I'll start off by stating the obvious: I'm a Chris Bell supporter, through and through. So maybe that had something to do with my rather strong reaction to this morning's Kinky Friedman
article in the local daily. Here're the opening grafs:
If independent Kinky Friedman wins the governor's race, he'll awaken on his first full day in office and probably tend immediately to any dogs he imports to the Governor's Mansion from his ranch near Medina. Then he'll dress in his customary black from head to foot (hat included, size 7 1/8) and snatch a cigar on his way to the Capitol office vacated by Republican Rick Perry.
Assuming there's no sudden crisis, he'll finish up plans for a trip to Las Vegas.
Well, isn't that special. Granted, I suppose any candidate would want to take a break after a campaign, especially one as crazy as this one. But there's just something about Kinky hitting the slots in Vegas that torques my jaw.
(Lend me your ears while I rant a bit. I apologize in advance for the length.)
No doubt I'm just jealous. What with housing, health care, and gas costs the way they are, I'm not heading out to Vegas anytime soon. Just a touch of the green monster. How petty of me.
I could be like my sister. She doesn't have time to be jealous, what with the two kids and the underemployed husband. If she weren't disabled, perhaps she could get a job. That might help--they might even have insurance. Luckily, the kids are partially covered under CHIP, just one of the vital, vital programs that Democrats in the state legislature fight unceasingly to strengthen and expand. My mother, now in her 60's and still working, regularly picks up the slack--buying medications, paying the electric bill, and so on.
My sister and mother are not angry at their government. They're angry with each other, which is so much sadder. In a way, it's easier to be angry with the person in front of you who can't pay her bills, or the child that loses her glasses, than it is to be angry with a government, a party, or a candidate. Those are abstract; a person is concrete.
This is what poverty does. It dehumanizes you, not only in the eyes of the well-off, but also in your own eyes and even those of the people you love.
But I digress.
Kinky calls himself a Good Shepherd. But I have yet to hear anything come out of his mouth that suggests he's capable of recognizing the problems my sister and her family face. I have trouble believing that, after he gets back from playing blackjack, he'll do anything to support them, whether by pushing legislation, appointing capable people who aren't singer-songwriters or pro athletes, or vetoing unfair legislation.
I'm not jealous, really. I'm angry that Kinky's race has been, in effect, a gamble. A game of craps, with my two nieces as the dice. Furthermore, I'm angry that good, smart people, loyal liberals, have become so apathetic that they're willing to play that game.
Meanwhile, there's a good man running in the race whom no one has been able to see, in part due to Kinky's cigar smoke and mirrors. Until very recently, no one took him seriously, at least not seriously enough to give him the financial support you need when running a race in a state the size of a small European country.
"But Chris Bell is boring and he can't win." I've heard people say. And I want to reply, Quit your whining. Give up your apathy. Your apathy is a luxury that my family and I can't afford.
Bell is a decent, smart, capable man. He cares about government, whether it hurts or helps people in their daily lives. And he has never given up on public service, never retreated into apathy, never played games with people's lives for the sake of his own ego. He is not invested in a persona defined by a cigar, a black hat, and a fuck-y'all comedy routine.
Not so long ago, we lost Ann Richards, and the loss still hurts. Ann was decency, sass, flamboyance, and kindness, all rolled up into one. That's a rare combination. That combination will come again. But right now, what we have is a choice between flamboyance and decency. Those are the cards we've been dealt.
So play'em as you see 'em, folks. If you want to gamble on Kinky, go right ahead. But don't play based on who you think can win--play based on who you honestly think is right. And when you do, I'd really appreciate it if you'd think of folks like my sister--you don't know her, but you know someone like her.
I'm putting my money on decency and service. How about you?