Enough with the Gore already. He has no political courage. Period.

[Ninga]

He is smart.
He is industrious.
He is considered a elder statesman.

But remember his lack of fight in 2000?

This dancing around the fringes at a time in our country's history, with all the fires that need to put out and all he can say is "someday, maybe?"

September will come and go and Gore will not be the savior.

If he only had the political courage.......

[stillcool]

1. Jeez....

lack of fight in 2000?

[angrycarpenter]

2. yes I remenber

He presided over the theft of the elections and ignored the objections of any congressmen who spoke up.

[Webster Green]

7. Bullshit!..........WTF are you talking about?

He had no choice but to proceed. There was no Senator to stand with the Representatives who were objecting. Gore has respect for the U.S. Constitution, which is more than we can say for the thugs who stole the election.

[Alexander]

60. That's not his job, he's part of the executive branch.

Unless the congresscritters had a senator - which they did in 2004 - he is duty-bound to ignore the objections as per the US Constitution.

Read up on it sometime.

[angrycarpenter]

99. sorry for the critizism

But were I in his his place rules be damned. I would have pitched the biggest hissy fit ever seen. But that's just me.

[orleans]

66. you know, i cried when i watched that one scene with gore & the

congress in f.9/11

i understood he needed a senator's signature

then i was mad at the dem senators -- that no one signed onto this

but within the last couple months i heard someone explain what would have happened if a senator HAD signed (it was jonathan turley, or bruce fein, or someone talking about this--maybe on randi's show) and basically it would not have made a shits worth of difference. if a senator had signed there would have been one or two more procedural movements to this (such as an hour discussion or something--damn! i wish i could remember exactly) but that would have been the end of it. it would not have gotten him the white house.

[tbyg52]

73. And remember this was 2000

*before* the executive branch ran amok. Nobody in 2000 would have believed what has happened now.

[wryter2000]

88. I, too, find that the saddest part of F9/11

With all respect to Lilah Lipscomb.

I would have gone NUTS if the same thing had happened in 2004. Thank heaven Barbara Boxer stepped up to the plate.

It made no difference. It only delayed the vote for about an hour, but dayum...how could you watch all those members of the black caucus and do nothing? It was the same crappy "justice" that used to be dispensed in Jim Crow courthouses.

BTW, I watched Fahrenheit 9/11 in the Grand Lake Theatre in Oakland, and when our Congresswoman, Barbara Lee, spoke up in that scene, there was an audible gasp in the theatre.

[Alexander]

91. A Senator signed in 2004 - and it didn't change a thing.

Barbara Boxer, bless her heart, contested the electoral votes in 2005 before they were due to be opened.

There was a brief debate where many Democratic Senators, for example Barack Obama, shoved the idea down our throats that Bush won legitimately.

Didn't change a thing.

[orleans]

93. obama did that? i don't remember--do you have any links to articles?

i'd really be interested in seeing some of them.

[Alexander]

96. Barbara Boxer was the only US Senator to vote to sustain the objection.

"The Senate rejected the challenge by a vote of 74-1, and the House rejected it 267-31. All 31 members who voted for the challenge in the House were Democrats. A substantial number were members of the Congressional Black Caucus."

The Congressional record should have some transcripts of exactly what was said. http://thomas.loc.gov might be of assistance.

[orleans]

98. thank you. i gotta go--but i'll look for something later. i'd really be

interested in seeing that.

[rodeodance]

3. He is enjoying the job he has. To enjoy work. That is s the way to live.

[terrya]

4. I hope you're wearing asbestos undies

Get ready for some serious flaming.

Come on. Gore a political coward???

[Ninga]

6. Well, doesn't it take courage to do the right thing? And what is the right thing in these historic

times?

Sit back at wave your finger in the wind to see how the political winds are blowing?

Look, whether Gore likes it or not, he has the experience and the wisdom to steady the ship of state.

He can continue to dance around the edges, and dangle the carrot of hope in front of voters noses, or he can declare.


It's been a long time since someone commented on my undies. Thanks. I think you made my evening.

[Harper_is_Bush]

20. "Sit back at wave your finger in the wind to see how the political winds are blowing"

how dare you.

You're bereft of any insight into Al Gore.

[Ninga]

21. Did he or did he not say in the recent past few days, that "he may run again sometime

in the future?"

Am I wrong about that? I thought that is what I had read right here on DU. I will search to find it.

OK, let's say I am wrong about his finger in the wind.

Why bother to tell the American people he may run, but not now, when we really need him?

Can you explain that?

[Ninga]

22. delete

[Ninga]

26. I found it. Read this and tell me what it means please.

August 08 2007 at 03:25PM

Singapore - Former US Vice President Al Gore said Wednesday that he may return to politics in the future but repeated his position that he has no plans to enter the 2008 presidential race.

"I may re-enter politics at some point in the future because I'm only 59 years old," Gore told reporters on the sidelines of a forum in Singapore.

Gore said he has "no plan" to run in the 2008 presidential election but aims to make the environment a focus of public discussion during the campaign.

***************************************************************************************************************************

Golly gee wiz, "some point in the future" China will own us and Al won't need to run. End of story.

Once again I say, it takes political courage to do the right thing. And if Al doen't have the juice, it's OK with me, he has a perfect right, which by the way i never said he didn't have.....

[Harper_is_Bush]

44. So what? It certainly does not mean he's waving his "finger in the wind to see how....

...the political winds are blowing."

That's insulting, plain and simple.

[Alexander]

61. "Some point in the future" could mean 1 day or 1 decade from now.

I'm going to do a school-related project, at some point in the future. (Tomorrow)

I'm going to turn 24 at some point in the future. (A week and a half)

I'm going to enter law school at some point in the future. (A couple of years from now)

I'm going to die at some point in the future.

Do you think about what you post at all?

[Schema Thing]

84. That's not all he said

You need to decide if you're going to be smarter than a fox news viewer.

Look up the rest of his conversation about politics.

[Botany]

5. he carried the fight as long as he could legally

... the man suffered a huge hurt and came back to help us all ....

BTW he saw combat in Vietnam too. Al has courage that i could only dream of.

[draft_mario_cuomo]

53. Amen. President Gore is a great man nt

[Colobo]

8. Get ready to be grilled by an angry mob. :)

[Ninga]

10. Oh, well. Grilled I guess it will be. But I stand by my view that it takes political courage to do

the right thing.

[Harper_is_Bush]

19. Now you're crossing a line.

Step off.

[Alexander]

63. Let's see you take a stolen election to the Supreme Court...

then we might take you seriously about "political courage".

[cui bono]

64. self delete - misread post I replied to... n/t

[barack4prez]

9. I'll bet

that Al has cut a deal with Hillary that he'll stay out if she'll appoint him Energy or Environment Secretary.

[rzemanfl]

11. It's disgusting to even think that. n/t

[durrrty libby]

23. I think that is a fabulous idea

[CoffeeCat]

48. A Hillary presidency...that is disgusting...

...and I can't even go there in my mind.

[Ninga]

12. I am not sure that the two of them even talk to each other. n/t

[Harper_is_Bush]

17. Oh yeah. Al and Hillary are a couple of underhanded schemers, huh? Welcome to DU

btw.

[barack4prez]

31. I

am not saying it's underhanded. There's nothing wrong with it. I'm just saying it might be fact.

[Harper_is_Bush]

45. It would seem underhanded to me. And what you're doing is speculating, in a very negative way...

..negative to both those Dem candidates.

[NYCGirl]

25. And you'd be wrong. He's completely uninterested in a cabinet position.

KING: Let me get another call in from Lexington, Kentucky. Hello.

CALLER: Thank you, Mr. King.

Mr. Gore, given the foreign policy expertise that you have exhibited on Mr. King's show tonight and the expertise that you gave to the administration of President Bill Clinton, would you consider the secretary of state position in a Democratic presidential administration?

GORE: Thank you for your kind words, but, no.

KING: No cabinet position?

GORE: No.

KING: No federal position?

GORE: No. Not because I don't have the greatest respect for what an honor it would be to serve in such a position, but I have -- I have zero interest in doing something like that.

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0705/22/lkl.01.html

[barack4prez]

30. Quite a difference

between State and Energy/Environment. Hell, if Gore is motivated to stop GW, what would be better--flying around to rock concerts or being in control of a US agency?

[NYCGirl]

38. What about "no cabinet position" don't you understand? NT

[SharonRB]

40. Exactly!

[Apollo11]

67. Go NYCGirl !!

Let's all find ways to show our support for Al Gore! :patriot:

Sign the Live Earth Pledge: www.liveearthpledge.org

Then ask all your friends and family to sign it too! :-)

Visit Al's site www.algore.com and read his blog http://blog.algore.com

Sign the petitions at www.algore.org and www.draftgore.com

:kick:

[road2000]

89. Exactly.

He's not saying, "I haven't ruled it out, but I have no plans to serve in a cabinet position."

He's giving that idea an unadorned, stark, "no."

[SharonRB]

39. He in no uncertain terms told Larry King he had zero interest

in a cabinet post.

He has not been that definitive about not running for president.

[rzemanfl]

13. We have rules here, sometimes that's a shame, Like now, when

I'd really like to tell you what I think of this post....

[Ninga]

14. Look, my purpose is not to anger but to debate. Politics has been distiled to a nasty game. And

until people of goodwill, and political courage step up to the plate, this country will continue to struggle.

I think it is disengenious for Gore to say that maybe someday he will run again........

If not now? When?

There is no magic in waiting.

He has the medicine, and the country needs a cure.

[rzemanfl]

18. Well you are wrong about 2000. I was here in Florida and

watched the whole theft carefully. I went to the beach during the recount and came home to find the Supremes had stopped it.

Your last sentence, though, is right on the mark. If Gore runs in 2008 I suggest that his slogan be "it's not an election, it's restituion."

[CreekDog]

41. So you said he has no political courage, then you say he should run

because he has what the country needs.

Are you saying the country doesn't need someone with political courage?

Or do you simply not know or keep track of the things you say.

I would listen to you but you take contradictory positions.

[Harper_is_Bush]

15. "political courage"? What the hell is that?

The man has more courage and tenacity in his big toe than you and I put together.

Insulting him because he's not doing what YOU want him to do is pretty low.

[beachmom]

16. This post is just wrong. He fought hard in 2000,

but he was outmaneuvered. And damnit -- if he doesn't want to run, he doesn't want to run. That's a big decision for himself and his family, and why don't YOU go run for office before picking on Al Gore who was ELECTED president but never allowed to hold that office.

[DemBones DemBones]

24. Amen to that. ALSO, he'd be smart to wait until after Labor Day or later

to announce if he wants to run. All the others are spending money, making mistakes, and people are tired of them.

Kucinich is my man but I'd vote for Gore in the general election, would not vote for Clinton, Obama, or Edwards in the general election.

[tkmorris]

27. What more could he have done in 2000?

The United States Supreme Court ruled against him. That is as far as you can go in this country, legally speaking. The only further step I could see beyond that is a populist uprising reminiscent of some South American countries, or perhaps Poland or Romania. I don't see such a thing as being useful to our country, and obviously Mr. Gore did not.

If you have any suggestions about what Gore could have done differently I'd love to hear them.

[BuelahWitch]

29. We must be on a wavelength here

:pals:

[Sparkly]

34. Me three. nt

[dalaigh lllama]

49. You nailed it, tkmorris

I don't know why people keep saying he should have fought harder in 2000. What the heck was he supposed to do?

Gore has answered that question himself: "In our system, there's no intermediary step between a Supreme Court decision and violent revolution." (Fresh Air, May 30, 2006)

[BuelahWitch]

28. What was he SUPPOSED to do?

He took the fight all the way to the Supreme Court. They ruled against him. Many in his party deserted him, including Joe Lieberman. He had the Congressional Black Caucus, but not one Senator on his side.
So tell us, oh Great Sage with 20/20 Hindsight, what should his next move have been?

[Peregrine Took]

32. KMA. Al Gore has more political courage than the rest of the candidates

put together and then some. In 2000 the Democratic national party let him down and Lieberman was only too happy to cave.

[jaysunb]

33. Here's your answer

IMG]

[Ninga]

35. Cute! I don't think we can count on it happening though. IMO.

[AtomicKitten]

36. I beg to differ.

Gore fought it all the way to the Supreme Court.

Once the coup d'etat was complete, it was accept it or anarchy.

In spite of the emotionalism involved, he did the right thing as a leader.

He has the courage and the vision. The will to step into the viper pit when life is so wonderful for him now is another thing altogether. I just have this gut feeling Gore may heed the call for his candidacy as a good citizen, someone who cares deeply for this country and gets it.

We should be so lucky.

[LittleClarkie]

37. Fighting for a month = lack of fight in 2000?

Really.

[CreekDog]

42. People just shoot their mouth off here when attacking Democrats

And never retract what they say.

That's the MO with folks that attack.

I can't even tell what the original poster actually wants.

[silverweb]

43. "The right thing"

Sure.

So Gore doing "the right thing" means putting his efforts to literally save the planet on the back burner to do what YOU think he should be doing, i.e., steading "the ship of state" "whether Gore likes it or not."

In other words, "the right thing" = what you want. Never mind his own wisdom and experience and insight into what he thinks he should be doing.

That's pretty fucking arrogant and adolescent of you.

[proud patriot]

46. I disagree n/t

[saltpoint]

47. I think you should take back your charge that Al Gore is

not courageous.

The charge is scurrilous.

[autorank]

50. About 2000, he did fight. Remember... no rewriting history with all due respect.

He challenged the election, he fought, and he might have had a different strategy, should have
if we take advantage of being Monday morning quarterbacks (which is good since it's a lesson
for the future).

Remember - the Republicans had a heavy hitter, Jim Baker, in charge of stealing it. He got some
good legal thugs and even staged a "preppy riot" of Republican Hill staffers at the Miami-Dade
facility to give those cowards in the elections group and on the board of supervisors the excuse
to call off the recount.

Who was our though guy? Oh, right, nobody.

I personally saw Ed Rendel, the DNC chair at the time, and Joe Lieberman, capitulating and giving
up on national TV.

Hell, Gore fought on without the party, without the heavy weights...

Now, if you're talking about the Congressional Black Caucus and their correct and courageous
challenge in the Senate with Gore presiding, it was too late. Nobody was in the streets, no general
outrage, the media was bought and paid for. He was the presiding officer for that confirmation of
electors. Had he accepted the challenge, then he would have truly flamed out since it would have
appeared totally biased - the judge judges his own case.

The 50,000 protesters at the big parade for * made clear that there was outrage but even that wasn't
covered by the corporate media.

That was a terrible outcome but compare Gore to any other candidate who challenged - you have to go
back to 1876 and Gore never compromised. He went to the limits of the system and the nation was not
behind anything else, due to massive media manipulation.

He won, he knows it, and he'll be back to even the score, I hope.

[Milo_Bloom]

51. Yeah, if only...

If only he had spoken out against the war when it wasn't popular to do so...

If only he had come out for a single payer health care system before it was vogue

If only Al Gore had found a cause to support.

If only Al Gore had found a way to run for office without getting stuck in all the idiotic bickering...


If only...

[laugle]

52. Maybe he's to damn busy saving the f.....king planet!

The only thing he did wrong was being a bit vague about whether or not he would run, and gave a lot of people hope that he might. But in his defense, I think he really wasn't sure if he should run or not..............

[draft_mario_cuomo]

54. There is no one on the planet who can truly understand what Gore thinks after what he went through

This is a man who was raised on politics by his father, who was a senator. He ran for the House, won and then followed his father's footsteps and become a senator. He ran for president in 1988, won several primaries but ultimately finished 3rd. He then became VP for 8 years--arguably the most effective VP we have ever had. He once again ran for president in 2000. That would seem to allow things to come circle. What happened? He won--but the Republicans stole it from him. Think about it. He worked for decades to help the nation in politics. The people wanted him to be president. Yet he had it stolen from him. How crushing would that be to you? Then he had to preside over the official vote count in a final insult to injury as the presiding officer of the senate. What did Gore think as he sat in the senate that day? * took over and has been a disaster. Look at how angry we all are at the damage * has done. Imagine how Gore must feel knowing that he, not *, should be in the Oval Office. Imagine the intense pain Gore feels when he thinks about all the good he could have done in the past 6 years if he took office. Frankly, Gore could have simply said to hell with you to everyone and disappeared from the scene after what happened in 2000. What did he do? He put it all behind him as best he could, although surely the pain of his experience still resides within him, and began to work to save the planet--including the same people who screwed him and millions who voted against him. That wasn't enough for Gore. He also had to write a book to try to help reverse the shocking decline in our democracy's health in recent years. Gore has given everything to the nation and the world. We cannot even begin to fathom what must be going through his mind...

[jaysunb]

55. Well said !

:thumbsup:

[Tellurian]

86. Thanks for that brilliant bio..

Just to add insult to injury... Remember when Mr. Gore stood in the Senate as the presiding officer over the vote and several members of the House's black caucus stood in opposition to the election and would not be heard because they were powerless under the Rule to speak out? All that was needed was ONE Dem Senator to stand up for what was right, and the right thing to do.

[mhatrw]

56. You know what sucks? That Al Fucking Gore would be the best of our current bunch by far.

[saltpoint]

58. You're right. I think they're just terrible. That does it! I'm voting for

Sam Brownback!

[mhatrw]

70. If that makes you feel better about Hill & Obama, more power to you! n/t

[saltpoint]

75. It ain't about the power. It's about judicial appointments and

Cabinet posts and better models of public service. The Democratic Party does better these days by a long country mile than the Pukes.

I'm supporting the ticket because I don't want people like Alberto Gonzales and Harriet Miers running the show.

[RFKJrNews]

74. I'm sorry, but that cartoon...

...is fucking HILARIOUS!!!!! :) :) :) :)

And so true...




*SIGN THE PETITION to draft Robert F. Kennedy Jr. into the race for the White House at http://RFKin2008.com

[Uncle Joe]

97. I wouldn't take anything away from the current candidates, I just believe Al Intercourse Gore

ranks up there with Franklin Copulate Roosevelt, Abraham Screwed Lincoln and Thomas Bling Bling Jefferson!:patriot:

[The Backlash Cometh]

57. My heart goes out to him.

I suspect he was going to run, until his son did that bonehead stunt.

[Alexander]

59. Yeah, his "lack of fight" to the Supreme Court of the United States...

Get real. :eyes:

[Totally Committed]

83. I would support a Gore run TODAY! -- If not sooner.

That having been said, if he throws his hat in the ring and then surrounds himself with DLC DINO advisors (like Donna Brazile in 2000) to manage and run his campaign into the ground again, it will be a geature for nothing.

The Gore that wrote "Assault on Reason" and gave all those great MoveOn speeches that got in the Bushies' faces --- THAT Gore will get my support 1000%. That is the Gore I believe will show up to run this time out, so I am hoping he'll run.

TC

[Alexander]

92. Totally agree.

I hope Gore has shaken off the DINOS who gave him consistently terrible advice in 2000.

[saltpoint]

62. That damn Al Gore! All he does is make those propaganda movies

about melting glaciers and stuff like that.

I just don't see what all the fuss is about. He's just trying to ruin our high quality of living. If he gets in the White House, he'd probably repo all our cars! I just know he would!

Damn liberals.

[JamesA1102]

82. Global Warming is real

There are over 250 peer reviewed scientific studies that confirm it is happening and human activity is the cause. All the shills for the oil companies can't obscure that fact.

[saltpoint]

101. Hi, James. Yes. I was just joshin' a bit. A tongue-in-cheek

version of supporting the scientists of all stripes who back Gore's analysis and who are embarrassed by the anti-science posture and policy of the Bush administration.

[saltpoint]

65. If you want a good gauge of Gore's political acumen and courage,

try organizing against him in a campaign of his rival.

I threw my best efforts into the Bill Bradley campaign and had an interesting look into Al Gore's operation from the standpoint of sheer competitiveness.

I assure you he comes well-stocked in political courage.

[Apollo11]

68. Gore is a fighter

Back in 2000, Gore kept fighting for 36 days, making use of every option that was available to him.

Gore did not concede while there was still a chance of changing the outcome. He only conceded after the US Supreme Court had ruled to stop the recounting of votes in Florida, and it became clear that there were no other options available under the law that would have changed the outcome.

Some people (like Michael Moore) have suggested that Gore should have encouraged Democratic Senators to challenge the certification of the electoral college on January 6th, 2001. But seeing as how the Republicans had a majority in the House - this would not have changed the outcome.

"Now the U.S. Supreme Court has spoken. Let there be no doubt, while I strongly disagree with the court's decision, I accept it. I accept the finality of this outcome which will be ratified next Monday in the Electoral College. And tonight, for the sake of our unity of the people and the strength of our democracy, I offer my concession."

Al Gore -- December 13, 2000

http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2000/transcripts/121300/t651213.html

Let's all find ways to show our support for Al Gore! :patriot:

Sign the Live Earth Pledge: www.liveearthpledge.org

Then ask all your friends and family to sign it too! :-)

Visit Al's site www.algore.com and read his blog http://blog.algore.com

Sign the petitions at www.algore.org and www.draftgore.com

:kick:

[_Wayne_]

69. What the hell happens in September? And if you say "Gore has no political courage"

Then you should provide some reasoning or evidence, instead of confusing references to the 2000 election, and "fires" whatever that means. And also, who the hell is asking Al Gore to be "our Savior???"

[jberryhill]

71. He should have ignored the Supreme Court?

And done what? Picked up a gun? Moved into the White House?

The Supreme Court ruled. Wrongly. That doesn't change the fact that if one is going to operate in this system, that's the last word.

[sendero]

72. Whether Gore enters the race or not..

... he's more impressive than all of the current Dem and Rep candidates summed.

Yes, I wish he'd jump in. But how much crap can one man take. I can say that if I were in his position it would certainly not be an easy decision.

Why? Because the only thing that will fire up the right wing shit machine better than HRC would be Gore. They will throw everything they have at him, because they KNOW it will be his to lose. It will not be a cakewalk, it will be a fight to the death.

Who could blame him for deciding to stay out?

[Ninga]

76. I apologize to Al Gore and all DU'ers for being insensitive and unkind. I was wrong in saying he

didn't have courage.

[saltpoint]

78. I say we should accept your apology and acknowledge that it takes

a big person to make a big gesture like this.

It is grace under pressure and it widens the circle for dialogue.

You're a class act, standing tall.

Thank you.

[CreekDog]

80. Thanks for reconsidering your original post

:)

[Totally Committed]

94. It take a very big person with a huge heart to apologize as you have.

I send this to you: :hug:

Thanks Ninga!

TC

[laugle]

102. Kudos to you for being objective, I wish many others were when it comes to favored candidates! nt

[zulchzulu]

77. Maybe you forgot...HE WON!

Hey, I was a Bradley fan in 2000, but Al Gore did what he could to win...and he did win.

I completely understand why he wouldn't run again. It would be cool if he did, but I don't think he's going to.

[Totally Committed]

79. I don't think he's still the Gore from 2000...

And I agree with you that THAT Gore shouldn't bother to run.

I think he's totally reinvented himself, both politically and personally, and THAT's the Gore I'd LOVE to see run... the one that rips the Repubs some new ones... the one that says what he means and means what he says... THAT Gore.

TC

[New Earth]

81. lack of fight....

he pretty much fought until the end :shrug:

[Freddie Stubbs]

85. He had the political courage to go against Ross Perot regarding NAFTA

Who won that fight?

[mdelaguna2000]

87. What........ever.

[sabbat hunter]

90. lack of a fight?

It was taken to the SCOTUS, who ordered the recount to stop. There is no further battle to go after that unfortunately. Where did you expect him to bring the fight to, the streets?

[peacetheonlyway]

95. I'm with you Ninga

his attorneys like Kerry's advised against an aggressive fight

and that alone makes him unsuitable to be president.

someone once pointed out Gore did not have to turn over the whitehouse to Bush.

one other time Gore was spineless... when Boxer was the only one submitting that the Ohio results were crooked, Gore could have in the HOuse been the one voice to demand investigation into the Ohio elections.

he did not do that either..

GOre can kiss my ass.

go fight global warming, it's more Gore's speed. something that can keep him in politics but off our backs.

[Usrename]

100. The party leadership turned their back on him from the beginning.

He got saddled with Lieberman for his running mate. Shees...

[AZBlue]

103. He had the political courage to take his fight all the way to the Supreme Court.

I fail to see your point.