Al Franken's Minnesota Senate Campaign Is No Joke
His campaign against Republican Sen. Norm Coleman is expected to be an expensive and nasty fight
Coleman, asked what keeps him awake at night about a potential race against Franken, replies: "He's an actor—I think he can try to fool all of the people some of the time." A two-term mayor of St. Paul, Coleman calls Franken divisive and prone to ridicule. "His life experience is such that it would be very hard for somebody in any part of this state to look back and say 'I'm very confident he has the values, the experience, the temperament that I want to represent me at a time when I'm really worried,' " he says.
The fact that Franken has never held office is in sharp contrast to Coleman, who touts public service dating to 1976 when he was an assistant state attorney general. Meantime, he'll usher the gop National Convention into the Xcel Energy Center—"The House that Norm Built," he boasts, since it was a key project during his mayoral years—in September.
One intangible: the legacy of the liberal Sen. Paul Wellstone, who was killed with his wife, daughter, and five others in a plane crash 11 days before the 2002 election Coleman won. Franken, a friend, had campaigned for Wellstone time and again—and winning back "Paul's seat" is a dfl rallying cry.
Observers cite third-party candidate Jesse "the Body" Ventura, an ex-pro wrestler and suburban mayor elected governor 10 years ago (beating contenders including Coleman) as evidence the state would embrace an iconoclast like Franken. Truth is, people soured on Ventura not least because he moonlighted by writing books, refereeing wrestling matches, and providing commentary for xfl football. Which could provide a lesson for Franken: Leave Stuart Smalley at home.
Reader Comments
Al Franken
At least his statements about Rush Limbaugh and Ann Coulter are perfectly true. Now news paper in Europe would print a single line of those 2.
Regards from Frankfurt am Main
The Elaphant in the room?
What I do not hear about this race is if Al Franken is sent to the Senate it will end the GOP's monopoly and give Obama 60 seats in the Democrats favor, and a chance to unravel GOP's MISHIVA witch we find our selves in today.
I have listened to Mr. Franken when he was at Air America Radio, and found him to be on target and highly fact based in his commentary.
I think every democrat should pull for Al Franken to go to washington.
He is smart enough, and good enough, and gosh darn it people like him!
???
I keep hearing about Norm and his attack adds against Al Franken yet every time there is a commercial break I see a minimum of 2 -3 adds from Fraken attacking Norm. I for one like all the attack adds as they can help she light on subjects that politicians don't want us to know about. But I think it is a problem when one politician stops the adds and another keeps going. What has become of our society when the very people we entrust to run it complain when their opponent attacks them.
Makes me wonder how well Al Franken will hold up in congress.
I don't think Al has the experience and seems a bit hypocritical for my taste.
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