NY Post (yeah, I know): IF THAT DON'T BEAT AL (Gore in 2008)

[Pirate Smile]

September 22, 2005 -- AS SEN. Hillary Clinton ratchets up her attacks on Presi dent Bush, some Democrats think they smell an explanation: the threat of a 2008 Al Gore presidential bid that could come at her from the left on Iraq.
The former vice president is suddenly re-emerging as a vocal and visible Bush-basher ? he's slated to star at a Democratic National Committee fund-raiser for big donors in Washington next Tuesday.

"He's keeping a very strong public profile. He was the first major Democrat to oppose the Iraq war. He's keeping in touch around the country and doing a lot of speeches. You don't do all that if your goal is to play celebrity golf," says a Democratic fund-raiser.

A top Dem strategist adds: "Americans love comebacks and Gore could come back as a real human being instead of a wooden guy. He could come back as the new Nixon ? somebody who went into the wilderness and found himself."

http://www.nypost.com/commentary/28393.htm

It is written by that nasty Deborah Orin who shows up on Tweety's show but it is an interesting read.

[electropop]

1. We do need a real Dem this time...

and he's a little closer than Hillary anyway. My personal dream ticket would be Boxer/Conyers.

[KittyWampus]

2. IMO, Gore has zero interest in running for POTUS ever again.

[Admiral Loinpresser]

32. Au contraire,

that is the only thing we can say definitively, is that he retains his interest, insofar as he is keeping his options. He stated explicitly when he announced his intention not to run in 2004 (December 2002 statement) that he would not rule out 2008. In an interview since, he has confirmed that position.

If he had no interest, he would rule it out, which he has chosen not to do.

[Tiggeroshii]

47. Would the day be grand

If he ran, he's pretty much sure to win. The concensus is that he won half a million more popular votes than GW and that's something that'll probably help him in 2008 if he runs. Back in the day, the Nader voters figured Gor and Bush to be the same. I think they all know a lil' better now, dont'cha?

[1932]

3. Please. No corporate Dems.

[ProudDad]

35. That ship has sailed.

No matter what happens, we're going to get a corporate candidate.

It's a metastized corporate state we're living in, what else can we expect?

I don't like it but there it is.

So I'd like the most electable and least objectionable corporate democrat to get rid of the pukes.

[1932]

37. How about a much less corporate dem than Al, please.

[tk2kewl]

4. If it is an orchestrated image makeover I'd be upset.

I love Al, but if he is running around saying that he is a recovering politician and then decides to run, I will lose a lot of respect for him.

I'd love to see him run, but I'd like him to be genuine, if that is his intention.

[Uncle Joe]

28. I do not believe he will let anyone know for sure until after 2006.

Also Al is the real deal, the only thing orchestrated was the war waged against him by the corpwhorate owned MSM because he empowered us when he championed the internet.

[Samantha]

44. I think you are correct

We won't know anything for sure until 2006. That will be the deadline for all serious candidates to get their show on the road. Gore is too smart to make a commitment prior to then.

[FreedomAngel82]

54. Exactly

I think it's smart that the democrats don't announce anything until after 2006. Anything can still happen.

[FreedomAngel82]

53. People change their minds hon

[jobycom]

5. Let's hope he's running again. The best president we never had.

[Larkspur]

6. His comeback will hinge on the feature-length documentary coming out

this December. It's about his environmental presentations he's been giving around the nation. He had to give a special encore performance in Oregon a few weeks ago.

From what I've heard, Gore's public presentations have been inspiring, not wooden. See this article from Grist Magazine http://www.grist.org/news/muck/2005/06/09/little-gore/index.html?source=daily

I think Gore is keeping his options open about running for Prez and he probably won't go the normal route if he decides to run in 2008. He won't go public with his intentions until after 2006 elections are over.

[Pirate Smile]

8. I a bit surprised at the negative reactions considering how strongly

he came out against the Iraq War before it started and his passionate speeches slamming Bush which had the RW freaking out and calling him crazy.

[Cha]

18. Ya just can't please

everybody no matter how Great ya are!

[Uncle Joe]

29. Many people are not aware because he was hidden

or distorted by the corpwhorate owned MSM. His speech against going to war with Iraq had many prophetic warnings that have come to pass, just as his other fine speeches regarding global warming, however the prostitutes that pose as American Journalists just said he was ranting or off his meds. Usually it was the same people that said he was stiff and boring, claimed to have invented the internet, was a phony because he wore earth tones, lost a debate because someone heard him sigh and thought Bush was better qualified to be President because they would rather have Bush in their homes for a beer.

[FreedomAngel82]

55. I think you can see it on CSPAN

Just search his name and I think you can still find one of his speeches with MoveOn there. I remember watching the speech and it was great! Gore is anything but stiff and boring. You can go here: http://abletv.net/html/csDNC2000.html and you can see the DNC convention from 2000 and there's a guy who follows Gore around and interviews him and he's anything but stiff. He's so smart and down to earth.

[drummo]

60. Wow! How did you find this treasure?

I didn't know about this guy or his videos. Thanks for the link.

[drummo]

48. Actually

that documentary will be about global warming AND Gore's history regarding the issue. That presentation is just part of it.
Let's not forget that he was one of the first people on this planet
who started to pay attention to the effect of manmade CO2 emission on the atmosphere. So it's really not about Gore the politician inasmuch he was not a politican back in the 60s, 70s but he was already concerned about the issue.

Also, the documentary has nothing to do with his "comeback" just like everything else he has been doing since Jan 20, 2001 had nothing to do with running for elected office.

[CTyankee]

64. Yes!

Since the 2000 campaign more people are seeing the effects of global warming and are alarmed at long last. Katrina, gas prices, instability in the Middle East with the Iraq War, all of these things are making Americans scared.

I think Al Gore could have another chance and win. The landscape has changed over the last 5 years. It just gets worse and worse. The latest on Bush boozing just might put his administration out of business. Al Gore could very well pick up the pieces. Those disgusting RW derision of Al Gore's environmental stands wouldn't get off the ground now.

[melody]

7. we need an honest man with a strong message - who cares if he's corporate

I don't give a damn if he's "sponsored by Frito Lay", if he's honest and gives a damn about the people - which Al is and does -- then he's my candidate.

Now lets see if the system will let him win -- again. And take office this time.

[Totally Committed]

10. I care if he's corporate.

(You asked.)

TC

[melody]

13. why?

Ben and Jerry's is a corporation. Newman's Own is a corporation.

There are good and bad corporations. What we need to fight is the right-wing extremism fueled by corporations, imho.

[Totally Committed]

20. Maybe I should clarify, because you're right...

Ben & Jerry's and Newman's Own are corporations. Very good point. They are not the corporations I am worried about.

"Corporatism" is a pernicious affect on whatever candidate subscibes to those policies. This is often done for the corporate $$$$ that comes along with the votes the candidates make to honor their cprporate ties and committments. Corporate interests, at that point, are more important, and often at odds with those of their constituents. I am against this and the faction of our own Party that ascribes to it.

Ben & Jerry's and Newman's Own, as far as I know, never implored Democrats to vote with the Republicans to bring about the Welfare Reform Act of 1996, NAFTA, or CAFTA. They didn't shill for the Credit Card industry for the Bankruptcy Bill. They didn't plead Big Pharmaceutical's case before the vote on the Prescription Drug Act. See where I'm going with this? Not all corporations are bad. But, and corporation that buys up Democratic politicians at our expense in the name of all that is "Corpoorate" is.

So, I care if Al is "corporate" in that sense of the word.

Hope that clarifies it for you! :)

TC

[melody]

22. We'll never find a perfect candidate

Gore has the momentum and most of what is needed to get the job done. Gore didn't do many of the things you've cited - others have certainly, but not all "corporate Democrats" are created equal. Unfortunately, you can't play the game in Washington without money behind you and stronger people have been lured toward it.

We have to play our strongest hand.

[OnionPatch]

24. I like Al but I'd like to learn more

about his "corporate"-ness. What are the issues he's supported that put profit over people? I have to admit, I didn't pay as much attention back in the days when he was campaigning; I was pregnant and giving birth to my first child so I was very distracted and wasn't as informed as I probably should have been. I'm curious though. I really love Gore from what I know of him. He seems to be good on the environment. I need to know more about the "corporate" stuff concerning him.

[Totally Committed]

26. I'm right with you on this, OnionPatch.

I would love to know more about where he stands on this and will be rooting for him to come out anti-DLC/Corporate, because if Wes should decide not to run, Al would definitely be someone I would consider supporting secondarily.

Fingers crossed and hoping to find out more soon!

TC

[Q]

31. One of the biggest reasons the DLC 'dumped' Gore...

...was his campaign speeches about 'corporate responsibility'. Al From and others said he was 'anti-corporation' because he didn't think it was right for them to go without paying taxes and go unregulated.

Look up some of his older speeches for the answer to your questions about his stance on corporations.

I'd vote for Gore over Hillary. The DLC really screwed him over and he learned from it. Hillary is still a bigtime DLCer.

[Pirate Smile]

36. He was criticized for being too "populist" in 2000. Not by Nader, of

course, but by other strategists and pundits.

[melody]

41. exactly

Al is the best possible candidate, all around, imo.

[FreedomAngel82]

56. While you have a good worry there

I don't think we have to worry about that with Gore. Remember before he entered politics he was a journalist and has done stories on corruption from Tennessee politicians to Vietnam (remember he was an actual reporter in Vietnam). I definitley trust Gore.

[drummo]

49. Absolutely.

All this ultra-left talk against corporations in general is utterly silly. It's like if someone said I hate hospitals. I hate schools. I hate sport teams or I hate governments.

There are good hospitals and bad hospitals, good sport teams and bad sport teams, good schools and bad schools, good governments and bad governments and good corps and bad corps.

Apple, Google, IBM, Intel are all corporations and you are benefiting from the technologies they have developed.

[sadiesworld]

16. I consider a corporate candidate to be one who puts profits over people.

A clean, healthy environment or corporate profits?
Jobs for US citizens or corporate profits?
Fully funded pensions or corporate profits?
Safe, effective consumer products or corporate profits?

A corporate politician leans toward the latter every time. There is no issue more important, IMO.

I'm not saying Gore is the worst (by far) but I'm shocked that someone would say it doesn't make a difference. BTW, * would agree with you--of course, he's the consummate corporate politician (read whore).

[Uncle Joe]

30. Gore was trashed by the corpwhorate owned MSM

precisely because he took some of their power and gave it to us when he championed the internet. Name any other living political leader that has empowered you as much as he did with that single act.

If you think that it is difficult now trying to get the truth out regarding corporate malfeasance, the ridiculous escalation of CEO pay as compared to their average workers,the lies leading up to the war in Iraq, the Downing Street Memos,global warming,supporting Cindy Seehan, Gannon/Guckert etc. etc., imagine trying to get the truth to the American People without the internet.

[1932]

38. Al gave the internet to private corps and he managed the drafting of

a Telecoms bill that gave Wall St, Lawrence Summers and Robert Rubin everything they wanted.

(And then he got into the telecom business as a private citizen, which his bill guaranteed would be so profitable!)

Stiglitz writes about this in the Roaring Nineties.

[Uncle Joe]

66. Are we private corps?

Al championed and drafted the legislation that opened the internet up for the masses to use as opposed to just the defense dept. and some universities. He more than anyone in politics, had the vision for what the internet could become as well the dangers of global warming.

For a more comprehensive perspective of the man, may I suggest "Earth In The Balance".

[1932]

68. For a discussion about things that happened while Gore was VP

I suggest reading The Roaring Nineties by Joe Stiglitz.

[Uncle Joe]

69. I will endeavor to read the book you suggested,

I hope you will also partake of "Earth In The Balance".

To me the proof is in the pudding as to what happened to Al, the fact that we are debating his pros and cons on the internet is a testament to his service to our nation. Name any other living political leader that has empowered you so.

[1932]

70. If it weren't for Al Gore and Summers, I could probably afford cable.

And there'd probally be cheap DSL and wireless in my town.

[Uncle Joe]

71. If it were not for Al Gore, it is entirely possible

there would be no internet, unless of course you worked for the defense dept. or was with some university that had it's predecessor. We could all then depend on the corpwhorate owned MSM to tell us what the truth is. Al Gore championed the modern equivalent of fire for everyone and the corpwhorate owned MSM have been eating his liver ever since. My own gut feeling is that the real reason for the witch hunt against Clinton was a back door attempt to keep Al out of power.

[NYCGirl]

9. "Suddenly re-emerging as a vocal and visible Bush-basher"? The writer

has obviously not been paying attention.

[4_Legs_Good]

12. Amen!

[4_Legs_Good]

11. I'd get behind Gore in 2008 10x more than I did in 2000

before our nation was in such a shit-hole mess.

Plus his 2nd appearance on Futurama was fantastic.

I think after not being selected in 2000, Gore realized who he was again. I think Americans can go for that. We didn't like him because he was trying to figure out who he should be in 2000.

Gore has proven himself as a stand up guy. I'd vote and campaign for him.

david

[NancyG]

14. Me too. nt

[Larkspur]

15. Well said! I'll join you

[kma3346]

23. I would too

He's a true patriot and is smart, decent, and articulate. AND he would have been our president if the presidency wasn't stolen from him. He was also vice president during a period of time when the economy was great and times were better for all Americans--not just the rich. I would think that this experience would help him in cleaning up the horrible mess that eight years of the Bush machine will have created. Look at all the damage this administration has caused in almost five years. I dread to think of what it's going be to like in 2008. We need someone who can jump in and take over right away, and I truly believe that Al Gore could do it. My ideal president/vice president would be Gore and Conyers or Clark. Unfortunately, I don't think Gore is interested at this point, but I can always hope.

In any case, I think it's time for someone besides a Bush or a Clinton to be our president.

[Admiral Loinpresser]

33. Volunteering for Gore...

Anyone interested in working for Gore 2008, please contact me at [e-mail]

[drummo]

50. No.

You didn't like him because you could not figure out who he was.

But that's not the same as him not knowing who he was. He did know it.
You didn't.

People just didn't get it. They were not interested in what he said they were not interested in his record or his background or what motivated him.
Instead they were more than satisfied with their own speculation which almost always derived from the spin, lies and urban legends created by the media: radio, TV, newspapers and yes the Internet. After all let's not forget that the whole "I invented..." madness started on the Internet by an article on wired.com written by a libertarian liar named Declan McCullough.
Then it spread like wildfire paving the way for a Bush White House. It was disgusting and it was done by the people not by Gore.

[4_Legs_Good]

67. Rewatch the first and second debate

and then get back to me.

I agree 100% on the silly invention stuff and the crazy exaggeration spin that Rove invented (which was hilariously reprised by George Jr. in Debate 3 (I think it was) with Kerry, when he said, "I don't remember ever saying that I didn't to catch Osama. that must be one of those EXAGGERATIONS" What an idiot!).

Anyway, watch Debate #1 where Gore went after Bush aggressively. Then look at the news reports that rated him and said he was too aggressive. Then watch Debate #2, and watch him go on and on about how he doesn't want to disagree too much.

Gore was constantly focus grouping and trying to figure out how to present himself. To try to pretend that he wasn't is absurd.

Now, however, I think he's thrown off the focus group and has just decided to be himself. Not to mention that he's far less wooden.

Bottom line is I didn't like him much in 2000. I like him a lot now.

david

[Cha]

17. Just Seeing Al Gore's picture

comforts me..call me whatever..he's one of my heroes in this whole heinous takeover.

I should like hillary,I've met her, she's my senator but something isn't right with her, imo, anymore..since like the IRW vote it's gone Downhill as it were.

[FreedomAngel82]

57. Definitley

Him, Kerry, Kennedy, Conyers, McKinney. Just a few of my hero's. Al is definitley at the top of the list too.

[faithnotgreed]

19. IF he ran i think it would only be for his love of country

because im not sure if he has real interest in getting back into that rat race
he has been able to do more direct good by stayingout of political office
however given the stakes and if hillary stays as right as she has been going then perhaps he would

though i think he could throw his support behind someone like clark or dean
but then again it all depends on the next year or so
he is doing some great things behind the scenes and is trying to get out important messages

definitely something everyone will be watching
i wouldnt mind - his environmental stance is powerful enough for me to support him

on edit: my important caveat however is that although it seems he has changed since his washington insider days
i still need to know he wont resume the somewhat slippery political slope he was on some years ago

but given his speaking out on subjects that few others are - especially glocal warming etc - then i am definitely open to his candidacy

[AX10]

21. Al Gore 08' is fine with me.

[EndElectoral]

25. I'd vote for Gore...not for Hilary

[cbear70]

27. Gore/Clark

I didn't think he would ever run again but the mess that * has gotten this country into.. I think maybe Gore could save us... I think he would be smart to run Clark as VP.. that is my dream ticket. I don't think Hillary has a chance..not bashing.. just don't think so... really worried who the GOP candidate is...if it is Guillani I think it will be difficult to beat him. Look how much his name is tossed around with the hurricane. Just last night, Scarborough wouldn't shup up about him.

anyway...love to see Gore/Clark 2008 after we take back the country in 2006

[ncteechur]

45. I like a Gore-Clark ticket too. Guilliani will have to win a nasty

GOP primary season to get the nomination.

[Scout1071]

58. Gore/Clark 08. I'm definitely on board. Now we need to talk Al into it!

[Mad_Dem_X]

65. Gore/Clark would be a dream ticket!

I would definitely go for that, or a Gore/Dean ticket, or any combination of the three.

[samsingh]

34. how about a Gore-Clinton ticket?

[sunnystarr]

39. I just don't think she'd take back seat.

Gore/Clark or Gore/Edwards ... as long as Gore doesn't make the mistake of picking someone like Lieberman...

[samsingh]

43. Hillary's still pretty young.

from Senator to VP for 8 years and then President for 8 years.

hmmmm - 16 years of decent governance. That would be nice.

another possibility is Hillary/Edwards

[howmad1]

40. Oh please. Gore got "screwed" by one Clinton......

and his wandering dick in 2000. Gore doesn't need to get "screwed" again by another Clinton in 2008.

[samsingh]

42. not a visual that i'm that uncomfortable with.

[drummo]

59. Amen.

[Tiggeroshii]

46. Comparing him to Nixon is wrong.

Nixon lost the first time.

[usregimechange]

51. Al Gore!!! Love him.

[FreedomAngel82]

52. Everything is just rumors now

I would love that though. Gore would be the perfect canidate in 2008. If he doesn't though I'd still love him. :)

[Bernardo de La Paz]

61. 2006! Please stop distracting with 2008 fantasies!

BILL Clinton said to focus on one election at a time. 2006!

2006! Republican Out!

[Name removed]

62. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Q]

63. One would also have to be 'crazy' to think someone like Bush...

...could ever be 'president'. But history shows that he was not only unqualified...but had to cheat his way into office.

Gore...on the other hand...won the popular vote by a half a million votes. The evidence shows that the partisan supreme court gave the election to their boy Bush and that unprecedented cheating took place by Jeb and Harris.

Gore won...despite having the 'mainstream' media attacking him 24 hours a day and giving Bush a free ride.

What's 'nuts' about running a proven winner for president?

[SiouxJ]

72. After that stunt on SNL, I always thought there was no way

he could ever run again. For those who don't remember, the show started with a 2 minute Tipper kiss and had a segment featuring Al sitting in a hot tub (supposedly nude), drinking champagne with Lieberman. After I saw that I said to myself, there is no way he can ever run again.

[rniel]

73. If he's truly against the war

Then I guess I'd vote for him.

But he's not the 2nd coming of Christ people. Get a grip...back to reality.

[wakemewhenitsover]

74. RE-ELECT PRESIDENT GORE!!

:dem: