Should Al Franken "promote" himself into management?

[Mr_Spock]

Al's AAR show was a breath of fresh air when it first aired last year. I loved his "lying liars" book as well - he's been on the leading edge of moving the Democrats into taking on the righties head-on. Now, unfortunately, I find his show dry, snobby intellectual and his disorganized stammering style grates on me like nails on a chalk board. Should Al "promote" himself into either AAR management or a run for office and let someone with a more lively presentation take over his show?

[Zen]

1. Interesting - nearly equal stay - go at this time...

[TallahasseeGrannie]

2. It is interesting that both

Franken and Miller turned in different directions but got less funny when they did so.

Maybe there is a Peter Principle for comedians, too.

[Coastie for Truth]

3. Demographics of the Democratic Party

Al appeals to an older crowd (empty nester, Volvo driving, latte drinking, sushi eating, NY Times reading, grand parents - we still give the big bucks to Progressive candidates and remember when Dems didn't run from "Liberal") crowd, Others appeal to the MTV crowd.

[Iris]

8. I'm a Gen X-er and he appeals to me!

The latte sipping, volvo driving stuff - all that applies to me, just not the grandparent part.

[Coastie for Truth]

20. Your parents done good.

[GCP]

29. I'm a part of the "older crowd" and he drives me crazy

The only good thing about his show is David Brock, Joe Conason and Katherine Landford. Al is not good at radio, period.

[Coastie for Truth]

31. Two responses

1. Demographics do not always predict - who would have predicted that us old farts would buy Toyota Scions (the mini school bus boxes) and Chrysler PT Cruisers.

2. That's why Ben & Jerry's has more then vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry.

[ChowChowChow]

4. the stammering is an abomination

along with the laugh of the sidekick!
We need serious discourse, some jokes and comedy are ok, but enough of the obsession with Loonbaugh and O'Liely...We got that

[Mr_Spock]

5. There are times when I'd like to asphyxiate Katherine Lanpher

She can be a buttinski, disagreeable and a cackling buffoon at any given time. Rarely is her input on target at this point.

[HughMoran]

23. I sense that she is Al's baby sitter

and that is insulting to Al

I can't decide how to answer this poll. There are different people I like on AAR, and they change over time. Sometimes when Al has a good guest on, I like listening.

Lately I'm into Bobby Kennedy. ANd Stephanie Miller if I'm out driving around at that time of day

[Mr_Spock]

25. Hi Hugh!!

Welcome to DU :hi:

I love Al's guests, perhaps one of his guests should take over the show :rofl:

He does do a decent job making points on some days, other days though I feel like I'm gonna blow a gasket - like he's having al Alzheimer's day or something and he just can't stop saying uuuuuuuh, uuuuuuuh. AAARRRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHH!!!!! :rant:

[Mr_Spock]

6. Poor Al can't even get a majority on DU?

Actually, it doesn't entirely surprise me as we like to eat our own often. The problem with Al isn't that he's offensive or cohorting with the enemy - he's simply ineffective in his job at this point - at least IMHO.

[Solo_in_MD]

11. Concur

Air America is boutique radio at best. It lacks popular appeal. Its commercial success is still very much in doubt.

IMO, Randi is still the best they have.

[charlie]

7. Probably so

I don't much like him as an on-air personality either. His humor seems like something from another age, once funny, now schtick. He reminds me of Billy Crystal that way.

But one thing I do LOVE about Al -- whenever he sniffs out a name brand winger in the vicinity he has this irresistable, instinctual, compulsory need to become the Pest From Hell Who Won't Go Away. He's got a grand story about how he once noticed Barbara Bush on the same flight with him and of course, went over for a chat. She kept brushing him off with the same regal dismissal ("I'm through with you"), he'd go to his seat, think a minute, and go right back. Again. Again. And again. Meanwhile, the whole time there a Secret Service agent seated next to her. He'd look at Al, but never once said a single fucking word! Hilarious! God love 'im.

[Mr_Spock]

9. "the Pest From Hell Who Won't Go Away"

I LOVE that story about him meeting Babs on the plane. He's got to get out there and bug these people in person and write about it - I think that's his real strength!

[ken_g]

10. The stammering wouldn't be so bad if

you knew there was a good point at the end. But, especially lately, he interrupts a guest who's just about to make a point, and then says, "uuuhhh.....uuuhhh", etc.. Really grating: And I'm a fan from way back to the beginning of SNL.

[Mr_Spock]

12. I like when he interrupts HIMSELF, then forgets what his original point was

It's the most grating thing I have even heard a human being do. He starts to say something, gets distracted by his own words that remind him of something, then he loses his place and never finds it again!!! AAAAAAAGGGGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!

I mean free association is a riot when you do it one-on-one with a friend, but broadcasting "thinking out loud" is totally weird!

[marbuc]

13. Intellectual?

We can't have that now can we? I find the guests and discussions to be a refreshing from the other self important blowhards on AAR that talk/yell for four straight hours and think they are god's gift to politics and talk radio.

Franken is definitely for those of us that do not consider tin foil to be an accessory. Dionne, Oliphant, Brock, Connason, Ornstein; where else can you find these guys on a regular basis?

[ken_g]

14. True, he does get some VERY interesting guests,

Joe Conason is one of my favorites because he knows Al well enough that he can manipulate the conversation allowing him to get his point accross.

[Mr_Spock]

16. I do like his guests - they are really well spoken

...and I'm not anti-intellectual - that would be taking my meaning out of context. It's when the humor is so seemingly "above my head" that I wonder if anyone actually gets what he is finding funny. Like the cracks with the poet earlier this afternoon were not hitting my funny bone at all - I was simply scratching my head and wondering if I'm a dunce or if Al doesn't know how to stay at a level that more than just a few people in his audience can appreciate.

[marbuc]

18. A lot of Al's humor

I doubt Al's humor is above your head, it's not uber-intellectual wit, but rather the stupid/silly variety. I rarely laugh at his jokes, but I usually chuckle, especially if it provokes a reaction from Katherine (which I often think he aims to do). Take his humor at face value, because that's all it is.

[MamaBear]

15. Al could probably contribute

Al could probably contribute to the cause at some level once Air America is profitable -- if it ever is. As an on-air personality he is pretty terrible. For those who have been listening from the get (and who still hang in there), he wore out his welcome long ago.

He's nowhere near as good as he thinks he is; his lack of preparation is evident. He has cast Katherine in the fish wife role and, to her detriment, she plays it. She once informed Professor Juan Cole that he had no understanding of the conflict in the Middle East. :eyes:

His unprofessionalism (eating at the mike, for example), his inability to interview a guest, his insistence on providing free advertising for that lunkhead friend of his ... I gave up on him months ago.

Further, he talks about the "middle class" but he hasn't worked four straight weeks since Air America debuted. Can you take a week off just about every month, some months two or more?

Please, please get Thom Hartmann in -- he can be equally annoying but at least he has a good radio personality, good timing, and he has his facts at hand --- and doesn't blame his associates every time something goes wrong.

[Mr_Spock]

17. Well said.

You have summarized Al's venture better than I was able to. "His lack of preparation is evident" - tell me about it!! I often feel insulted that he doesn't think more highly of his listeners! There were several fill-ins this summer on AAR shows who were much more interesting and entertaining IMO.

[LincolnMcGrath]

19. Lets just flush this whole AAR experiment down the drain.......

NOT :eyes:

[Mr_Spock]

21. That's a bit of an over-reaction no?

There are several hosts who are much more enjoyable to listen to than Al - I like the rest of the line-up however...

[NYCGirl]

22. Franken still is the selling point for AAR. His podcasts are always in the

top 10 at iTunes. Some of the others are there, but farther down in the download top 100s.

I love Al's show. So let us fans have our 3 hours and you can have yours whenever it comes on, too.

I personally can't stand Mike Malloy, but I don't write polls about it.

[Mr_Spock]

24. Do a search - there have been dozens of comments about Al's show here

I have resisted creating my own poll until now, but I was really curious what people here think. His show today nearly drove me to drink - I've had days where I was screaming my head off at him to "shut the fuck up".

It seems to me so far the he's only getting 50% support whereas he was getting closer to 90% support last year around this time based on me never reading nary a bad word about him then. It's OK to criticize where we feel it may help improve the time slot and get a wider audience - we do want to win elections, don't we? If half of liberals are tired of his shtick, is that something we should discuss, or should we just turn a blind eye to it?

I posted this poll because I CARE about liberal talk radio and I want it to have a long and successful future. Don't you sometimes wonder if Al even likes doing the show any more? I wonder - his preparation is seemingly non-existent.

[NYCGirl]

26. Yes, I've seen the other comments, and everything I said applies to them

too.

If you care about liberal talk radio, then you'd want the most successful of it to survive. Which is Al's, Randi and Janeane's shows. And don't forget, Al and Katherine also have a TV show which is doing very well on Sundance.

Don't like it? Don't listen to it. It's that simple.

[Mr_Spock]

27. Well, thanks for being accepting of my trying to help AAR get better

A lot of people seem to be split on this show as well. Are we beyond criticism? I can't "not listen" when there is no alternative. I am taking ownership of this problem as a liberal who cares. What are you afraid of? I think there is a lot of room for improvement - he should perhaps train a replacement - he's not gonna be on the air when he starts his political campaign anyway! He's moving permanently back to Minnesota for what reason?

[Coastie for Truth]

28. In our household

Al - wife and I both like Al

Randi - my wife can't stand Randi, I am neutral

Big Ed (carried on our local AAR outlet) - we both like Big Ed (reminds me of my late father, I could see the two of them having a brew together and watching a football game)

Bob Kennedy - both like him.

Jerry Springer - so so

San Francisco Market - We are both getting tired of Bernie Ward and Ray Taliafero, but prefer Ray to Bernie.

[applegrove]

30. There has to be someone for everyone to love. Al did a bold and

couragious thing by signing up for a new career and leading AAR. He has stuck with it. Sounds like he isn't a natural and has much to learn.

We scream all the time for bold action & bravery from our Democratic leaders. Al is one of them.

[Mr_Spock]

33. My hope is that he'll see some of the criticism...

and perhaps spice up the show a bit. :D

[gulfcoastliberal]

32. He should go join the DLC

That's who he seems to represent best. Doesn't believe in election fraud, etc. He's a rube.