Al Gore's Editorial in NYT - great punchline!

[Eye and Monkey]

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/09/29/opinion/29gore.html?hp

<snip>
The biggest single difference between the debates this year and four years ago is that President Bush cannot simply make promises. He has a record. And I hope that voters will recall the last time Mr. Bush stood on stage for a presidential debate. If elected, he said, he would support allowing Americans to buy prescription drugs from Canada. He promised that his tax cuts would create millions of new jobs. He vowed to end partisan bickering in Washington. Above all, he pledged that if he put American troops into combat: "The force must be strong enough so that the mission can be accomplished. And the exit strategy needs to be well defined."

Comparing these grandiose promises to his failed record, it's enough to make anyone want to, well, sigh.

<snip - more>

[Melodybe]

1. Nice to see him bring up the 2000 debates, everything he said would happen

economically did happen, that's b/c trickle down economics NEVER NEVER NEVER WORKS!!!

I love that Gore is pointing it out.

Gore really has been a great puncher this year I hope more people are paying attention to him, they are missing out if they don't.

[homerthompson]

2. a killer commercial would be juxtaposing clips of that speech to

questions that ask the viewer if it's true.

ie:
*:"I support allowing the purchase of prescription drugs from canada"
voice:"can you or your parents or your grandparents buy drugs from canada today?" (the target is seniors, who all know they can't)

*:"my tax cuts will create millions of jobs"
voice:"did you or someone you know, lose their job in the last year? does it feel like there are millions of jobs out there?" (target is millions of americans)

well, y'all get my point.

[NVMojo]

3. well said

and to the point!

[Sugarbleus]

4. Brilliant! ......I hope Kerry can use

these "rememberances" someplace in his debates or rallies... VERY DAMNING evidence, if you ask me!

[flordehinojos]

5. I just think Kerry is being straightjacketed by the Bush format for Thurs-

day's HIGH THEATER. In fact, the HIGH THEATER format is a muzzle to keep Kerry from coming out and confronting Bush Boy on his record, his Iraq invasion and occupation, his catastrophic policies. The HIGH THEATER format is also another bubble created to protect the pathetic coward, his insane delusion of untouchability, and his equally paranoid ideation that the world is out to get him. :)
IF KERRY CAN GET THROUGH THE STRAIGHT JACKET AND MANAGE TO POKE THE COWARD ON THE CHEST WITH ONE FINGER ... IT WILL BE ALL OVER FOR THE BUSH BOY .... OTHERWISE IT WILL BE KERRY'S BYE. BYE.

[Sugarbleus]

6. I couldn't agree more...

I am STUNNED at how this debate setup has turned out!!!!!!

I've been watching C-span for weeks where they had the people in charge of setting up debates (I'm forgetting the org right now) talk about how they started the process two years ago and how they decided on who was going to be the moderators and where the debates would be held etc etc...

Then, several days ago, I had a chat in here regarding Edwards/Cheney debating. A poster was going on about how Edwards would clean Cheney's clock--Edwards having such a flair as a Trial Lawyer. I told that person I was worried because I'd learned the JAMES BAKER and possibly Ted Olsen were "advising" Bush/cheney; Baker is the devil himself.......I mean, look how the two helped select the presidency for Bush in 2000. The poster went on to say 'oh no, don't worry, I'm an attorney, I know about these things and Edwards would shine..yadda yadda' WELLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL, look what has happened?????? Apparently, they are going to have Edwards and Cheney SITTING DOWN like they were in a cafe or something.

As I understand it, Baker is the Bush mouthpiece and has helped to set up this debate scenario.......it's pure evil/corrupt cleverness.

Add to that, the Fox network gaining sole rights to coverage--though C-span will have a tie in. HOW DID THAT HAPPEN?? It's a total setup!

Someone asked why the Dems didn't DEMAND more leeway in these decisions...I just don't know. Right now, the radio is talking about the debates and predicting the "Media" will just TEAR KERRY UP in after-debates dissembling....

With ALL that said, I cling to hope that SOMEHOW Kerry can still pull a rabbit out of the hat.
The only other positive thing I look to is that Dem voter registration campaign has surpassed the repugs....IT'S WAY UP.

[flordehinojos]

7. You know, in straightjacketing the Kerry/Edwards ticket for these debates,

the Bush Evil Empire is also straightjacketing the American people.
You are feeling it. I am feeling it. A lot of people are feeling it, even Lou Dobbs who refers to the HIGH THEATER as "the so called debates" seems to be feeling it, but there seems to be nothing we can do about stopping bush from muzzling our democratic way of debating while the rest of the media covers up and enables the bush boy's power grab.

(P.S. I think the people in charge of debates are the FEC or Federal Elections Committee) and yes, I agree with you ... I don't like James Baker, the Bushes, Ted Olsen, Dick Cheney or any of those linked to the bushes.

I will be surprised if on November 2nd Kerry has managed to outdo the rigged machines, the no paper trail voting machines, the "lost" absentee ballots, etc. etc. etc. I am anticipating a big headache and a big heartache as the votes are counted and the bushes do every thing they can to hold on to their power grab. :cry:

[VOX]

8. Al just keeps getting better and better...

There was a terrific profile on him in last week's New Yorker. Al "gets it," lock, stock and barrel.

:kick:

[Disturbed]

9. Dems should have refused...

the restrictions of these debates. It would have been better to have no debates than have these sham ones. Will Dems ever develope spines?

[fujiyama]

10. Al Gore

should be stumping for Kerry in FL, especially those urban areas where the votes weren't counted. A few passionate, rousing speeches in urban areas wouldn't hurt. When I watched F 9/11, I was amazed how angry I became watching the inaugaration and the black caucus being shut down. I was especially angry because I remembered watching it LIVE that morning. I will never forget it.

Hey, Clinton's out. Gore actually got MORE votes than Clinton. He did amazingly well among African Americans. He got 89% I think.

He screwed those debates up but we all know that more people around the nation and in the state of FL intended to vote for Al Gore that day. Hell, most of the Naderites would probably have recast their votes if they knew that Bush might still "win".

This op ed is great. He quotes Jon Stewart in the article:

As Jon Stewart of the "The Daily Show'' nicely put in 2000, "I want my president to be the designated driver.''

...and the last line are great:

Comparing these grandiose promises to his failed record, it's enough to make anyone want to, well, sigh.

Each time I hear him speak or even read an article by him, I feel my stomach drop a little. If he lost in a fair election it would have been one thing, but to know that he lost because of a partisan SC makes it all the more worse.

[kentuck]

11. We don't need someone to have a beer with ...we need a designated driver

I thought that was the most appropriate quote. :)

[October]

12. Who said that?

That's a good one.

Especially in light of B*sh's DUI.