Basic rule of politics! You get your opponent defined before he defines himself.

Al Franken thanks to the efforts of MDE and the Republicans has been defined as a tax cheater who doesn’t play by the rules and proposes taxes increases that hurts the average person (remember he supported raising the gasoline taxes before this mess took place)

Al Franken also shows that he doesn’t have the temper to be a US Senator.

And keep in mind how on Earth if Al can’t manage a simple corportation is going to manage the job of US Senator.

One reason why Kennedy got killed in 2006 was that he fell behind a margin early and couldn’t recover from. It seems like the Republicans are trying to do the same. Get Franken so burried he can’t recover no matter how brilliantly he runs and no matter how many millions get thrown at Norm in negative commercials.

Walter Hanson

Here’s a clue, if I wanted to call Al Franken a fascist, I’d call him a fascist. I haven’t said that.

So my message basically, is what works with Jason Lewis doesn’t necessarily work here.

That’s like saying that 747s are large and elephants are large. Therefore 747s are elephants. Oops, I guess my innuendo linked 747s to elephants.

Are you serious? That’s nearly as stupid as anything Frank Alan or TenStrokeTommy post here.

In related news, I think it will be great if T-Paw does get the VP nod and not only he can’t carry his own state as McCain loses, but Norm loses too. I wonder if Jesse would have a spare bedroom in Mexico for T-Paw to stay in for a few months while the state continues to laugh at his bad decisions?

Really, you make my point far more eloquently than I ever could. I particularly note the innuendo linking Al with the Nazi’s which you immediately deny when Yoni called you on it.

I did say, however, that he is a purveyor of hate. I think that was pretty clear.

are you calling Al a Nazi?

that may be your most far out there claim yet.

I probably disagree with you, but I wouldn’t put you in that category… You don’t seem particularly hate-filled…

Al Franken, like Randi Rhodes is a purveyor of hate. He made millions preaching to a like-minded choir of hateful lunatics… jerks who who offer nothing to any debate. For example, Franken’s ridicule of a college Republican at Carleton… as that kid isn’t subjected to enough abuse on that campus…

Time and time again, liberals are defeated on the issues. The only way liberals win elections is by lying and by pretending they are conservatives… e.g. Walz.

I would suggest, and I hope I am not being too personal, that just in terms of how to frame an argument, that it is probably not the best choice to complain about “Democrat hate” in one paragraph, and then talk about how those who disagree with you are “from the bottom of Left’s scum barrel” in the next. Kind of lessens the impact if you know what I mean.

Seems the only idea Democrats have is the same idea Democrats have always have… centralize and grab power, surrender personal liberties to the federal government, regulate the hell out of everything, and tax everything that moves.

We’ve tried that. So have all the socialist and communist states that have crumbled in to ruins… Which is really the liberal agenda anyway… ruin America.

Al Franken, Randy Rhodes, the Daily Kos, Air America, et. al. Those are representative samples from the bottom of Left’s scum barrel.

You want disasterous polices? Then surrender to Al Queda, fuck up healthcare with “universal” policies, stay the liberal, head in the sand course with Social Security, and create a full roster of new problems to complement the already full collection of Democrat driven disasters on our plates.

They’ve had two full years now, and accomplished NOTHING!!!

The “hatred” theme is one of those generic Republican talking points that, I hope, has finally worn out. It was useful in that it allowed Republicans to avoid substantive debate with their opponents by suggesting their arguments weren’t based on logic, but the product of an irrational emotion. It was a form of ad hominem attack. My own belief is that when somebody I am debating starts attacking me personally, that’s because they don’t have an effective response to my arguments. I also believe that the use of those kinds of avoidance techniques was a substantially contributed to the various policy disasters of the last 8 years.

It’s tough to understand what appeal Al ever had with any audience… with the exception of what Swiftee noted… he parlayed his ability to articulate Democrat hate in to millions of dollars.

Al Franken, Randi Rhodes… both are Democrat hate-mongering lunatics…

Franken has parlayed his ability to articulate Democrat hatred. The problem is that unfettered rage cannot wash away Franken’s cluelessness.

The only ‘scrubbing’ that would be effective with a guy like Angry Al is a scrubbing from the ticket.

He may have convinced them that he’s not running as a joke, but that doesn’t yet give anyone a tangible reason to support him. Norm has the tangible reasons.

What I mean is on the political side of the equation.

Mark Kennedy was touted as being able to raise a lot of money.
Al Franken was touted as being able to raise a lot of money.

Mark Kennedy worked the GOP establishment to line up support.
Al Franken worked the DFL establishment to line up support.

Mark Kennedy lined up the political elite of the Minnesota GOP to help clear the field.
Al Franken lined up the political elite of the Minnesota DFL to help clear the field.

Mark Kennedy was hounded for awhile by Rod Grams, who was treated as an inconvenience by party activists
Al Franken was hounded for awhile by Mike Ciresi, who was treated as an inconvenience by party activists.

Mark Kennedy got the support of the NRSC to privately support him while portraying themselves as neutral.
Al Franken got the support of the DSCC to private support him while portraying themselves as neutral.
Mark Kennedy got the endorsement of the GOP.

Al Franken is likely to get the endorsement of the DFL.

Now, Kennedy never got shot down because of business ethics, failing to pay taxes, and generally not acting very Minnesotan. However, he got blown away and the post-election criticism was that he was never really tested — and that the decision to not allow other candidates to get into the fray probably deprived the Republicans of a potentially better candidate.

Franken never faced any real opposition that could gain steam because the labor unions and the DFL party elite decided that Franken was going to be the horse they were going to ride. The downside for the DFL is they now have a candidate whose blemishes are beginning to show and the only alternative they have is Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer.

History does have a tendency to repeat itself. It will be interesting to see if Mark Kennedy and Al Franken share more in common than wanting to be in the United States Senate.