"It's that he used to be a satirist who was so interested in politics that he transitioned to becoming a political satirist and then a candidate for office. All because he was really interested in the issues and wanted to make a difference. Most comedians probably aren’t very well-informed about policy issues, but comedians do have both the time and the means to inform themselves if they’re so inclined, and Franken very much was and is so inclined."
Matt Yglesias assures us that we don't just have a clown in the Senate.
(Now, why do I feel that I can predict the first comment?)
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50 comments:
(the other kev)
I agree. Carrot Top for President!
I was rather impressed by Franken's ability to keep his mouth shut during the recount and subsequent court challenges.
The most salient thing about Franken is he was never really very funny.
No, we don't just have a clown in the Senate. We have close to 100 of them.
Appropriate match.
Congress=clown college
We have close to 100 of them.
You neglect the House of Reps
Clown my eye. Franken's a vicious creature. Vicious to the core.
(Now, why do I feel that I can predict the first comment?).
I'm guessing Jennifer's comment is what Ann had in mind.
What ricpic said. Vicious, mean-spirited, hateful and so very unfunny.
He'll feel right at home in the Senate.
Here's my Franken file. If you do a find for "mocks" at that page, you'll see a couple examples of that vicious.
I predict it won't be too long before he's engaged in altercations on the Senate floor, perhaps involving him "accidentally" pushing chairs and the like. No, really.
If only Franken could be as kind and tender hearted as ricpic...
Jesse (it's a fake name) Ventura, and now Al Franken. Does anybody on this blog realize that you can't buy offsale liquor, or beer on Sunday in Minnesota. The whole state is fucked. Except for Peter Hoh, who is the only sane man in the state.
You're very prescient, garage.
Franken hasn't been funny since he took it in the tailpipe by a gorilla. And then only marginally.
Satirist? Perhaps, but only when you spell it with a "y", and he is in the middle.
Imus's engineer Lou Ruffino does Franken after Franken acceptance speech, real audio.
Class Act
I still want to be the proverbial fly on the wall when Franken has the epiphany that a single junior senator has almost no power and really can't change the world.
Yeah, how long before he (a) punches someone or (b) makes an ass of himself such that even Democrats wince? Three months, six months?
Jennifer,
Still, a hundred clowns is better than a thousand, right?
ricpic,
Surely these are not mutually exclusive--otherwise why do children so often fear clowns?
Unfortunately, and too late to do anything about it:
58% of Minnesota voted against Franken.
Just as unfortunate, and too late to do anything about it:
58% of Minnesota voted against Coleman.
Mr. Franken goes to Washington.
He's good enough.
He's smart enough.
And doggone-it, people like him.
In 1984, after Gary Hart dropped out of the race, I really did enjoy Franken's expose on Weekend Update about Bruce Babbitt using the express line at the grocery store when he had more than 10 items. Part of what was funny was that Bruce Babbitt was actually in the piece. (Now, it's commonplace for candidates to do comedy shows. It decidedly was not back then.) It ended with a teaser about his upcoming piece: "Richard Gephart, does he borrow tools and not return them?"
Jennifer,
Still, a hundred clowns is better than a thousand, right?
ricpic,
Surely these are not mutually exclusive--otherwise why do children so often fear clowns?
The salient thing about Franken will be his great satire attack pieces against all politicians not submitting to his mind controlled positions. He is almost worse than McCain. But at least we know that he is an enemy, and he will be a hoot.
Sarah Palin resigns as governor of Alaska.
Original Mike - That was my guess. Here to serve.
Here's my concern: what will Republicans do now that there is a humorless, ultra-leftist senator from Minnesota? Can we as a party survive?
John Lynch -- I heard that she was seen in Argentina last weekend, with a swivel-hipped dead ringer for Wilmer Valderrama.
Suppose she doesn't run for president. Whatever will Republicans do without McCain, this South Carolina guy, and all these other glorious leaders?
We are seeing a serious Sarah who is now free to go to the battle ground of her own chosing. Look out, here she comes!
I am sorry, but not running is one thing, resigning is something else competely. And doing it on a Friday holiday before the 4th of July? I thought Jonah's advice to her today was good. But both he and I see something wrong in all of this. I do not see an upside for her, but perhaps there is something personal going on in her family.
Please do not let Sarah Palin win the 2012 nomination. She is perhaps the only living American who could lose to Obama.
Furthermore, why do these washout vice-presidential candidates believe that they can win the presidency? There's a reason you got picked to be second prize in a beauty contest and lost.
This is on you, Fred.
What I think is that if Palin can't hack being governor, then she can't hack being President. It's a lot harder.
althouse ought to put up a Palin thread stat. Guaranteed 200+ comments!
Yeah or this one will get hijacked anyway.
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
A Clown senator from a Clown State.
Can't wait for Minnesota to elect Pee-Wee Herman to serve with Franken.
Not that many here would know or care, but many of your very best comedy writers in both TV and film are very well educated and extremely knowledgeable in regards to politics, etc.
Franken graduated from Harvard.
How many HERE have done the same?
traditionalguy said..."We are seeing a serious Sarah who is now free to go to the battle ground of her own chosing. Look out, here she comes!"
You forgot: "quitter."
We'll see what he does, now that he is finally in the Senate.
Coleman did his best to undermine the system. I don't like that. The more we drag election results through the courts, the more that becomes the norm.
Bush graduated from Harvard and Yale. And Andover. Loved that guy, though even I was sick of him at the end.
Agreed. Ivy League education is they key. If only we could be ruled by munificent philosopher kings...
Not a clown. A foole.
(the original Kev)
Does anybody on this blog realize that you can't buy offsale liquor, or beer on Sunday in Minnesota. The whole state is fucked. Except for Peter Hoh, who is the only sane man in the state.
Lileks is from Minnesota, so there are at least two sane men over there.
Re the clown college idea: What's the chance we could get the entire Senate to pile into one car...and leave them there?
Ok, I gotta know, did you guess the first comment correctly?
What a banal thing to say, Matthew.
I think the most salient thing about this entire episode is Norm Coleman got beat by him.
How embarrassing.
Ward Churchill for Presidente!
I have high hopes that Franken will very quickly outlast his welcome to Minnesotans as people that smug seldom make friends. He has a smugness of that rarest variety, a sort of uber smugness. he's even more smug than Perez Hilton, and his face is crying out for someone to punch it even more. If you think of Albert Brooks in broadcast news, he's like that character only even more of an arrogant twit, and if you can imagine, even uglier and more gawky. So, having him on the tv all the time acting like a smug prick I'm sure will not long endear people to him. Then again, maybe to all smug pricks he's an affable fellow and they speak his language. So who knows?
When I was a kid I actually met him once. Was hanging out at my friends apt and Al Franken came in. He lived upstairs and my friends dad was involved in the movie business somehow so that's how they knew each other. And this was back before he became Stuart Smalley so was not in any way famous (at least I never heard of him). And he was still a smug prick. As soon as he walked in I thought to myself "who is this smug jerk?"once I heard him start speaking.
I wish Americans were as adoring of the stars in the sky.
Someone should and probably will write about Franken especially once he gets his hands on the wheels of govt.
My proposed title. "Al Franken is a smug, ugly douche bag (and other observations"".
Start writing now pundits.
Sorry, by the way for the constant use of the word smug in reference to Al Smug McSmuggy. But it's rare to find a word SO fitting of such a character, so pardon the laziness in resorting to fall back on the tried and true. Did I mention he's a smug douchebag?
jr565 - I'm sorry, but real douchebags are actually useful.
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