Interesting. Any opinions from Minnesota Dopers?
Well, i’m not from Minnesota, but i quite like the idea. Whether one finds Franken funny or not (i do), he is definitely smart, and i like his politics.
If he wins, i hope he would bring the same leftist integrity to the seat that Paul Wellstone did before his untimely death.
His opponent, Norm Coleman is very beatable.
He’s a consummate politician who changes his philosophies with every new opinion poll. He also is from New York and he’s Jewish so he won’t be able to hurt Franken on those points. Unlike Franken, however, Coleman did not grow up in Minnesota and Coleman speaks with a very non-Minnesotan accent.
He did heavy lifting for Bush the first four years of his term and now he’s backpedaling away from him so furiously he’s in danger of straining a muscle. Sometimes he is anyway. He’s made grand pronouncements about his disapproval of the war in Iraq (which he strongly supported in the last election and of which he said he was “very optimistic” about the progress being made there way back in the summer of 2006) yet he still gives Republicans assurances he will continue to support Bush. It will be interesting to see how long he can maintain this juggling act.
Personally, I find Coleman to be a disingenuous opportunist and long to see him go down in flames.
Bad choice of words - I wasn’t thinking of the tragedy that put Coleman into office in the first place.
You betcha! GD thread.
I don’t always agree with Franken’s politics, but I find him to be thoughtful, well read, and articulate.
Franken pulls so many deadpan goofs that I’d think he would be extremely vulnerable to “man of his word” challenges. Plus, while his roots are Minnesotan, his humor is mostly Harvard Lampoon, with a strong streak of show-biz Jewish irony. People in Lake Wobegon aren’t gonna Get Him.
If Al truly wishes to be of public service, he should get himself a nightly TV talk show.
I think that if Franken runs, he’ll win.
I should add that I’m not biased (well, not very, anyway)–I dislike Franken and Coleman approximately equally.
(Don’t live in MN, but I’m in the Twin Cities once a week on personal business.)
Almost makes me wish I lived in MN so I could vote for him! Almost.
He’s from Minnesota? Huh. I did not know that.
My wife’s pretty active with the DFL here in the Twin Cities. She has some pretty uncomplementary things to say about Norm. I’ll ask her about Al.
He already has a radio talk show.
And clean.
I haven’t liked Al Franken since his days on Saturday Night Live. “…me, Al Franken…etc”
We’ve had a wrestler for governer, and now a ‘comedian’ (however unfunny) is running for senator. Fuck us.
And you’d rather have, what? another lawyer? Personally I think most comedians are pretty damn smart. And they’re observant. And in tune with their audience. Not bad traits for a senator.
If I were president, I’d have an ex-comedian as my Press Secretary for those exact reasons, PunditLisa.
Former Minnesotan checking in…From what I have heard on his radio show, I like him. He seems articulate and intelligent enough, and really might make a nice successor to Wellstone. Of course, I didn’t mind Ventura either (occasional grace under pressure issues notwithstanding…).
Jack
Norm Coleman is the quintessential flip flopper.
Back when Coleman was a Democrat, he chaired Paul Wellstone’s Senate re-election campaign in 1996.
While delivering the Wellstone nomination speech at the 1996 DFL State convention, Coleman pronounced: “Paul Wellstone is a Democrat, and I am a Democrat.”
Norm, seeing the winds of change stirring, switched to the Republican Party in 1997 and ran against Wellstone in 2002.
Norm has been a big Bush backer, until recently that is, when those winds started blowing again.
Al Franken would a good opponent and could win.
I hope those winds blow Coleman out.
The same could be said for bunco artists.
At least if we have to have a commedian, make it a good one. Like Carrot Top.
Here’s a radical idea: why don’t you listen to his policies, and listen to him explain what he intends to do as a Senator, and see if you think he’d actually do a good job representing the people of Minnesota?
If you’re a dyed-in-the-wool conservative, then by all means vote for the other guy. If you’re a Democrat who thinks Franken is too left, then don’t vote for him. If you’re a socialist or anarchist who thinks Franken is just a tool of the establishment, then don’t vote for him.
But to reject him simply because you don’t like his comedy, or the idea of a comedian running for office, is just absurd. It’s just as silly as voting for him because you think he’s funny.
Minnesotan.
Will Coleman be running as a Republican or a Democrat?
If Al can get even a smidgen of the Wellstone populist vibe, he’s in.
Norm Coleman would sell his soul to Satan if he thought it might give him a chance at being President.
I don’t know that Franken would win. Coleman is weak, but some of this state does (believe it or not) pull right, and Franken is obnoxious (I like him and will vote for him, but he is obnoxious).
(E - He’s from St. Louis Park - ask your wife about Laurie Coleman).