Al Franken, that is. He’s running for Senate in Minnesota.
In other 2008 news, Jane Swift has decided not to back Mitt Romney, instead throwing her support to John McCain. I wouldn’t describe this as shocking news. But the extent to which Mass. Republicans are scurrying away from Romney, mostly backing either McCain or Giuliani, is pretty entertaining.
Please share widely!
The GOP is in serious trouble in ’08, and adding Franken to the Senate will be icing on the cake. Rush better double up on his Oxy intake. Hooboy.
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I wonder who that Kingmaker, Kerry Healey will be throwing her support behind for POTUS? Brownback? Bob Dole maybe?
The way Romney treated Swift, payback is nice.
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Also, I like Al Franken, I really do. But a la Man of the Year I always find it absurd when actors run for office.
But I actually felt bad for Jane Swift. What the state GOP did to Jane Swift was very illuminating – and ultimately, probably bad for their party.
he’s a political commentator and Democratic fund raiser.
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Does that matter? Depends on the voter I guess. Still, he’s spent most of the past 10(ish?!) years involved in politics, albeit with a sense of humor.
But how does commentating on politics and raising money for Democrats qualify him to make important public policy decisions? Having an articulated opinion on the issues is a necessary but not sufficient qualification. I’m glad he’s funny. I’m thrilled that he’s effective at raising money and getting the vote out. But campaigning isn’t a qualification either, it’s a means of telling people about the qualificataions of candidates. Is it too much to ask for a system which values quality over fame, insight over personality?
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I think he’s an earnest, smart, and overall a wonderful advocate of progressive ideals. I’ll take him any day of the week over the smarmy Republican who currently holds that office. But I think our system is broken when our choices are between Coleman, a Republican “buttboy for the administration” and a Comedian.
I’m not sure that I buy in to the idea that job background has much to do with the ability to be a good Senator. I’d argue that there are too many attorneys in elected office as it is.
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So — why should the fact that he made a bunch of money using his comedic talent be held against him?
but I’ll take a stab at it.
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For one thing, when you study law you study the structure of law, law’s purpose, and so on. If you’ve practiced, you’ve probably had some experience dealing with precisely how laws affect the lives of citizens. It seems to me that when you’re in charge of helping draft laws or pushing laws through, it might be a worthwhile skill to study law. A basic first year law student learns about torts, criminal law, civil procedure, contracts, and property law. That seems like relevent background to have when creating, oh, I don’t know, laws about tort reform or making laws that regard to crime.
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I’m not saying that Franken is incapable of being a good Senator because he’s a comedian. I’m not even saying that he’s incapable of being a good Senator. What I am saying is that his fame makes him the frontrunner for the job, not his experience or ability–and that’s what’s wrong with the process.
that gives him some educational background, no?
…such as physics, chemistry, biology or the like, I’ll sit up and pay notice. Otherwise, no.
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“Government” is not a hard science. It is about as rigorous as economics, sociology, pyschology, or theology, etc., etc., ad nauseum. Meaning, not at all.
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Common sense is the set of prejudices that one acquires before age 18. –Albert Einstein
for governor
Jesse the body has completly different politics from Stuart Smalley and the either of the two major parties in this country. Jesse has even taught classes at Havard.
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Al Franken can’t carry Jesse’s political jock strap.
Hate to break it to you, but Franken was a Shorenstein Fellow at Harvard in 2003
The Senate candidate I’m waiting to hear from is Tom Allen, US Rep from Maine, who is considering a run against Olympia Snowe. He would be a kickass Senator! But he hasn’t said yes for sure yet…
declared his candidacy. I think he’s going to do it – and I think he’s going to win.
I started hyperventilating when I read the title of your post.
Let’s see, the only GOP guv who’s endorsed His Expediency is Big Red — and he left MA nearly a decade ago. Swifty’s gone for McCain, Celooch has gone for Rudy, Healey (who may as well been the guv for the last two years of His Handsomeness’s reign) has been absolutely silent. And Torkildson seemed pretty tepid in his comments on Romney’s religious practices.
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I mean, I realize that the MAGOP has been decimated by neglect, but still — you’d think that someone would express some degree of curiousness about how shallow Romney’s footprints turned out to be.
And from what she said about him, and he about her, THAT innuendo has been laid to rest! She’s campaigning for him!
And she goes and does something as absolutely stupid as this
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In other 2008 news, Jane Swift has decided …to throw[] her support to John McCain.
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It’s a good thing that I didn’t have the option of voting for Swift in 2002.
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What is she bucking for? A role in an anticipated (and a probably won’t come to fruition) McCain malAdministration? She just might do well in Ottowa. At least Ray Flynn got Rome. Well, the Vatican–same thing.
Al Franken, that is. He’s running for Senate in Minnesota.
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I suppose that some might be impressed. His boringness is one thing that led to the demise of Air America (Snorefest) Radio, but he’ll certainly excite more than a few C-SPAN viewers if he’s elected. I’d be interested in watching the debates between him and Coleman mostly for their soporific effect.
is supporting viable candidates for ’08 who oppose the policies of Bush/Cheney. I don’t care if they sing, dance, tell jokes, or stand on their head and spit nickels, as long as they fight to win.
The country is finally waking up to the fact that the GOP cannot govern, and we’re finally rid of the Delays & Frists & Allens. It’s a start, but there’s still a long way to go.
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IMHO, Minnesota could do a lot worse than electing Franken.
I found his radio show REALLY informative, he had the best guests on, as well as the guests that came on 1-2 times a week for regular features. I miss him on the air.
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Maybe you weren’t entertained, but don’t presume to assume no one else liked his show because you didn’t.
…there is a difference between “informed” and “entertained.” I found some of Franken’s guests informative (particularly Tom Oliphant, and I was entertained by the reparte between the two. But, on the whole, Franken was boring as hell.
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Also, just to let you know, much as I find Franken’s replacement Thom Hartmann, moderately entertaining, he is annoying. He is annoying for two reasons. One, he has more than a few wackos on his show for extended periods of time–people from Cato and the Ayn Rand institute (the latter are really dumb). And two, he is oftentimes in error in facts that he espouses to be true. Not often enough to be really annoying, but often enough to be just a bit annoying.