Letters from America Book

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.