Posted on 06/29/2006 2:03:45 PM PDT by WestTexasWend
AUSTIN (AP) - "One tough grandma" may be her famed campaign theme, but "Grandma" is also how Carole Keeton Strayhorn is known to friends and strangers alike, her lawyer argued Wednesday.
The nickname "Grandma" should be listed as part of the independent gubernatorial candidate's name on the November ballot and is not merely a slogan, her attorney Roy Minton wrote to Secretary of State Roger Williams.
He was responding to Williams' suggestion last week that it appears Strayhorn's use of "Grandma" is a slogan and under Texas election law shouldn't be allowed on the November ballot. Williams sought more information before making a final decision.
At the same time, Williams wrote to independent candidate for governor Kinky Friedman to say "Kinky" appeared to be a nickname permissible by law on the ballot, but that it would probably appear after his given first name of Richard. Friedman's campaign said Wednesday that it is working on a response to Williams.
Williams confirmed last week that Strayhorn and Friedman each gathered enough voter signatures to make the ballot. Republican Gov. Rick Perry, Democrat Chris Bell and Libertarian James Werner also are running.
Minton wrote that Strayhorn became a grandmother Nov. 12, 1994, and began referring to herself as "Grandma," as did her friends.
"As long as I have known Carole and called her Carole I began calling her Grandma even though I don't and would not address my own wife as Grandma and she has been a Grandma much, much longer," Minton's letter said.
Some time later her campaign began using the term, he noted.
"I think that the connection between her nickname and the line 'One Tough Grandma,' which may or may not be a slogan, is what is giving you a problem and I understand the connection you have in your own mind," Minton wrote. "But, Grandma is clearly not a slogan no matter what 'One Tough Grandma' may or may not be."
The attorney gave examples of other names, such as Pearl Harbor, the Alamo and Ike, which were part of the sayings, "Remember Pearl Harbor," "Remember the Alamo" and "I like Ike." No one thought those names were slogans, even though they were contained in slogans, he said.
"Unlike the dictionary definition of slogan, Grandma is not a phrase expressing the aims or nature of an enterprise nor is Grandma a motto or a battle cry or even a position or goal," Minton wrote.
BTW - does anyone think either "Grandma" or "Kinky" has a snowball's chance?
Who cares? Anything to shake up the one party system we currently have is always a good thing.
"BTW - does anyone think either "Grandma" or "Kinky" has a snowball's chance?"
Of getting double-digit percentages? Sure.
Winning? Nah.
Kinky will probably come closest to Perry, but I'll bet Perry gets in the low 40s, which should be a winner in this type of race.
What I am rooting for is for Bell (the Democrat) to come in 4th. That will put that party in its proper perspective in Texas.
The Texas race for Governer (for me) is an embarresment. Put all these jokers in an apartment and we would have our very own Texas version of Seinfeld...
It doesn't matter what Nicknames are put on the ballot for Kinky, Grandma and Tinker Bell. Perry is going to get re-elected and it won't be close.
I believe the affected states said something about legal names. But that was thirty years ago.
If it was okay for James Earl, it's good enough for these marketeers.
Carole Keaton
"lawyer-loving,
teacher union-ogling,
nebulous number crunching,
flip-flopping,
party-hopping,
husband-shopping,
quite-demanding,
grand[ma]standing"
Strayhorn
Kinky and grandmutha. How much better can it get. They must have taken lessons from Louisiana.
Except no of them have any talent and are not funny, though they are jokes.
Whatever your stance on the nickname thing, we can probably all agree that we don't want to see "Kinky Grandma" on the ballot.
I guess that depends on how well you look in a tutu, big guy. ;-P
I've decided before I ever run for office, I'm going to get my surname legally changed to "Aqui". That way, the state will do my campaigning for me with "Vote Aqui Here" signs at every polling place.
I'd want Strayhorn to have to have all her married names on the ballot but then it would probably have to spill over onto the next line.
My wife tells me I have great legs....
I thought it was the "Killer Bees" of old, old, SNL
Get a room, guys. LOL.
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