Political Commentator
Al Franken
Notes from Evan Smith
"The last time Al Franken was in Austin and a guest on this show, Air America affiliates had just gone on the dial in several Texas cities, and the proposition that a liberal counterpart to conservative talk radio could thrive during George W. Bush's polarizing presidency was yet to be tested. A year and a half later, we know a few things. One, Air America is, from a business standpoint, a bit of a shaky operation. Two, a Rush Limbaugh-sized audience has not yet materialized on the left. Three, despite one and two, 55-year-old Franken is more of a household name than ever, with an even bigger following than during his days as an Emmy Award-winning writer and performer on Saturday Night Live. Maybe not any bigger than his five best-selling books had already made him, but The Al Franken Show, which airs 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. weekdays certainly made him the worthy subject of new documentary film, Al Franken: God Spoke. And both the show and that Bush presidency I referred to have made Franken, who was once upon a long time ago a Republican, a possible if not likely Democratic candidate from the U.S. Senate from his home state of Minnesota in 2008. When we caught up with Al again in late September, he was in familiar form: eager to banter about any number of timely topics, outraged at the drop of a hat, and extremely funny. Strap yourselves in for a memorable half-hour."
- Evan Smith, Texas Monthly Talks, Broadcast 4.7.05
