No matter what you think of Democratic policies, with someone like Gore, at the very least, you would hope the country was being run by someone who understood the concepts and details behind those policies and could actualy speak a sentence without sounding uneducated. Besides, who else do they have? Hillary?
For 2008 election, Al Gore could be the real deal
Al Gore, where have you been all my life?
Oh, I don’t mean the alpha-male wanna-be, that scripted, stiff, uninspired candidate for president in 2000. I mean the self-effacing movie star with man-of-steel conviction from An Inconvenient Truth, who is trying to shake this country by the shoulders over the dire consequences of global warming. From the ashes of his overhandled “be everything to everybody” campaign rose the real Al Gore, a confident, wonkish, accessible intellect who has a supremely important question for inhabitants of Earth : How long can you tread water?
This is the man, with his charts and facts and rising seas message, that the Democrats should enlist in 2008.
[…]
America is ready for an adult like Gore to take charge and put the nation back on sensible footing: a footing where deficits do matter, where energy conservation is not sneered at as a “personal virtue” but is an aggressive national policy, and where science, facts and reality drive public policy, not the Christian Right’s neo-medieval agenda.
[…]
George W. Bush, with his wishful-thinking governance and “Russia’s big and so is China” understanding of the world, has handicapped our future by steering us into an interminable occupation, keeping us shackled to oil and adding trillions to our national debt. Putting things right, to the extent it is possible, and planning for the challenges ahead will take someone of enormous capability. Al Gore, the real Al Gore, is that man.
Uncle Dave posted this link, not me. Pay attention boys! As far as I’m concerned I can’t get this image out of my head.
I have seen a few interviews with Gore since his 2000 loss and I don’t get the impression that he really wants to run for President. The vibe I get is that he feels much like Jesse Ventura in regards to distaining the intense media strutiny and attacks on his personal character. (This is true regardless of which side of the isle you sit.)
That said, if he did run, he wouldn’t get out of the primaries much less win the election. Let’s not forget that this is the guy that couldn’t carry his own state to win the Presidency.
>The guy was a B movie star
His movie career is similar to George Clooney. Reagan was a top draw who was offered Casablanca, but in the end his movies are basically forgettable.
>pretty moderate on social issues
That’s funny. Though I’ll admit she is trying to position herself that way, saying we should regulate violence on TV and video games. But for issues like abortion and gay rights it’s all talk.
Since Al Gore did the Macarena at the 1996 convention, maybe he can do the Numa Numa (Maya Hee) song at the next convention. 🙂
I would be OK with Joe Biden. I don’t like his grandstanding on judicial nominations at all, but he’s pretty reasonable on all other issues.
to #17 : no fanboy here; merely a comment: Let me follow you around 24/7 for a week with a Motorized Nikon camera; and see how many pix I take of you that you’d wish to burn.
31, Odyssy, A good piece.
Just to add to it. Gore has taken four years off from politics and the spotlight. He has a new view from outside the beltway. Of all the potential contenders, Gore brings the freshest, least indebted ideas to the Presidency.
I haven’t chosen who would make the best candidates for either party, but I wouldn’t rule out Gore.
I will rule out Guilianni and Lieberman.
Al Gore will not be the nominee for his party. Democrats eat their own when it comes to past candidates. The last Democrat to win the nomination twice was Adali Stevenson in 1956. He was also the last intellectual to run for President of either party.
Reagan will be one of the greats, he was just what we needed when we needed it. He was no innovator, but he had a basic set of beliefs and his smart people adapted policy to those few core values. That is much more a sign of greatness than a man/woman who thinks they have all the answers.
The Democrats would think they were in the wrong party if it was ever organized. It’s always been this way. The Republicans are far more organized and decourious. But I see big disharmony in the GOP right now. The neo-cons think Bush sold them out, the religious right thinks Bush sold them out and the moderates knew he didn’t give a rats ass about them from day one.
If McCain can get the old Republicans (traditional mainstream conservatives) and the moderates to show up in the primaries he’s got the nomination. Look for a McCain/Hagel or a McCain/Graham ticket. Maybe even a McCain/Rice ticket.
Al Gore would only embarrass himself in the primaries. I used to think Hillary had it, but not anymore. It’s going to be one of the lessor knowns I think, maybe Warner of Virginia.
Gore is not an intellectual, he’s a dillittant. He’s been a 1 issue ex-politician for 6 years now. He should be good at what he’s doing, he’s been doing it long enough. People like the person who wrote the story (who looks all of 25) have no clue just how bad this guy really is, and absolutely have no clue about politics.
If Howard Dean does a good job as the Democratic Party chairman with the midterm elections, then I think he might become the most likely candidate for the 2008 presidency.
Well at least he shaved!
He was starting to look like a real bum.
We should all vote for a real idiot so life will continue to be interesting.
Charbax,
Howard Dean?! ‘Heeeeeyyeaaahhh” boy?! If the Democrats put up a radical like Dean they will lose again because they will lose the moderates. That is part of the problem with our current system. Only a radical can get their party’s nomination and then they have to turn around and pass themselves off as a moderate.
Thomas. You raise a good point. Dean currently has the same problem as McCain. The party leadership looks upon them as outsiders. I think Dean took the Democrat Chairmanship to integrate himself into the party leadership. McCain is doing the same by hiring Bush staffers to work on his campaign.
In the last primaries, Dean got shafted by his party. If, however, the Democrats follow his lead and platform and make gains in the mid-terms, then I think Dean has a very good chance of winning the nomination. If the Democrats win, then Dean’s message will not be silenced by the old party machine and quite possibly the old leadership might crumble to allow new blood into the top ranks.
I believe the same for McCain. Only McCain will have a much harder time as the Republican leadership will be backing Frist. As others have pointed out, the Republican Party has more discipline and leadership sway in choosing candidates.
Gore didn’t stump for Kerry so I don’t think the party leaders could be seen backing him. Probably because they didn’t all stump for him in 2000. But who ever wins the Democrat nomination will have the entire Democrat Party support this time.
It is fun watching Democrats getting all excited again. The American public has been slowly moving towards the Convervative side for about 40 years now. Even Bill Clinton understood the only way to govern was to at least pretend to be to the “right” of his Democrat brethren. Even with good ‘ol Bill the liberal Democrats still lost control of the House after losing the Senate years before. Liberal Democrats live in a dream MTV world of election fraud (2000 and 2004) and dark sinister rumours (G. Bush is all evil and part of a vast right wing conspiracy). You know why these dazed liberals are running away from Hillary Clinton? It is because even she (the smartest woman on the planet just a few years ago) understands that she must move towards the “right” to have any hope of being elected. You liberals would be much better off to study real history instead of just making it up as you go.
STILL,
No button for “None of the Above”
#45 Mr. Fusion…..One thing I forgot to mention about Republicans…..they also have a senority thing going. The only time they stepped out of it was to nominate Bush, and I don’t see THAT happening again.
It actually what could be McCains biggest boost…..the GOP rewards it’s long timers, and the only Republicans he’s pissed off are the far right, and I’m betting they don’t have the power this time after what Bush has done.
Frist won’t get past New Hampshire…..for one thing the money scandals are dripping out.
Gore has 3 problems. Bill Clinton will just sabotage any campaign in favor of Hillary. i think he could still win that fight given how he took down Bill Bradley. Problem #2 is similar, Check out “http://secretdiaryofstevejobs.blogspot.com and see the part on Gore.
he knows all the crap that Hillary was saying about him. And he just sighs and goes, in this really sad voice, Well, Steve, it’s been great being on your board, I mean it, and I really thank you for giving me the opportunity, and for the free Powerbooks and everything, seriously. You’re a great guy. Seriously.
And I’m like, Al, what are you talking about? He goes, Well, all that stuff she told you, you know, about the hospitals, the medications, the straitjackets, well, that’s all true. Yeah. I’m wacky as a dime watch, Steve. Seriously.”
Problem #3 is that John Kerry wants to run, and Kerry has already knocked Gore out once with leaks to the Boston Globe. Gore and possibly Hillary have a problem with the aftermath of TWA 800’s crash in 1996. Lots of airlines gave money to Clinton’s campaign, and Gore watered down the security recommendations. Kerry has twice on TV called this explosion due to mechanical failure a ‘bombing.’ Kerry may have knowledge that this was a terrorist attack that was covered up to assure the public.