Texas comedian Kinky Friedman – once the lead singer for the Texas Jewboys, who performed offbeat country songs with Willie Nelson and Bob Dylan – ran for real-life political office in 2004.
In his campaign to challenge incumbent Republican Gov. Rick Perry in 2006, Mr. Friedman, running as an independent, promised to eradicate the "wussification" of Texas and steered clear of controversial issues such as abortion and gun control: "I'm not pro-choice. I'm not pro-life. I'm pro-football," he told a Monitor reporter.
Though he managed to raise more funds than the Democratic nominee, his 12.4 percent of the vote in the the general election was only good enough for fourth place.
