Al Franken for the Senate? No joke

The state that elected a professional wrestler to the governor’s seat may get the chance to elect a comedian to the U.S. Senate in 2008. Al Franken, a former performer and writer for “Saturday Night Live” who is now a radio host on the liberal network Air America, has indicated that he may run for the Senate in his home state of Minnesota.
But this New York Times article asks whether Franken, who isn’t known for holding back when he delivers his humorous but biting assaults on Republicans, is too partisan for politics. What do you think? Click below to add your comments.
Posted by Melissa Cooley

8 Comments

  1. chapped
    Posted June 15, 2005 at 2:22 pm | Permalink

    Al Franken was only marginally funny in the 70’s and 80’s on SNL. Since then, I think all the drugs he did are finally catching up with him.

    Air America has proved to be a critical and financial bust. Most national radio programs are syndicated and are supported by advertisers. Air American has to pay stations to carry them. Not much profit in a set up like that. That’s why they’re on about six stations.

    Let him come and run for the Governour of Kansas. He couldn’t be any more of a joke than the Governour we have now

  2. C. Fox
    Posted June 15, 2005 at 4:42 pm | Permalink

    Um, sorry Chapped, but your RepubliSpin is factually incorrect: Air America is on 64 stations.

    Guess someone’s drug use is catching up with him.

  3. Joe Williams
    Posted June 15, 2005 at 5:52 pm | Permalink

    If he does run, he has a pretty good chance of winning, and if he does win, we will not be taken very seriously with the rest of the members of the Senate. He will be assigned weak committee assignments and will have no pull in any policy decisions.

  4. Jimmy Bisoni
    Posted June 15, 2005 at 8:37 pm | Permalink

    Run, Al, run! If he runs his campaign like he runs his radio network it will be a debacle of biblical proportions!

  5. dan newland
    Posted June 16, 2005 at 6:18 am | Permalink

    I have just formed the Kansas Al Franken for President Committee if you would like to contribute !

  6. C. Fox
    Posted June 16, 2005 at 7:36 am | Permalink

    No thanks, Dan. We like Kathleen just where she is, and will be after she splinters the Republican moderates and Wingnuts in 2006.

  7. Nicki
    Posted June 17, 2005 at 10:59 am | Permalink

    First of all Al Franken does not RUN Air America…that’s just silly. He is contracted talent, just like the rest of them. Second, it is very hard to start a radio network in these times, due to mega-corporate holdings and things like that.

    Now as to the Senate bid…there is no reason to think that Al would not do a good job. He geniunely believes what he espouses, which would be a welcomed change. He is knowledgeable about a great deal of important things…why wouldn’t he do well? As far as not being taken seriously, just because someone uses comedy to convey their beliefs-does not devalue their beliefs in the least. I think that it would be a big mistake to underestimate him. I just wish he was from Kansas – because our Senators suck!

  8. Mister Twister
    Posted June 26, 2005 at 12:58 pm | Permalink

    Anyone who writes a book entitled, “Lies, and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them” is far more qualified to run our country than the rascals who lied us into war in Iraq, lied about the SS “bankruptcy,” lied about tax breaks going to the “bottom of the economic ladder,” and lied about making America safer from terrorism.

    They still haven’t found who sent the anthrax and killed some six people have they? Hmmm, how many people have access to anthrax? Doesn’t seem that tough . . . unless the gov’t doesn’t WANT to arrest people because that would show their involvement in, say, illegal biological weapons . . .