Amy's Robot

Public Servants

Al Franken's been making some noise lately about running for public office - he's bought a house in Minnesota and is talking about broadcasting his radio show from there. Today's New YorkTimes examines the possibility of a future Senator Franken, but leaves one important detail out. If Franken does run for public office, it will mean the end of The O'Franken Factor.

Air America has been picking up speed of late, but the company's future is far from assured. What would the loss of their highest profile show mean?

Well, it means you have to start cultivating another big name liberal - say, maybe, former public servant Jerry Springer. In April, Springer's weekday call-in show went national on Air America, in the desirable 9am - 12pm weekday time slot. And, to be frank, he's a hell of a lot more listenable and engaging than Al Franken.

But what about speculation that Springer's new non-tawdry talk show format is merely a stepping stone for his own political future? As we've mentioned before, Springer has talked about running for Governor of Ohio, although he tends to hem and haw when asked directly about it. Can Air America afford to build up its biggest draws only to lose them to political office - or does serving as a political breeding ground go further toward achieving their goals than sustaining a liberal media voice?

Franken and Springer's decisions will be interesting ones. As a media superstar, Springer wielded far more public power than he ever did as mayor of Cinncinnati. What's the responsible path for a politically-minded public figure? Use the power of public opinion, or the power of public office?

categories: Celebrities, Media, Politics
posted by Emily at 9:21 AM | #