Unlike his comedy bit from way back, this time Al Franken is running for something. And despite the media attention he’s been getting, I think that he has a much better chance of winning Paul Wellstone’s seat than the commentators give him credit for. If you haven’t listened to him on his radio show for more than a few minutes at a time, then you don’t know the reason why. If you have listened to him extensively and you still don’t like him or think he’s electable, then we simply disagree–because I think he’s got a lot going for him. Watch the recorded message above and you’ll get a bit of an idea why.

Despite his usual placement in media coverage as being opposite Rush Limbaugh, Ann Coulter, and Bill O’Reilly (he has to cover those three and sometimes more, because there are for too many more conservatives with their own shows or widespread coverage than there are liberals), Franken is not equal to them in temperament. In fact, his character is as opposite theirs as his politics is; instead of arrogant and fatuous like Limbaugh, Franken is generally mild-mannered and self-effacing; instead of being outrageously offensive to bait the other side, he is simply opinionated, and can get along with people he doesn’t agree with quite well (as he did with Arianna Huffington when she was still a conservative); and unlike O’Reilly, Franken does not have a complete disregard for the facts, nor does he treat anyone like garbage. Franken may be painted as some ultra-liberal nutball by the right wing, but then again, the right wing tries to paint every liberal as an ultra-liberal nutball. It’s their way of saying, “we hate your guts because you disagree with us.”

But Franken is also heartfelt and caring. His concern for the soldiery, for example, is something which is impossible to miss. Whereas right-wingers tend to disregard and mistreat the troops they use as political props, Franken is a long-time entertainer for the troops, having done at least seven USO tours, including at least two that went through Europe to Bosnia and Kosovo in ’99 and 2000, and several in Iraq and Afghanistan, the last one being just a few months ago. He honestly and strongly respects the troops, and when he sees them as being mistreated, he gets very, very emotional about it. And one can’t simply dismiss this as a political hopeful posing–unless you figure Franken has been posing for eight years now at least.

Despite his books which devastate Limbaugh and O’Reilly, listening to Franken, you don’t get the feeling that he’s mean-spirited in the least (unless you are Limbaugh or O’Reilly, one must suppose). Franken’s a satirist. He lampoons people he sees as pompous and overbearing for a living. But you don’t come away feeling like he truly hates their guts and wants to hurt them, not like when you listen to Limbaugh and O’Reilly themselves. He’ll say what he says with wryness and a chuckle, and will just as easily slip into Stewart Smalley and make fun of himself.

But none of these are the best reasons for hoping that Franken makes it into a senate seat. The best reason is his intellect. Not that he’s never made a mistake or been wrong about anything. Rather, the man has an open mind and most importantly a respect for the facts. He doesn’t just blow out commentaries without knowing what he’ talking about, and when he gets something wrong–usually minor details if anything–he quickly and readily admits it and moves onward. He is smart, and doggone it, people like him.

Well, not all conservatives, to be sure.

The thing is, Franken gets it. He understands what’s important. He understands the issues, and you can bet on his making the move he feels is right, not the move he feels is politically sound.

A few articles on him have voiced concerns over celebrity politicians, especially Jesse Ventura, his having been a Minnesota pol himself. But Ventura was a brassy showman–you could tell before he entered office that it would be about Ventura being a star. It’s impossible to even imagine Franken would be like that. Franken is more like the politician you’d like to see in office, but got sidetracked by a career as a comic.

If Franken doesn’t make it through the primaries as the Democratic candidate, then it’ll be the party’s loss; if he doesn’t get elected to the Senate, then it’s a loss for Minnesotans and the rest of us. This is a good guy. A wiseass, but still, a good guy.