inside Kinky Friedman's Campaign For Governor

Is this a national movement you’re starting?

[I’m] a rebel with a cause, and the cause is to get rid of politics as usual. So at this point, I’m not running with any party, it’s just kind of a common sense thing. I want to clean out the political stables. I don’t want to have any political alignments where I’ve got to appoint a guy for something. That’s what’s ruined education in Texas, made us 50th in high school kids getting into college. That is why we’re in a race for the bottom with Mississippi in funding public schools… and we’re winning. And we’re number one in executions, you know… As Dr. Phil says, ‘How’s that workin’ for ya?’

You have [Dean] Barkley [formerly Montana wrestler-cum-Governor Jesse Ventura’s campaign manager]…

We’ve got Barkley and we’ve got Bill Hillsman, who’s the guy who crafted the ad campaign for Jesse [Ventura], and for Paul Wellstone. And for Ralph Nader 2000. Between Bill Hillsman and Dean Barkley, we’ve got people who’ve been there and done that. Texas is a real seminal state. If an independent can win in Texas, bluebonnets will spring up all over America. It will have a real, real effect on the country.

You also have a Palestinian campaign chairman.

Yeah, Farouk Shami. Farouk and I are going to the Middle East together, and it will be, what I call ‘spiritual uplifting.’ We’ve got a product named Farouk and Friedman’s Olive Oil which is sold in Whole Foods all around the country. It’s olive oil from Farouk’s family’s groves south of Jerusalem that have been there since the time of Jesus. And Farouk and I don’t agree on everything; he is a Palestinian, and I’m pretty much a Zionist. We agree on peace and olive oil. But we’re going to do this together, and we’re giving the profits, of course, to Palestinian and Israeli children affected by the conflict. Farouk will be my ambassador to Israel and Palestine from Texas. He already knows all the little mayors, little towns on the West Bank, in Gaza. When Arafat was around, there was a number on Farouk’s back, he could have very easily been called a collaborator, in fact was. So Farouk’s a brave guy. And this is the first time in Texas you’ll see all the Arab-Americans here and the Jews voting on the same side.

In this issue: Anya Kamanetz on debt, Kinky Friedman on politics, and Amy Goodman on media. Plus the thowback photoshoot, Sweatshop Chic.