Finding independence in Lone Star state

Are you a Democrat or a Republican? When you talk politics with a classmate, this is usually the first question that comes up.

This Penn microcosm of the national political environment makes it clear that we've been trained to see all politics -- local, state and national -- through the lens of a false dichotomy.

There are the Penn Democrats and the College Republicans that follow their party lines. But there is no all-inclusive "American Politics" organization, where ideas could be expressed and debated by students with a full range of ideologies. Politics should be a logical argument and a desire to do some good, nothing more.

There are only a few hundred Penn students from Texas, but this fall's Texas gubernatorial race is one we all should pay attention to.

Somewhere beyond the Red River, a cowboy is clenching a fat Cuban cigar between his lips. He's shaded by a broad black Stetson as he mingles with a crowd of enthusiastic supporters. He's telling jokes, most of them dirty, and literally passing his hat to collect contributions. He's Kinky Friedman, and he's trying to be the first independent governor of Texas since Sam Houston in 1861.

And joke though he might, Kinky Friedman is no joke. In a recent poll he was supported by 22 percent of respondents, fairly staggering for an independent with practically no political organization. It seems his mix of straight talk and common sense is resonating with people tired of politics as usual in Texas.

Even though he's off to a good start, Kinky will struggle to overcome strong prejudices and stout barriers against independent candidates. In this country, independent candidates are perennially screwed.

You may be wondering why independent candidates matter. Isn't it only important that we have a choice? Well, as Kinky says, our current "choice" is a choice between "paper and plastic."

The Democrats and Republicans send out the same tongue-in-cheek candidates every election. They promise the world and don't deliver. They claim that they will "look out for the little guy" but they will really just look out for themselves, their family, their friends and their biggest donors.

If past and recent history isn't enough of a wake-up call, politicians thrive on corruption. If your congressman or senator has a clean record, it's probably because they haven't gotten caught yet. It's no wonder that so few people vote.

I have been taught that a representative's mission is two-fold; first, to follow the will of their electorate; second, to follow their own judgment. Neither duty requires a political party, and both are more likely fulfilled by an independent rather than a party man. Being independent says "I'm smart enough to use my own brain. I don't need a party to tell me how to think."

I'll let George Washington make the argument: Parties "agitate the community with ill-founded jealousies and false alarms, kindle the animosity of one part against another ... .[They] open the door to ... corruption. ... Mischiefs of the spirit of [parties] are sufficient to make it the interest and duty of a wise people to discourage and restrain [them]."

I bet President Washington would have agreed that independent candidates deserve respect, attention and support.

Therefore, in the future, think about what kind of representative your ideal representative would be. Think about how you would want them to act, and whom you would want them to act for.

Now think about our political reality.

How many of our politicians are honest? How many of our politicians vote their conscience? How many of our politicians are not in the pockets of others? I say few. It's not a new reality, but it's a reality nonetheless.

I say it's time for a few independents to have their chance.

I may not agree with everything Kinky Friedman says, but that's not the point.

The point is he cares about his state. The point is he's a citizen with some good ideas and the courage to speak his mind. The point is that he's not one of them, he's one of us. That's an independent.

I am not from Texas, so its affairs are not really any of my business. But this November, Texas voters will have a unique opportunity to reject politics as usual and vote for a genuine change. I hope they recognize that opportunity.

Go Kinky! I'm rooting for you, cowboy.

Alex Weinstein is a junior history major from Bridgeport, W.V. Straight to Hell appears on Thursdays.

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