“Fogie” is a very dated and archaic term.
Then it’s appropriate that I, being very dated and archaic, should use it. I am from Minnesota, after all. At least I didn’t say “pshaw” like dahfisheroo.
I miss Paul too, that goofy odd little man with the green bus. I might have disagreed with his politics on occasion, but he was one of the few pols that actually walked the walk.
What a lot of non Minnesotans don’t get is our native opinion on politicians and people in general. Yes, I am being a little over the top in my past posts, but not by much.
We have been classified as a Dem state for years, but I don’t think that is necessarily true. We’ve elected Arne Carlson, Jesse Ventura, Dave Durnberger, Rudy Boschwitz, Tim Pawlenty, all sorts of repubs and dems, usually moderates on both sides.
I dunno. Franken doesn’t do much for me, he’s smarmy in a superiority complex kind of way. Once you get out of Uptown and Summit Hill, the metro, I’m not to sure how many old German farmers are going to disagree with my opinion. The only thing he has going for him is he’s running against Coleman. Which is not a ringing endorsement for anyone.
Fiddlesticks! (Just thought I’d add another word for dropzone.)
Well, not just an old fogey, perhaps. An old fogey would refer to a law degree as an “LL.B.” An LL.D. was two steps above that (after LL.M., which unlike LL.B and LL.D. is still common), and almost always honorary, not earned.
We’re a funny kind of liberal here. We really are. Maybe some others can chime in to describe it better, so explain how we can be liberal, yet elect who we do. I’m having a hard time succinctly describing it.
Franken knows how to raise money and he knows how the media works. Those are two big pluses.
His biggest minus - he’s from the east coast becomes negligible when he’s running against a New Yorker with an accent so thick it’s almost unintelligible at times. I do a pretty good impersonation by the way.
If Franken can put Coleman on the ropes for his countless position changes it will get real tough for Norm. And it won’t be hard to do that. He has been on both sides of just about every issue there is. He was a Democrat, then a moderate Republican, then a radical anti-tax pro-war Republican, then a “99% improvement over Paul Wellstone,” then Bush’s point man in the Senate. He’s against drilling in ANWAR, but willing to vote for it - or not. He was fiercely pro-Bush until around, oh November 8, 2006. Now he’s trying to reinvent himself as a moderate anti-war Republican. Only last summer he said he was “very optimistic” about the situation in Iraq. That sounds like a good clip for a commercial to me. He even used “that seems to be the way the wind is blowing on this thing” when explaining why he voted against Trent Lott following his gaff a few years back. That’s his career - whichever way the wind is blowing.
The guy is beatable.
Add to that the fact that the 2006 Senate race in MN was a blowout win for a Democrat in her first statewide race.
Fine. I’m old and stupid. I get it already!
Can’t find it there. Link? Cite? Names?
Well, I can describe how it is out here in the sticks. The main reason people out here associate themselves with the DFL is because of the “F” (farmer) part. The DFL is traditionally thought of as the party that stands up for farmers. On the other hand, most of those same people are very conservative in a lot of ways. Lots of pro-lifers. Lots of people who will think Franken is indeed, as you put it, “smarmy in a superiority complex kind of way.” Lots of people who could vote either way and are likely to vote for the person who’s dead center. Franken could easily shoot himself in the foot with these rural folks if he comes off as knowing nothing about farming. You may recall the incident with Mike Hatch’s running mate, Judi Dutcher, in the 2006 gubernatorial race, in which Dutcher did not know what E85 was. Huge mistake. Ethanol is a big deal here and if you want to be a leader in our state, you’d best know something about it. Given the choice between a DFLer who knows nothing about ethanol and a Republican who does, your typical rural MN voter will choose the Republican every time.
Farmers? You still have farmers (as opposed to hired hands for agribiz corporations) where you come from? Enough of them to make a difference in an election?
Yes, we still have real farmers and I think their votes do make a difference (Of course that’s just what I think. Others could very well feel differently). Pork is really the only industry where it’s really turned corporate in this area. Also, quite a few of the ethanol and biodiesel plants that have been built here are owned by farmer shareholders.
Well, I’ve got to concede your point there. GW has completely diminished the credibility of a Harvard MBA in my book. I’m wondering what his thesis was on and who wrote it.
I’ll quit hijacking this thread. If I get the balls up for it, I’ll start another thread asking who the 10 smartest senators are. Anyone who is a professor at a prestigious university would probably count, but would lose credibility for publicly making idiotic statements. IMO, a law degree does not inherently make one smart.
I think Al Franken is extremely sharp witted and funny, and I think as a senator, he would make the senate a lot more interesting. I wish him luck.
Very true. It’s also up to debate how much Wellstone’s memorial service contributed to Coleman’s election. There’s been several names I’ve been hearing, none confirmed and possibly just rumors. Dean Johnson, Congresswoman Betty McCollum, and Mayor Rybak of Minneapolis. If that is the field, then I will definitely go with McCollum over Frankin. I once had a conversation with McCollum in downtown St. Paul while waiting for my bus. Without realizing who she was we started to talk about politics and and she handed me a flier stumping for the democratic nomination.
Can any one doubt that Wellstone like Phil Hart in Mich a few years ago had the interests of the public in their hearts. That is good enough for me. Nader is another who cares about the unprotected masses. Franken does not need this. But if he thinks he can do good then I am all for him running.Special interests have exploited us long enough.
I have my doubts. As a die-hard liberal, I find that Nader’s tactics largely work to prevent the advancement of liberal causes. Personally speaking, I suspect he’s a bit looney.
I think dahfisheroo hit it on the head here. Even though he grew up in Minnesota, I don’t think most people will see him as a Minnesotan. He’s just not “one of us” anymore, both in location and in personality (at least the public face). Not even looking at actual political positions, there will probably be a big backlash against him, from both sides, because he moved to Minnesota just to run in the election.
Idealists tend to be poor tacticians.
Your hotdish privileges have been restored. Have a nice day.
I’m not sure I’d really want him for president . . . but he would make an awesome U.S. Attorney General! 
Your’re asking Does he have a chance being in show biz?
Recall Ronald Reagan, Sonny Bono, that wrestler governor of Minnesota, Arnold Swartzeneger, Melina Mercui . . .