The people of Minnesota now have a comedian representing them in the Senate. The joke, however, might wind up on them.
Unless he gets in a serious hurry (and that's doubtful), chances are high that Al Franken will be a one-term Senator. Although there is no IQ test to get elected to Congress, diplomacy is required to do the job well. If there is one thing Franken is not, it's diplomatic.
Franken should realize that his victory over Coleman has less to do with Coleman's job performance and more to do with the Democrat who was at the head of the November 2008 ticket, the unpopularity of Bush, and a few precincts in which more voters voted for Franken than live in the precinct. In other words, the razor-thin margin of "victory" can be in no way considered a "mandate," and he would be wise to bear that in mind as he heads to Capitol Hill.
Knowing Franken, he won't.
Although Franken gives Democrats their filibuster-proof majority, it probably won't last long. With Obama's job approval rating on the decline and more Americans saying they trust the Democrats less and the Republicans more to manage the nations' finances and economy, Franken will have to learn to compromise if he wants to keep his job. Given his caustic personality and his manic-depressive demeanor, however, that, too, is unlikely.
Get ready, America. The freak show has just begun.
