the past few days have convinced me that Al Gore is NOT going to be POTUS.

[dysfunctional press]

at least not in 2008- the media just isn't going to allow it. they continue to have and show total disdain for the man. Al realizes this as well, and i'm starting to believe his claims of having no intention of running.

americans don't want the truth- they want whichever lies it is that makes them feel most comfortable.

so, the bad news is that barring some type of HUGH global-warming related catastrophe happening over the summer- like the greenland ice sheet sliding/melting completely into the sea due to a particularly hot two weeks in mid-august- the best were gonna get for november '08 is one of the names that's already on the candidate list.

the good news...? can't think of any right now.

[BeyondGeography]

1. They're extra brutal on him because he's smarter than them

and now they have the fat jokes to play with too.

Our media is a disgrace. Our party should start running against them they way the Republicans did before they controlled it. But we won't.

[live love laugh]

33. Same reason they are brutal on Hillary IMHO. nt

[Occulus]

38. Same reason jocks were brutal to me in high school.

Oh, come on. That's the mentality.

Buks er baad! Lernin's baad!

Whatcha got yer nose ina book fer? Th' lawn needs mowin'.

And so forth.

We have got to break away from the "books aren't cool" mentality. Books are knowledge, and knowledge involves learning, and learning means getting educated- formally or not.

RTFM. Know what that means? It means Read The Fucking Manual, and usually applies to computer software usage, to knowing how to run a program. The problem is, too many people aren't patient enough to read things- they want pictures that tell them everything at a glance, or they want to be spoonfed a solution without bothering to exert a thimbleful of effort to find the answer themselves.

I grew up with this "smart is bad" mentality, and I have to say it completely disgusts me, but I can't seem to think of a way to stop it other than fully funding our schools and public libraries. My parents read to me as often as they could when I was young (before kindergarten, and until I could read anything and everything for myself- which wasn't long).

I can't help but to think that their reading to me as often as they did helped a great deal in my thirst for books later. I also can't help but to think about how that might have affected my reading comprehension as well; I was (as far as I know) always well beyond my "reading level" in school too.

I grew up hearing "reading sucks" from the kids around me, and I keep hearing adults say things like "Oh, I don't read books..."

Honestly, that last scares me to death. Really. Just how widespread is that? Do people not know that to read a book is to read a mind, or is reading just "not cool", and never will be?

edited to add: this ought to be a new thread in and of itself, so if you want to steal it, feel free to post it in GD or wherever. I don't really feel like shepherding a thread at 3AM...

[robinlynne]

2. the terrible things are already happening. part of america cares, and part

doesn't give a damn.
(other terrible things like losing animal species...)

[dysfunctional press]

30. the really terrible stuff has yet to rear it's ugly head...

much of the country is either in denial, or just wants the nasty stuff to hold off until their lifetime is over(kinda like me, except that i truly want to live long enough to see florida underwater.

[smoogatz]

3. Screw the corporate media.

They don't get to decide. They are no longer relevant.

[napi21]

4. Unfortunately, you're wrong. They may not actually cast votes,

the the media can make or break a candidate with just words. You may be able to resist their influence, the the majority of voters either can't or won't resist. We've seen it time after time, and each election season itgets worse.

[Webster Green]

8. Wrong!....Gore would win in a landslide!

The fascist media is irrelevant now. (I agree with a previous post)

The truth is coming out and they can't do a damn thing about it.

[Gold Metal Flake]

16. Well, there is that. *co seems to be failing.

More & faster on the investgations. But dayum, never has there been a time in the country when so may were so subjugated and ignorant. Never before have so many CHOSEN to be ruled rather than demand their rights and their autonomy. White is black and black is white. I can't see that we can be so sure.

Anyways, we would still probably have to draft the man.

[Gold Metal Flake]

7. The media was a major player in the coup of 2000.

They very well do have a say in elections.

Jon Stewart is still telling Gore Fat jokes. I believe the OP has a good point. Gore represents a major threat to the old power structure, and they pull the strings. Their pets in the corporate media will do as they are told and not report electorial crimes. Again. Just like the last four elections.

But, we can still fight.

[dysfunctional press]

31. yes, they are. at least over here in reality land.

feel free to join us.

[Wisconsin Larry]

5. I fear you are correct. Even Jon Stewart took some shots tonight.

It is way past time for a revolt against corporate media. If we don't make them extinct, they will do us in.

[dysfunctional press]

28. that was the straw that did it for my back...

as i've already replied:

et tu, jon...?

[Bitwit1234]

6. Like Fox the press is just another tentacle of the republicans

No matter which democrat should happen to "surge" ahead they are going to cut them to pieces. Just look at the swiftboating of Hillary for the last 15 years. And look at how they jumped on Obama just as soon as he started to make a FACE for himself.

And look at the way they are cutting John Edwards down using Elizabeth as an excuse already. Until the bring the Fairness Doctrine back or one of the people the press slams and smears starts to sue they will continue.

[melody]

9. I know the supporters of many of the other candidates would like to believe this

... but this will do nothing to his public persona. They've been throwing the same mud at all the
candidates (Democratic ones, of course) -- it only seems excessive toward Gore because he's not
perceived to be a candidate. Fox hasn't yet equated his name with a mass murderer or set-up their
talking heads to make sexist potshots. Al still has everything he needs to make it to the finish line.

[dysfunctional press]

27. it may not do anything to his public perception as we see him...

but it will continue to re-inforce in much of the public's eyes the persona they put so much tie and effort into creating for him for the 2000 selection.

i think that Al knows a race to steer clear of when he sees it.

the next president is going to be so occupied cleaning up our mess in iraq, that HE won't have much time/effort to spend on cleaning up the mess we've made of the rest of the planet & atmosphere.

[melody]

29. I still hope Al runs because, otherwise, we may not have a Democrat in office

I don't see anyone who can win at this point. I wish that I did.

[kerry-is-my-prez]

10. The media is one of our biggest problems. They just about pick the Prez.

n/t

[AJ9000]

22. They are the reason Hillery and Obama are frontrunners - the media has chosen them for us.

[dysfunctional press]

25. just about...?

see: election 2000

[Orangepeel]

11. the good news is that he can continue his important work to save the planet

disdain or no, he has made and is making a big difference in raising awareness and increasing the perceived importance of the issue, which is a necessary step toward change.

[ComerPerro]

12. you might be right. Denial of Global Warming is big business and very profitable right now

[yurbud]

13. what the American people want and what the news says could be two different things

[dysfunctional press]

24. it isn't. the bulk of the people are happy to have the media tell them what they want...

it saves the populace the trouble of having to figure it out for themselves.

[yurbud]

36. even the less thoughtful are starting to drift from the church of the CRT

[yurbud]

14. ONLY question about Gore or any candidate: is he radical enough to take care of us but not so

radical that big business will ridicule him out of the race or kill him?

And I do mean that literally.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

15. Rupert Media Murdoch probably doean't want Gore?

who is he going to back?

[dysfunctional press]

23. it's not just murdoch..it's ALL of them.

et tu, jon stewart...?

[Psephos]

17. He's been a bit naive about the disconnect between his message and his carbon footprint

Gore is a seasoned politician, and it's hard to believe he's been naive about the mockery that would follow as soon as his opponents realized he's living a different life than he's advocating for others. There's no target quite as tempting as a moral messenger who indulges in some of the immoral behavior he/she lectures about. We jump all over repugs when, e.g., a family values evangelist is found frequenting a male prostitute, or when a former Clinton impeachment leader is discovered to have been holding an extramarital affair at the same time he was barbecuing Clinton. The same psychology applies here.

Gore does *exponentially* more good than harm to this Earth, but that doesn't matter when one is using public media and show-business techniques to sell the message. That sphere has its own rules, and the first is to avoid looking hypocritical. Notice I said "looking." The perception is just as important as the reality. Perhaps more important, in that arena.

Lots of knickers in twists here over the wrong thing. Most people (including those right of center) get that the climate is warming. The dispute is not over whether global warming is happening, but what is causing it. That's where we need to focus the attention.

Gore, Edwards, and the rest of mansion-loving America better take a hard look at why they need dozens of times more space and resources than the average person. That sounds an *awful* lot like the idea that CEOs need dozens of times more pay than the average person.

Peace.

[dysfunctional press]

21. and he's been savaged over it-

just because they still think that there might be a possibility that he has his intentions set on being the nominee.

no shots across the bow, they want to blow him out of the water with every shooting opportunity they get.

[Psephos]

34. That's a very good point

It explains a lot of what's behind the professional attacks.

I sounded a little hard on Gore in my first post. He's done an extraordinary job, and for a long time he was pushing that stone uphill. I want to be clear, his problem is one of perception, not substance. He could do a lot to avert message problems by taking a slice out of his consumption, and leading more by example. It wouldn't affect the atmosphere much, but it would affect the way he's seen by those looking for reasons to put off dealing with carbon pollution.

I can't go with him on the carbon credits thing; it sounds a lot like the way rich people paid for substitutes to serve in their place during the Civil War. That let them claim they'd done their duty. IMO, they didn't. In the case of carbon pollution, far better to personally emit less carbon in the first place, then to pay someone else to live frugally to supposedly cancel out your mess. Why not push for both parties to live more frugally? Far more positive effects that way.

Peace.

[tkmorris]

18. Hurricane season

It will be starting in about 11 weeks and there are signs that it might be an active one. If it is, there will be a lot of talk about global warming playing a role in that.

Yes I know, people blaming hurricanes on global warming are mainly just plain wrong, but that won't matter. They will still do it. If a Cat 5 hits Miami Gore will be deemed a prophet by the American Public, deservedly or not.

[silverojo]

19. You're only now believing his "claims" he's not running?

Lemme get this straight...you think he's a liar? Why would you want to vote for a liar?

For those of us who knew he was telling the truth (and RESPECTED him for it) all along, it means he can continue his real work: Helping in the fight to save this planet, for the rest of his life.

Means a helluva lot more than a mere 4 or 8 years' worth of distractions from this very important cause.

[dysfunctional press]

20. he's never actually come out and unambiguously said that he will not be a candidate...

it's always stuff like "i have no plans" or "I can't see any scenario"- so yes, i have been holding out hope.

and as far as his fight to save the planet- the absolute best place he could do that and do the most good would be from the white house, what with it's bully pulpit and all...
****On Edit- i've had a bit of a change of heart regarding this- the more i think about it, the more i realize that as potus, gore would have to concern himself more with cleaning up after the current wrecking crew's destruction of the mideat, the economy, and our good name...by the time he got around to the whole planet/atmosphere thing, it would be too too late(if it isn't already)*****

besides, if this country is ever going to change it's ways- short of a catstrophe that will happen when it's already too late, it's going to need someone to lead it to do so.

[amitten]

35. He can do more as President of the United States than he can

in any other position.

Gore as president would sure-as-hell ensure that global warming be addressed in a BIG way in this country.

I don't buy this stuff about him being able to "do more" in his current position. Power is power, and no man is more powerful than the president. He would have far more at his disposal, and rather than suggesting things, he could actually make them happen.

For this reason alone, I hold out hope that he will change his mind and run in 2008.

[dysfunctional press]

39. not necessarily...

whoever gets the job in 2008 is going to have A LOT on their plate, just cleaning up cheneyco's leftovers, and won't have the time or resources to concentrate on climate change.

[amitten]

40. I disagree. If the presidency couldn't multi-task, we wouldn't

have a country in the first place. Gore would have all he needs to address global warming, in addition to other issues.

[otohara]

26. Yep, I Thought The Exact Same Thing

and why would he want to subject himself to that kind of ugly again? Chris Matthews was particularly nasty, with his "bathtub ring" remark. Can't even imagine what the noise machine over at Fox had to say. I hate them all.

Al can do more for the earth and won't have to compromise because of the media or republican's.

[dysfunctional press]

32. and even if he were to get the job-

he'd be spending much of his tenure cleaning up after the cheney misadministration.

[snot]

37. I think he's been genuinely uncertain whether he'd run, and

there was little or nothing to be gained by declaring early. But seeing him on TDS tonite, I'm afraid he's already feeling the strain. I think he understood better than most how screwed-up the media are -- remember the network he founded, "Current TV"? He knew he'd be savaged; and now it's already well-underway.

I think Gore is great, but I honestly think if he ran, it would be a great sacrifice on his part.