Dailykos diarist Elruin has picked up a scoop from the Huffington Post regarding comedian and Air America host Al Franken’s future plans:
Al Franken, the best-known host of the liberal network, will announce his expected departure on his show later today, to explore a run for the U.S. Senate from Minnesota.
I’ve met Al Franken. I like Al Franken. But is he the right guy to beat Norm Coleman in 2008? I’m not so sure about that.
First of I will say that I know very very little about Minnesota politics but I have been hearing a lot about how Franken is unelectable. I know Coleman will not hesitate to take his comments out of context (and there will be a lot of them) but what exactly makes him the wrong candidate?
he will probably draw out the voters that helped elect Ventura. However, I am not sure I want to take a chance with Franken. This is a very winnable seat and I want to make sure we have the best possible candidate.
I went to see Al Franken’s documentary this past fall, and he did a Q&A session afterward. I must say, I don’t understand how this guy ever was a comedian. He is completely stiff, overly serious, and has none of the passion of someone like Wellstone. Furthermore, I definitely agree that Coleman will use Franken’s on-air statements out of context. This IS a winnable seat, and we need to make sure that we run a candidate who can WIN! At this point, I would say that everyone on here (especially those of you who are from Minnesota) should call or e-mail Chuck Schumer’s office (since he will continue as chairman of the DSCC,) and tell him to recruit a strong LOCAL candidate who can build support from the ground up, not a celebrity with a famous name but a polarizing persona.
I hope Betty McCollum will be our candidate against Coleman.
I’ll say is this: Franken has done a lot of work for Democrats over the years. I have to believe that he went to Schumer, Reid and co. and basically said that if he can’t win he won’t jump into this race. I have to believe that Schumer has done polling that says that Franken can win this race.
First of all, Minnesota has a long history of picking slightly edgy candidates for national office. I reference Hubert, the poet Gene McCarthy, and Paul Wellston. We like people who stand out from the next guy. Yep, Ventura, but he was not a DFL’er.
Both Franken and Ciresi have promised to abide by the Party Convention Endorsement — and that will be late May, early June 2008. The process begins with Precinct Caucuses in the first week of March, and the delegate selection process then occurs at Legislative District and County Unit Conventions in early April. Because the two leading candidates have promised to abide by convention decision that means there will be no primary in September for this nomination. This means whoever we endorse can campaign against Norm all summer of 2008 instead of doing a party primary.
Another thing this means is that from not till State Convention this is very much a retail campaign that depends on organization — not big time funding. Franken begins by inheriting much of the Wellstone Organization which has been thinking over this race since the day that plane crashed. He also probably has Fritz Mondale still beloved by old time DFL’ers — Mondale virtually announced Franken’s candidacy at the Carter Center back in 2005 when it was just a plan. (almost exact quote) “There are a bunch of folk down there in Washington DC who don’t know they are stand up comics — maybe it is time for Minnesota to send them a real one.” In this respect Franken enters the race with two major DFL establishments behind him — Wellstone’s outfit and the Establishment Mondale represents. The idea that Franken should move home and run for “Paul’s Seat” occurred a couple of years ago at a Wellstone Action Board Meeting — and the Idea belonged to Molly Ivins. (Molly once worked for the Minneapolis papers).
Yes, we expect all of Franken’s past words to come up in the campaign. Wouldn’t be surprised if Bill O’Reilly shows up to campaign with Norm and refight the law suit he lost, But Norm has his weaknesses too you know, and it may be the best way to shovel the snow on top of them is to do it with good humor. (Norm was a DFL’er until 1998 when Karl Rove recruited him to the Republican Cause — in 1996 he co-chaired Bill Clinton’s state effort, and did the same for Wellstone’s re-election.) Norm has a very high pro Bush-Rove voting record, and I don’t think that will be very popular in 2008.
As to Greater Minnesota, for the last year Franken has been doing the County DFL Dinner Circuit, in many cases along with Mondale who introduces him, and last summer he marched in all the small town parades and attended the turkey roasts and corn dog eating contests. He raised lots of money for Klobuchar last year doing his act. Al also raised the critical money for Wellstone back in 1990 when we spent just over a million to beat the 2 term incumbant, Boschwitz, who had 11 million to spend. He has major introductions to the Iron Rangers in the 8th District, NE Minnesota — and since much of that is AFL-CIO Labor, it will help getting labor endorsements in the cities. The real competition will be for the suburban votes — and Al was raised in a first ring Suburb, St. Louis Park. Today he had an event at his old Jr. High School.
Another thing to consider about Franken is that he was quite active in semi-professional theatre in the cities, mostly around Dudley Riggs Cafe (an old Comedy Club that started in the 1960’s) — and with some of the smaller theatres. He has lots of local friends in the business, and many will work hard for him. Even in his big years on SNL, he liked to come home and hang with the music and theatre people. Add to that his long term USO work — he’s been to Afghanistan, Iraq, Quter, Bosnia, Kosovo, Germany and many other places to entertain the troops — I think he goes every December. He’s also raised lots of money for the Minnesota National Guard family support organizations. And he’s been doing this stuff for years, long before Ivins said he should run for the Senate.
Nothing wrong with Ciresi at all, but ask yourself, does the Senate need yet another lawyer from a big law-firm? Betty McCollum is on a track to leadership in the House, and while she would make a good Senator, she has a safe seat and soon will be in line for sub-committee chair.
I hope this gives non-Minnesota types a sketch of the DFL scene, and an understanding why Franken has been given so much encouragement to do this race. In the meantime he has to organize.