Al Franken or Michal Moore?

Which liberal pundit do you like better?

I loved Bowling for Columbine (saw it in a theater in NYC last year. It was great), but I'm swiftly realizing that Michael Moore, while I respect his liberalism and even his arrogance, is pretty much a more honest, liberal version of Rush Limbaugh. He's sensationalist and at times even disingenous.

Al Franken... well, I just finished Lies and the Lying Liars (Ask me anything!), and I can't begin to talk about how much I respect him. He's another smartass liberal, but he has the balls to fight back the right-wing talking head douchebags who try to drown us out, and make them intensely uncomfortable by pointing out their faults.

Maybe it's a taste thing, so... who here likes who better? :-)

There'll be a lot of flames about Moore, right?

I'll give Moore a vote, though. He's the one that reaches the widest audience. I personally like Franken, but Moore is very effective in the broader public, despite his failings.

Moore is too bombastic and sensationalistic for my taste. Unnecessarily distorts facts to make his points.

Maybe we need to start distorting facts to make points. Maybe it's the only way people will listen.

Al is way more personable and is able to keep it together in a debate situation.

I give a slight edge to Franken.

I find a lot more meat in Franken's books, although I think they are both fighting the good fight.

Michael Moore has that tongue-in-cheek, parody humor, a bit of Monty Python, while Franken is sarcastic and biting. I like both. Politically, Franken was a bit late in being against the war, and doesn't have the blue-collar, grass-roots thing going as well as Moore. Franken is hilarious when he gets in the face of some repug ass, but Moore is more open and gregarious. I've met them both, and Moore was friendlier and more genuine. Franken could almost be a Republican, in ways. I don't think Moore is anything like Rush. He's a good guy who has strong opinions and knows what he's talking about most of the time. It's impossible (and likely undesirable) to agree with someone, anyone, on every single issue. Maybe he's right and I'm not! Anyway, I enjoy them both and glad to have them on our side (when they are!).

Both Rush and Moore, regardless of what you can say about their style and content are part of the same American tradition of political theater.

Yeah these days it's a little more like WWF wrestling than it used to be. But it's still carny.

on edit: although I appreciate the positive imnpact Moore and Franken are having on political discourse, Moore's level of humore (for me) is kind of tedious and adolescent. I tried to read his book, but couldn't. It seemed a little too unstructured to keep me interested. The humor is often just obvious and not very clever. That being said. I think he's a very bold and admireable patriot and I'm looking forward to his next film on BushCo. Franken (before an audience) is more sophisticated and adept at delivering his humor, though I haven't read his book yet.

He's just more my style although I do enjoy Moore's films. You do have a point about Moore's style being similar to Limbaugh's (although he has good intentions, unlike Limbaugh). Franken is intelligent, can hold his own in a debate without resorting to childish tactics, and seems very kind and personable at heart, IMHO.

But, you're right, maybe it's a taste thing! :D

I'm almost done with watching the entire "The Awful Truth". Not a single moment was off.

Franken...well....I loved most of his book, but there's parts in it that reminded me of bad SNL skits--he didn't know when to end them.

in Moore's new book "Dude Where's My Country", he irritated me by cheering about the big tax cut Bush gave him (though I'll admit he plans to use the money he's saving to fight the bastard* so he's redeemed) and made another line how we, his readers, will never become rich. While that might be true for most (don't ask any powerball winners if they've read his book), being told this is a slap in the face. He means well, and usually he speaks well, but not in this instance. He needs to rally support, not scare people away.

I will buy his book on my next paycheck, assuming I can still get it for 40% off... these people are already rich, I needn't go bankrupt to keep them that way.

I say what the heck, let's give big props to all of them.

I'd just like to know how we can all contribute to the upcoming, new "liberal AM radio" project...

Is there a website?

and said so when I saw him in Harvard Square. He is still a hoot though.

and, since she toured with Al, he gets snaps for that. However, don't forget, Moore's a documentarian, Franken's a comedian. Both are essentially entertainers (as is Pigboy). Neither is going to be as good a political commentator as a Greg Palast or a Molly Ivins or an Eric Alterman.

My politics are much closer to Moore's.

But I like both of them.

with winger interviewers.

They should collaborate though. Humor is a great medium to get a message across.

1. Moore prior to the end of TV Nation.
2. Al Franken.
3. Moore post-TV Nation.

I've read a lot of fiskings about Moore and there's no other way to put it except to call (I'm going to catch hell for this) Moore a liar. Sorry, don't hate me. But I have to be honest about it. 'BFC' is so rigged that I'm pissed Moore got an Oscar for it and that I paid money to see it.
Franken is a master satyrist though. I admire him on a lot of different levels. If Al Gore wants to draw viewers he should hire Franken and build a lineup around him.

Intellectually I respond more to Franken because his humor is very much like mine...he also seems as smart as a whip, not for nothin he went to Harvard (I don't think his rich daddy pulled strings for him).

Moore is a very hard worker, and seems like a genuine man who really, really cares about what's happening in the world. He's very talented.

Sometimes I read Franken and get really pissed, read Moore, get kind of melancholy/worried. Like them equally, I guess. Franken a bit more. His chapter on Coulter killed me.