Conason: Why do journalists suddenly love Al Gore?

[kskiska]

After they tempt him into the presidential race, they'll probably try to destroy him again. And he knows it.

By Joe Conason

Mar. 02, 2007 | As a man who long endured more than his share of nasty, unwarranted abuse from journalists, the philosophical Al Gore must be amused by the happy transformation of his clippings. The same press corps that once snarled for his blood is now smooching his boots -- an implicit apology that might be gratifying to the former future president, if only he were still naive enough to value their esteem.

(snip)

Had the recent adoration of Gore been accompanied by any sign of healthy introspection among those who once savaged him, there might be reason to hope that they've learned something from this extraordinarily costly lesson. But as usual, mainstream commentators prefer to write as if they suffer from severe amnesia (as well as database deprivation) -- and to pretend that everyone else does, too.

(snip)

Those historians may also wonder why the better man declined to seek the presidency again -- even after many of his detractors had been forced to confess that the rejection they helped engineer was a mistake of enormous proportions. They may wonder why he passed up the opportunity to redress the injustice done to him and done to his country and his planet, which is clearly of such great concern to him.

The answer may be found, of all places, in the Note, that snarky weblog on the ABC News site, which often betrays the true emotions roiling the minds of mainstream journalists. Said the Note, in explaining the recent spate of positive coverage of the old press nemesis: "Basically, the political press wants to tempt Al Gore into the race, and then they will destroy him as a flip-flopping, exaggerating, stiff loser. And Gore knows this."

Sad, small, pitiful and quite probably true.

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http://www.salon.com/opinion/conason/2007/03/02/al_gore/

[EST]

1. I have paid little more than a passing, appreciative salute to

Mr. Conason's literary and intellectual advantages-until his appearance on Washington Journal, this morning.
I was impressed. And here he is again, rightly dividing the word of truth.

[Missy M]

2. I have been a long time fan of Joe Conason......

unfortunately, more people read someone like Dowd than Conason. The only thing I disagree with in this piece is that Dowd is perceptive and sometimes witty. I find neither in her. She was instrumental in telling lies about Gore.