Will Chris Matthews face Franken Factor in Senate run?

With Pennsylvania Democrats confirming Chris Matthews is contemplating a Senate run against Republican Sen. Arlen Specter in 2010, The Hill wonders if the “Hardball” host will face what I’m calling the Franken Factor: intense scrutiny of public utterances made in the course of working a media job. Matthews’ candidacy is “in its infancy” according to state Democrats, yet he’s already polling well. A Rasmussen poll out today, shows Matthews just three percentage points behind Specter (46 to 43 percent). The Hill then rattles off an amusing list of instances of “foul language, inappropriate touching and an offer to duel” by Matthews. While Sen. Norm Coleman tried to capitalize on episodes from Franken’s career in comedy, perhaps early airing of Matthews’ allegedly egregious gaffes (an f-bomb here, an accidental boob-grab there) — something Franken’s campaign didn’t do a great job of — will improve his odds.