Gore's a Dean Man Now - John Nichols, The Nation

[Wonk]

Al Gore endorsed Howard Dean for President for the same reason that so many other Democrats have: He wanted to be where the action is in his party. The man who while carrying the Democratic banner in 2000 won the most votes for President said as much when he announced his decision at a Harlem event, declaring, "Howard Dean really is the only candidate who has been able to inspire at the grassroots level all over this country the kind of passion and enthusiasm for democracy and change and transformation of America that we need in this country. We need to remake the Democratic Party, we need to remake America, we need to take it back on behalf of the people of this country."

The former Vice President went on to chide other candidates for piling on Dean in increasingly desperate attempts to stall the momentum of a candidate who, polls suggest, is positioned to sweep not just the first primary state of New Hampshire but the critical contests that follow in the late winter dash for delegates. But Gore actually did a little piling on of his own. That remark about Dean being the "only candidate" able to inspire passion cut to the heart of what ails the candidacies of Joe Lieberman, John Kerry and Dick Gephardt--with whom Gore has longer and better relations than with the former Vermont governor, who made noises about opposing him for the 2000 nomination.

(snip)

And Gore, openly critical of advisers who counseled ideological and stylistic caution in 2000, is now closer to Dean on the issues than the talking heads recognize. The former Veep's public criticisms of the war on Iraq, the Patriot Act and the Bush Administration's economic policies match the tone and content of Dean's campaign far more than they do those of Lieberman or Gephardt.

more...
http://www.thenation.com/doc.mhtml%3Fi=20031229&s=nichols

[LisaM]

1. Well, and why shouldn't he be? Where were Kerry,

Lieberman, and Edwards when the Congressional Black Caucus was seeking ONE Senator to help challenge the Florida electoral slate? Gore didn't betray Lieberman or Kerry. They betrayed him both during the recount (by not aggressively challenging the election) and then again when the electors were being qualified.

[Cha]

2. Love John Nichols!

"No coincidence, then, that Gore announced his support for Dean on December 9, the third anniversary of the day the Supreme Court halted the final recount. It is fair to argue that if nominated, Dean will have to move beyond visceral anger at how Bush became President and what he's done with the office. But as he moves to secure the nomination, that anger remains a big part of his appeal to Democrats. Just ask Al Gore."

Tells it like it is.

[Larkspur]

8. I wondered why Gore wanted to make the announcment on Tuesday

Being that it was the 3rd anniversay of that infamous SCOTUS decision, makes sense. It was a shot at Bush and the Dem Establishment -- Clintonian establishment -- that let him down during the recount.

[librechik]

3. Gore's a Deanie?

Oh hell, why not...

[Kahuna]

4. I can't believe the nerve of Al Gore. He's telling us...

that our votes don't count. He has decided without one vote being cast that Dean is the nominee and that no one can beat him and only Dean can beat bush. I'd like to have some of what Al is smoking. Now I know what caused him to blow up and gain all of that weight.

[Wonk]

7. Would you be saying that if he had endorsed Clark? I highly doubt it. nt

[Texas_Dem]

5. I feel sorry for Gore

His endorsement has hurt him as a Party leader by pissing off so many people. May have hurt Dean in the long run as well.

[Kahuna]

6. Gore put himself on the same level with ...

Anthony Wiener and Jesse Jackson, Jr. He can no longer be viewed as a party elder, a la, The Clintons and Carter. If he thought Dean was so solid that nobody could touch him as he indicated, it seems odd that Gore stuck his neck out like this. Something is very strange about this. Seems to have been a very divisive move that was totally unnecessary. I don't get it.