# Minnesota's junior senator **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [September 22, 2014, 7:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/minnesotas-junior-senator/699181 "2014-09-22T07:58:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2014, 7:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/minnesotas-junior-senator/699181/1 "2014-09-22T07:58:27Z")
Just curious. Is Senator Franken on track to retain his seat? ---
**Author:** ![kk\_fusion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kk_fusion/32/15276_2.png) [@kk\_fusion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kk_fusion)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2014, 10:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/minnesotas-junior-senator/699181/2 "2014-09-22T10:33:50Z")
Check [www.electoral-vote.com](http://www.electoral-vote.com) for visually aggregated data on US election polling. Currently MN is listed as safely Democratic. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2014, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/minnesotas-junior-senator/699181/3 "2014-09-22T12:03:53Z")
Good lord, I hope so. Al’s awesome. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2014, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/minnesotas-junior-senator/699181/4 "2014-09-22T13:39:36Z")
Franken has at least an 8-9 point lead according to Rasmussen, which is the severely Republican leaning polling org. His lead is 12-13 points according to local polls. Pretty much a walk. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2014, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/minnesotas-junior-senator/699181/5 "2014-09-22T15:07:19Z")
Well, he’s not excellent, but he’s good enough. Not exactly brilliant, but he’s smart enough. People don’t seem to actually hate his guts… He’ll do. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2014, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/minnesotas-junior-senator/699181/6 "2014-09-22T20:00:05Z")
It would be nice if we could toss this clown out of office, but not likely. Too bad - he has the [emotional maturity of an eight-year-old](http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/112947-mcconnell-scolds-franken-for-making-faces-from-presidents-chair-during-speech). Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2014, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/minnesotas-junior-senator/699181/7 "2014-09-22T21:20:49Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > Well, he’s not excellent, but he’s good enough. Not exactly brilliant, but he’s smart enough. People don’t seem to actually hate his guts… He’ll do. Would you say he’s good enough, he’s smart enough, and doggone it, people _like_ him? ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2014, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/minnesotas-junior-senator/699181/8 "2014-09-22T21:27:48Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > It would be nice if we could toss this clown out of office, but not likely. Too bad - he has the [emotional maturity of an eight-year-old](http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/112947-mcconnell-scolds-franken-for-making-faces-from-presidents-chair-during-speech). > > Regards, > Shodan Ah, but it’s been 4 years, so he actually has the maturity of a 12 year old. And he’s not a bed-wetting fearmonger which puts him ahead of McConnell. ---
**Author:** ![Lobohan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobohan/32/79_2.png) [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2014, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/minnesotas-junior-senator/699181/9 "2014-09-22T22:05:07Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > It would be nice if we could toss this clown out of office, but not likely. Too bad - he has the [emotional maturity of an eight-year-old](http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/112947-mcconnell-scolds-franken-for-making-faces-from-presidents-chair-during-speech). > > Regards, > Shodan That’s amazing coming from someone who votes straight line GOP. Are you as upset by the outrageous chucklefucks on the national GOP stage? ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2014, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/minnesotas-junior-senator/699181/10 "2014-09-22T22:12:36Z")
To his credit, I think Franken apologized for that incident instead of turning it into a big fundraising angle. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2014, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/minnesotas-junior-senator/699181/11 "2014-09-22T23:40:10Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > To his credit, I think Franken apologized for that incident instead of turning it into a big fundraising angle. Aye; from **Shodan** ’s link: > [@](#): > > After the vote, Franken walked to McConnell’s office to apologize but couldn’t find him. He has sent a personal note, instead. > > “The Leader thought I was disrespectful while he was giving his speech on General Kagan,” Franken said in a statement to The Hill. "He is entitled to give his speech with the presiding officer just listening respectfully. I went directly to his office after I was done presiding to apologize in person. He wasn’t there, so I’ve sent him a handwritten note.” He apologized immediately afterward, of his own volition and initiation. ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2014, 9:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/minnesotas-junior-senator/699181/12 "2014-09-23T09:40:40Z")
I think Franken was very out of line, making faces while sitting on the dais. But I wouldn’t compare it to Assistant Republican Whip Joe Wilson’s shouting “You Lie!” during Obama’s 2009 State of the Union speech. (Wilson was formally rebuked by the House, but only because of the Democratic majority at that time.) > [@Shodan](#): > > It would be nice if we could toss this clown out of office, but not likely. Too bad - he has the [emotional maturity of an eight-year-old](http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/112947-mcconnell-scolds-franken-for-making-faces-from-presidents-chair-during-speech). > > Regards, > Shodan > Last edited by Shodan; Today at 03:00 AM. It would be amusing to hear your take, **Shodan** , on Congressional clowns from the opposite side of the river, like Wilson or Bachmann. I’m not holding my breath. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2014, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/minnesotas-junior-senator/699181/13 "2014-09-23T14:50:59Z")
I hope for President Franken some day. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2014, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/minnesotas-junior-senator/699181/14 "2014-09-23T15:53:39Z")
I like Al Franken a great deal. I wouldn’t characterize his reelection as a walk, but he’s 95% certain to be reelected. But the race is close enough that something surprising could happen. As for his immaturity, so what? He hasn’t made enemies because he’s funny. Anyone ever seen the video where he denies Joe Lieberman extended time to speak? Joe took it well. When you elect a funnyman, you get some funny. That being said, he’s gone out of his way to be mature and on substance I think he’s done a better job than most of his collegaues, who are immature without the virtue of being amusing while acting that way. Most notably, Franken has done fantastic grunt work on issues that aren’t in the headlines, unlike a certain junior Senator a few years ago who wouldn’t do anything without cameras present. From his writings, comedy writings no less, you can tell he’s a serious policy wonk who knows his business. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2014, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/minnesotas-junior-senator/699181/15 "2014-09-23T15:58:17Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > I like Al Franken a great deal. I wouldn’t characterize his reelection as a walk, but he’s 95% certain to be reelected. But the race is close enough that something surprising could happen. > > . You’ve just described “a walk.” ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2014, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/minnesotas-junior-senator/699181/16 "2014-09-23T16:29:11Z")
Most Senators and Congressmen are winning in a walk, as in they have a 99.99999% chance of winning unless they die or something or get caught with a dead woman or live boy. Or call someone a macaca. Franken is close to a walk. But not so much that the race still isn’t worth paying attention to. It’s ranked “Leans Dem” or “Likely Dem” rather than “Solid Dem” by the prognostication sites. The way these things go, if the GOP has a better than usual night nationwide, if they knock off all the incumbents they are expected to have a shot at knocking off, then the wave starts to get perilously close to incumbents like Franken. ---
**Author:** ![E-DUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/e-dub/32/403_2.png) [@E-DUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-DUB)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2014, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/minnesotas-junior-senator/699181/17 "2014-10-05T01:15:05Z")
I saw where Franken’s opponent called him “the 60th vote for Obamacare”. This is clearly a lie because, and we’ve all seen C-Span, the Senate votes alphabetically and there are not 59 Democrats in the A through E letters. ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2014, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/minnesotas-junior-senator/699181/18 "2014-10-05T01:51:24Z")
I think every Republican running for Senate this year has called their opponent the 60th vote for Obamacare. ---
**Author:** ![E-DUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/e-dub/32/403_2.png) [@E-DUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-DUB)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2014, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/minnesotas-junior-senator/699181/19 "2014-10-05T02:19:15Z")
Then at least all but one of them are liars. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2014, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/minnesotas-junior-senator/699181/20 "2014-10-05T14:07:28Z")
Now that’s just stinkin’ thinkin’. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/minnesotas-junior-senator/699181.md?page=2)