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Is Al Gore Our Man?

By Jeralyn, Section Elections 2008
Posted on Mon May 29, 2006 at 01:06:36 PM EST
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Al Gore continues to make the news as people ponder whether he should run again for President, should he run and can he win if he runs.

Raw Story has quotes from Frank Rich's New York Times column in which he says Gore may be in the right place at the right time.

"If Hillary Clinton is the Antichrist, might not it be time for a resurrected messiah to inherit (and save) the earth?" asks Frank. "Enter Gore, celebrated by New York magazine on its cover as 'The Un-Hillary.'"

Rich calls "Gore's non-denial denials" whenever asked if he has "plans" to run for president again "Clintonesque." "If 'An Inconvenient Truth' isn't actually a test drive for a presidential run, it's the biggest tease since Colin Powell encouraged speculation about his political aspirations during his 1995 book tour," writes Rich.

Nora Ephron at Huffpo compares him to an old boyfriend who starts looking good after forty bad dates.

Gore has become the ex-boyfriend who's starting to look good after forty bad dates with other guys. He's gained a little weight, but who hasn't? He's still unexciting, but excitement turns out to be overrated. He's not great in bed, but the last guy you slept with who was great in bed never called. What's more, he's on the board of Google, he was in on the IPO, so now he even has a little money. He's starting to look like the man of your dreams, the man who has nothing to lose. There's a little voice telling you that once he has something to lose, he'll go back to his old habits and blow it all over again, but you're not listening because you're desperate: you need to find a guy to marry. After all, time is running out.

Arianna wrote he was the "hottest star in Cannes." A Gore run would be fine with me. I prefer him to Hillary. As I wrote here:

Gore has given no indication he wants to run. Part of me hopes he does. He's got more passion than he did six years ago. He seems more liberal. He's loosened up and expresses himself better. I think he can rally the liberal troops and that a lot of people may believe because he got robbed in 2000, it's his due.

And he'd bring his social security lockbox with him to the White House. I miss that lockbox.

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    Is Al Gore Our Man? | 30 comments (30 topical)
    Re: Is Al Gore Our Man? (none / 0) (#1)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Mon May 29, 2006 at 01:27:54 PM EST
    Run, Al, run. Please.

    Re: Is Al Gore Our Man? (none / 0) (#2)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Mon May 29, 2006 at 01:32:43 PM EST
    Yes he should run, and yes he can win.

    Re: Is Al Gore Our Man? (none / 0) (#3)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Mon May 29, 2006 at 01:52:26 PM EST
    President Gore and Co-Vice-Presidents Feingold and Clark.

    Re: Is Al Gore Our Man? (none / 0) (#4)
    by Al on Mon May 29, 2006 at 02:45:50 PM EST
    Run, Al, run. Please.
    OK, OK, I promise I'll think about it. Thanks for your support.

    Re: Is Al Gore Our Man? (none / 0) (#5)
    by Sailor on Mon May 29, 2006 at 04:27:56 PM EST
    No way in hell. Just like Carter he has much more credibility when he's not seeking office, but speaking, and doing, from his heart. I'd rather see Howard Dean run again;-) Hillary and Gore do wonders for the dem party as beards for the rethugs to plan their strateregy (sic;-) but are liabilities if they actually run.

    Re: Is Al Gore Our Man? (none / 0) (#6)
    by TomStewart on Mon May 29, 2006 at 04:35:26 PM EST
    Well, he's won once already.

    Re: Is Al Gore Our Man? (none / 0) (#7)
    by jondee on Mon May 29, 2006 at 05:32:45 PM EST
    Well her nibs is definatly out. She's the repo's dream candidate. Jim's candidate Hiram Evans could beat her.

    Re: Is Al Gore Our Man? (none / 0) (#8)
    by unbill on Mon May 29, 2006 at 06:07:19 PM EST
    I would rather see John Edwards make a go for it.

    Re: Is Al Gore Our Man? (none / 0) (#9)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Mon May 29, 2006 at 08:24:28 PM EST
    hmmm, Al for Prez, takes a little getting used to but here's the million dollar question... What will it take to clean the mess that the Bush Admin. made the past (what will be) 8 years. there's alot to think about outside of just the quality of the next candidate. This mess has to be cleaned up and i'm not sure Americans have the patience that will be required to get it done. Laws have to be changed, International diplomacy has to be rebuilt, intelligence needs to be overhauled. Lots of stuff, how much patience are you willing to show? I'm running out.

    Re: Is Al Gore Our Man? (none / 0) (#10)
    by cpinva on Mon May 29, 2006 at 08:39:32 PM EST
    frank rich? you are joking, aren't you? this would be the same frank rich, of the same nyt's, who, along with his "liberal" comrade, the always idiotic maureen dowd, who represented the best the republicans could offer in 2000? this would be the same frank rich who gave us is his inane commentaries on candidate gore during the 2000 election, which actually started years earlier: RICH: What's bizarre, if not all too revealing, about Al Gore's now inoperative boast to reporters on Air Force Two that he and his wife, Tipper, were the basis for the hero and heroine of "Love Story" is not that he inflated his past but that he would think that being likened to the insufferable preppy Harvard hockey player Oliver Barrett IV was something to brag about in the first place. RICH (11/20/99, nyt's): .......And certainly "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" gains intellectual heft when compared with the current political culture's debate over Al Gore's wardrobe. RICH (10/24/99, nyt's): .........By contrast, Mr. Gore is now adopting various costumes while vice president, trying to buff his image by throwing off drab Washington duds for snazzier suits (if sans Mylar) as well as chinos and polo shirts. In his search for an "authentic" identity--a journey "from wooden to plastic," in the words of a New York Post headline--the man has morphed into a male model out of a Dockers or Home Depot ad. do you notice a pattern developing here? i could provide page after page of frank rich idiotic drivel, but the point is made. same goes for maureen dowd, margaret carlson, et al, the so-called "liberal press". the short answer is: no, he isn't, and no, he shouldn't run in 2008. why? simply put, the same idiots who did him in in 2000, will do him in in 2008. in fact, they've already started, concurrent with the release of the the documentary, "an inconvenient truth", there has been a racheting up of the same nonsense that plagued mr. gore's 2000 campaign, by the same people, on current talk shows. the republicans needn't do a thing, our very own "liberal press" will do all the heavy lifting for them. al, bud, guy, don't do it! don't get sucked in by these morons. you don't need the grief, and the country does need a change (for the better) at the top.

    Re: Is Al Gore Our Man? (none / 0) (#11)
    by scarshapedstar on Mon May 29, 2006 at 08:47:51 PM EST
    Excellent takedown, cpinva. I can't figure out for the life of me why those two are considered "liberal" given their neverending War on Gore. Wingnut hackery knows no bounds, I guess.

    Re: Is Al Gore Our Man? (none / 0) (#12)
    by squeaky on Mon May 29, 2006 at 08:56:20 PM EST
    RICH (10/24/99, nyt's): .........By contrast, Mr. Gore is now adopting various costumes while vice president, trying to buff his image by throwing off drab Washington duds for snazzier suits (if sans Mylar) as well as chinos and polo shirts. In his search for an "authentic" identity--a journey "from wooden to plastic," in the words of a New York Post headline--the man has morphed into a male model out of a Dockers or Home Depot ad.
    well fot me Rich's description was right on. He has very little charisma. I would rather see Feingold run, with Clark or Edwards as his running mate. Gore can be the environmental secrectary. That would be amazing.

    Re: Is Al Gore Our Man? (none / 0) (#13)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Mon May 29, 2006 at 08:59:28 PM EST
    "Gore can be the environmental secrectary. That would be amazing" For some reason I think Pataki has designs on this position, with everyone talking about him possibly running for prez, i have a weird thought about him running for environmental secretary, JMO.

    Re: Is Al Gore Our Man? (none / 0) (#14)
    by cpinva on Mon May 29, 2006 at 09:10:28 PM EST
    well fot me Rich's description was right on. He has very little charisma
    and this is why we got moron in the wh in 2000! you know what squeaky? i don't give a rat's patoot about "charisma". i do care about my country being trashed, by some dim bulb frat boy cheerleader, and his immoral comrades. oh, right, i forgot, bush has "charisma". let me clue you in: i don't want to have a beer with the president! i don't want to trade dirty jokes with the president! i want the president to make sound, well thought out decisions, reflecting the best this country has to offer! geez squeaky, you got the govt you deserve, i have no sympathy for you.

    Re: Is Al Gore Our Man? (none / 0) (#15)
    by squeaky on Mon May 29, 2006 at 09:11:19 PM EST
    I think Pataki has designs on this position,
    You mean in the tradition of James Watt and Gale Norton?

    Re: Is Al Gore Our Man? (none / 0) (#16)
    by squeaky on Mon May 29, 2006 at 09:38:28 PM EST
    cpvina-
    well fot me Rich's description was right on. He has very little charisma.
    i don't give a rat's patoot about "charisma
    What planet are you from? A leader is a leader because of charisma or life force. A candidate, no matter how great their policies, has to convince the people and most important swing voters. I am not a swing voter. Take a chill pill. Gore's loss, had only to do with Gore.

    Re: Is Al Gore Our Man? (none / 0) (#17)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Mon May 29, 2006 at 09:47:31 PM EST
    I've always liked Gore's evironmental politics. I like the fact that he is wicked smart. I hated his 2000 campaign. I've loved seeing him find his voice as he supported Howard Dean and then began his MoveOn speaches. If the movie is half as good as it is reported to be, then I think we might have a canidate on our hands. However, unless we find a way to effectively counter the *Swiftboating* of Gore & his movie, then we've learned nothing from the past 6 years and we might as well not waste our time. This repug tactic that puts bold-faced lies out as fact, will kill us time and time again. I believe we HAVE to fight back and point out the lies and the profit motivation behind them as well as hit the organizations doing this with boycotts & bad publicity.

    Re: Is Al Gore Our Man? (none / 0) (#18)
    by Ernesto Del Mundo on Mon May 29, 2006 at 11:34:59 PM EST
    Actually, if you really want to win, you have to lie. Lie constantly, convincingly and loudly. That's the only thing that works. And the current crop of "leaders" from the last 3 election cycles prove this conclusively.

    Re: Is Al Gore Our Man? (none / 0) (#19)
    by Slado on Tue May 30, 2006 at 07:09:41 AM EST
    Everytime I think the majority of the bloggers on this site are more mainstream or reasonanble then I give them credit for a topic like this comes up and I'm reminded that I'm a wingnut in a sea of left wing loonies. Al Gore? Really? Do you want a democrat ever to be president again? Lets relive a little history shall we. Al Gore lost even though he had two successfull terms before him as vice president and a sitting president that left office witha 65% approval rating and America perceived itself invincable after riding up on the tech boom bubble. Good economy, no war, no worries and Gore blew the 2000 election. How's he going to win now? Now he's perceived as an environmental wacko by most people. Even some who support the Global Warming theory. His movie is mush. He's unliked by the democrats that matter and once he's back in the spotlight he'll clam up again and play it safe. Please, nominate him. Then I can say again...4 more years.

    Re: Is Al Gore Our Man? (none / 0) (#20)
    by BigTex on Tue May 30, 2006 at 08:06:07 AM EST
    Gore's loss, had only to do with Gore.
    Right on. Gore's loss came about when he said his grandmother (or was it mother) paid more for the same perscription medicine she took than for the same medicine she gave her dog. The statement turned out to be a case of equivication, not outright untruth, but given the underlying trust issues is what conviced many that he was untrustworthy. Now, to his credit, Gore has continued to trumpet causes he believes in. However, he does so in an untrustworthy manner. His unethical brand of environmental activisim will give rise to the same trust issues that took him down in 2000. Although misguided, he would be an effective choice for head of the EPA, a position which needs to be elevated to cabinet position.

    Re: Is Al Gore Our Man? (none / 0) (#21)
    by Al on Tue May 30, 2006 at 11:03:58 AM EST
    BigTex:
    Now, to his credit, Gore has continued to trumpet causes he believes in. However, he does so in an untrustworthy manner. His unethical brand of environmental activisim will give rise to the same trust issues that took him down in 2000.
    Apart from the fact that Gore actually won the election ... What the cheney are you talking about? How is Gore "untrustworthy"? "Unethical"? Have you been drinking?

    Re: Is Al Gore Our Man? (none / 0) (#22)
    by BigTex on Tue May 30, 2006 at 01:43:49 PM EST
    I don't drink Al. Earth in the Balance has 12 major factual errors, and a slew of other claims that have been proven incorrect by institutions like John Hopkins. Regarding the unethical bit, he is spreading fear with An Inconvenant Truth. Were he talking about a 4 foot sea level rise and the problems that would create, he would be doing the environmental movement a service. However, he talks about a 45 foot sea level rise, that would require both the W. Antarctic ice sheet to melt, and the Greenland ice sheet to melt. He's fearmongering, and that is unethical. This is no different than the acid rain scare. It was unethical and a blight to the environmental movement. The problems that currently exist and are real and significant. No need to cloud the issues by provoking debate over remote disaster scenarios when the current problems are bad enough. He's propogandazing environmental issues not for the cause, but for the cause of Gore.

    Re: Is Al Gore Our Man? (none / 0) (#23)
    by Peaches on Tue May 30, 2006 at 02:11:10 PM EST
    Big T. I might be inclined to agree with you. Some of the claims for global warmings are for worst-case scenarios. Perhaps, Gore has focused on these scenarios to bring attention to the issue. You call this fearmongering. Perhaps I have missed it, but I haven't seen you make the same claims about those who support the current WOT. That when we talk about eliminating the threat of a terrorisitic attack we must understand the potential damage the Terrorist might be able to inflict on us in a worst case scenario. Acid rain was and still is a real threat in some areas of the US. . The threat was lowered by the installation of buffers in power plants and the trading of permits for SO2 and NOx. However, the trading of permits has not solved the problem from older coal fired power plants buying permits from East coast plants and spewing SO2 and NOx into the air to drift over upstate NY where acid rain is still inflicting damage in forst areas and waters. So, maybe what you are saying is that the American public should be motivated towards progressive and smart environmental policies (or any gov't policy including defense) without having to resort to scare tactics for presenting worst-case scenarios. But, given Americans unwillingness to reduce the emissions of their contributions to greenhouse gases, how can we accomplish this without presnting the worst case possibilities?

    Re: Is Al Gore Our Man? (none / 0) (#24)
    by Peaches on Tue May 30, 2006 at 02:15:05 PM EST
    Oops, the following should read
    the trading of permits has not solved the problem from older coal fired power plants in the Ohio River Valley buying permits from East coast plants and spewing SO2 and NOx into the air to drift over upstate NY where acid rain is still inflicting damage in forst areas and waters.
    Re: Is Al Gore Our Man? (none / 0) (#25)
    by Sailor on Tue May 30, 2006 at 02:46:56 PM EST
    BigTex, acid rain isn't a scare, it's real and it's defacing monuments everyday, denuding young forsests and, oddly enough they are all downwind from powerplants and factory smokestacks. You also bought into the petroleum institute's lies about Gore's movie. Have you seem the movie and fact checked it yourself or just relied on what industry shills told you it said? p.s. The above may be worded a bit harsh, but it was in no way meant to be an insult or a personal attack.

    Re: Is Al Gore Our Man? (none / 0) (#26)
    by BigTex on Tue May 30, 2006 at 03:03:12 PM EST
    So, maybe what you are saying is ...
    Yes that's the message. As far as accomplishing the matter, most people see through the scare tactics. The thought of a 45 foot rise in sea level isn't something they can get their minds around, and when they are confronted by the possibility they tend to close their mind. When word reaches them that the risk is minimal they go into the damn envionmentalist mode because 1) they were mislead, no lied to but mislead and 2) because it allows them to not face the problems at hand. Rather than use scare tactics, the environmental movement could focus on making info in small chuncks, and chuncks that are conservative esitmates. When an outlandish claim turns out to be false, credibility is destroyed. When a conservative estimate is shown to be too small of a prediction, then the view is they were right, and the problem is worse than they thought. We might not be able to end the problem with technological improvements, but we can implement them in the meantime and see how far we get. Bubble permits and increased spending on cleaner equipment would help with the pollution problem. If that fails, at least we can say that we tried in a manner that would not hurt anyone, and that the measures were not enough. Sailor - I have not seen the movie, but rather am basing the comments on what TL reported when she saw the movie, and the goings on in that thread. I know you weren't attacking me personally... you do not stoop to that level, a fact that is respected emmensley. As far as acid rain, yes it is a problem, but not like was initially presented when the news crews went to eastern Europe and filmed the tracks of dead trees. The environmental movement presented that as the regular state of affairs of acid rain. It was dishonest and unethical. Just like with what is going on here, they are taking a core of truth and blowing it out of perportion, and presenting the skewed view as the current risks. If this bad habit were broken then the evironmental movement would have far more success.

    Re: Is Al Gore Our Man? (none / 0) (#27)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Tue May 30, 2006 at 03:51:20 PM EST
    if bigtex and slado keep trying to tell us not to vote for gore, you know they must fear him as much as they fear fair elections and democracy. Geez, i'm not gonna vote for gore because two of rush's boys say not to...........right

    Re: Is Al Gore Our Man? (none / 0) (#28)
    by Al on Tue May 30, 2006 at 04:22:47 PM EST
    Big Tex, to criticize Gore's movie without having seen it is dishonest. I haven't seen it either yet, so I won't respond to your criticisms until I do. In the meantime, I will let you read a review by climate scientists at realclimate.org. Excerpt:
    How well does the film handle the science? Admirably, I thought. It is remarkably up to date, with reference to some of the very latest research.
    Re: Is Al Gore Our Man? (none / 0) (#29)
    by cpinva on Tue May 30, 2006 at 04:50:47 PM EST
    What planet are you from? A leader is a leader because of charisma or life force. A candidate, no matter how great their policies, has to convince the people and most important swing voters.
    i am from planet earth squeaky, it remains to be seen what part of the cosmos you hail from, given the inanity of your comments. let's see now, yeah, that carter guy was sooooooooooooo charismatic, same with nixon before him. ingore slado and BigT, those of you who deal in facts, not rightwingnut blather. clearly, they've gotten their republican talking points down, and facts be damned. i understand that one of those wild environmental speculations was that a cat 4 or 5 hurricane could wipe out new orleans. of course, BigT knows that's just nonsense, dontcha big guy?

    Re: Is Al Gore Our Man? (none / 0) (#30)
    by BigTex on Tue May 30, 2006 at 07:36:55 PM EST
    i understand that one of those wild environmental speculations was that a cat 4 or 5 hurricane could wipe out new orleans. of course, BigT knows that's just nonsense, dontcha big guy?
    No that was a sound one, as is the one that will destroy my hometown at some point (though Rita did a good run at it), as is the one that will top the levey at Galveston, as is the one that will wreak havoc on NYC, as the the one... you get the point. Try stepping away form the left wing talking points and look at the data, and what I am saying objectivly. My view is a middle ground view. It's not the extremeist viewpoint like the extreme activist take, it's not the line that there is no warming. Look at what is actually said, not who says it, and the post will have a different meaning.

    Is Al Gore Our Man? | 30 comments (30 topical)