History Literature / WhyNotMe

While it was a farce at the time of publication, it later became HilariousInHindsight when the RealLife Franken embarked on a political career and became a U.S. senator from Minnesota. He actually got such a reputation that at least one pundit recommended him as UsefulNotes/HillaryClinton's [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6u0QS3N0Pg running mate]] for 2016. Then it became HarsherInHindsight when Franken was forced to resign in 2017 (for multiple allegations of sexual harassment, as opposed to manic episodes like in the book).

* CassandraTruth: Joel constantly give much-needed advice to Franken which he ignores, namely destroying the campaign diary which contains ridiculously incriminating information on Franken's lies and illegal activities. [[spoiler:The revelations in the diary force Franken to resign.]]

** Joe Lieberman really did become the Democratic vice presidential nominee in 2000, but shifted increasingly to the right in the years afterward, to the point that the Democrats would not accept him as a presidential nominee.
* FramingDevice: The three [[ShowWithinAShow books within a book]] make up the novel, starting with Franken's ficticious autobiography ''Daring to Lead''; Franken's campaign diary covering the Iowa and New Hampshire primaries; and a behind-the-scenes exposé by Bob Woodward covering Franken's brief term.

* KnowWhenToFoldEm: Averted with Gore; even after getting crushed in the Democratic primaries, several newspaper headlines repeatedly say that Gore "vows to fight on" despite Franken's popularity.

* AxCrazy: Or, in Otto Franken's case, "Board Crazy."

** Joe Lieberman really did become the Democratic vice presidential nominee in 2000, but became so far-right in the years afterward that the Democrats would now never accept him as a presidential nominee.

* DeweyDefeatsTruman:

* EnfantTerrible: The Cobb twins, who give Franken's campaign team a headache in New Hampshire.

** Everybody knows [[UsefulNotes/GeorgeWBush who really won]] the 2000 election and the hijinks the country had to go through to declare him the winner. Whether said victor was worse than the fictional Franken depends on one's political inclination, [[Administrivia/RuleOfCautiousEditingJudgment and that is all that will be said on the matter]].

* WoundedGazelleGambit: During a debate, Gore tries to unload information linking Al's brother Otto to a series of illegal activities which benefited Al's campaign. Al turns this around on Gore, angrily accusing him of exploiting Otto's personal problems for political gain. The incident dooms Gore's shot at the Democratic nomination.
* YourCheatingHeart: Franken routinely cheats on his wife and boasts of his conquests in the campaign diary in graphic detail.

** Everybody knows [[UsefulNotes/GeorgeWBush who really won]] the 2000 election and the hijinks the country had to go through to declare him the winner. Whether said victor was worse than the fictional Franken depends on one's political inclination, [[RuleOfCautiousEditingJudgement and that is all that will be said on the matter]].

While it was a farce at the time of publication, it later became HilariousInHindsight when the RealLife Franken embarked on a political career and became a U.S. senator from Minnesota. Fortunately for the inhabitants of that state, Franken is less of a JerkAss and a more competent lawmaker, and doesn't routinely insult the voters like his fictional counterpart (as far as we know). He's actually gotten a reputation for being a big-time all-around humble nice guy, and at least one pundit recommended him as UsefulNotes/HillaryClinton's [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6u0QS3N0Pg running mate]] for 2016.

* YourCheatingHeart: Franken routinely cheats on his wife and boasts and his conquests in the campaign diary in graphic detail.

* LandslideElection: Franken's defeat of Gore (who even [[KickTheDog loses in his home state of Tennessee]]) in the primaries, and his defeat of NewtGingrich in the national election.

* BigLippedAlligatorMoment: Franken devotes an entire diary entry to "an unusually satisfying shit" he took and marveling how it came out in the shape of a question mark.
** While it may ''seem'' like a BLAM, it does [[ItMakesSenseInContext make sense in context]] when you realize Al writes the entry just after receiving an important memo from Norm Ornstein telling him he needs to put an end to the campaign's illegalities and, above all, to destroy the memo after reading it. Instead of paying attention to any of that, Al's mind is focused on the shit he took. Norm's memo is barely mentioned in the entry (and ends up being ''saved'' as part of Al's diary!), and it's this kind of dismissiveness that ultimately causes Al's downfall.

While it was a farce at the time of publication, it later became HilariousInHindsight when the RealLife Franken embarked on a political career and became a U.S. senator from Minnesota. Fortunately for the inhabitants of that state, Franken is less of a JerkAss and a more competent lawmaker, and doesn't routinely insult the voters like his fictional counterpart (as far as we know). He's actually gotten a reputation for being a big-time all-around humble nice guy, and at least one pundit has recommended him as HillaryClinton's [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6u0QS3N0Pg veep pick]] for 2016.

** While it may ''seem'' like a BLAM, it does [[ItMakesSenseInContext make sense in context]] when you realize Al writes the entry just after receiving an important memo from Norm Ornstein telling him he needs to put an end to the campaign's illegalities. Instead of paying attention to that, Al's mind is focused on the shit he took. Norm's memo is barely mentioned in the entry, and it's this kind of dismissiveness that ultimately causes Al's downfall.

* AlternateUniverse: After the end of UsefulNotes/BillClinton's presidency. Franken is swept into the White House in the biggest landslide election since 1964, he defeats Newt Gingrich instead of GeorgeWBush, Joe Lieberman succeeds Franken and serves for eighteen years. Other events include the death of Prince Charles in a "polo mishap," Michael Eisner being sent to prison after "the Space Mountain disaster of 2002," and a far future where "shit" is no longer considered profanity.