I'm beginning to think Al Gore is best person to unite the Democrats...

[kentuck]

I think Al Gore has a bad taste in his mouth from the 2000 election. He was real sour on politics after that ordeal. He gave everything he had, contrary to those that wanted more. He was physically burnt out from that campaign, in my opinion.

However, he won as a populist, even as the DLCers were saying he was making a mistake. He came from far behind to win that race and was devastated when it was stolen. He made the mistake of listening to the experts who told him the best thing to do would be to not fight the Supreme Court. That was the end of the road.

But no one has spoken more eloquently or passionately since that time, whether or not we liked or disliked Al Gore. But I'm not sure he still has the fire in the gut. If he did, I think I could support him one more time. After all, he beat Bush.

[cry baby]

1. I could support him if he would speak out against the war, budget

cuts that hurt the poor, and tax cuts for the top .2% of Americans. He may have already, I just haven't heard him yet.

[tinrobot]

11. He's spoken out against the war.

He was against it from as early as 2002

http://www.commonwealthclub.org/archive/02/02-09gore-speech.html

Another speech from 2004

http://www.fpmilton.org/History/Al-Gore-2004-10-18.htm

[cry baby]

20. good 'nuf for me...I always liked him except that Lieberman was

his vp pick.

[kentuck]

22. The reason he picked Lieberman was purely political...

All the prognosticators thought the election might come down to the state of Florida and Lieberman, being Jewish, would help carry that state for Gore, and perhaps the election. That was the only reason he was chosen, in my opinion.

[cry baby]

24. Who do you think he would pick this time around? nt

[kentuck]

27. I think he would choose General Clark or John Kerry...

and he would bring smoke on the ass of whichever Repub was running.

[cry baby]

29. I could certainly support a ticket that had one or the other with Gore.

He hasn't mentioned running at all and has stayed out of the press for the most part for a while.

[bklyncowgirl]

2. Gore has the experience and the judgement to do the job.

He's high on my list of possible candidates provided he has learned to act like a human being.

I know it's ridiculous but sadly in our system you need to be someone Joe Sixpack would like to share a few brewskis with in order to get elected.

[babylonsister]

3. So where is he? I'm all ears. nt

[Pirate Smile]

12. Today's news re Gore.

Al Gore's crusade comes to Stanford

DELIVERS LECTURE ON GLOBAL WARMING

By Paul Rogers

Mercury News


There were no grades, pop quizzes or textbooks. But a speech by former Vice President Al Gore at Stanford University on Tuesday night offered more than 1,000 pupils a crash course in global warming.

Speaking at Stanford's Memorial Auditorium, Gore presented little in the way of politics or sound bites, delivering a 90-minute tutorial on climate change, and its causes, effects and predicted remedies.

"If we allow this to happen, it is profoundly unethical," he said, stalking the stage without notes, clicking away furiously at a video presentation on a giant screen. "It is deeply immoral. This is not a political issue, it is a moral issue."

-snip-
Although Gore gained attention in the 2004 presidential race after he appeared to move left, endorsing Howard Dean and bitterly criticizing President Bush, Tuesday he preferred to remain in the role of apolitical professor for most of the evening.

At one point, the former vice president -- who now sits on the board of Apple Computer, serves as a senior adviser to Google and works as chairman of Current, a new TV network -- displayed a photograph of the Earth from space. When he was in grade school, he joked, one of his classmates noted that the continents seemed to have shapes that might have once fit together -- and asked whether that were true.

The teacher laughed at the idea, now a widely held scientific view.

"The student went on to become a drug addict," Gore joked in slow, somber tones. "And the teacher went on to be science adviser in the current White House."

-snip-
The most politically biting jokes were delivered by Gore's opening speaker, Terry Tamminen, the top environmental adviser and Cabinet secretary of Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

-snip-
Among the satirical suggestions made by Tamminen: switching the power on Vice President Dick Cheney's pacemaker to nuclear power, and invading Silicon Valley to secure more solar panels.
"The No. 1 thing President Bush says he will do to address global warming?'' Tamminen asked as the audience roared. ``Wait two years. President Al Gore will fix it."

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/local/13347621.htm

[countingbluecars]

4. I think Gore

could win, and there are several strong VP possibilities.

[seafan]

5. You are in very good company!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x2294867#2295178

[AntiCoup2K4]

6. Gore over anyone else being currently pushed for the job? ABSOLUTELY.

In fact, right now it would be hard for me to think of someone who could do better. Except Howard Dean, of course. But he supposedly took himself out of the running.

[Sapphocrat]

7. Not if he again captulates...

...to the "one man/one woman" anti-gay lynch mob. And if he's not capitulating (i.e., he really believes in limiting my civil rights), then he's not going to have a lot of sway with this Democrat.

(Flame if you must, folks, but I've taken far too many hits for the team in the name of unity, and has it done anybody a lick of good in past five years?)

[kentuck]

9. No one will please everybody.

:)

[Sapphocrat]

26. Aw, kentuck...

I know that. You know I know that. And I know half of DU is going to roll their eyes at my post and ignore the "one-issue" lesbian making noise again ('cause, after all, what else is a homo gonna do but vote for the Dem, every time, so let's just let her rattle on, and ignore her).

But somebody's got to get the message out there that hardly anyone wants to acknowledge: We pesky little homos are getting KILLED politically (and otherwise), and nobody outside our immediate families seems to give a damn that the noose is tightening around our necks by the day.

So somebody's got to say it. And somebody's got to keep reminding the eye-rollers that making us sit down and shut up throughout another election cycle (and another, and another, and another) hasn't done a damned thing to help Dems win elections.

Ironically, winning seems to be what it's all about -- as opposed to Dems being the party to stand up for what's right. And yet everything the Dems have done to win hasn't worked.

Maybe if everybody stopped being so damned scared of us queers "pulling down" the rest of the party, and started valuing us as if we were equal human beings--

But I guess that's far too much to ask.

[kentuck]

30. I think Al Gore would be very supportive of your rights...

But I think he would be wise enough to not put it front and center during the campaign. He would work on it after he had won. It is an unfortunate reality that America is not ready for your issue. If you think it doesn't matter, convince those voters in the 12 states that the Repubs put that issue on the ballot. Unfortunately...

[foreigncorrespondent]

33. kentuck I am really surprised at you!

Number one this is not just Sapphs issue. Framing it as her issue isn't really cool. Anything anti gay that happens in any country affects every LGBTIQQ person the world over.

Secondly I do not agree. Gore will not legalize same sex marriage or make queer citizens of your country more equal after taking office. There are only a few Dem's that would do that. And the past proves that.

The Dem's had a lot of power during the Clinton era, yet Clinton folded on DoMA and DADT. The PPIA was introduced during those good years, yet it still sits gathering dust in the halls of Congress and the Senate. Had the Dem's been the people they make themselves out to be Sapph and I would be sitting on her couch together right now in San Francisco.

[kentuck]

44. I know that !

The Party lost the South for the Blacks. What do they lose for the Gay Community?? Only salmon can swim up a waterfall. But what good is a Party that cannot fight for what you believe in?

[foreigncorrespondent]

55. Exactly that. kentuck!

Why should the queer community continue to support something that doesn't support them? Why should we be the ones to take the blame from the nay sayers that blame us for every election loss since 2000, yet still want our votes and money?

[Sapphocrat]

34. Unfortunately...

...as long as equal rights is re-framed as "my" issue instead of our issue, that's the way it always will be.

Think "First they came for the Communists," etc. If people can't stand up for LGBT rights out of personal commitment to true democratic values, then I'd think they'd at least do it out of self-preservation. But it's going to take getting down to the "trade unionists" before somebody says, "Whoops!"

And I know what matters. But as I said above, somebody has to continue to remind the rest of the party that LGBTs are not a "wedge issue" to be dismissed (as long as you get our votes, and our money). So I'll take the heat for it. Big deal. I'm used to it by now.

Frankly, kentuck, I know gay people are fucked. Period. We have no pull, no say, and no sway. But I'm not going down pretending it's just a twist of fate it turned out this way.

P.S. I have no reason to imagine Gore would "work on it" after he won -- especially if he hasn't offered even the vaguest clue that he has any interest in the issue. Why would he? Gay people are positively radioactive these days, and we know it.

[kentuck]

46. So, can Dean get elected?

what's the answer? The Party is fucked. Surrender.

[Sapphocrat]

50. I think Dean is electable.

But again, I seem to be in the minority on that one too.

And I didn't mean the Dem party is fucked (well, it could be, but it isn't evitable). I meant that gay people are fucked. We've won a couple of battles, but on the whole I think we (gay people) have lost the war.

[foreigncorrespondent]

32. Yep!

Look what supporting the left got us Aussies! A bunch of so called lefties who helped the government in this country add to our constitution that marriage is between one man and one woman and with that comes the right to refuse the recognition of all same sex marriages.

Yep these assholes keep taking votes, walking all over us, making false promises to us, all the while pushing us further down the ladder rung (who thought that possible?) into the pit of something worse than second class citizen.

[desi826]

65. The reason the Dems are losing on this issue....

is because they are not framing it as a rights issue.
It's a civil rights issue, not a moral one.
The government has no business in it if it is a moral issue. Repubs are winning because of that reason; THEY know it, it's Dems that don't.
Frame it that way, and the Repubs lose. Period.
Des

[Sapphocrat]

67. Exactly. n/t

[femrap]

42. this sexier thing.....do you think you could offer

the female gender a fine silohouette of a nice, big, penis with a hard-on?

I haven't had many good licks either.....

[foreigncorrespondent]

54. I am about to quote you something...

...from one of this weeks Australian magazines. I hope you learn a valuable lesson from it. So next time you don't go around asking lesbians for silhouettes of a penis on a public forum.

From this weeks Australian New Idea:

(It accompanies a picture of Kate Winslet)

Did you know most men are oblivious to cellulite? One in five actually thought it was a type of battery.

A study of 1000 men and WOMEN, carried out by beauty firm RoC, also found that men prefer curvy Kate Winslet over Kate Moss and Victoria Beckham. So don't get stumped on your lumps -- he doesn't.

The moral of that little tale is basically when someone thinks of something as being sexy or sexier they often envision the curvy Marylin Monroe type over Fanny Bryce!

[ThomWV]

8. He Continues To Be My 1st Choice.

And I like the ring of a Gore/Clark ticket too.

Beyond that the series of speeches he has given in association with Move On over the last 2 years have been breathtaking. Truly inspirational.

[pstans]

10. I have had the feeling that Gore would be the right person in 08

By the time Bu$h's term is up, the environment and the economy will be in shambles. People will look to Gore to bring back the economy of the 90's (a hard taks no doubt) and no one speaks more passionatly on the environment than Gore.

[tinrobot]

15. He's the PERFECT guy for the job

He's got tons of experience, both legislative and foreign policy.

He can lay claim to better times (ie 8 years of peace and prosperity in the 90's)

He's been on the outside for 8 years, so he can run against the establishment as an outside reformer.

He's been right on so many issues - global warming, Iraq, economy. etc..

...and most of all, he's already been elected once! I can see the campaign buttons now:

RE-ELECT AL GORE.

[Cleita]

13. If he dumps the DLC and starts making the impassioned

speeches, southern preacher style, that I have seen him do when he is covered since then, I agree with you.
The DLC is not a good fit for him or really the rest of us.

[kentuck]

17. I think the DLC has dumped him...

They did not like his "populist" approach. Remeber that they said that is why he "lost"...

[Cleita]

18. Screw them. I hope he keeps his populist approach up.

I would vote for him again minus Leiberman.

[lildreamer316]

14. For the millionth time; YES YES YES. He is it.

I am all for it. I think he will actually not have to be drafted; he will pop up on the scene just when we think all is lost.

[Todd B]

16. Unfortunatly

Most Democrats (and politicians, in general) are too embolded to special interests and corporations to be reunited.

If anyone could, I wouldn't mind it being Gore though - heck, he deserves to be in the White House, which is rightfully his since 2000.

[wixomblues]

19. Gore's the only choice for 2008.

[StellaBlue]

21. YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

He's my favorite. I am still predicting (to a largely RW, totally disagreeing peer-group), that he is going to run.

[cry baby]

23. Do we think it would be Gore vs. Clinton in the primaries?

That would be uncomfortable.

I'd like to see Clark in there somewhere, too, as vp - then he will take the presidency in 8 years. Ooooh, heaven!

[wixomblues]

35. Death, taxes, and Hilary in the primary.

Hilary will make a run, up until the end. And there will be threads that will go on for months, about a possible Clinton/Gore ticket again.

But I think Al has spen enough time roaming this country to stay awal from the DNC water carriers. Gore is going to come in fully armed, and he's going ot take the white house.

[gulfcoastliberal]

25. K&R -- GO GORE!!!!!

YOUR COUNTRY NEEDS YOU NOW MORE THAN EVER!

(and I'm not a caps lock kind of person)

[Chicago Democrat]

28. Yeah, he won't run. He said he won't run.

so leave him alone..

Of course he would be great, but SNL killed him. His manner is stilted, isn't that a stupid reason for not supporting someone. Welcome to Abercrombe and Fitch TRL Sound Byte American.


I love AL. If he changes his mind, I'll be there.

Time moves on. Look at fresh faces. Feingold. Edwards.

[kentuck]

31. I think Al Gore may be thinking the same as you...

and that's unfortunate for our Party, I think. He kicked Bush's ass in the debates and in the election, only to have it stolen. Sad :(

[Samantha]

39. So why do you think he made that remark earlier this year

that he thought he had the political winds at his back?

He's right. He does. Everything Gore championed in the past is in front of our faces now in ruins. But why do you think he made that remark?

He's just about the only person qualified to pick up the pieces and put them back together again in our lifetimes.

Gore is in a class by himself. Perhaps it is more than we Americans deserve to have Gore as our President. But I can dream, can't I?

[Don Claybrook]

49. Have you seen any of his speeches the last couple of years?

He comes off as very intelligent, of course--that hasn't changed. But he's also become something close to a firebrand. He shed all of his advisors and it's apparent that he went off somewhere by himself and thought about things long and hard. I think the fire in his oratory might surprise you.

[Nordmadr]

60. His statements to date have left open the window. N/T

[KoKo]

36. He's the "Dark Horse" and Media will Trash...but then they Trash every

Dem ...Dead or Alive....so What the Hell...I'm with you Kentuck. I've seen him as the Dark Horse.

I'd go with him if no one emerges who has less baggage...and that ain't gonna happen.

He won before...It's HIS TURN...WE OWE IT TO HIM...He's a better man than all I can see out there.....just me...my 2 Cents...and it's still early...but WHY NOT? Unless he's had enough.. :shrug: I sure the hell would... given what he's been through.

[HeeBGBz]

37. Still my president

My favorite choice of anyone who could run.

[seafan]

38. Another good reason to encourage this guy as much as all get-out.

In Louisiana, evacuating Katrina victims out to Tennessee per chartered plane.


He is a true American hero. And he has what it takes.

[Nordmadr]

61. That picture says it all. see what our President was doing with

the resources he could muster? Imagine if he had the whole set of government resources to assist.

T-shirt, hot sweaty, unkmept...actually working and doing.

If he runs, he gets my vote. Period.

Olafr

[Dances with Cats]

40. Once again I think you may be right...

n/t

[tinrobot]

41. I saw him speak earlier this year....

It was a taping for a global warming movie that should be coming out soon. He spoke for almost two hours without notes on a very complicated subject. You could tell he knew it inside and out and was genuinely interested in the topic. It was a stark contrast to see Gore talking with such intelligence and clarity while the man who stole the election from him can't even pronounce three syllable words or go into a press conference without wearing a wire.

Anyways... the taping was great, but as with most tapings, there was a glitch. While we were waiting, someone in the audience shouted out "You're still MY president!"

The crowd erupted in applause and came to it's feet. Very emotional moment. I think everyone was in tears because they saw this brilliant man, with a heart of gold (it was right after Katrina and his rescue) and the conviction of his beliefs. We saw how different this country would have been had he rightfully taken office.

This country needs a man like him.

[Peace Patriot]

43. My favorite '08 ticket fantasy: Gore/Kerry. Poetic justice! The two men

who were unlawfully deprived of the White House!

Gore is great. His speeches over the last year have been stunning. The man is on fire with outrage at the Bush Cartel. And Kerry could be brought along--a decent, intelligent guy--who lost to Diebold and ES&S (and their "TRADE SECRET," PROPRIETARY vote tabulation software, and to the war profiteering corporate news monopolies who DOCTORED their exit polls on election night to hide evidence of the Kerry win.)

I think the American people would love this ticket. (But would Diebold and ES&S?)

[Generic Other]

45. I would back Gore in a heartbeat

But he seems to have had it with public service. Once you start speaking the truth, there's no place for you in politics.

[kentuck]

47. I think that's basically where he's at....

perhaps if he were drafted?

[garybeck]

48. QUESTION: Why did Gore pick Lieberman as a running mate????

I am a big Gore fan. I hope he runs again. But one thing has puzzled me. Now that we know what a turncoat Lieberman is, and how he is a crony for Bush, and how he is basically the next Zel Miller, why the f*ck did Gore pick him? This seems to be a complete breakdown of judgment.

[John Q. Citizen]

51. Electoral math. Florida to be specific. And it worked. Would

Gore have won Florida with someone else on the ticket? Hard to say. But he won with him on the ticket.

I don't have much use for Lieberman, but I guess Gore found a use for him back in 2000.

[Rebelry]

52. I could support him again.

[Pirate Smile]

58. Did he endorse Lieberman in 2003 for the 2004 election?

Hell, NO, so I think we know he wasn't a big Jomentum supporter by then.

He picked Lieberman to try to separate himself from all the Lewinski crap.

[wanpete]

53. I would love to see Gore make another run for it. He won once,

he can win again. Screw what the rwers will try to do to him.

[Douglas Carpenter]

56. I think you are probably right

Al Gore would represent the broadest possible consensus of the Democratic Party. He seems to have acquired some fire in his belly since the last election. And Americans seem to like "come back kid" stories.

[philly_bob]

57. His Bush-era speeches have been some of the best in Am. history

Impassioned, clear oratory for the ages.

There have been times early in the Bush era when hearing Gore actually saying the truth really helped my morale.

Someone should collect them in a book. A good campaign kick-off item.

[populistdriven]

59. another good argument for Gore

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/ideas_opinions/story/249349p-213539c.html

[byronius]

62. You know, I hadn't thought about it. Now that you mention it --

I have a very soft spot for Al Gore. I think he'd have made a better president than Bill. Yeah, less magnetism; yeah, more competence, progressive moral-compass strength, honesty, intelligence. I'm a Boxer/Clark guy, but I'll follow Al back to the White House.

Thanks for posting this, by the way. It perks up my day to think about Al Gore running.

[BreweryYardRat]

63. Gore or Clark...

Either would be great. And Gore's won the election once already.

[mattclearing]

64. He totally still has the fire in his gut.

His Moveon speeches proved that.

[wiggs]

66. Fine with me. We should find and repost his speeches from 2004

They were insightful, honest, accessible, and clear. I think the public would appreciate the chance to make amends for the 2000 and 2004 elections with someone who should have been there in the first place.

Gore/Clark

[SammyWinstonJack]

68. He'd probably run if he thought he'd have the backing he didn't get

in '00 from the Democratic Leaders. I would vote for him in a heartbeat! He said, (after they stole the election from him), that he had the "fire" to run again and I thought he would run in '04, but TPTB put an end to that. Anyone remember that? I do.

[Raydawg1234]

69. We Need Someone new................

Pay attention people, can you think of anything the current democrats have acomplished lately? I can't. I'm a baseball fan, and in baseball you always put a team on the field that gives you the best chance to win. Recycling has-beens like Gore is not going to regain the White House. Lets face it Gore just doesn't have the "image" (he does look a little stiff sometimes) I know the people on this sight are enlightened enough to look past such trivial things, but for every one of you there are ten people who vote just upon image, looks, and yes..."Character".

So what do we do.....

It has to be somone outside the old political establishment. Somebody removed from the Republican-Democrat squablings. Perhaps RFK Jr. although his name is far removed from the "old establishment", he does disengage himself from the political rat race. And lets face it, the name worked with Bush.