I'm disappointed in Al Franken, post election... anyone else?

[propagandafreegal]

I think he is trying to keep his A list Dem connections.....

[whalerider55]

1. I am frankly disappointed

in the post-election.
in the election as well for that matter.

anyone else?

whalerider55

[ailsagirl]

4. Yes

But my disappointment stemmed from the fact that he stubbornly refused to give ANY credence to the notion of a stolen election. He's completely close-minded about it. He had Mark Crispin Miller on a day or two after the election and Miller (a professor at NYU) was very adamant that it was rigged. And Franken kept interrupting him and even put him down!! I was so frustrated (I wanted to hear what Miller had to SAY), I wrote Franken a letter and told him he didn't treat Dr. Miller very well (who had been on his program a few times before and who Franken had always seemed to appreciate). No acknowledgment, of course.

I haven't really listened to Franken since. That was a huge surprise and a big disappointment. I guess he doesn't realize that his attitude is actually aiding the Repugs...

:(

[AlFrankenFan]

14. because it wasn't stolen

I'm sorry but it was legitimate by about 3.5 million people. We're not going to get anywhere in these times if we dwell on a problem that doesn't exist while we could be thinking ahead!

"We must learn to accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope." - Dr. Martin Luther King

[propagandafreegal]

23. It was! nm

[Spiffarino]

27. Stolen or not

...it was monumentally awful. It did NOT pass the smell test. Here is just one small sample of what's wrong:

2000 - K. Harris, Florida Campaign Chair Bush-Cheney 2000
2004 - K. Blackwell, Ohio Campaign Chair Bush-Cheney 2004

Both were campaign officials with a clear conflict of interest; both set the electoral rules and were responsible for determining how votes were counted. Both were in states that ultimately decided the outcome...in Bush's favor, of course.

If this were the Ukraine, we'd be out in the streets.

My beef with Al is that he is not facing the real issue...accountability. Fraud or not, the potential for fraud most certainly exists. Our ability to choose those who will decide our future is at stake. We need Al to at least speak out about shoddy elections and the strong stench of Republican bias.

[loveable liberal]

2. I think he's doing fine. pointing out fright wing hipocrisy every day.

What more would you want from a guy. funny too.

[propagandafreegal]

3. He doesn't believe that Election Fraud took place. I don't believe him.

I think he is frontin'.

[ailsagirl]

5. I think he's honest in his disgust of Bush

but he thinks anything that suggests a conspiracy is something to steer clear of. BIG MISTAKE. In my letter to him, I mentioned Karen Silkwood. I said, "Was she a conspiracy nut?"

But no dice. Someone ought to tell him the facts of life.

BUT he is very funny and very bright-- and I hope he can run for office one day. I think he'd make a fine congressman or senator or whatever he has in mind. Because I agree with him. But, as I said, he has a blind spot when it comes to anything conspiratorial.

Wonder if he knows Caesar's murder was a conspiracy??

[__Inanna__]

30. That's the problem

He wants to be a politician so everything he does has to be tempered with that in mind. My best friend of 30 years kept telling me, you have to listen to 'em. Well, in my opinion, I liked him much more as Stuart Smalley. Now I think he's just sold out and is boring, to boot. And being from his home state, I'd expect more integrity. (Although the boring does make sense)

[Spiffarino]

6. I've mostly quit listening

I still tune in occasionally, but since he has totally discounted even the idea that there might have been fraud committed in the election, I am less inclined to care what he has to say. I no longer respect anybody who simply stands there and refuses to acknowledge that we have a major problem with our electoral system.

I don't mean to suggest that I am 100% positive that Bush didn't win. Maybe he actually did. I am saying that we must not stand for voter suppression, paperless voting machines, political operatives counting votes and certifying elections, etc., etc.

If Al thinks it's all OK and we should just get over it, I'll get my radio elsewhere. There are still a few people in the media with the guts to speak out about this travesty.

[ailsagirl]

8. Yeh, like Randi and Mike Malloy!!! :)

[Spiffarino]

13. Oh yeah!

And don't forget Stephanie Miller. She's totally on the BBV/vote fraud case. Even better - not only is she smart, she's very funny.

:kick:

[propagandafreegal]

12. I agree 100%. nm

[K-W]

36. You are mistaken and are spreading a falsehood about Franken.

Franken is certainly willing to entertain the possibility, and has discussed the issue to a small extent, he just doesnt think there is enough evidence to warrent it.

Disagree, fine, but dont go around saying he told you to "get over it" he didnt. He is saying that in his judgement the best way to go from here is to support vote counting but that until that counting produces proof of something, he doesnt want to make alligations of fraud.

Frankly I respect Al Franken, whether I agree with him on particular issue or not he is being perfectly liberal and fairly progressive. Whether or not you think the election was stolen (and it can ever be proved) is not a ideological issue, it is an issue of opinion about one set of circumstances.

If I wanted someone who agreed with me 100% id listen to recordings of myself.

[gordianot]

7. He wants to be taken seriously.

A fatal flaw for a Comic.

[ailsagirl]

10. I always thought of him as a comedian

but did you know (I didn't) he graduated from Harvard?? He knows more than some of the experts he's had on his program!!

I just wish he'd be a little more open minded about the C word...

[gordianot]

33. A knowledgeable Comedian would make a great Senator.

John Kennedy had an excellent wit and was a quick with a joke. He could also have done stand up comedy.

Lincoln and Harry Truman from what I have read were also good comedians.

Al is trying to overcompensate.

[DemoTex]

11. Bingo!

Al, you lookin' tonight?

[msgadget]

39. Exactly.

There comes a point when they all take their press clippings too seriously and then add to that his possible run for office in the near future and you've got...well, Franken.

Edit: must remember to spell check

[Ducks In A Row]

9. I got over it.

[Nigel_Tufnel]

15. i thought he gave up on election night...

about eight p.m. he just deflated. it was pretty sad...

now randi and malloy talk about things i want to HEAR!

[Benhurst]

16. I've stopped listening to him. Randi and Mike are great, though.

[journalist3072]

17. Al Franken

I'm not disappointed in Al. He calls himself a member of the 'reality-based community.' And so do I.

I just think that he wants to be very responsible in his rhetoric and his reporting. He wants to have all the facts before him; no speculation.

That's just my view.

[AlFrankenFan]

19. you rock

you are the first person to make sense on this board in a while :yourock:

[Spiffarino]

24. Admit it!

You are juuust a tiny bit prejudiced now, aren't you?

;)

[journalist3072]

25. ROFL! Thank you!

[journalist3072]

26. BTW, that 'thank you' was to alfrankenfan

[jbond56]

32. i agree but

One thing we know happened was voter suppression. In my opinion that is unAmerican and should be talked about. He could talk about several issues related to voting and stay about from speculation. I still listen but not as intensely. I did enjoy the the coverage from the Clinton Library.

[cindyw]

18. I had to stop listening to him. It is as if he thinks no fraud took place

so his attitude is of one who has just learned that there are really more people who like Bush. Therefore his show is depressing. I just can't listen to someone who thinks the election was on the up and up.

[bullimiami]

20. yup ive turned him off. for now at least.

couldnt stand it.

ive been listening to thom hartmann again instead at work.

[212demop]

21. He's become humorless and repetitive

He sounds like he's on the stump, repeating the same talking points, same jokes, same anecdotes day after day... Just not fresh anymore. It's as if he doesn't realize he doesn't have an entirely new audience every day. It's getting old real fast. And Katherine barely speaks up anymore; he doesn't even crack her up.

[Downtown Hound]

22. Disappointed, but not surprised

Al has always been DNC man. His talent shines in exposing right-wing hypocrisy and tearing it to shreds with often brilliant satire. But his personal politics are pretty moderate. I was really surprised to hear him say he supported the Iraq War in the beginning because he believed Colin Powell's testimony to the U.N. It amazes me how such an educated and liberal man could be so duped, but in fairness to him he certainly wasn't the only one. But I can't help but wonder, I was a fresh out of college student at the time of that testimony with no political experience, no best-sellers, and no political connections, and I knew that Powell was full of shit. How is it that all these people were so blind?

So hey Al, it comes down to this. I love it when you tear the right wing pundits to shreds. It's what you do best, and I thank you for all you have done in this department. But you've been duped by the right before when many of us out here knew it was all a lie. And you're being duped again. Us conspiracy freaks were right on Iraq and you were wrong. So don't think that your so-called rationality is always the best. Because I think we're right on this too.

[porkrind]

28. Thank You.

"So don't think that your so-called rationality is always the best. Because I think we're right on this too."

Exactly. In fact, I have been reading and studying the news, recent history, and the * family, for at least a couple of hours each day for the last few years, and to me it is obvious the election was stolen. I think we need a recount to be fair, but it's obvious. It's kind of like when your kid is trying to tell you a lie, but you know what really happened because you have lived with them all their life, and you can read their mind.

Many people are incredibly intuitive, and they can smell a lie. This one stinks.

[cincinnati_liberal]

29. Al Franken Is A Beacon Of Respectability

I too am disappointed, but he's afraid of being marginalized. I understand why he's being tame. He's building a base in the media. He has to play their little bullshit games before he can make a larger impact. He's not a sellout, he's comprimising.

[propagandafreegal]

31. Good point....

[newyawker99]

34. Hi cincinnati_liberal!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[K-W]

38. Franken's position is perfectly defensible from a liberal standpoint.

He didnt sell out, this isnt an ideological issue. Franken differs in his evaluation of the situation. He has the same goals as everyone here (give or take) he just reads this situation differently than many.

Since when is that a problem?

[stevedeshazer]

35. I am a lot more disappointed in

Sean Hannity
Rush Limbaugh
Neil Boortz
"Dr." Laura
Glenn Beck
Michael Weiner "Savage"
Larry Elder
Michael Medved
Laura Ingraham
Bob Grant
Lars Larson

Come on, you must be joking. Get serious, please.

[K-W]

37. Can you present some evidence of your alligations?

Al disagrees with many people here about how to approach the election results. Not in an ideological way, he just doesnt agree with some people.

Other than that one issue, please present one way that he is different now than he was before the election. I listened before and I listen now and I hear the same type of guests, the same type of issues, the same general viewpoints.

Do you have any evidence of this? Guest comparisons? Issue time comparisons? Quotes?

[MsAnthropy]

40. He can't be all things to all people

He's not a politician, he's a comedian.

[propagandafreegal]

41. I've heard he wants to run for Senator nm

[NYCGirl]

42. He's considering it in 2008. It's not a consideration now.

For the time being, he's a comedian, and a damned good one, IMO.

[K-W]

43. Thats not really accurate.

His taking a larger role in politics has led people to talk about this possibility.

Al has said he is committed to Air America Radio right now, anything down the road would be down the road.

He certainly hasnt turned down the idea, but it isnt a product of him being particularly ambitious if that was your implication.

[propagandafreegal]

44. Well, I guess we'll see if it isaccurate or not :)

[K-W]

46. Umm, no we wont.

We will see if he decides to run, which of coures would not be proof that it is his goal at the moment.

Youd have to be a psychic to see that.

[propagandafreegal]

49. Ok, obviously, you want the last word fine... :) No, I'm not psychic...

[found object]

45. Started listening last night and I'm already addicted

All of Air America Radio is good -- Ed Schultz, Randi Rhodes and The Majority Report. I'm a radio junky and I'm tellen ya, this is good stuff.

[rhyfeddu]

47. Randi herself made a reference to Al's political aspirations...

...she recently made an impish aside, about her staying on the story of possible fraud no matter what, unlike others, even at AAR, because (paraphrasing) "some want to run for office", implying they wanted to play it safe. Then she gave her evil snicker..:evilgrin:

[eyepaddle]

48. Come on folks,,,

I know where the disappointment comes from (I feel it somewhat myself) but just because he isn't always talking about that does not render what he DOES say irrelevant. I think the show is still VERY worth listening to.

My point is I don't expect EVERY person I agree with to do EVERYTHING I want them to. Randi's got his back on this one.