Esprit de Gore (feature length climate change documentary to star Al Gore)

[AlGore-08.com]

http://www.grist.org/news/muck/2005/06/09/little-gore/

Gore transforming into fiery climate evangelist

By Amanda Griscom Little

Al Gore, once derided by the right as a stiff, wooden Ozone Man, is now recasting himself as the fiery, headstrong Climate Avenger -- a blunt and passionate spokesperson about what he calls "a collision between our civilization and the earth." He is currently in negotiations to play a starring role in a big-budget, feature-length documentary on climate change.

Last Saturday in San Francisco, the self-described "guy who used to be the next president of the United States" delivered an hour-long multimedia presentation on the scientific evidence of global warming to hundreds of guests crammed into a tent for the culmination of the city's five-day-long U.N. World Environment Day celebration. The audience, peppered with celebrities, members of Congress, U.N. officials, and dozens of mayors from around the world, erupted into a standing ovation when Gore wrapped up his quasi-evangelical call to action.

Thrusting his fists skyward, he rattled off the seemingly insurmountable challenges civilization has overcome in the past -- slavery, communism, restricted suffrage, segregation, disease, apartheid -- and roared, "So now we are called to use our political institution, our democracy, our free speech, our reasoning capacity, our citizenship, our hearts, and talk with one another, reason with one another, see the reality of this problem, act as Americans, and understand that it's a different issue than any we've ever faced." Then the crescendo: "We have to make our stand!" he thundered. "This is our home! We must keep our eyes on the prize! Help solve this problem!"

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[XemaSab]

1. You know

if I had to pick between al and howard, I think I would just break down and cry, the choice would be so tough.

[MasonJar]

2. Al Gore has long been my hero. He first got my attention with his

startling account of the global environmental status in Earth in the Balance. He is a dynamic speaker; a true patriot. GORE for KING!

[AlGore-08.com]

3. Kicking it up for President Gore

:kick:

[Dervill Crow]

4. Kick.

:kick:

[AlGore-08.com]

5. Kicking it up for the night crew

:kick:

[scarletlib]

6. Al Gore: Fellow Tennessean

An honest, hardworking, decent man. He would have made a great president of the United States. Although the press and congress would have persecuted him mercilessly from his first day in office, I am convinced that 9-11 would not have happened on his watch.

However, the mystery that is life moves us all in strange directions.

It may be that this track he is taking will benefit us all even more than his presidency might have.

[AlGore-08.com]

8. Or this track might lead him to a better, more effective Presidency

Instead of taking office at a time when the GOP would have moved heaven and earth to thwart him, Gore could hold office at a time when the Democrats could win back the Congress - - and/or the Republican party could have enough members turn their backs on the radical right - - and when the Democratic base was organized and active.

Why should we accept the idea that we have to settle on a "least common denominator" type candidate? The idea that we have to chose between a winning candidate and a candidate who would make a great President is a false choice. Gore is not just the most qualified person to ever run for President, he has something no other potential White House candidate has: he has proven he can win. And win against incredible odds.

Gore started his 2000 campaign one month after the impeachment proceedings ended, and was 20 points behind "any Republican". He was outspent by 2 to 1 (because he accepted campaign spending limits and Bush did not), Gore had almost no support from the Party machine, and he had the most hostile press coverage in history. Despite all that, he went on to win the popular vote by 1/2 million. And Bush, the guy he beat, went on in 2004 to win more votes than anybody else in history - - so if this were college football, Gore would be the number one ranked team. (We all know he won the electoral vote as well - - and he won it by turning Florida from solidly red to a swing state in late October.)

It's long past time we stopped picking candidates for defensive reasons. We need to go on the offensive with our best, and Gore is our best.

[scarletlib]

9. I have absolutely no doubts that you are right on everything

you have said.

I just wonder if Gore himself, at this point, has anymore desire to run for the office. I can't say I would blame him if he didn't but I do think he would make an awesome president.

He has gone through the fire and come out an even better man than he was before. Now he is being true to himself and working for the greater good of this world. If he ran for president again I hope he would be strong enough to stick with his vision. (I think he would.)

[AlGore-08.com]

11. He does. He said in 2002 when he decided not to run in 2004

that he had the drive and desire to run again, but (reading between the lines) the party big wigs and major donors weren't backing him, so he had to step aside. Gore wouldn't have that problem this time - - because there's a different leadership in the DNC, and by losing, Kerry disproved a lot of the mistaken ideas these beltway insiders had about Gore's 2000 campaign. Kerry's campaign did all the things that the conventional wisdom said Gore should have done in 2000 to win by a landslide, and Kerry not only didn't win by a landslide, he lost ground, compared to Gore.

Since the end of the 2004 election, he has said he has "no intention" of running, which is pol speak for "I'm running but it's too early to admit it". If you really want to see how meaningless that phrase is, you should check out Tim Russert's interview of Condi Rice, where he asks her repeatedly (and aggressively) "Do you not intend to run for President, or are you really not going to run?"

[JNelson6563]

7. This should be good.

I really look forward to this. Thanks for posting it! :hi:

Julie

[BlueIris]

10. Nice work, Mr. President.

The mark of a true patriot is a willingness to serve his country (or in this case, his planet) long after it has stopped offering restitution for that service in any way. Thanks, sir! Best of luck in all of your future endeavors.

[Lisa]

12. the news about the oil lobbyist editing climate reports ...

.... will make a fine addition to that documentary! It should be no trouble to find more examples of the administration in cahoots with energy companies and polluting industries, if they're going for a "The Corporation" style of film.