About Al Gore's mea culpa on promoting corn-based ethanol.

[bulloney]

He had the same delusions Obama seems to have regarding the Chamber of Commerce.

Gore admitted he was after Farm Belt votes when he promoted ethanol. As a group, farmers historically vote Republican no matter what. Speaking as someone who worked for a farm organization and conducted membership drives, I've met many farmers. And the majority vote Republican. They'll stand there and disparage "liberal farm policies" when, in fact, recent farm policy under Republican administrations have involved more bureaucracy and forced farmers to be more dependent on government payments.

Gore could have single-handedly brought in a golden age for farmers and they would have voted for his Republican opponent. Gore could have thrown corn-based ethanol under the bus and I don't think you would have seen any difference in the voting results.

It reminds me of how Obama is trying to appease the C of C. The Chamber would just as soon throw him to the curb than support him regardless of what he does.

[robcon]

1. I don't think you understand politics.

The largest part of the electorate (or Democratic Party members) is moderate and often undecided. Not very politically active, and sometimes politically unaware.

Gore didn't want to give other candidates an opportunity to slam him on the ethanol issue - thereby pushing those on the fence against him.

Gore was pandering... pure and simple.

On edit: Iowa has voted for the Democratic candidate for president 6 out of the last 7 elections.
http://www.270towin.com/states/Iowa

[bulloney]

3. By promoting corn-based ethanol, Gore wasn't trying to appeal to "moderates."

He was trying to win over the farm vote, which, as I had stated, is historically conservative Republican. As a group, farmers will vote Republican regardless of who the Republicans nominate and the policies the party's officeholders enact. Whenever the Republican candidate's policies are against their economic interests, they'll often default to the Farm Bureau's guns-gays-flag burning red herrings to rationalize their vote for the Republican candidate.

When the farm economy was tanking during the 80s and much of the 90s, farmers were still blaming the problem on the Carter Grain Embargo to the Soviet Union, which was 3 administrations ago at the time.

If Gore was trying to appeal to moderate Democrats, he would have campaigned on different types of alternative fuels and not paint himself into a narrow corner by appealing to farmers.

As for your statement about my lack of understanding of politics, I have over 12 years' experience in legislative work. I've discussed legislation face-to-face with dozens of congressmen, hundreds of their staff members, about a dozen federal cabinet members, 2 VPs and 1 President. By living in farm country my entire life after being raised on a farm, I understand the psyche of U.S. farmers.

[robcon]

4. As I wrote, above, you don't know politics.

There is no 'farm' vote that you think he's attracting. He was just trying to avoid being slammed. It was a Democratic Party primary... and the ethanol issue was the price of being competitive in that primary.

He was just pandering - he didn't believe what he was saying (very few, except those with a self-interest in the high price of corn, are in favor of enforcing ethanol in gasoline.)

[UTUSN]

2. The problem is that "farmers" (who don't farm) don't see "more bureaucracy and

more dependent on governent payments" as the welfare they condemn in others.