With the statement "Minnesotans have a right to be skeptical about whether I'm ready for this challenge, and to wonder how seriously I would take the responsibility that I'm asking you to give me," Al Franken announced his candidacy for the senate seat currently held by Norm Coleman.
Franken, you may remember, was one of the inspirations behind Air America (For those of you with short memories you may remember that a bunch of liberals - excuse me progressives - launched a radio alternative to conservative talk radio that by any account was a pretty quick failure - Franken was the anchor of that disaster.) He is also an author of a series of books that can be found in the discount bin of any bookstore. Several of his books have something in their title to do with liars or idiots. His apex of popularity was during his time on Saturday Night live where one of the characters he played was a guy named Stuart Smalley. The Smalley character may be a reflection of the guy that is most apt. Smalley was a character that engaged in endless (and some thought funny) psycho-babble. His tag line was "I'm good enough and I'm smart enough and doggone it, people like me (which evidently Smalley/Franken has been trying to prove since he left the show). What Franken has done over his career could not be considered art - so it is hard to think about this as art imitating life.
Mike Ciresi, a prominent trial lawyer, is likely to be (Smalley's) Franken's primary opponent. Coleman may have a tough race because of discontent in Minnesota.
A generation ago, another comic, Pat Paulsen, announced several times that he was running for president. He produced a mildly funny set of routines as to why a comic should be elected to the presidency. Paulsen's tag line was "Just a common, ordinary, simple savior of America's destiny." His commentary was often funny and on point. My favorite line of his was "If elected, I will win." The sad thing about Franken is that he thinks he is serious.
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