Are we here at DU so completely out of touch?

[CatWoman]

It seems we are the only ones who applaud Al Gore's speech and was motivated by it.

Along with MoveOn.Org.

Everyone else saw a completely different speech.

[w13rd0]

1. No one else SAW the speech...

...they just accept what they are told to think about it...

[Nlighten1]

5. Indeed.

How many of the big networks actually showed the speech?

[vi5]

11. I know plenty of people who saw the speech...

and there was a host of different opinions amongst those people. Some loved it, some liked it, some hated it, some didn't really get it. And all of those opinions are fine.

The whole notion that if people don't like something it must be because they haven't seen it or heard it or read it is a pretty dismissive argument, and one that appears on here all too frequently.

[Eric J in MN]

26. I think he meant most pundits who are lying about the speech

I think he meant most pundits who are lying about the speech probably didn't bother listening to it for 65 minutes.

[stickdog]

31. How many who saw it decided Gore was insane?

???

[frankly_fedup2]

48. I didn't find it anything but Patriotic . . .

Finally, someone who is able to get media attention spelling out the truth of this administration WITHOUT fear of retribution. I mean, they stole his presidency. Do you think they can harm him anymore than that?

Gore has been quiet to, too long. I think he should have said more.

Of course, after the speech, he was called unpatriotic, wanting our troops to fail because if they fail, the dems will win. What a bunch of malarkey that comes out of Limbaugh and hanity's mouths. I cannot even bare to look at Sean Hannity with that long, tight nose of his and his little heart-shaped lips that are barely visible under the ski slope. I find the man utterly disgusting to look at let alone his politics. He should try in vein to copy write the term "mean spirited." He uses this term so much it is sickening.

I would give anything if he had a book signing anywhere close to where I lived. I live for this day.

[fabius]

62. Media heathers doing their usual...

They've all hated Gore forever. They won't bother to read his speech. I'm OK with someone who actually listened or read the transcript not liking it. What's obvious from media coverage is they either they can't be bothered to listen to it or they are intentionally misrepresenting.

Just read Eric Alterman's book "What Liberal Media", he explains the whole Gore - media relationship pretty well.

[Deja Q]

23. Where can a written or audio transcript be found?

I'd read little bits and pieces, not much, but enough to know Gore's got it goin' on. He's been rather vocal since 2002 it seems and I wish more were...

It's also odd that the mainstream media isn't keen on advertising him, though I myself do go out of my way to avoid it...

[Eric J in MN]

25. transcript at MoveOn PAC

http://www.moveonpac.org/goreremarks052604.html

[serryjw]

53. Go LISTEN/WATCH it on C-span!

first page...Under"Most Watched!"
http://www.c-span.org/

[frankly_fedup2]

47. DITTO! (nt)

nt

[dusty64]

64. Unfortunately true, my

local rag had nothing about it. Half the problem is too many people in this Country are satisfied letting clueless pundits do their "thinking" for them. They accept the regurgitated propaganda crap as truth without question. I guess many have become SO lazy that even the act of rubbing a couple brain cells together has gotten to be too much work.

[thebigidea]

2. but he's mad, coocoo for cocoa puffs! crazed like Bela Lugosi!

Oh wait, he wasn't. Well, I'm mad, then.

[CatWoman]

7. Andre -- I love you

You always crack me the hell up. :D

[vi5]

3. I don't know about "we" or about DU in general....

But I'd say there are a good chunk on this board and on the left who refuse to ever concede that the opinions we hold or what we think is impressive fail to resonate with the bulk of people in the country. Or at least we refuse to admit that something someone from "our side" says or does may not be totally groovy.

I think it's just a basic sense of empathy and perspective. I'd say a good 50% of the opinions I hold, I have no delusions about how the rest of the country feels on those issues and I know they don't agree with me. And I'm fine with that. I don't demand 100% compliance to my opinions.

And this I think is one of those instances. I liked what Gore said, even though I'm not a huge fan of the man in general.

[LittleApple81]

4. NO...NO...NO Everybody who saw it (not transmitted anywhere except C-Span)

saw what we saw. The "mainstream media" are terrified.This is like Bush*'s speeches...(which are shown in all their gory glory)... I watch them (bleah....) and think: what a jerk; he is an idiot; how can he talk like that; he does not know English; he is a liar; he is stupid. Then I turn on the TV and all this bobble,talking heads are saying "BUSH WAS SO PRESIDENTIAL; THIS WAS HIS BEST SPEECH SO FAR." Even when he could not remember anything he has ever done wrong, they said that was courageous.

They don't want to show any part of the speech...that would be dangereous. The parts they do show are totally out of context (cleaning his face with the towel... which happened after most of the speech was over... he had valiantly wiped his brow with his hand all the while).

[senseandsensibility]

10. You're right!

I certainly don't expect total agreement from everyone all the time. However, the up is down, black is white reactions of the mainstream media are more than disagreement. They are trying to sway public opinion. So they tell them that * is courageous, and they don't let them hear Gore. There is no discussion of the contents of Gore's speech, because they know that many people would agree with it.

[Onlooker]

6. I don't agree

I've read in at least a couple places comments like "If Gore spoke like that in 2000, he would be president right now." The right was very threatened by Gore's speech, because it showed both intellect and passion, and that's why they're doing what they can to diminish its impact. Let's face it, most people will only read about the speech, but hearing it is what makes it so effective.

[vi5]

8. Same here. I heard a ton of comments like that.....

"Where was that Al Gore in 2000?"

"Why couldn't he have been that angry after the election was stolen."

"Why couldn't he have been that passionate when he was running his campaign."

[liberalhistorian]

16. Those were my first thoughts

when I first saw the speech in its entirety and was blown away, where the hell was THAT Al Gore in 2000? I think that, for the first time in his life, he finally feels free to let go and be who he REALLY is, not who and what his father wants and expects him to be, not what his campaign people want and expect him to be, etc., etc. He's done with running for any other political office, he's out of his father's shadow, and he's finally free to be himself.

[cidliz2004]

32. Gore free to be Gore

I agree with you 100%. I really saw the REAL Al Gore, the Al Gore that is not caring about anything but our Government and it's people. He is speaking from his heart, his soul and his FREEDOM. He has been freed and can now be all that he was meant to be and I hope that that will be a leader of the Democratic Party for years to come!

[newyawker99]

63. Hi cidliz2004!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[CatWoman]

9. I'm telling you

99 percent of the print and broadcast news I've seen and read was completely against him.

[w13rd0]

12. Of course...

...that's because 99% of the print and broadcast news is owned by 1% (or less) of the voting population. Now shut up and think what you are told to think.

The media has become a complicit, willful player in the dismantling of our democratic republic. They must be treated without mercy or quarter.

[CatWoman]

17. I just don't understand this hatred of Al Gore

after nearly three years, the media is still at it.

I just don't get it!!!

[Vitruvius]

22. Because the lazy & incompetent air-heads in the media hate hard working

types like Gore who get things done. I can't think of a single Gore-hating media type who has ever accomplished anything of substance.

In addition, at some level, they know they did wrong in sliming Gore in 2000, they know they helped wreck this country by helping install Bu$h. But they're too weak to face up to what they did -- or their venal and petty motives doing so. Better to keep sliming -- it sure beats admitting a mistake.

Finally, a lot of these presstitutes shot up the ladder in the corporate media by doing the GOP's bidding in trashing Clinton, then Gore. With Bu$h disintigrating, they're scared. And scared people who were promoted beyond their abilities and are afraid of someday losing it all tend to mindlessly keep doing what brought them success in the first place.

Vitruvius

P.S: The limiting case of this syndrome was Bill Shockley -- the racist Nobel Prize winner. Shockley stole the credit for inventing the transistor from Ohl, Pfann (of the Pfann zone-refining process used to make semiconductors to this day), and Lilienfeld. Shockley slimed Lilienfeld for being a Jew, and slimed Ohl as (allegedly) being part Black (I have no idea whether he was or not, and do not care). Shockley slimed them all for the rest of his life -- partly to make himself feel good, partly out of fear. And the remnants and professional descendants of the Shockley gang were still sliming all three in the 1980s when I left Bell Labs. That's 40 years of slime.

Shockley was a world-class vicious creep -- like the Gore-hating presstitutes. And people like that slime the competent & decent forever & ever.

That's life.

[The Magistrate]

52. The Reason, Ma'am, It Would Seem To Me

Is that these wretches know it was their own sloppy work that kept the criminals of the '00 Coup in reach of success during that election: if the press types had done their jobs properly, Vice-President Gore would have won in a walk. For them now to recognize him as the good man and patriot he is would be an admission of error and incompetence beyond their capability. They must continue in their error, and in justifying it, in order to maintain their self-respect. We are damned funny monkeys, Ma'am, when all is said and done....

"How DARE they drag the good name of the United States of America through the mud of Saddam Hussein's torture prison!"

"LET'S GO GET THOSE BUSH BASTARDS!"

[frankly_fedup2]

50. Gore like the majority of the

dems that were running for the Democratic Party's support let the media control their campaigns.

Our media should not have that much power over anyone. We have the right to a free press; however, there is nothing in the Constitution that says anything about a "moral" press ...unfortunately. Maybe we could get that amended? Hmmmmmm.

[pretzel4gore]

13. SO! when the americans eventually turn on them

they won't be liberal about it (punishment)
lol

[MikeG]

14. They attack Gore because it doesn't cost them anything to do it.

[Eric J in MN]

27. It should. Any talk show host with decency should refuse to

It should.

Any talk show host with decency should refuse to have on the pundits who lied this week to declare Gore is insane.

Jon Podheretz appeared on "The Daily Show" a couple of months ago to promote his pro-Bush book.

This week, he wrote in the NY Post "Al Gore is insane."

Jon Stewart shouldn't let him promote his next book on "The Daily Show."

To hell with liars like Jon Podheretz.

There is a list of these lying pundits at Media Matters:
http://mediamatters.org/items/200405280001

[MikeG]

28. I just call Podhoretz "Pigface."

[frankly_fedup2]

49. (laughing hysterically) . . .

After the situation Bush has gotten this country into and what his leadership as well as his administration has done that has almost destroyed this country, they DARE to call GORE insane?

Amazing to me how they constantly try to get the attention off of the real crimes they are committing by calling people names and attacking people who speak out against them.

I listened to the speech twice on CSPAN. Everything Gore said was the absolute truth. Now if speaking the truth makes someone insane, then Gore needs a straight jacket. The man spoke the truth and they cannot handle it.

[ThoughtCriminal]

15. I prefer "Ahead of the curve"

nt

[Leilani]

18. I read the transcript first

then saw the speech.

Thought it was brilliant when I read it, & agreed completely.

However, I was not as impressed with the delivery as the majority here.

The emotion did not ring true for me; I thought it seemed forced.
That said, I agreed with every word Gore said.

I am sorry that the message was lost in the debate about his delivery.

[CatWoman]

19. I could never understand the "lack of emotion" slime

I've seen him animated.

I've seen him fired up.

Way before this speech.

I think the right confuses "presidential" with tongue tied and illiterate.

[Kool Kitty]

54. Exactly.

and I think the reich-wing is very scared about this speech, because they immediately went into their most familiar and tried-and-true mode of attack-tell everyone that Gore is crazy. They did it to McCain, they did it to Richard Clarke, they do it to everyone that gets more attention and makes more sense than they do.

[Moonbeam_Starlight]

20. I think it's the opposite

I think it's us who are very in touch and everyone else is a bit out of the loop.

[jbm]

39. I agree...

When I heard the speech,I was amazed and very pleased that he would call it like it is,but I was also pleased with myself for being able to pick up on a lot of the references that would have gone straight over my head a year ago. In that speech,he alluded to definitions of virtue and things that lie at the very core of divisions between liberals and conservatives. Al Gore was not playing to the guy on the street. He's raised the level of discourse by giving speeches that don't patronize an ignorant public.

I think Al Gore has decided to speak to the people who are willing to rise to his level,and I applaud him for that.

[otohara]

21. Media Has Turned People Against Gore

The assholes in the media were so egger to get all Clinton/Gore out of Washington, JUST BECAUSE THEY WERE SICK OF COVERING THEM....SAME OLD, SAME OLD..

We all know what happened next...more people voted for Al Gore and the media kept up the trashing of Al Gore because thier little plan to get Bush elected fair and square didn't work.

Sheeple do what the mediawhores tell them to do, in this case it's "tune out Gore, he's a loser"

[cosmicdot]

24. who is "everyone else"?

are they the voices found in the narrow band of opinion filtered to the masses via cable/network media?

Al's speech could be seen like the pacer in a 10K race ... "ahead of the curve", as mentioned, might be another way of stating it ...

Corporate Media has enabled this whole faux presidency, its fraudulent ways; and, its treacherous agenda ... they certainly don't want to look as if they've done anything wrong ... Al's speech was the anti-thesis of all which has been falsely portrayed and all the deceitful and horrendous things done in our name as a people, as a society ...

... a turning point really ...

Al was speaking for more than we living Americans ... he was speaking for generations of We the People ... including our Founders ...

Our country has been hijacked ... our principles violated ... acts of treason have been committed ...

Al "Patrick Henry" Gore spoke exactly how a Nation under these circumstances should speak.

[kentuck]

29. Out of touch ? No, I don't think so...

Du has been closer to the truth on just about every issue for the last 3 years. I think that is proof enough.

But we haven't been able to defeat the monster called the corporate and right-wing media. You cannot go to a gun battle with a pocket knife and expect a lot of good to come from it. I'm not saying that what we are doing is fruitless, but we have to understand that we are greatly outnumbered and we cannot fight them on their own terms if we expect to make progress.

[onecitizen]

30. Maybe we are......

but we haven't been wrong about any of it. Maybe everyone else didn't realize what a disaster bush was/is but we knew from Day 1. If that makes us wrong, I don't wanna be right (or in touch).

[mmonk]

33. The speech was good

people in the US that don't like it don't like what it says about this country right now and ultimately about them. If it doesn't prop up their delusions, they dismiss it rather than dwell on its content.

[sandnsea]

34. SUPERB speech

I have absolutely no idea why anybody would trash it. There were a couple of times that I thought the delivery was, forced, exaggerated, something along those lines. But those few seconds were nothing compared to the power of the speech, what he was trying to say to America, basically that we're in danger of losing our soul. Maybe people who don't get it are too caught up in materialism to even understand what he's saying. I don't know. But it should have been a huge headline maker and it's incredibly sad that it isn't. And most people around here know, I'm not much for fiery speeches, so if I didn't see anything over the top, it probably wasn't there.

[demgrrrll]

35. This reminds me of the Wellstone memorial and the mighty Wurlitzer

that cranked up after the fact. I watched the memorial and
had a completely different opinion than was held by the
pundits, same goes for the 2000 debates. It seems that we
are left with the are we crazy or are they right scenario whenever someone really hits the mark or might upset the GOP applecart.

[Philostopher]

36. The 2000 debates -- having read this thread,

that was the exact thing that was going through my head. I remember watching one of them, and thinking, 'dayum -- Gore really pissed on Dumbo, there.' But the network response the next day was that Gore was sanctimonious, that he snorted derision (if I had a nickel for every snort of derision I've had at the expense of the Dim Son since campaigning in 2000, I could afford to replace the maxillofacial sinus I've blown out doing it), that he was stiff.

But Bush* -- magnificent. Statesmanlike.

Whereas to my observation he smirked, simpered and adjusted his tie a lot, and spewed a lot of non sequitur junk between the scripted sound bites provided for him.

Not that I was surprised, mind you. They never fooled me about Reagan and his Alzheimer's disease, either. My little bro' and I used to joke that they could just crate Reagan up and ship him straight to the U.S. Presidents exhibit at Disney world, he looked so much like a robot. We were convinced there was something wrong with him all the way back when he was still in office. I still think we were right.

The media put him across as kind, gentle and intelligent.

[sandnsea]

37. That made me SO mad

Ventura WALKED OUT of a funeral service!!!!!! How rude is that??? It's nobody's business what kind of funeral service somebody has except for the family who makes the decisions. I can't imagine walking out of a funeral service, no matter what was going on. And DEMS were the ones with bad morals???? I still get mad just thinking about it.

[bpilgrim]

38. Gore's BRILLIANT speech --------------------------------- mp3

http://news.globalfreepress.com/mp3/airAmericaRadio.com/gore/gore_nyu_05-28-04.mp3
(little choppy, recorded from AirAmericaRadio.com )

psst... pass the word ;->

peace

[sleepystudent]

40. Yes, basically, DU is "out of touch"

In some cases that can be a good thing though. But DU can seem a little fringy, too in love with itself. It can seem like a internal feedback loop that's not reaching out to those that may not completely disagree with some of the assertions on here, but may have differing points of view and an open mind-i.e, the small number of swing voters that will decide whether we have four more years of this hell. If I wanted to convert their minds and get them to vote for Kerry, I am not sure I would send them here to find the truth about Bush.

[gottaB]

41. Al Gore points finger at Genteel Essayists

Genteel Essayists reply that Gore is insane, beyond reason, out of proportion, consorting with the enemy.

It's a pack of lies.

This is the heart of Abu Ghraib:

A. "Do you believe in anything?"

B. "I believe in Allah."

A. "But I believe in torture, and I will torture you."

The Genteel Essayists desperately want to seperate themselves from the people who tortured Al-Sheikh, one of the men whose testimony Gore quoted in his speech. Ever the gentleman, Gore spared his audience the most revolting details of Al-Sheikh's ordeal. And yet the Genteel Essayists protest, "Oooh, that's not fair. That's not reasonable."

Genteel Essayists --> :nopity:

Make no mistake about it. What happened at Abu Ghraib has disgraced America. It is not the result of a few bad apples, but of reckless and mean-spirited policy decisions that mark a radical departure from historical American values.

[Disturbed]

42. Media Whores.

Most of the Media are Corpie Whores. When Bushco starts to bleed out they will feed on the body.

I am on another BB with various politicos and quite a few praised the speech. Of course the Right wingers panned it.I feel that Gore told it like it is.

[TexasSissy]

43. I don't applaud it. But I don't condemn it, either.

It just is. And it's not that noteworthy. I pay more attention these days to what Biden, Pelosi, Kennedy, Clinton, and others have to say. It's not that I don't still like Gore. I hope he succeeds with his being part owner of NWI, and I hope he stays politically active. But he just seems sort of unable these days to communicate to the masses. He appeals to a certain segment, maybe? I don't know. I just pay more attention to others who speak about facts rather than emotional appeals for everyone to resign.

[w13rd0]

51. His speeches since 2002 have been a litany of facts...

...and predictions that have come to pass. His Brookings Institute speech, his MoveOn speeches, all of it. "emotional appeals"? What's an emotional appeal? A sober assessment of incompetence that calls on those that have repeatedly been rewarded for failure to resign, or knee jerk cowboy bullshit antics?

[Alerter_]

44. Did the TV say no one else agrees with Gore?

I say they are lying.

[CatWoman]

45. There's a thread going now about Tweety's roundtable this morning

and they are ridiculing Gore's speech -- comparing him to Dean's "scream".

:mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:

[spanone]

46. I SAW the speech and it was incredible. Gore was GREAT!

By the time anything gets through the media filters it gets totally screwed. We must watch and make our own assessments. WE CANNOT COUNT ON THE MEDIA FOR A FAIR ACCOUNTING!!!!!! WAKE UP AMERICA.

[LibertyorDeath]

55. we are the ones who are insane

because we are so completely IN TOUCH IMO

Al Gore's speech was full of TRUTH so they belittle him they are slime
propagandists for shrub.

[rocktop15]

56. This is the sad reality

I watched that speech. It got me fired up and made me PROUD once again to be a Democrat. Where the hell are the Democrats? I see them post here......I see that right now Kerry/Bush are in a dead heat....but in SouthEast TN I don't know where they are. Nobody I know proudly supports Kerry or the "liberal" ideals.

This is the sad reality of the thing, but most people don't care about politics. Most people are shocked when they hear me say things such as "George W. Bush and his administration are some of the most corrupt thieves we've ever had in office", etc.

I'm doing all I can to get the word out but most people have bought into the media's notion that Kerry and Bush are the same candidate. They believe Kerry flip flops. It's sad but most people, I'm estimating, spend about 10 minutes a week TOPS following the political spectrum.

[weedthesmoke]

57. The bellowing and yelling was ok for someone that didn't run for president

Most independents and open minded dems I work with think he was over the top and are thankful he never became president. No CIC would ever make such a scene and contribute to the divide that exists among the party extremes.

[rocktop15]

58. PASSION

I hate political correctness. He made me PROUD to be a Democrat. It's like I've been having to apoligize for being a Democrat recently. Thank you Mr. President.

[Kool Kitty]

59. I don't know, most of the independents and

open-minded dems that I know liked his passion and truthfulness. Go figure.

[DemBones DemBones]

60. Open minded Dems? Perhaps you mean

empty headed Dems. Certainly you must mean Dems unfamiliar with Harry Truman.

Since the GOP stole the presidency from Al Gore, the rightful winner, he doesn't have to play by the Marquis of Queensbury rules, meaning he doesn't have to worry about being presidential and above the fray. He is allowed to "contribute to the divide that exists among the party extremes." He is not in office. I'm sure people all over the globe, many of whom get more accurate news coverage than most Americans, are lamenting the fact that Al Gore is not in office at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

[rexcat]

61. I liked the speech...

I played tennis today and one of the freepers that I play with had "seen" the speech and insinuated that Gore was insane. I just listened the speech and must say he was anything but insane! He made good point after good point. There appears to be an underlying message that Bush* and company are responsible for war crimes. The repugs don't want to hear this message so they are dismissing it by saying that Gore is insane.