Al Franken Draws USA Map

Senator Al Franken draws a map of all 50 states from memory during an appearance on Minnesota Public Radio’s Midday at the Minnesota State Fair. I’m not sure what prompted this but it’s pretty impressive:

Via Jason Kottke, who dubs it “one of the best hand-drawn maps I’ve seen.”

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James Joyner
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James Joyner is Professor and Department Head of Security Studies at Marine Corps University's Command and Staff College. He's a former Army officer and Desert Storm veteran. Views expressed here are his own. Follow James on Twitter @DrJJoyner.

Comments

  1. Neil Hudelson says:

    I remember seeing a video of him doing this on Letterman in the late ’80s. When asked why he has this skill, he answered: “To win a bar bet.”

    I can’t even accurately draw my own state.

  2. markm says:

    That is impressive….but does he know what a gallon of milk costs?!?!?!?!. 🙂

  3. Furhead says:

    Was he giving interesting tidbits on each state as he drew it?

  4. Neil:

    Move to Colorado. It’s the state for the state-drawing-impaired.

    I could do the map, but it would look a lot more vague and I’d forget Kansas.

  5. Sandra says:

    “Was he giving interesting tidbits on each state as he drew it?”

    It was done during Minnesota Public Radio Day at the Minnesota State Fair for a daily news and special interest program. He was talking about the importance of education while drawing it, and taking questions from the audience. If you go to the MPR web site and go to archived “Midday” shows you can listen to it.

    He actually was a rather thoughtful and better read on the Congressional Heath Care Bill than most Congressmen and said there were problems with it.

    He also held many Town hall Meetings and understands now where many of those that oppose the bill are coming from. That there is disinformation from BOTH sides.

    He’s still a Liberal, but… not a sarcastic frothing at the mouth one.

  6. Triumph says:

    I’m not sure what prompted this but it’s pretty impressive:

    Big deal. The only reason he can do this is that he spent his entire life as a freeloading liberal without a real job.

    When you are a son of privilege you can spend all of your time honing irrelevant skills, sipping latees, eating arugula, and drinking chardonnay on Martha’s Vineyard.

    This just shows what a phony Franken really is.

  7. rodney dill says:

    I can give the Capital for each state just by the state name.

    (without using Google)

    Wisconsin fr’instance
    .
    .
    .
    .
    .
    .
    .
    is Capital ‘W’

    (rimshot)

  8. Wayne says:

    Criminals are usually pretty good artist. Just stating a fact nothing more.

  9. Brian Knapp says:

    He may do well in the talent portion, but Palin will still win for the bikini.

  10. Observer says:

    Idiots often make unfounded assertions. Just stating a fact and nothing more.

  11. DL says:

    A camera can do it much better, and a camera has only one eye and not quite as much empty space inside its brain.

    Leftist man’s problems aren’t about visual perception skills. Try his answers on a basic moral quiz. And stand back because of the force of the air rushing into the vaccuum.

  12. peterh says:

    Try his answers on a basic moral quiz

    What moral quiz pray tell……don’t tease me….I’m feeling a little anxious….if you know what I mean….

  13. G.A.Phillips says:

    Idiots often make unfounded assertions,like saying doctors are cutting off feet to get paid. Just stating a fact and nothing more.