It’s hard to even imagine how annoying the Presidential debates could actually be if the Democrats talked erstwhile Saturday Night Live writer/cast member, now Senator Al Franken into running. Some are saying that he could be talked into it and that he would be the perfect candidate to match up against Donald Trump.

Political associates of Al Franken say they think the Minnesota senator could be talked into running for the White House if he believes he’s the Democrat best positioned to defeat President Trump.

But they say Franken would need to be convinced and argue that the former “Saturday Night Live” star would be reluctant to enter a battle with a slew of other Democrats in what’s increasingly expected to be a wide-open race for party’s nomination. Sen.Amy Klobuchar, Franken’s Minnesota colleague in the upper chamber, is seen as a possible presidential candidate.

A Franken nomination would virtually guarantee another election full of more wisecracks and zingers than actual substance.

“He’s not the type of person to crawl over everyone’s dead carcasses to get to the White House,” said R.T. Rybak, the former mayor of Minneapolis and a Democratic National Committee vice chairman.

(He’s only the type of person who magically finds carloads of ballots that put him over the top in a Senatorial election.)

At the same time, Rybak said he wouldn’t rule out Franken entering the race. He argues the senator is outraged over what is happening to the country and that he would do whatever it takes to defeat Trump. Michael Dale-Stein, a spokesman for Franken, says no one should expect a Franken 2020 presidential bid.

“Sen. Franken is not going to run for president in 2020,” Dale-Stein said.

That would sound pretty definitive if not for all those candidates who were absolutely not running for President until they were.

Franken’s celebrity status, progressive bona fides and sharp tongue have left many thinking he could be an effective candidate against Trump.

I think we need fewer celebrities with sharp tongues and more leaders with sharp minds.

Watch Al Franken spend an entire 'Today' show segment eating corn https://t.co/2ZeD3ij5zI pic.twitter.com/IEDzJGjIBe

— Eater (@Eater) August 25, 2017

Either way the key to getting Franken to run will be convincing him that he’s good enough, he’s smart enough, and doggonit, people like him.