# Can Al Franken change his mind and stay?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-al-franken-change-his-mind-and-stay/804738>\
**Category:** Politics & Elections\
**Created:** [December 17, 2017, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-al-franken-change-his-mind-and-stay/804738 "2017-12-17T22:56:26Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 9

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**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\
**Post date:** [January 4, 2018, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-al-franken-change-his-mind-and-stay/804738/161 "2018-01-04T16:44:53Z")

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Any ideas on why Franken waited until January to resign? Does he get a bigger pension for serving in 2018 as well? Was he hoping something would change and he could rescind his resignation? Something else?

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**Author:** ![Inbred\_Mm\_domesticus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/aca169/32.png) [@Inbred\_Mm\_domesticus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inbred_Mm_domesticus)\
**Post date:** [January 4, 2018, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-al-franken-change-his-mind-and-stay/804738/162 "2018-01-04T16:56:40Z")

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To give people the opportunity to speculate.

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**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:** [January 4, 2018, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-al-franken-change-his-mind-and-stay/804738/163 "2018-01-04T17:07:08Z")

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I think the simplest explanation is the best: That’s the time in which his replacement could be picked a relocated to DC. No point in the Democrats losing a vote in the Senate for a few weeks.

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**Author:** ![Johnny\_Ace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/6bbea6/32.png) [@Johnny\_Ace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Ace)\
**Post date:** [January 4, 2018, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-al-franken-change-his-mind-and-stay/804738/164 "2018-01-04T17:13:24Z")

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I’m so disappointed in Al. I loved his book, and he was looking like a potential leader of the party, eventually. I didn’t know he’d already shot himself in the foot.

Nowhere near the same level as Roy Moore or Harvey Weinstein, but you’ll think so from the outraged reaction of the ‘moral’ minority.

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