Why Not Me?
Author: Al Franken
Release: January 12, 1999
Tagline: The Inside Story of the Making and Unmaking of the Franken Presidency
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Genre: Fiction, Political, Satire, Humour
ISBN-10: 038531809X
ISBN-13: 978-0385318099
Declassified by Agent Palmer: The Satire of Franken’s “Why Not Me” is Now Just Our Reality
Quotes and Lines
As a regular voter for most of my adult life, I have grown to share the average American’s disgust with “politics as usual.”
The reason I’m running is very simple: to restore America’s lost faith in its leaders. Of course, the high-paid media pundits may say this claim is grandiose, that I’m not qualified, that I’m deluded or even seriously mentally ill.
But I think the American people know better.
Whenever I tell people that I’m running for president, they act surprised. Why, they want to know, would I squander the respect I’ve earned in my climb to the pinnacle of show business? The answer is very simple. It’s time to give something back.
THE FOLLOWING EXCERPTS WERE RELEASED IN MAY 2001, AFTER THE SUPREME COURT RULED UNANIMOUSLY THAT PRESIDENT FRANKEN’S DIARIES WERE NOT PROTECTED BY EXECUTIVE PRIVILEGE
“I think he’s a joke, but maybe he’s exactly the kind of joke the American people would like to see in the White House for four years.” – Bill Kristol on This Week with Sam Donaldson and Cokie Roberts
Franken: Bruce, I’m going to look you right in the eye and tell you honestly I don’t have all the answers.
Carmody: Well, that’s refreshing. And you are, in fact, looking me right in the eye.