# Al Franken's new book "Giant of the Senate" **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 31, 2017, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/al-frankens-new-book-giant-of-the-senate/787804 "2017-05-31T23:12:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Girl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7bcc69/32.png) [@Mighty\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Girl)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2017, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/al-frankens-new-book-giant-of-the-senate/787804/61 "2017-06-03T03:13:50Z")
Interview with Trevor Noah for those of you still on dial-up. šŸ™‚ ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2017, 10:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/al-frankens-new-book-giant-of-the-senate/787804/62 "2017-06-04T10:13:04Z")
Frankenā€™s just got me good and proper with his ā€˜Laughs at Dentistā€™ line. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2017, 10:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/al-frankens-new-book-giant-of-the-senate/787804/63 "2017-06-04T10:44:08Z")
> [@Chimera](#): > > ā€œIf you killed Ted Cruz on the floor of the Senate, and the trial was in the Senate, nobody would convict you.ā€ > > - Lindsey Graham My favorite Graham story is that during some campaign (probably mid-2000s) he was asked if he knew the price of a stamp, loaf of bread, gallon of milk, etc. He reportedly said something like, ā€œIā€™m a bachelor. I donā€™t know how much eggs cost, but I do know that a number three combo at Chik-Fil-A with a large Dr. Pepper cost $7.49.ā€ ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2017, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/al-frankens-new-book-giant-of-the-senate/787804/64 "2017-06-04T12:20:57Z")
I havenā€™t read an Al Franken book in a while, and look forward to reading this one. On a side note, those of you near Chicago might be interested in Frankenā€™s upcoming appearance at the Printerā€™s Row Lit Fest. [http://printersrowlitfest.org/participant/1984.html](http://printersrowlitfest.org/participant/1984.html) ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2017, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/al-frankens-new-book-giant-of-the-senate/787804/65 "2017-06-04T12:32:46Z")
Iā€™ve posted this before here at SDMB, but here it is again in case you missed it. Franken draws a map of the U.S., state by state. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/EDZmDGRk1k0/hqdefault.jpg "Al Franken draws U.S. map for Middle Schoolers [Original]") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDZmDGRk1k0) ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2017, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/al-frankens-new-book-giant-of-the-senate/787804/66 "2017-06-04T13:28:42Z")
[quote=ā€œbobot, post:65, topic:787804ā€] Iā€™ve posted this before here at SDMB, but here it is again in case you missed it. Franken draws a map of the U.S., state by state. [/QUOTE] I can do that. Iā€™m not sure mine would be quite as well-formed as his though. ---
**Author:** ![TonySinclair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/49beb7/32.png) [@TonySinclair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TonySinclair)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2017, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/al-frankens-new-book-giant-of-the-senate/787804/67 "2017-06-04T13:52:02Z")
[quote=ā€œbobot, post:65, topic:787804ā€] Iā€™ve posted this before here at SDMB, but here it is again in case you missed it. Franken draws a map of the U.S., state by state. [/QUOTE] Very interesting, but I was even more entertained by a link from that page that shows Franken eviscerating Bill Oā€™Reilly to his face: [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gFJai_2YCNs) ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2017, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/al-frankens-new-book-giant-of-the-senate/787804/68 "2017-06-04T14:22:57Z")
> [@gaffa](#): > > One especially admirable thing Sen. Franken did during his first term was to refuse all invitations to appear on TV news programs to talk about anything other than his state. Even at the Democratic National Convention, he wasnā€™t going to be separated from the Minnesota group. If his fellow Senators and Representatives adopted that policy, US politics would be improved immeasurably. Yeah, thatā€™s a great idea. None of this talk about foreign policy bullshit. All I want to hear about is pigs from Iowa and corn from Kansas! Oh, and how 'bout them Idaho spuds!?!? ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2017, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/al-frankens-new-book-giant-of-the-senate/787804/69 "2017-06-04T14:51:31Z")
[quote=ā€œTonySinclair, post:67, topic:787804ā€] Very interesting, but I was even more entertained by a link from that page that shows Franken eviscerating Bill Oā€™Reilly to his face: [/QUOTE] Damn, that was something else! The angry tension radiating from Oā€™Reilly was almost visible. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2017, 9:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/al-frankens-new-book-giant-of-the-senate/787804/70 "2017-06-05T09:28:41Z")
Just finished reading it. I think the most surprising revelation for me was Frankenā€™s feelings about Obama. He clearly is not a big fan. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2017, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/al-frankens-new-book-giant-of-the-senate/787804/71 "2017-06-05T12:57:24Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Just finished reading it. I think the most surprising revelation for me was Frankenā€™s feelings about Obama. He clearly is not a big fan. I got the impression that Franken thought Obama was (mostly) a very good president, but the lack of support in 2008 really stung him personally. ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2017, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/al-frankens-new-book-giant-of-the-senate/787804/72 "2017-06-05T13:32:40Z")
Iā€™m only halfway through but he explains in the book why he decided to be very State centric in his governing style: during his campaign he was accused of being a carpetbagger even though he was raised in the state and also he and his staff had a fear that people would assume that he became senator to feed his own ego since he came from show business. He wanted to make it very clear he was in it for the people of his state from the start. Plus, and this is just me now, itā€™s not wrong to focus on your state as a Senator. Yes the laws you vote on effect the Nation as a whole but at the end of the day you represent your state in the body you work in so that should be your priority. > [@iiandyiiii](#): > > I got the impression that Franken thought Obama was (mostly) a very good president, but the lack of support in 2008 really stung him personally. I havenā€™t finished it yet but I would agree with this. ---
**Author:** ![JohnGalt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johngalt/32/184_2.png) [@JohnGalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnGalt)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2017, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/al-frankens-new-book-giant-of-the-senate/787804/73 "2017-06-05T17:29:47Z")
Previously, I wrote > [@](#): > > Heā€™s doing a book signing at a local bookstore this weekend (Iā€™m in Minnesota). Iā€™m planning on going - any suggestion on how early I should get in line? What should I ask him to write? to which a reply was: > [@Disgruntled\_Penguin](#): > > More books. which I thought was great! So I got my book signed by Senator Franken, and I told him people are asking him to write ā€œmore booksā€. He chuckled and said that this is the last one for a while. Iā€™m disappointed! Itā€™s really a great book, and Iā€™m proud to have him as a senator. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2017, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/al-frankens-new-book-giant-of-the-senate/787804/74 "2017-06-05T21:16:38Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > I got the impression that Franken thought Obama was (mostly) a very good president, but the lack of support in 2008 really stung him personally. Itā€™s more a matter of what isnā€™t there. Franken was elected to the Senate in 2008; the same year that Obama was elected President. But itā€™s notable how little Obama gets mentioned in a book thatā€™s about Frankenā€™s political career. And on the occasions when he does mention Obama, itā€™s often to mention something Obama didnā€™t do. The overall impression I got is that Franken didnā€™t want to bad mouth a President from his own party so he mostly avoided saying anything. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2017, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/al-frankens-new-book-giant-of-the-senate/787804/75 "2017-06-05T21:19:48Z")
Another thing I noticed about the new book is that Franken never mentions _Why Not Me?_ even when heā€™s discussing his writing career and talks about his other works. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2017, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/al-frankens-new-book-giant-of-the-senate/787804/76 "2017-06-05T22:38:31Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > The overall impression I got is that Franken didnā€™t want to bad mouth a President from his own party so he mostly avoided saying anything. Mother told me that. ---
**Author:** ![Bone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bone/32/407_2.png) [@Bone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bone)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2017, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/al-frankens-new-book-giant-of-the-senate/787804/77 "2017-07-11T17:06:08Z")
Based on the recommendations and descriptions here, I got the audio book and have been listening to it on my commute the past two weeks and just finished. Franken seems pretty cool. I really appreciated that he himself read the book because I think it allowed his personality to come through more than just plain text or another reader would have. I enjoyed the book quite a bit. Franken is very engaging and earnest. The stories he tells are right on point, seem genuine, and with the right amount of levity. In the early parts of the book where heā€™s talking about his rise as a writer, and later his foray into the radio show, book writing, advocacy, etc. I thought were great. The insights into his thought process and motivations were captivating. Later in the book when it came to particular issues, though I disagreed pretty staunchly, I respected why he came to them. Given his penchant for being a wonk, I thought he didnā€™t always attack the best arguments from his opposition. Those times were much less persuasive than when he was talking about things that he knew more about like his own state issues. I really liked the descriptions of his interactions with other senators. Those were probably the highlights for me. The parts about addiction and how it had impacted people in his life were the most moving. I was really looking forward to the chapter bagging on Cruz, but it was actually kind of a let down. The insults were great, but I was anticipating them being more backed up with inside the beltway substance. Instead they were more of the ā€˜this guy is an assholeā€™ variety. Anyways, good recommendation for this book. Makes me want to pick up another one of his books. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2017, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/al-frankens-new-book-giant-of-the-senate/787804/78 "2017-07-11T18:46:21Z")
> [@Bone](#): > > I was really looking forward to the chapter bagging on Cruz, but it was actually kind of a let down. The insults were great, but I was anticipating them being more backed up with inside the beltway substance. Instead they were more of the ā€˜this guy is an assholeā€™ variety. From what I know, thatā€™s exactly what the inside-the-beltway reality is. No one likes him because of his repulsive personality, just like his college roommate said. With him, it really is personal. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2017, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/al-frankens-new-book-giant-of-the-senate/787804/79 "2017-07-13T16:52:25Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Another thing I noticed about the new book is that Franken never mentions _Why Not Me?_ even when heā€™s discussing his writing career and talks about his other works. Maybe he doesnā€™t want to fuel more speculation about a run for the White House. Too bad - I read that, and it was funny as hell. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Emily\_Litella](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/emily_litella/32/3370_2.png) [@Emily\_Litella](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Emily_Litella)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2017, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/al-frankens-new-book-giant-of-the-senate/787804/80 "2017-07-13T17:51:20Z")
Are we doing spoilers in this thread? I really liked that he gave credit for help winning his run for Senator in 2008 to the ads he did with his 4th grade teacher and his wife. The explanation of ā€œstaff errorā€ was cool too. Another time one of his aides called him an asshole when he was being one and didnā€™t realize it, afterwards he gathered his staff together and told them he wanted them to tell him when he was being an asshole. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/al-frankens-new-book-giant-of-the-senate/787804.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/al-frankens-new-book-giant-of-the-senate/787804.md?page=5)