There’s just too much SNL crap to throw at Franken if he were picked. I don’t think a national electorate would take him seriously enough. I like Hickenlooper of Colorado, though.
At this point worrying about Franken and SNL is a little like worrying about Trump and Wrestlemania.
I don’t think so. Franken has shown himself to be a hardworking, passionate, and articulate Senator. He’s somebody who could shore up Hillary’s left flank.
While using his experience as a comedy writer and performer to go after Trump in a truly entertaining, yet intelligent, way.
Not to mention, digging up old SNL stuff would only serve to pleasantly remind many voters of a bygone era in their lives. “I remember that! SNL didn’t suck then! Franken was hilarious!” Trump, who also has a history in the entertainment industry, has much more damaging clips out there that won’t serve to endear him to voters like Franken does.
Meh. I prefer Presidents who aren’t former actors (Reagan) and VPs who aren’t former comedians (Franken).
VP is a largely ceremonial position, except in very special situations (or stumping for party candidates). Al is smart enough not to pull a Trump, regardless of what his former profession happens to be. Are you going to tell me you’d rather see a lawyer in the office? (That’s what the vast majority of politicians used to do.)
I don’t buy the idea that rank/file Democrats dislike Hillary. She tends to do very well among Democrats, given how she wins closed contests. The young voters who love Bernie are hard, IMO, to call rank/file because they barely vote. The internet Democrats indeed are to her left, but they are a skewed sample.
Hillary needs someone on her ticket to show that the Democratic Party still has a big tent with room for moderates.
Yes, I can think of several lawyers I’d prefer to Al as Hillary’s running mate. A substantial number of VPs eventually become President, and I would rather not have a former comedian, no matter how smart he is.
If Hillary were any more middle-of-the-road she’d get hit by a bread truck. Selecting someone for the left wing of the party (not Bernie, but someone with similar appeal) is exactly how she would demonstrate a ‘big tent’ philosophy. My experience is just as anecdotal as yours, but I think the Dem rank and file are not excited about Hillary at all, from what I can tell. “Better than any of the GOP candidates” is about all the faint praise most of them can muster.
what’s the downside of being a former comedian? It’s an honorable profession.
Anyway, concerning VP options (assuming Hillary is the candidate). I don’t think Franken is a bad choice at all. Actually, a very good one. He’s smart, a good speaker, has a good sense of humor. He’d be completely comfortable in debates or giving speeches. I can’t imagine that there are any scandals lurking in his SNL sketches from the 1990s - you can get away with saying controversial things for the sake of comedy.
I really like Booker a lot, but I don’t want to rush him. Let him work in Washington more than one term before he goes on a national ticket, just to season him a little. Keep him in our back pockets for 2024 or whenever.
I’m sure she’ll pick someone I’ve never heard of. The problem with Franken or Booker is that either is likely to steal the spotlight from Clinton, which she’ll want to avoid.
Sure. But not one that - at least to my mind - prepares one for the office of commander-in-chief, much less administrator-in-chief.
It does prepare one to be a communicator however. I’d actually argue that comedians tend to be the most talented performers in entertainment. Ever noticed how easily comedy actors tend to get into drama later in their careers? And one certainly can’t argue that Franken hasn’t been a successful Senator. I think politics is 80% about the performance, at least for the lead. And like in entertainment, the lead actor gets the credit, but the director(Karl Rove, David Axelrod), the writers, and the crew are what make it really happen.
He’s got the mind to be President and he’s got the communications skills. What he lacks is executive experience, but 4-8 years as VP can get him some pretty good on the job training.
Well, maybe. I’m expecting Franken’s vice-premiership to be the bulldog kind that might leave people with a bad taste in their mouths.
He hasn’t been that way as a Senator. He’s been downright nice to us Republicans since he entered the Senate.
Really? I don’t remember much of his Senate incumbency other than his appearance in Hot Coffee but I was under the impression that he was snarling during all of it like Alan Grayson.
I remember him being that guy pre-Senate(I’ve read all his books too), but as a Senator he’s been pretty workmanlike and respectful to his colleagues. I do recall him pranking Joe Lieberman by cutting him off when he had the gavel.
It was pretty congenial though, if unusual.Well, what would make a perfect VP for Clinton? Trump? Bernie? Is there a checklist?
While I love the idea of Franken, I think that Elizabeth Warren is perfect. She would rev up the Democratic base, and her being a Republican until 20 years ago would appeal to moderates.
Trump has to worry over whether his running mate actually likes him, or is only running out of a party loyalty Trump doesn’t share. Also, he can’t pick a nobody. I can’t think of anyone other than Christie that is likely to work.
I’d think that Bernie should use his pick to convince swing voters he is a normal social democrat rather than a real socialist. He’d be OK with a moderate female Democratic senator; I don’t know enough about them to say which one.
You might about have asked about Cruz and Ryan, either of whom I think have a better chance at their nomination than Sanders.
More than anything else he has been exceptionally wonkish. He avoids the limelight and does the stage crew heavy lifting instead, relatively quietly getting things done by having done his homework … throughly.
This is the sort of performances he puts on now. Not hilarious stuff but effective. In conflict he looks like this and this. He comes prepared and is just dang smart. Many funny people are.
Listen to him on Letterman … he’d be effective. Plus no one stands up to a bully better than a comedian.