Al Franken: 'It would be tempting' to run for office again

[left-of-center2012]

Former Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) on Wednesday said “it would be tempting” to run for office again, more than four years after he resigned from the upper chamber amid accusations of sexual misconduct.

Asked during an interview with Washington Post Live if he would ever run again, Franken said “I don’t know,” but did not rule it out.

“I certainly loved my time in the Senate. I loved the job. I got a lot done. I was able to accomplish things I couldn't accomplish anywhere else, I don't think. So, yeah, it would be tempting to try to do that again,” he said.

Franken moved to New York City’s Upper West Side last year, according to Politico.

https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/593595-al-franken-it-would-be-tempting-to-run-for-office-again

[dalton99a]

1. Do it, Al

[I_UndergroundPanther]

2. Do it!

RUN,dammit! We need you.

[BootinUp]

3. Yessss. Nt

[SWBTATTReg]

4. I wish you would! You would have my definite support (and I suspect, the support of quite a few

others too)...

[Skittles]

5. I think he would win

I think most people know it a lot of bullshit.

[Rhiannon12866]

12. When he appeared last November in Albany, New York (to a sold out audience) he was urged to run again

I think he could win here, too.

[summer_in_TX]

6. New York, eh?

When does Gillibrand's current term end?

[question everything]

7. My thoughts exactly. Would be a poetic justice.

[PatSeg]

53. Oh yes, wouldn't it be!

[orleans]

10. she came in at the 2018 election. she can go out on the 2024 election if al gets in nt

[Celerity]

27. She has been a US Senator since before I was even a teen, her start was January 26, 2009.

[orleans]

30. um... i was talking about this go-around and when she can get the hell out nt

[Celerity]

32. I see no reason she should leave the Senate. She had the the lowest Trump score in the Senate over

his entire term, and voted against almost every single Cabinet level nominee. She was hardly the sole reason Franken chose to resign, years of attempted revisionism by some here aside.

Every single Dem Senator told him in public or private he should step down, except for 5.

Menendez, who was under federal indictment for corruption at that time and chose not to comment, then the 3 Dems on the Senate Ethics Committee (Schatz, Shaheen, Coons) who could not take a stance, and finally, the only Dem who said he should not resign, Manchin.

If circumstances were different, I am sure the other 4 would have told him to step down, leaving Manchin as the only one to have Franken's back.

Gillibrand was one of a group of other Democratic female Senators had met for weeks before they all came out publicly, basically all at once over a 20, 30 minute span, as soon as Gillibrand made her statement. Kamala Harris was the first of the group to go on telly and call for him to step down. Schumer was aware of what the group was doing and signed off on it. On December 6, Schumer told Franken he had to announce his resignation by 5PM or he could be censured and stripped of committee assignments.

Yet Gillibrand, a junior Senator, has been spun up over the years into some sort of single, deciding, controlling force that alone caused Franken to step down. I have seen her called horrid names here, harpy, bitch, traitor, the C word, etc. It is disgusting and thoroughly revisionist.

No one told Franken to step down over the Tweeden incident alone, it was not until 7 other women came forward, including Democrats, (one of them a Congressional aide) that there was serious pressure. Gillibrand was far from alone, was not operating in a 1 on 1 vacuum, and certainly was not some almighty power vortex that single-handedly ran the road and swept Franken out the door.

I think Franken moving to NY and trying to take out Gillibrand would be extremely poor optics and would create a serious distraction and division during a staggeringly important POTUS campaign, and an extremely brutal (against us) Senate map in 2024. I have went into detail on the 2024 Senate map elsewhere, we have to defend 23 seats, many in serious danger, the Rethugs only 10, and all 10 are in Red (all but one deep deep Red) states, with none in really serious danger. Scott in FL would be the only even remotely legit shot at a flip that would not require a crazy upset, and that is a stretch.

[orleans]

51. say what you will. i can't stand her. nt

[Hortensis]

58. Agree.

[wellst0nev0ter]

62. You're right, Gillibrand was basically the first to publicly oppose Franken

Pretty much every other senator in the Democratic caucus pushed him out, based on the last account that Franken (GASP!) held a woman's waist during a photo shoot.

Of course, that claim by Tina Dupuy is not supported by the contemporaneous comments she made at the time

Link to tweet

[Demsrule86]

49. That would be Karma...she led the charge against Franken...but was not the only one of course.

[pandr32]

8. I want you back!

I think most of us do.

[Judi Lynn]

21. Excuse this post, please, your title line was the trigger:

[C Moon]

9. Do it! The US needs you! The world needs you!

[orleans]

11. god, that would be GREAT if he'd run again.

i'd vote for him in a heartbeat (if i lived in ny)

[monkeyman1]

13. Nothing stopping ya' AL but thin air ! " GO FOR IT " !

Sounds like a lot a people might have his back side on this !!

[brooklynite]

38. What about: Democratic voters who aren't looking to replace their existing Senator?

In what State do you imagine he'd win a Democratic Primary?

[Demsrule86]

50. I think he could win in New York...

[brooklynite]

52. Based on what campaign message?

What polices does he support that Gillibrand and Schumer don't?

New York voters aren't angry that Franken was pressured to leave. Outside of a handful of activists, none of them probably remember that he was (most people don't pay attention to elected officials who aren't theirs). And if he decided to campaign on being forced out, he'd have to revisit all the accusations.

[Demsrule86]

54. I think that he could find a message and I believe Gillibrand lost popularity when she went after

Franken...yes I know she was not the only one...but she was I believe the first. And you assume 'a good message' gets you elected...I am not sure I agree with that. I have seen candidates win with a slogan, a great issue, or a multitude of reasons. I always hear about the 'message'...but identifying a voting issue and running on it is very effective.

[brooklynite]

55. Seriously, nobody in New York cared about the Franken situation.

Again, outside of a handful of activists, Franken wasn't seen in New York as some kind of "national Senator" who represented them. The average voter doesn't care what some other State's Senator does. Certainly nobody here held Gillibrand in disregard for what happened. She won her last race, post-Franken, with 67% of the vote.

[Demsrule86]

65. I am not convinced of that. I don't think Gillibrand has been popular on the left. AOC

might run in 24. And there are rumors that Gillibrand may retire in 24.

[brooklynite]

67. "I don't think Gillibrand has been popular on the left"

That's possibly true, but the problem is that New York, while extremely Democratic, is not extremely left wing. Look at the results of the NYC Mayor's race last year, and see what happens in the Governor's Primary this June.

[Lemon Lyman]

14. Cool

A few months ago I read on a gossip site that Al was considering 3 states in which to run. Last week when this rumor came up on Twitter, a user said there's no way he's running. The Tweeter wrote that Al wouldn't run in MN against Klobuchar or Smith (who replaced him). And in NY he'd have to run against Schumer or Gillibrand, and that would never happen (according to the Tweeter).

I'd love to have him back. Not sure in which state he'd run though.

[Desert grandma]

15. Hmm. Perhaps he could move to Arizona and run.

Somehow, I don't think the Arizona Democratic party would mind.

[burrowowl]

16. It would be great to see him in the Senate again!

[Raine]

17. Yes, do it! 👍 nt

[OverBurn]

18. I like Al. I think he's genuinely a good guy. He got a raw deal. Hope he's back in the Senate soon.

[Brainfodder]

19. He should be loaded $ wise, and he aint young, so why put yourself through it at all?

Loves the ass kissing is all I can figure with any of these rich people.

...and NO I am not anti-Franken, love his comedy mind!

[OnDoutside]

24. You don't listen to his podcasts ? I don't think you would come

out with that post if you did.

[betsuni]

29. Money and ass kissing? Rich people? What?

[PatrickforB]

20. Do it, Al! You were great then, and you'd be great now. n/t

[DFW]

22. Al has never closed the door to running for SOME office again.

Senate is unlikely, but I suppose not completely impossible. Two Senators he makes fun of (imitates their voices) with deadly accuracy, namely Mitch McConnell and Bernie Sanders, are still there. I hope he continues to do it.

He DID love his time in the Senate, and if time can heal enough wounds, well......

One thing that HAS helped is the universal (to my knowledge) encouragement he has received just about everywhere he has gone, and, more importantly, from everyONE he meets. When he was run out of the Senate by his fellow Democrats, he was thinking that, except for Norm, he didn't have a friend left in the world. He now knows the opposite is true. He has tens of millions of them (except Roger Stone). He is bolstered by this to a huge degree.

[OnDoutside]

25. You would have to think that he has some sort of plan, if for nothing else

than himself and Frannie moving to New York ? And then so many of the The Only Former Senator on Tour Tour taking him to, funnily enough, New York venues.

[DFW]

31. IF he has some kind of plan, he hasn't mentioned it to me. He would have told Norm first, anyway

I haven't seen Al in a little while, but I did see Norm last month. Norm never said a word to me, and if he had, he would have sworn me to silence, and I wouldn't have said anything here at all. Franni still harbors a deep and bitter grudge against the Senate Democrats. Al listens to her, although I think he is letting time heal a few of the deepest wounds. Al gives equal time to imitating two of his Senate detractors brilliantly (Mitch McConnell and Bernie Sanders), and considering how hilariously he savages both of them, don't ever get on his bad side if your voice range is anywhere close to his.

New York is not new territory to Al. He spent plenty of time there, and if he were to launch a Senate bid from a residence there, it would not exactly be an earth-shaking precedent. Bobby Kennedy and Hillary Clinton both served with distinction as Senators from New York, despite being transplants.

[brooklynite]

36. Hillary ran for a vacant seat; Bobby ran against a Republican incumbent.

If Franken ran against either Schumer or Gillibrand, he would lose handily.

[DFW]

39. He never even entertained the thought, as far as I know.

I'm not exactly his confessor (though Norm sort of is), but he has never said a peep to me that gave even the slightest impression he was considering it. If Gillibrand suddenly decided take a one way trip to the Asteroid Belt, he would not get in line to talk her out of it, but he has never even hinted that he had any thoughts of a primary challenge. He is neither vengeful nor stupid, despite what was done to him.

[brooklynite]

40. Nobody seems to focus on the fact that he'd still need a message to give to voters...

"He was great the last time" isn't going to work outside of a handful of political bloggers. And the average voter doesn't care that he asked probing questions at Committee Hearings. He'd need a substantive policy message, especially if he's not running in MN.

[DFW]

41. IF he runs again, no matter for what

It would no longer be his first rodeo. He knows the risks, and Norm would be guiding him from the background.

The likelihood of Al running in a race he is not reasonably sure of winning is near zero. When he ran for the Senate on 2008, he was not yet 60. Now he is over 70. He is not interested in "learning the ropes." He knows them already.

[ffr]

23. Hell yeah! You shouldn't have been run out in the first place. Do it later. Do it now, but just

do it. We loved having you in the U.S. senate.

[OnDoutside]

26. Unfinished business. Do it, Al.

[Lemon Lyman]

28. -

Here's the link to the gossip site I referenced earlier. I'm sure a lot of stuff on blind item sites is b.s. There are some truths there though. I knew about Louis CK a year before the news came out b/c of stuff there. The comments suck now, so I rarely visit the site. They comments section used to be mostly Democratic. Within the last # of years it's been taken over by q freaks.

https://www.crazydaysandnights.net/2021/10/blind-items-revealed-4_2.html#disqus_thread

I still can't find the tweet from the guy who said there's no way Al would primary any of the four MN or NY senators, but it makes sense.

This is a good recent tweet:

Link to tweet

[hlthe2b]

33. Many like me will make small donations, Al, but they will add up. Do it!

I support you and call BS on the few detractors who will inevitably come to this thread.

[Lemon Lyman]

34. Mabye

He could move to CA and run against DiFi. She's up in 2024. She'll be 91 on 6/22/24. Franken will be 73 on 5/21/24. The last guy she beat in the general in 2018 was Kevin de Leon. She beat him 54% to 46%.

If that gossip item I posted has truth to it, I can't think of a 3rd state (MN, NY, & ...?) where he could run other than CA. He could move there an be in entertainment. Maybe his in-laws have a house somewhere like oz. Lol.

[left-of-center2012]

35. So, you're not supportive of him running again ?

[Lemon Lyman]

60. Yes I Do

I absolutely support him running again. Count me as one of those who think he got screwed when he resigned.

[Emile]

37. If I lived in Minnesota, I would vote for him!

[left-of-center2012]

43. "If I lived in Minnesota ..."

He now lives in New York, so would probably run for office in N.Y.

[Emile]

44. LOL, I always think Minnesota when thinking about Al Franken.

If I lived in NY I would vote for him!

[left-of-center2012]

45. When he first ran in Minn ...

I thought of moving there to help him.
Minnesota winters changed my mind.

[Emile]

46. I would love to live in Itasca County in Northern Minnesota,

but like you their winters scare me.

[Kingofalldems]

42. Kick and rec for Trump's yeoman-like cultists.

[ificandream]

47. Al, we're begging you ... please do. We need you badly.

[brooklynite]

64. Why do we need him?

I understand that you may WANT him back in the Senate. But we have strong Democratic Senators in MN and NY, so why do we NEED him?

[ificandream]

71. Because he was an exceptionally strong voice ...

... his work was like that of the Vice President's when she was in the Senate.

[brooklynite]

72. I've never been impressed by "voices"

They make the base who already agrees with them feel good, but they don't seem to change many other minds.

[Goodheart]

48. Please do!

[Deep State Witch]

56. Maybe he can primary Gillibrand?

That would be sweet revenge.

[brooklynite]

57. Why would a New Yorker pick him over Gillibrand?

[Hortensis]

59. I've not been a Gillibrand fan but also don't believe the extreme hostility expressed

by a few toward any of our liberal Democratic senators is at all warranted. Senator Gillibrand is battling to protect liberal democracy against a RW authoritarian takeover. As is Senator Franken, who shares her ideology and goals.

Excessive hostility inevitably reminds me strongly of the Hillary Hate phenomenon. Those caught up in that tragic subversion were encouraged to imagine justification in HRC's "terribleness" for blowing up the entire election. That time, some were exacting revenge against Democrats for the crime of not nominating Senator Sanders in the primary.

In this case, some are claiming extreme offense and hostility against one or all 50 Democratic senators (!) -- on Franken's behalf. This time some are similarly endowing Senator Franken with what seems to me like almost cult-level authoritarian admiration. And this time some are calling to avenge his resignation by unseating one or all 50 Democratic senators.



We need to recognize what's going on here and help those who've lost their way get back on track.

[left-of-center2012]

61. Wasn't she the first to demand his resignation ?

And there was no proof.

I'm guessing that accounts for the hostility toward her.

[brooklynite]

63. She was the spokeswoman for a group of women Senators...

But apparently a junior Senator from New York has immense power to compel the opinions of far more Senior electeds? Or maybe life is easier if you have a scapegoat?

[DFW]

73. A junior Senator from Wisconsin once acquired immense power by the sheer force of his rhetoric

And he compelled the opinions of Senators far more powerful than he (initially, anyway)--in fact nearly all of them. Junior Senators can easily outshine senior Senators from a given state, whether good (AZ), bad (TX) or ugly (MO).. Bandwagons do get jumped on by lesser egos who are simply susceptible to being dominated if the right voice seizes the right theme at the right time.

Unlike McCarthy, Gillibrand's bandwagon was not joined by many for long, and unlike McCarthy, she was not purely out to manipulate for sheer power (I hope, anyway). But she DID try to mold her temporary fame into a presidential run. Fortunately, it fizzled quickly, and even more fortunately, she realized it. Why "even more fortunately?" Because she was smart enough to not end up wasting a lot of valuable time on a lost cause. When someone has to ask on live TV, "at long last, have you no decency?" then it is already too late to start damage control. Gillibrand knew her 15 minutes were up way before it got to that level.

But whether it's "trouble right here in River City" or a "list of 254 Communists," or "God wills it!" a skillful manipulator can often get away with a reprehensible rabble rousing campaign if it gets put to the right audience at the right time. Junior or Senior in their title or status has no bearing--their success in reaching a receptive audience does.

[Hortensis]

70. It accounts for reasonable anger among those who disapproved, like me.

I'm talking about BIG, extreme hostility, so big that it doesn't count the costs.

Hostility against remaining Democratic senators so big that it thrills the Republicans and Kremlin, who beyond doubt are tracking and feeding it.

Don't forget -- the attack on the Democratic Party targeting Senator Franken is a RIGHT WING operation.

And of course it's still on. Franken was just the beginning.

[budkin]

68. PLEASE!

DO IT!

[we can do it]

69. Let's go Al!