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Why Not Me?: The Inside Story Behind the Making and the Unmaking of the Franken Presidency
Updated with more on the real race in 2000!
First came Theodore White's The Making of the President, 1960. Then All the President's Men. Now the searing chronicle that will forever change the way we view the man and the office...
Why Not Me? chronicles the dramatic rise and dizzying fall of Al Franken, who would become the first Jewish president of the United States. Meet the president as a young man. Witness the Franken campaign in its infancy, as the candidate pledges "to walk the state of New Hampshire, diagonally and then from side to side." Go behind the scenes and meet Team Franken, the candidate's brain including brother and deputy campaign manager Otto, a recovering sex addict and alcoholic, and campaign manager Norm Ornstein, the think-tank policy wonk who masterminds the single-issue (ATM fees) campaign. Cheer as Franken stuns the pundits by defeating Al Gore for the Democratic nomination, then is swept into office carrying all fifty states and the District of Columbia.
Then, through excerpts from Bob Woodward's detailed account of the first hundred days, The Void, go inside the Franken White House, which is gripped by crisis from day one. After the highly medicated chief executive exhibits a roller coaster of bipolar behavior, Franken is forced to cooperate with the Joint Congressional Committee on the President's Mood Swings. And when the committee releases Franken's personal diaries to the public, his presidency faces its ultimate crisis.It began on a cold day in January, when Alan Stuart Franken took the oath of office and became the 44th President of the United States. It ended 144 tumultuous days later with the "Boy, am I sorry."
Here for the first time in paperback is the searing chronicle of Al Franken's journey to the White House - the visionary campaign, the landslide victory, the hookers, the payoffs - told through confessions of key aides, Franken's own diaries, and excerpts from Bob Woodward's book on the first 100 days of the Franken Presidency, entitled The Void, the campaign in its infancy, as Franken decides to run on a single-issue lower ATM Fees. Follow along as Team Franken canvasses the nation, attacking Al Gore, attacking U.S. banks, attending a couple of prayer breakfasts.
Then go inside the Franken White House where for 144 days a president virtually reinvents the office, boldly appointing the first all-Jewish cabinet, then battling a severe case of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. As scandal rocks the administration, Why Not Me? becomes a tragic American morality of a man who dared to believe that anyone could be president - and paid the price for proving he was right.
First came Theodore White's The Making of the President, 1960. Then All the President's Men. Now the searing chronicle that will forever change the way we view the man and the office...
Why Not Me? chronicles the dramatic rise and dizzying fall of Al Franken, who would become the first Jewish president of the United States. Meet the president as a young man. Witness the Franken campaign in its infancy, as the candidate pledges "to walk the state of New Hampshire, diagonally and then from side to side." Go behind the scenes and meet Team Franken, the candidate's brain including brother and deputy campaign manager Otto, a recovering sex addict and alcoholic, and campaign manager Norm Ornstein, the think-tank policy wonk who masterminds the single-issue (ATM fees) campaign. Cheer as Franken stuns the pundits by defeating Al Gore for the Democratic nomination, then is swept into office carrying all fifty states and the District of Columbia.
Then, through excerpts from Bob Woodward's detailed account of the first hundred days, The Void, go inside the Franken White House, which is gripped by crisis from day one. After the highly medicated chief executive exhibits a roller coaster of bipolar behavior, Franken is forced to cooperate with the Joint Congressional Committee on the President's Mood Swings. And when the committee releases Franken's personal diaries to the public, his presidency faces its ultimate crisis.It began on a cold day in January, when Alan Stuart Franken took the oath of office and became the 44th President of the United States. It ended 144 tumultuous days later with the "Boy, am I sorry."
Here for the first time in paperback is the searing chronicle of Al Franken's journey to the White House - the visionary campaign, the landslide victory, the hookers, the payoffs - told through confessions of key aides, Franken's own diaries, and excerpts from Bob Woodward's book on the first 100 days of the Franken Presidency, entitled The Void, the campaign in its infancy, as Franken decides to run on a single-issue lower ATM Fees. Follow along as Team Franken canvasses the nation, attacking Al Gore, attacking U.S. banks, attending a couple of prayer breakfasts.
Then go inside the Franken White House where for 144 days a president virtually reinvents the office, boldly appointing the first all-Jewish cabinet, then battling a severe case of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. As scandal rocks the administration, Why Not Me? becomes a tragic American morality of a man who dared to believe that anyone could be president - and paid the price for proving he was right.
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First published January 1, 1999
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About the author
Al Franken
17 books651 followersAlan Stuart "Al" Franken is an Emmy Award–winning American comedian, writer, progressive political commentator, and, recently, politician. He gained fame as a writer and a performer for Saturday Night Live, eventually writing and appearing in several films. Since then, Franken has become more known for his political commentary, writing numerous bestselling books and hosting a nationally-syndicated radio show on Air America Radio.
He is currently the United States Senator from Minnesota.
On February 14, 2007, Franken announced his candidacy for the 2008 United States Senate election in Minnesota as a member of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, and was nominated by that party on June 7, 2008. He won the Democratic Party primary on September 9, 2008, defeating his closest opponent 65% to 29%. He was elected to the Senate, narrowly defeating Republican incumbent Norm Coleman. In 2014 he was reelected to a second term.
He is currently the United States Senator from Minnesota.
On February 14, 2007, Franken announced his candidacy for the 2008 United States Senate election in Minnesota as a member of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, and was nominated by that party on June 7, 2008. He won the Democratic Party primary on September 9, 2008, defeating his closest opponent 65% to 29%. He was elected to the Senate, narrowly defeating Republican incumbent Norm Coleman. In 2014 he was reelected to a second term.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 80 reviews
October 6, 2013
By 1999, Franken was beginning to work his way up as a political satirist of note. For his follow-up to Rush Limbaugh is a Big Fat Idiot, his next book was a comedic re-imagining of those Theodore White Making of the President books. Franken beats Al Gore in the primary (by a campaign of fighting ATM fees), and then gets elected. Once elected, he is forced to resign due to strange behaviour and the publishing of his campaign diaries.
Why Not Me has got a lot of good reviews on Amazon, so I could be in the wrong here. Still, I wasn't a big fan of this book. It had funny parts, but more smirk-funny as opposed to laugh-out-loud bellylaughs. The campaign takes up 75% of the book, and is the least funny thing about it.
Even as a Franken fan, I say 'skip it', though all of those reviewers at Amazon say otherwise.
Why Not Me has got a lot of good reviews on Amazon, so I could be in the wrong here. Still, I wasn't a big fan of this book. It had funny parts, but more smirk-funny as opposed to laugh-out-loud bellylaughs. The campaign takes up 75% of the book, and is the least funny thing about it.
Even as a Franken fan, I say 'skip it', though all of those reviewers at Amazon say otherwise.
December 9, 2015
In this satire, Franken details his unlikely candidacy to become the President of the United States during the 2000 election. Running exclusively on the issue of eliminating ATM fees and deregulating banking regulations to financially benefit insurance companies, Franken becomes the dark horse candidate in the Democratic race. Despite consistent blunders such as pledging to walk the states of Iowa and New Hampshire, racist outbursts, keeping a diary containing illegal campaign activities, and allowing his brother Otto to physically injure opponents with wooden boards, Franken’s firm stance on ATM fees and big banks strikes a chord with the American public. Upon winning the election, Franken’s presidential legacy spirals out of control until his resignation from office.
“Why Not Me?” tells the story of Franken’s campaign in three separate parts. The first is his autobiography,, “Daring to Lead,” which serves as the launching point for his bid as a candidate. In it, Franken elaborates on his humble beginnings growing up as a member of the only Jewish family in rural Minnesota. Franken would then go to Harvard and operate an illegal drug paraphernalia company until arrested for tax evasion. Franken’s life would change forever when joining “Saturday Night Live” and perfecting personas such as Stuart Smalley. Though having absolutely no qualifications to actually be president, Franken runs anyway despite pundit analysis that a comedian of Franken’s caliber could not succeed in the office.
The second section are diary entries from the campaign trail with stories involving illegal fundraising activities, conspiracies to commit violence against other candidates, lurid encounters with prostitutes, and plans to obtain illegal financial campaign contributions. In these diaries, Franken is honest about his campaign including his disdain for the people of New Hampshire and Iowa.
In the final section, a book by Bob Woodward entitled “The Void” chronicles the first 100 days of the Franken presidency. After making racist comments during his inaugural address, Franken enters into a deep depression as he is torn to shreds in the media. Franken starts overmedicating with antidepressants and exacerbates a dormant bipolar disorder. In front of the media and public, Franken declares he would clone himself, beat Saddam Hussein to death with a ceremonial plaque, and even punches Nelson Mandela in the stomach. When Franken shares entries from his campaign diary during a press conference, his cabinet is then subjected to a congressional investigation committee. After 144 days, the Franken presidency ends with his resignation and signifies the end of the darkest time in American politics.
I first read this book while in high school over a decade ago. I loved it then, but I’m sure a lot of the more subtle jokes went over my head. Now that I am older and have voted in two presidential elections to date, I have a deeper appreciation for the humor and satirical take on American politics. Funny enough, Franken was elected to the United States Senate a decade after publishing this book. Remembering the book, I thought it was hilarious that Franken was running for office. Since 2009, he has become a respected senator.
As we approach the 2016 election, the idea that a joke candidate could be elected president doesn’t seem so far-fetched now. Many people believe that Donald Trump will secure the GOP nomination because of his overwhelming public support. While it is easy to entertain such thoughts and worry about someone so ridiculous getting elected and subsequently ruining the country, I have no worry that such a candidate could ever be elected. Like with Franken’s fictional presidential campaign, I view Trump’s campaign equally as fiction.
“Why Not Me?” tells the story of Franken’s campaign in three separate parts. The first is his autobiography,, “Daring to Lead,” which serves as the launching point for his bid as a candidate. In it, Franken elaborates on his humble beginnings growing up as a member of the only Jewish family in rural Minnesota. Franken would then go to Harvard and operate an illegal drug paraphernalia company until arrested for tax evasion. Franken’s life would change forever when joining “Saturday Night Live” and perfecting personas such as Stuart Smalley. Though having absolutely no qualifications to actually be president, Franken runs anyway despite pundit analysis that a comedian of Franken’s caliber could not succeed in the office.
The second section are diary entries from the campaign trail with stories involving illegal fundraising activities, conspiracies to commit violence against other candidates, lurid encounters with prostitutes, and plans to obtain illegal financial campaign contributions. In these diaries, Franken is honest about his campaign including his disdain for the people of New Hampshire and Iowa.
In the final section, a book by Bob Woodward entitled “The Void” chronicles the first 100 days of the Franken presidency. After making racist comments during his inaugural address, Franken enters into a deep depression as he is torn to shreds in the media. Franken starts overmedicating with antidepressants and exacerbates a dormant bipolar disorder. In front of the media and public, Franken declares he would clone himself, beat Saddam Hussein to death with a ceremonial plaque, and even punches Nelson Mandela in the stomach. When Franken shares entries from his campaign diary during a press conference, his cabinet is then subjected to a congressional investigation committee. After 144 days, the Franken presidency ends with his resignation and signifies the end of the darkest time in American politics.
I first read this book while in high school over a decade ago. I loved it then, but I’m sure a lot of the more subtle jokes went over my head. Now that I am older and have voted in two presidential elections to date, I have a deeper appreciation for the humor and satirical take on American politics. Funny enough, Franken was elected to the United States Senate a decade after publishing this book. Remembering the book, I thought it was hilarious that Franken was running for office. Since 2009, he has become a respected senator.
As we approach the 2016 election, the idea that a joke candidate could be elected president doesn’t seem so far-fetched now. Many people believe that Donald Trump will secure the GOP nomination because of his overwhelming public support. While it is easy to entertain such thoughts and worry about someone so ridiculous getting elected and subsequently ruining the country, I have no worry that such a candidate could ever be elected. Like with Franken’s fictional presidential campaign, I view Trump’s campaign equally as fiction.
January 26, 2014
An oft hilarious, sometimes scathing satire of the American political system by one of the old writers of Saturday Night Live. Franken knows his subject in great detail, with only some of the pastiche missing the mark, mostly due to the knowledge needed to understand them. Franken knows the political world, so much he is now part of it! ^OJ
If you liked Why Not Me? why not try:
Stupid White Men by Michael Moore
Bushwacked by Molly Ivins & Lou Dubose
Don't Vote by P.J. O'Rourke
Dude, Where's My Country by Michael Moore
If you liked Why Not Me? why not try:
Stupid White Men by Michael Moore
Bushwacked by Molly Ivins & Lou Dubose
Don't Vote by P.J. O'Rourke
Dude, Where's My Country by Michael Moore
June 2, 2017
I read this years and years ago, and only thought of it now because someone on my newsfeed started reading an entirely different Why Not Me?. This was a spectacularly unfunny book, lacking the wit and intelligence of his other books, up until the speech at the end, which I remember to this day: "It is my fondest wish that, in the fullness of time, the American people will look back on the Franken presidency as something of a mixed bag and not as a complete disaster."
If the rest of the novel had been as good as that speech, it would be a great book.
On the other hand, I did finish it, so it held my attention well enough that I didn't abandon it.
If the rest of the novel had been as good as that speech, it would be a great book.
On the other hand, I did finish it, so it held my attention well enough that I didn't abandon it.
June 9, 2016
Sorry Senator Franken, this book was not very good.
July 7, 2024
I first read this years ago (the book was published in 1999 originally) and it has only gotten funnier with time. Al Franken-- then a writer for SNL, now a U.S. Senator from Minnesota and a well-respected one, writes about a fake campaign regarding him running for public office-- but for the Presidency of the United States, with his sole topic being the evil of ATM fees. The candidate keeps a diary, which his lawyer keeps telling him not to do since it could be subpoenaed later (and it is). The accounts of the Franken candidacy get more and more absurd and to everyone's amazement, Franken is elected President in 2000. I won't give away the ending, but let's just say he doesn't serve two terms.....or even one full term. This was years before Franken actually did run for public office, so his misadventures in this book are hilarious and probably seem a little less absurd given the campaigning of this past year, compared to when the book was written in 1999 and no one knew what would happen (in the book, Franken defeats Newt Gingrich- not George W. Bush- in the 2000 election.) Lots of laughs.
**#88 of 120 books pledged to read/review during 2016**
**#88 of 120 books pledged to read/review during 2016**
December 19, 2007
Al Franken is better known for his books "Rush Limbaugh is a Big Fat Idiot," and "Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them," but this book is by far funnier than either of those. Unlike his other books, this is fiction.
Al decides to run for president, and his platform solely consists of making ATM fees illegal. He's a bumbling idiot, as are his campaigner staffers which includes his brother Otto (aka Dotto Dranken and Blotto Branken), and Dan Haggerty (of Grizzly Adams fame). He also promises and all-Jewish cabinet, with the assumption that Americans want a cabinet the president is comfortable with, not one that is representative of America. This book goes up to the first 100 days of the Franken presidency, which is, at best, disastrous.
I think this book is hysterical. I had several laugh out loud moments. Sometimes Al Franken gets a little too preachy for my tastes, and in this book he is at his "former SNL-writer" best!
Al decides to run for president, and his platform solely consists of making ATM fees illegal. He's a bumbling idiot, as are his campaigner staffers which includes his brother Otto (aka Dotto Dranken and Blotto Branken), and Dan Haggerty (of Grizzly Adams fame). He also promises and all-Jewish cabinet, with the assumption that Americans want a cabinet the president is comfortable with, not one that is representative of America. This book goes up to the first 100 days of the Franken presidency, which is, at best, disastrous.
I think this book is hysterical. I had several laugh out loud moments. Sometimes Al Franken gets a little too preachy for my tastes, and in this book he is at his "former SNL-writer" best!
October 16, 2016
Al Franken is running for president. Now, he might not be your first choice, in fact he might not have been on your list of “possibles” at all. Through a lot of flukes and a lot of blustering, Al Franken… wins. What then follows is a complete dismantling of his campaign and capability
in just 100 days of office.
While bemoaning the state of the 2016 election with my Irish housemate, he said he had a satire to lend me that’s very relevant this year. At first, I had no idea why this book was funny because I had no idea who Al Franken was. After a quick Wikipedia read-up, I found the book to be a lot funnier. Jokes need context and, at first, I had no context. After that, I found the book to be a lot funnier. Normally, I don’t read non-fiction, but apparently this was the year to broaden my horizons.
If you want to have a laugh about an election (looking at you 2016), check this book out.
in just 100 days of office.
While bemoaning the state of the 2016 election with my Irish housemate, he said he had a satire to lend me that’s very relevant this year. At first, I had no idea why this book was funny because I had no idea who Al Franken was. After a quick Wikipedia read-up, I found the book to be a lot funnier. Jokes need context and, at first, I had no context. After that, I found the book to be a lot funnier. Normally, I don’t read non-fiction, but apparently this was the year to broaden my horizons.
If you want to have a laugh about an election (looking at you 2016), check this book out.
November 8, 2009
Former Saturday Night Live comedy writer/actor, Al Franken, is focusing his unique brand of humor on the electoral process, and the results are hilarious. Hypothesizing `Why Not Me?', Franken hits the campaign trail - leaving a path of chaos, hot lesbian coeds and questionable legal practices in his wake as he quests to be the next President Of The United States of America.
Running on a platform based solely on the elimination of ATM fees, Al chronicles his campaign, election, and subsequent 100 days in office in dairy format. No details (such as multiple encounters with hookers or kickbacks from big business) are left out. End result - a side-splitting glimpse at the humor & absurdity of the American political system.
Running on a platform based solely on the elimination of ATM fees, Al chronicles his campaign, election, and subsequent 100 days in office in dairy format. No details (such as multiple encounters with hookers or kickbacks from big business) are left out. End result - a side-splitting glimpse at the humor & absurdity of the American political system.
September 26, 2012
If you ever wanted a spoof on presidential elections, this is the book! Go back to the Al Gore/George W. Bush campaign and inject Al Franken as a candidate and all comedic hell breaks loose! This was a comedy from the start in how he manipulated his way into the spotlight and actually wins the election and then fumbles the ball in the presidency. All the actors and comedians and politicians that "cameo" in this novel are lampooned to the best degree possible as they fumble or rage through the story. My favorite was Grizzly Adams star Dan Haggerty as a tag along comedic value character who flourished throughout the book. For those who would like to see an alternative path that could have been in place of the Bush years, this is the book for you!
November 8, 2008
I picked this book up on November 2 because I wanted to read about the election but I knew that there was nothing I could possibly read that would do any good. A fictional history of Al Franken running for president on a single-issue platform (lower ATM fees) seemed perfect. And it was. It was funny, and I could read the whole thing in a day without having to concentrate very hard, and it kept me away from the internet. Of course, it wasn't very good, except for the hilarious parody of Bob Woodward in the section that is a mock-Woodward novella, but it was just what was needed.
October 16, 2014
I listened to the unabridged 5CD version of this book.
I've read some of Al Franken's political books and not really liked them that much. I've also read some of his strictly humor books and enjoyed them quite a lot. This book is a cross between those two styles so it is no surprise I liked it, but didn't love it.
It is set in a fictional (altho foreshadowing) run for the President. There are some great lines, especially when he talks about campaigning in New Hampshire and Iowa, but not enough to really sustain the premise for the long haul.
So an average listen.
I've read some of Al Franken's political books and not really liked them that much. I've also read some of his strictly humor books and enjoyed them quite a lot. This book is a cross between those two styles so it is no surprise I liked it, but didn't love it.
It is set in a fictional (altho foreshadowing) run for the President. There are some great lines, especially when he talks about campaigning in New Hampshire and Iowa, but not enough to really sustain the premise for the long haul.
So an average listen.
March 6, 2007
Funny, but I prefer his non-fiction stuff. This book tells the fictional (prophetic?) story of Al's run for the Presidency and the short, beleaguered administration to follow. Though the book is entirely hypothetical, it does expose some of the follies involved in the actual process and includes stories involving actual political personae, including the Clintons, Al Gore, Norm Ornstein, and of course, Al's wife Frannie.
August 26, 2017
An entertaining, funny book about then- comedian, now Senator Al Franken's ficticious but successful run for President. He could not have forseen the situation the US is in now but so many of the characters and situations could have been written about the current administration. Many of the characters, including his own, are real, or at least, based on real people. How did he get away with that? Very funny.
April 24, 2008
Why not Al Franken? Well at least he is running for Senate now. I don't think he is running on the same "No ATM fees" platform though. This is the what-if tale of Al Franken running for president. And frankly, its ridiculously funny. Just read the other reviews. I don't need to go over why this guy is hilarious because everyone before me already told you.
August 3, 2012
This is the best book Al Franken has ever written, and I'm a big fan of his non-fiction humor-slam-polemics. I first encountered this book on tape, in '99 or so, from the Public Library to take on a long roadtrip. I nearly peed myself laughing at least seven thousand times, and there was not a scene without Otto Franken that didn't make my gut hurt from convulsive humor-reaction.
October 21, 2017
Some of the jokes get old or misfire. While parts of the book are very funny, it’s the plausible politics behind the jokes that is most incisive. What seems ridiculous in Al Franken’s fake, successful presidential campaign now seems eerily familiar, pulled right out of Trump’s playbook. Two stars for the humor, four stars for the satire.
June 11, 2007
i think this may be the funniest book i've ever read. franken makes up a story of how he runs for president in 2000, and somehow beats al gore in the primary on the way to victory, not without the help of his drunken brother otto and a few other unlikely advisors. stupid, but hilarious.
February 12, 2008
The plot of this book is predicated on the idea that Al Franken won the 2000 presidential election. Moderately humorous compared to his other books. It's much funnier when he's dealing with "reality" than complete fiction.
January 3, 2008
The main character wins the presidency based on a platform of getting rid of ATM fees. (Do you think that is weaker than a platform of "a noun, a verb, and 9/11"? [Joe Biden about Rudi Giuliani]) His campaign was partially funded by a phone sex line. This doesn't seem too far off.
May 12, 2008
Hey, Al's running for the Senate this year.
I need to reread this book again. You gotta
love a candidate who's main platform is to
eliminate ATM fees. Al and his fictional
brother are hilarious.
This is some Al's best work.
Go Al! Obama 08. Hillary 16. Al 20.
I need to reread this book again. You gotta
love a candidate who's main platform is to
eliminate ATM fees. Al and his fictional
brother are hilarious.
This is some Al's best work.
Go Al! Obama 08. Hillary 16. Al 20.
January 8, 2009
Read part of this while crashing on a friend's couch in Wash, DC. Now that Franken has officially reclaimed Wellstone's senate seat for the DFL, the big question is: what is he going to do about ATM fees?
August 12, 2009
Very funny. While Franken's other books are polemics, this one's basically a novel, so I think it ages better as issues and personalities change. I'll note that Jen also thinks it's very funny, and she is pretty apolitical.
November 27, 2009
A good satire of 1990's political campaigns. It seems a bit dated now, but is still funny. It's a shame though that Franken's book came out before the Gore/Bush election debacle, and rest of the circus surrounding the Bush years. Make's the late 90's seem strangely innocent.
January 2, 2013
I listened to this on a long cross-country drive. It made the drive go faster. Hard to believe just a few years later Al Franken became an actual US Senator™! Some day I'll have to ask someone from Minnesota how much hay he made of ATM fees during that election cycle :-)
May 1, 2016
One of the funniest books I've ever read. Al Franken decides to run for president. His primary issue? Eliminating ATM fees! What's even funnier is that a few years after this book came out, Franken was elected to the US Senate!
September 26, 2013
I like Al Franken, I do, and I think he's doing a great job as a politician. This book however was a bit difficult to get through, I guess it's just not my type of humor...I finished it, but I wouldn't recommend it.
August 25, 2015
This is my favourite book of all time and of all books (that I have read). I have read it 10 times at least and every time I read it I genuinely cry from laughing so much. Now Senator Al Franken is a genius! I wonder if his real life political career is as colourful.
July 17, 2017
It's funny to look back on some of these political satires and realize that none of the "hot issues" have changed in decades. Franken's fake campaign is hilarious, his fake presidency doesn't hit the same marks.
April 24, 2007
Al Franken's fictitious run for president on a platform consisting of no atm fees. Hilarious. Definitely a good book to get your hands on seeing as Al is running for senator in Minnesota.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 80 reviews