Minnesota senate win for Franken

[longeyes]

Speaking of "neural misfires"...

No, you don't seriously want to know.

The cataclysmic social event has been happening for decades.  It is happening right in front of you.  And there are many types of gulags, including "soft" ones.  Obama's just the spearpoint of a movement that is able to put a fool like FrankenSenator into office.   You have major legislation pending that will radically transform America, possibly irreversibly, with more, no doubt on the way (I am referring to immigration "reform," the crackdown on talk radio, and stiffer gun restrictions), and you really think I am an alarmist???  Franken, to me, represents the triumph of entertainment over the rational virtues that make a viable Republic endure.

As for Palin, we don't know the truth yet, but who would be shocked to learn that she's disgusted with what politics has become.  Look to the margins for the real action.

[FTA84]

In the land of the Unserious the unfunny comic is king.

Franken represents the ascendancy of a culture that can't think straight and prefers easy entertainments to reason and sober truths, the fundaments of a sound republic.

We've had clowns in office for a long time; now we have a professional, admitted one.  When Stuart Smalley and Air America converge and actually reach political power we have reached the edge of the precipice in America's political history.

Maybe, just maybe, we are reaching the nadir, though.  I'd like to believe that.

It seems to me to be the reflection of a usual sentiment on this board:

"I get to choose between big government trying to control me with fear or I get to choose big government trying to control me with fear".

I think that the people (TM) are sending the signal, by electing a two-bit like Franken, that they think both parties are a joke.

[RocketMan]

I think that the people (TM) are sending the signal, by electing a two-bit like Franken, that they think both parties are a joke.

Sorry, The People ^(TM) are not that sophisticated.

[FTA84]

You underestimate.

Edit: I should elaborate -- no one elected Franken because he is funny or famous.  They elected Franken because it is funny to elect Franken.

[Balog]

You're saying they did it for the lulz?

[RocketMan]

I should elaborate:  The electorate collaborating, working together in masse to elect Franken, would require a sophistication that they, as a group, would never have.  There was never any movement or organization showing such.
Franken was elected simply because he was more appealing to the electorate than Coleman, albeit by a very small margin.
That does not say much for those that voted for him.

[FTA84]

I never said it was a conspiracy en masse.  I stopped visiting this board because of people inventing what was said in my posts.  I already regret having posted once again.

Franken already had an up because he was a (D) on the Obama election night.  With the youth vote turn out, the swing voting people would do it for the so called 'lulz'.  There is nothing sophisticated about a popular disenfranchisement, "Franken can't do any worse than those other guys.  They're all clowns".

Maybe I hang out with a younger crowd, but I was anxious to see if Colbert was on the South Carolina ballot, how many people would turn out to vote for him.  I bet it would be a considerable number.

http://www.nytimes.com/2002/11/07/us/the-2002-elections-midwest-ohio.html
Look at how many people voted for James Traficant in 2002.  15% after he was convicted, expelled from congress and on his way to jail! Which was all highly publicized in his district and was also the talk of the town.  15% of people thought it was amusing or fitting to elect such a person to congress.  It was no conspiracy but a reflection of the sentiment that 15% of people thought it was some version of 'lulz' to the current state of the system.

[Balog]

  No one is inventing what was said in your post dude. I think there is just some disagreement as to whether people voted for Franken as a joke.

[HankB]

Franken was elected simply because he was more appealing to the electorate than Coleman, albeit by a very small margin.

I thought he was elected because of 1) a significant third-party candidate supported by Jesse Ventura; AND 2) Voter fraud, including stuffed ballot boxes in dozens of precincts?

[longeyes]

Minnesota voters were doing the equivalent of a write-in for Bozo the Clown as a protest vote?

You give today's voters far too much credit.  Do you protest restrictive gun laws by shooting your toe off?

One suspects the election was rigged, but it wouldn't be that surprising that in a traditionally liberal state like Minnesota--and one that is probably becoming more so because of demographic changes--that even a truculent stand-up comic could win a big political job these days.  Let us hope that more of the SNL crew doesn't plan political careers, because they, in today's America, will probably win too.  There was a time in this country when people could separate entertainment from more sober aspects of life, but that time is fast fading, and I at least expect this trend to continue to play out until the kids are finally all sent to their rooms after a series of major disasters.

[Headless Thompson Gunner]

You underestimate.

Edit: I should elaborate -- no one elected Franken because he is funny or famous.  They elected Franken because it is funny to elect Franken.

Even that is a stretch.  It's hard to say that he was actually elected.

[longeyes]

My question is why the GOP isn't ostracizing him in protest at what they have to know was very likely an illegitimate election.  If the GOP keeps playing the game by the other guy's rules they will have a very short life expectancy as a viable party.

[41magsnub]

Minnesota voters were doing the equivalent of a write-in for Bozo the Clown as a protest vote?

You give today's voters far too much credit.  Do you protest restrictive gun laws by shooting your toe off?

One suspects the election was rigged, but it wouldn't be that surprising that in a traditionally liberal state like Minnesota--and one that is probably becoming more so because of demographic changes--that even a truculent stand-up comic could win a big political job these days.  Let us hope that more of the SNL crew doesn't plan political careers, because they, in today's America, will probably win too.  There was a time in this country when people could separate entertainment from more sober aspects of life, but that time is fast fading, and I at least expect this trend to continue to play out until the kids are finally all sent to their rooms after a series of major disasters.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ukpress/article/ALeqM5hjH5schNIYeN11mFx_b6WcDigyoA

Alec Baldwin could be the next US actor to enter politics after saying he was giving "serious thought" to running for Congress.

The film and TV star told Playboy magazine that he was determined to run for office, but a lot depended on whether he'd be given the opportunity.

He said: "The desire is there; that's one component. The other component is opportunity."

In his blog for political website The Huffington Post, Alec denied speculation that he was preparing to run against former vice presidential candidate Joe Lieberman.

He told the magazine that he would love to run against Mr Lieberman, but added that at this stage it was "all fantasy".

Alec later confirmed that he would not be running in Connecticut. On his blog, he wrote: "As much as I think Lieberman is an enormous letdown to the party that gave him their nomination for vice president, I am sure the Democrat Party leaders in that state will take care of themselves."

But he did not rule out a more active political role going forward.

"Running for public office involves among the most sacred trusts that one can enter into and I would like to give that a lot of serious thought before I decide if that is right for me and the voters I would potentially serve."

But given his past controversies - including a leaked answerphone rant in which he berated his then 11-year-old daughter - Baldwin appears to be under no illusions over the scrutiny a move into public service would place him under.

He told Playboy: "If I run for political office, they'll have a forest of material to kill me with."

[HankB]

My question is why the GOP isn't ostracizing him in protest at what they have to know was very likely an illegitimate election.  If the GOP keeps playing the game by the other guy's rules they will have a very short life expectancy as a viable party.

But they'll be able to shake hands with one another and congratulate themselves on the courtesy they showed their opponents . . . as they're vacating their own offices.

I think it was Ann Coulter who said words to the effect that while she didn't want GOP politicians to become shrieking lunatics like Howard Dean, she wished they'd behave like men once in a while.

[RocketMan]

I never said it was a conspiracy en masse.

I never said it was a conspiracy, either.  Never mentioned the word.  I never thought it was.  A collaboration does not a conspiracy make.
I didn't put words in your mouth.

[RocketMan]

I thought he was elected because of 1) a significant third-party candidate supported by Jesse Ventura; AND 2) Voter fraud, including stuffed ballot boxes in dozens of precincts?

Mmmm...could be some of that, too.