Not being content to elect a former wrestler to their governorship a few years back – and he turned out to be a disaster – the good people of Minnesota allowed their State Supreme Court to vote a failed comedian, Al Franken, into office as their second senator to send to the U.S. Senate. I suppose their reasoning was thus:

Since Obama had ZERO qualifications for the highest office in the land and, after all, the state did not QUITE fall apart with the completely clueless wrestler serving as governor for one term then a total fool as a U.S. Senator is an utter [excuse the all too true pun here] no-brainer. Alas for all concerned.

Jessie Ventura, a political independent, was Minnesota’s 38th governor and served from January 4, 1999 to January 6, 2003 without seeking a second term. Now the spaced out citizens of Minnesota [or at least their courts system] managed to put an actual clown, with the big floppy feet and honking red nose, Al Franken, into the U.S. Senate. One wonders WHY they are in competition with California to prove which body of whacko citizens can be more stupid and more self-destructive where the long term health of their state or the nation is concerned. Will the rest of us ever know?

Anyway the inclusion of Franken in the U.S. Senate now means that democrats have reached the magic 60 body count and can theoretically ram through anything passed by the dominant democratic majority in the House of Representatives. Some of our non-thinking liberals on these Fray boards noted this milestone and are currently Frenching one another in celebration . . . and not just the males either.

They have excellent cause for celebration, for should their 60 senators ever manage to move in lock step on anything then they can ram anything through. But how likely is that to happen even once a year much less all the damn time?

Still just think of the possibilities! Not only could those 60 Senators ram through socialist policies that would make comrade Lenin jump for joy even in death but one can imagine our socialist president’s, Barack Obama, pens smoking as he signs quasi communist policies into law, all while grinning like a successful chicken thief.

Hope and Change baby! We can now get the full and unfettered benefit of all that Hope and Change campaign hype . . . and perhaps finally even learn what the democrats’ fearless leader meant by it in the first place.

I objected when people used to deride Ronald Reagan as merely "an actor". I find it just as brainless to deride Franken for having been an entertainer. Or Ventura for having been a professional wrestler.

What law of nature says that only those who've spent their lives political office are qualified to be elected? In the America I live in, Senators are elected to their office by the voters. And, yes, a win by just one vote is a legitimate win. Without such bright lines, we become a banana republic. Another hard truth for rightwingers (and non-rightwingers too!) is "in a democracy, sometimes the other guy wins." Choke it down, Gate, and try accept that this is America. If Franken disappoints the voters of Minnesota, you can be sure, they'll vote him out next time around. It's the sort of "term limit" that the framers wrote into our constitution.

I believe Mark Sanford, for example, has never had any real profession outside of politics. With all his "experience", how's he doing?

EbenCooke:

I objected when people used to deride Ronald Reagan as merely "an actor". I find it just as brainless to deride Franken for having been an entertainer. Or Ventura for having been a professional wrestler.

What law of nature says that only those who've spent their lives political office are qualified to be elected? In the America I live in, Senators are elected to their office by the voters. And, yes, a win by just one vote is a legitimate win. Without such bright lines, we become a banana republic. Another hard truth for rightwingers (and non-rightwingers too!) is "in a democracy, sometimes the other guy wins." Choke it down, Gate, and try accept that this is America. If Franken disappoints the voters of Minnesota, you can be sure, they'll vote him out next time around. It's the sort of "term limit" that the framers wrote into our constitution.

I believe Mark Sanford, for example, has never had any real profession outside of politics. With all his "experience", how's he doing?

While I agree with your post I would point out that it was never the framers intention that the voters choose Senators anyway.

When you have a person who made a success in one field he is more likely to be a success in another.

I realized long ago how Franken,using comedy cut righ to the heart of a matter.Jon Stewart does the same thing.

I think Franken will be another Wellstone.I do know our new Senator,Sherrod Brown is doing a fantastic job.Both in his work and keeping the voters informed.

Now,Gatewood,have at me. :o) I was just told on another board they were all coming to jab me because I think for myself! No longer a Dem,so I can say what I wish about both sides!

with you MaryAnne. Unlike all liberals and all too many conservatives I LIKE independent-minded women with common sense. :)

Al Franken MIGHT eventually become a decent U.S. Senator after a year or two or three of on the job training since he has ZERO practical political experience. That's my real problem with this jumped up professional comedian. Upper level political offices are now TOO high pressure and too complex in nature to readily work where the untrained and clueless [if well meaning] man off the street mythos is concerned. People are just asking for trouble or at least for a clueless and useless politician for a number of years.

in this case, Franken -- spent a few years working his way up from the state legislature to the U.S. Senate then he would have an opportunity BOTH to learn HOW to be a good senator and then prove that he had what it really takes. Of course once he became a U.S. Senator at that point he really would have to spend more than 143 days as an active working politician at the national level to prove that he was then a good U.S. Senator [wink].

This notion that people can be taken off the street -- so to speak -- and then inserted into positions of elevated power and responsibility sans any meaningful preparation makes for good fiction-based entertainment, but otherwise belongs to the nation's agricultural past, to a slower and lazier tame; but is increasingly failing to work out in modern politics and reality. The nation's business has just become too complex and high pressure in nature to work with out using a man-from-the-street substitute for proper training and experience.

I frankly don't care if the 'personality' selected is a former comedian or a plumber or a lawyer, the higher the office the MORE that the man or woman NEEDS meaningful training and experience. Reagan, for instance, worked his way up -- in a less high pressure and complex era, mind you, from governor to president. By the time he became president he had already proven himself. Franken hasn't gone through any such process or baby steps.

As for Stanford, he's as big an asshole as Edwards was and both deserve whatever happens or happened to them.

You probably bitch about the professional politicians who have done nothing else in their lives. I bet you are a big fan of Kennedy and Byrd. LOL

black or white thinker limited to absolutes I evaluate each politician on his or her merits -- within the limits that I previously mentioned regarding job qualifications and experience. But by all means you should feel free to be the limited thinker that you just admitted to being. I really don't mind.

Gatewood:

black or white thinker limited to absolutes I evaluate each politician on his or her merits -- within the limits that I previously mentioned regarding job qualifications and experience. But by all means you should feel free to be the limited thinker that you just admitted to being. I really don't mind.

You evaluate each politician looking through your own political bias just like everyone else. Who are you BSing? So you are a big fan of Kennedy and Byrd?

Since Obama had ZERO qualifications for the highest office

And in 2012 he will have 4 yrs more experience as President than any Republican running against him.

Will you think that's enough?

I am not a fan of any who hang around too long.Kennedy has had many problems over the years and for all the talk about how he is for health Care,he never gave us a bill, through Democratic,Republican majorities.

As for Byrd,he should have retired long ago. He may know Greek theology but if I wanted to hear long sermons about that,I would read a book. The Senate is not the place for long down out theories that are long gone. We can learn from the past,but I live in today.

Kind of like George W. Bush the "Cowboy"?

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Liberal Patriot:

Kind of like George W. Bush the "Cowboy"?

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Not quite.No one can compare to Bush:o) He is Bush League,all the way!

So what state legislature did Hilary Clinton get her chops in before she ran for Senate?

by Bill Clinton AND the experts surrounding them so that she was fully prepared to be a productive Senator on day one. Next STUPID question?