Al Franken thinking of running for Senate in 2008

[leftist_rebel1569]

http://www.kstp.com/article/view/124370/

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Al Franken, the comedian, best-selling author and Minnesota native said that he's considering moving back to the state to run against Republican Sen. Norm Coleman in 2008.

"It's a long way away, five years away," Franken told the Star Tribune Monday night. "It might be crazy. I might not be the best candidate. Part of this is seeing what happens next year and what direction things are going."

He has previously dismissed talk of political office, but Newsweek this week first reported the story of his possible bid for the Senate.

Franken, a friend of the late Democratic Sen. Paul Wellstone, said he's being encouraged by his friends to run. Driving him as well has been his distaste for the Bush presidency, he said.

Okay, this could be like, the coolest thing to hit Minnesota politics since...sometime before I was born :).

[HarryMan]

1. I am sorry but he doesn't have a chance

<EOM>

[Robroy]

3. Why Not!

Remember Jesse Ventura?

[HarryMan]

5. Jesse Ventura was an actor

Franken has a bad temper and he calls himself a "satarist". The last thing this country needs is a satarist as a senator.

[burythehatchet]

9. No sir, the most urgent need this country has right now

is a satirist as senator. Someone who can make these pompous asses laugh at themselves is most welcome

[peaceandjustice]

24. has Jesse Ventura admitted to using LSD?

Franken has.

[mzmolly]

27. Im here to tell you that won't matter here in Minnesota...

:shrug: Coleman was a 'hippie' wannabe in the 70's and I would venture to guess has dabbled a bit also?

[peaceandjustice]

28. sounds great then...

I just read about Franken challenging Rich Lowry to a fistfight. I'd love to see Franken run if he can win.

[helleborient]

4. Why do you say that?

Did you believe Jesse Ventura or Norm Coleman had a chance?

[HarryMan]

See the post above yours

<EOM>

[helleborient]

8. Jesse was a professional wrestler...

Someone who fakes beating people up for a living...

[HarryMan]

10. Wrestling has a script

Therefore he acts, we are talking about the WWF, not the olympics.

[helleborient]

11. And Al Franken is an author and actor...with a long record

He was a writer for SNL in the 70's...as well as an actor.

As well as hosting Comedy Central's coverage of political events - including Democratic and Republican conventions.

Plus multiple best-selling books.

I really fail to see where he is lacking compared to the professional wrestling - action movie background of Ventura

[HarryMan]

12. Ventura was serious about his bid for governor

Franken has a bad temper and he calls himself a "satarist". Like I said, the last thing the US needs is a satarist in the US Senate.

[helleborient]

13. I disagree...and it's far too early to know how serious Al is...

A sense of humor is a great thing to have.

I would love to see Kurt Vonnegut in government as well - another great satirist who believes in the value of humaneness and humanity

[goobergunch]

16. Something to note about HarryMan....

[no name no slogan]

17. Like hell he was

I've lived in MN my entire life (34 years), and Jesse's run was anything BUT serious.

He did it as a lark, and clearly didn't think he would win it. As a matter of fact, his wife Terry was against it, and played a major role in his decision not to seek a second term last year.

[leftist_rebel1569]

6. You probably don't follow Minnesota politics then

n/t

[helleborient]

2. Go Al Go!!!

It would be worth a trip to work in MN for Al!

[leftist_rebel1569]

7. I'm already considering volunteering for him

:D

[TheDonkey]

14. That would be great!

If Franken won... wow... just wow. It would be a good day for democracy and DC.

[mndemocrat_29]

15. This would be great

However, I don't know if he'd get the nomination. Minnesota DFL politics is mainly a work up through the ranks system (note our last three gubernatorial candidates have all been in politics forever: Marty, Humphrey, and Moe). My bet is that the senatorial candidate for 2008 against Coleman will be one of the following six:

1. Judi Dutcher (if she runs, she'll win the nod and beat Coleman)
2. Betty McCollum (though she may want to stay in the House)
3. Mike Hatch (if he doesn't run in 2006 for governor)
4. Bill Luther (if he could somehow beat Kline in 2004, Luther'd be on track for this)
5. David Minge (I think he's a judge now, but he could possibly want to run)
6. Alan Paige (a Minnesotan institution, he'd be a surefire winner)

[no name no slogan]

18. You forget Wellstone in 1990

I worked long and hard for Wellstone in 1990, against the DFL party's heirarchy who wanted suburban lawyer Tom Berg to be the party's nominee against Boschwitz.

The caucus system is still wide open for those who want to participate in party politics. With Paul's grassroots campaigning, we basically took over at the precinct-level in 1990, electing the most delegates to the next-level conventions (county, cong dist, state). It IS possible to get the party's nomination, but you need to do it in an "unconventional" way.

If Franken decides to run, more power to him. I doubt I would actually support him, though. For all his Wellstone envy and connections, his politics are extremely tepid, apologistic and really quite centrist (for the DFL, at least).

I could maybe get behind Dutcher (although she, like Coleman, is a recent "convert"), McCollum or Paige (a shoe-in if he runs), I'd rather see somebody like state Senate Majority Leader John Hottinger or Sen. John Marty get the nod (even though Marty is a party fixture, he's much more progressive than Ted Mondale, or Buck Humphrey-- who are still great guys IMHO). We need more progressives on the Hill, and either of those would be an excellent choice.

[mndemocrat_29]

19. I like Mondale, Marty, and Humphrey as well

I think that Wellstone was elected as an outsider. However, hadn't Walter Mondale, Joan Growe, and Skip Humphrey all turned down runs in 1990? I know that Rudy Perpich was running for reelection. The majority of the rank and file wasn't going to run, so an outsider had a better chance. I don't think that that will be the case in 2008.

[no name no slogan]

20. IMHO, the ONLY one who could win now is an outsider

The DFL leadership has lost almost all its credibility in the state over the past few election cycles. Other than Dayton (who largely financed his campaign w/ his own money), the DFL hasn't won a statewide race since 1996 with Wellstone's re-election.

(of course, the funny thing about Wellstone was that he WAS the party insider! He ran as the DFL-endorsed candidate for state auditor in the early 80s, and was very active in the party when he got the nod for Senate. Most people seem to forget that-- myself included!)

After this latest round of levys for school funding, a lot of middle-class folk in MN are becoming disenchanted with the current administration and its budget-slashing ways. IMHO, if the Dems put forth a raging populist with a solid stand on core DFL issues (education, infrastructure, tax fairness) we could easily send Pawlenty packing.

MN's always had that radical streak in its Democratic party, due to the heritage of the merger with the Farmer-Labor party, and we've always succeeded when we ran populists (or even bona fide goofballs like Rudy Perpich). IMHO we can do it again if we get the right candidates who aren't afraid to talk and act like the DFLers of old.

[mndemocrat_29]

21. I absolutely have to agree

But I think your point about Wellstone is good. Since there's no way a true outsider can win, we have to nominate an insider who seems like an outsider (ala Wellstone). Do you think that that would take us nominating a state senator in 2006 or possibly Mike Hatch?

[no name no slogan]

22. That's a good question

I supported Hatch in 1990 for governor before the convention (and before Rudy Perpich decided to run again), and voted for him at the county level. I could see him doing okay in a statewide race against any Republican, especially Pawlenty.

He's gotten his name in the press quite often over the last few years as attorney general, fighting the HMOs, but it's also earned him some high negatives. He comes off a little combative to the suburbanites, but I think it's a good quality in him, and it's served him well in his other government gigs as commerce commish and attorney general.

If John Marty doesn't run (I doubt he will), I'd probably support Hatch. He's a DFL "insider", but just enough of a troublemaker to get some of the disaffecteds on board.

Ideally I'd like to see Marty do it, but his statewide negs are so high now, after pissing off the pro-stadium crowd the last time he ran. John Hottinger would also be a good candidate, too, but he could be seen as too much of an 'insider' as state Senate majority leader.

Either way, if this state continues sliding down the crapper anymore, almost ANYBODY will be able to take Pawlenty-- even (Allah forbid) Jesse Ventura (BTW see his portrait yet? Ayayayayay.)

[mndemocrat_29]

23. Haven't seen Jesse's portrait

I doubt that Marty'll consider this race. Your right that his statewide negatives are too high.

I also don't think that the time is right for Hottinger. Possibly a Senate run in 2008, but the next governor needs to be someone like Hatch or Dutcher, someone who will be able to outdebate Pawlenty yet not have the "old politics" badge to bear.

[dusty64]

25. If nothing else, it will make

for a REALLY interesting campaign. I wish him luck, we need more fighters and ones who tell it like it is in Washington.

[dorktv]

26. I find Franken in person distrubing.