Politico published another round of VP speculation this week that largely focused on Tim Kaine, Elizabeth Warren and Julián Castro, but check out this sentence buried in the middle:
One dark horse that Clinton allies said is also on the list is Minnesota Sen. Al Franken, a close ally who is also popular with the progressive wing of the party and enjoys a closer bond with Clinton.
And how does Al Franken himself feel about this idea? The AP provided the answer this week:
“If Hillary Clinton came to me and said, ‘Al, I really need you to be my vice president, to run with me,’ I would say yes, but I’m very happy in the job that I have right now,” he said.
Dark horse candidate? For sure. An unconventional choice? Perhaps. But he's on the list and he'd accept the position if asked...so it's time to start taking the idea of Vice President Al Franken seriously.
Whoa...try saying that out loud with me: "Vice President Al Franken". Chills.
I actually suggested the idea of a Clinton/Franken ticket in the second post ever at Hillary HQ back in January 2015 and kept bringing his name up earlier this week in an interview with Talk Radio WRNR. So this is not a new topic for me, and it thrills me to see his name in genuine consideration at this point.
Because of his hilariously brilliant books, frequent USO tours, terrific radio show on Air America, and legendary showdowns with Bill O'Reilly and Ann Coulter, Franken would be a beloved figure among progressives even if he had never sought public office. But luckily for Minnesota and the rest of our nation, he did very narrowly become a senator in 2009 and got reelected in a landslide in the Democrat-pummeling year of 2014. Simply put, he's transcended his comedic past and proved himself to be a great progressive legislator who knows how to win.
What kind of running mate would Al Franken be? Watch the first eight minutes of this New Hampshire rally from early February and you'll get a good idea. He truly is a great explainer.
By the time the Republican National Convention concludes, we may know for sure whether Hillary will need to make a tactical running mate choice or be able pick whoever she feels most personally comfortable with. Franken may have the advantage here as he has been friends with the Clintons for the past two decades...and in times like these, wouldn't you want to hang out with Al in the Oval Office over the next eight years? He could also potentially be a terrific legislative liaison to Congress to help her get some important stuff done.
Here's another plus: Minnesota's Democratic governor Mark Dayton would appoint Franken's temporary successor until a special election is held, so any possible Democratic majority in the Senate would not be threatened in the near term.
And there's a historical aspect to this choice as well, as Al Franken would become the first Jewish Vice President in American history.
Then there's the further possibility of President Al Franken serving from 2025-2033, succeeding Hillary Clinton after her two full and highly-successful terms in office. Franken/Castro 2024?
I guess I'm getting a little ahead of myself at this point.
Obviously, this is Hillary's choice to make and we should totally trust her judgement on such a crucial matter. I'm certainly excited about the possibility of Warren or Castro being on the ticket, and would even understand the strategic choice of Kaine. And there are many other intriguing running mate possibilities out there.
But for all the reasons outlined above, I'm officially pushing for Clinton/Franken 2016!
Seriously: Who better to help cement Donald Trump as an irrevocable national joke, convincingly advocate for the progressive cause and bring us all a smile in difficult times than this guy?
.
Originally posted at HillaryHQ.com