True North

According to this Strib article, Jackie Stevenson, the leader of the DFL Feminist Caucus, said that they endorsed Al Franken after screening both candidates. Here's how she explained her organization's decision:

"At the time he didn't realize how it would affect him later in life," Stevenson said. "He wouldn't do it again today."

That's an extremely lame explanation. What proof does Ms. Stevenson have that it won't happen again? Is it based on him saying this sort of thing only once? Or is she using the time-tested "I just know" method. I suspect it's the latter, not the former.

Whether Franken realized his disgusting humor "would affect him later in life" or not, that type of sense of humor won't play well with many devout church-going Catholics or evangelical voters. That's a huge deficit to make up this November. I can't imagine Franken having much chance with that group of voters.

She said the group was impressed with his direct answers on issues critical to members, including domestic violence. She said Nelson-Pallmeyer had been more vague. Stevenson said the group was willing to look past salacious material from Franken's past that some have considered degrading to women.

The time is coming when Minnesotans will decide if Franken's raunchy 'humor' (I use that term loosely) is something that he once did or if it's part of who he is.

If Franken didn't have a history of making off-color remarks, it'd be reasonable to think that it's just something that happened. Since Franken's repeatedly done this type of thing, though, it's reasonable to think that this is who he is.

That Stevenson and others in the DFL Feminist Caucus are willing to "look past salacious material from Franken's past" tells me that this group is more interested in winning elections than in being advocates on women's issues. Franken's "salacious material from his past" is pretty raunchy and degrading to women. It can't be ignored because ignoring it is to passively condone it.

The DFL Feminist Caucus should know that that simply isn't acceptable. Shame on them for endorsing Franken.

Comments welcome at LFR.