Gore ignores calls for '08 White House bid (S.F. hall erupts in thunderous chants of "Run, Al, Run")

[Kadie]

Gore ignores calls for '08 White House bid
Carla Marinucci, Chronicle Political Writer

Thursday, October 11, 2007


(10-11) 18:12 PDT San Francisco -- Former Vice President Al Gore, urged by grassroots supporters to run for president, avoided all talk of the White House or a possible Nobel Peace prize during a Thursday appearance in San Francisco on behalf of U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer.

Instead, Gore focused on what has become his signature issue - global warming - telling the crowd at the Westin St. Francis that it is critical for citizens and leaders alike to be "coming to an agreement on how we can work together, quickly, to solve these moral imperatives and crisis."

snip...
"We have to call upon our courage as free men and women ... and it's our whole civilization that's at risk."

The hall erupted in thunderous chants of "Run, Al, Run" as Gore concluded his speech. He acknowledged the cheers, but made no comments.

"Oh my God, I didn't know it would take this kind of turn," laughed Boxer, the California Democrat who stood with the party's 2000 presidential candidate.

snip...
Boxer told about 450 people at Thursday's fundraiser for her 2010 re-election campaign that "if Al Gore was president - we know he won ... we wouldn't be at war in Iraq ... we would have gotten Bin Laden, and we'd be the leader on global warming."

Asked by reporters if she would support a Gore presidential run, Boxer said "the decision to run for president is not mine, it is his."

more...
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/10/11/MNJ0SOP1L.DTL&tsp=1

Former Vice President Al Gore appears at a fundraiser for Sen. Barbara Boxer at the St. Francis Hotel Thursday night. Chronicle photo by Kim Komenich


Jackson Browne and Bonnie Raitt greet former Vice President Al Gore as he enters the stage at a fundraiser for Sen. Barbara Boxer at the St. Francis Hotel Thursday night. Chronicle photo by Kim Komenich


Former Vice President Al Gore and Sen Barbara Boxer appear at a fundraiser for Boxer at the St. Francis Hotel Thursday night. Chronicle photo by Kim Komenich

[gateley]

1. I hope some DUers got at chance to attend this - what a thrill it would have been! nt

[IndyOp]

5. xiamiam went... will report tomorrow...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x2021295

Thanks for the great pics!

[gateley]

9. Cool - I'll keep a lookout. Thanks. nt

[Pachamama]

14. I was there with the Pachababies!!!! We sat right up front in reserved seats behind

Boxer, Bonnie Raitt, Jackson Browne etc. while we were there! :bounce:

It was so wonderful! And the Pachababies got to meet Al Gore and he even signed a picture my oldest drew for him!

Sigh....I had the hardest time even focusing on what he had to say, because I kept picturing him as our President...then, and in the future....

:hi:

[gateley]

17. I'm so excited for you! It must have almost seemed surreal. Thanks for

checking in! :hi:

[Pachamama]

20. I'm so glad my kids could see him...I will try and scan in tommorrow the picture he signed for my

daughter....she sat down yesterday and drew it all on her own. Its a picture of the earth on one side of the paper crying and the polar ice caps melted...it says "Without Al's help.." then the next half shows a happy planet with a big smile and above it "With Al's help"...Then at the bottom "Al Gore for Prez '08"...Truly wonderful from a 7 year old and he smiled at the girls and said hello and they were so excited.

[gateley]

24. Oh you MUST scan it - What a great picture that must be. And now with

Gore's autograph! :wow:

[weeve]

27. Oh Pachamama ...

... that is so wonderful !!
What a great experience for you and your children ... especially in the name of such a noble cause (pun intended).

As a father of three young boys, I've experienced some of what you must have just felt. EVERY election we all stand on the busiest street corner with our signs, urging Democrats to vote. (They did ... the elections were stolen.)

How happy were WE when we found out Russ Feingold would make an appearance at the kid's school, back in '06 ?!!


Moments after I snapped that pic of the boys, Russ made a beeline for us, shook all of our hands an posed for a few pics. Alas, he decided not to run ( Gore's VP maybe ... HEY, I can dream can't I ?!? ), but the experience with the children was indelible.

Half Hour till we know ...

[Pachamama]

28. So I guess your staying up for the news too, eh?

Your boys are so cute!!! Yes, it sounds like as parents we are a lot alike. Sometimes I have wondered if it is too much on the kids to be taken to events like this and yet I've found that they always have a great time and that they create memories that in many discussions later we talk about.

When I was there tonight, I also saw Medea Benjamin whom I know and she ofcourse has seen me at so many events and protests with the kids...She couldn't believe how big my youngest was since she saw me as far back as the March for Women's Lives in DC back in April of 2004 with her when my youngest was 4 months old!

What was funny about this evening is that I don't think the girls grasped how significant it was that there they were, getting a private concert from Bonnie Raitt and Jackson Browne, who then were sitting a feet away from them, having their Senator admire them and my daughters art and then shaking hands and being greeted by the former Vice President (President to me) of the US. They just know he's the man who is trying to save the world, "Pachamama" and they wish he was the President.

Wow, a Gore/Feingold ticket...that would be wonderful....I keep thinking Gore/Obama or Gore/Edwards...

Hey, after tonight/last night's event, I thought, how about a Gore/Boxer ticket???

Anyway, keep up the good work with the kids...its our job to raise them right (or should I say Left?) and to teach them to be true patriots and protect our planet, our constitution and democracy...

:hi:

[weeve]

29. Wow !!

Nicest responce I've ever had here on DU ! I'll remember you Pachamama !! Oh no ... mere seconds before we know about the NOBEL !!

Either way ... Gore is our man for 2008 !!


Cheers to you .. thanks for the kind words and inspiration.

[Pachamama]

30. He Won! He Won!!!! I'm crying tears of joy right now....

When my daughters wake up, I am going to tell them the news.....I don't know if my daughter will realize the significance that on the eve before Al Gore was awarded the Nobel Prize, he signed and wrote a note to her on her picture of the earth being saved by him....Wow....

:hug:

Now I just want to see Al run.... sigh....

[weeve]

32. Sharing tears of JOY !!

Wow ... just WOW !!

Believe me, your daughters may not appreciate it fully tomorrow .. but I can guarantee you they will be sharing this story with their friends and loved ones down through the ages. Thanks to YOU !

Last night was a pure and beautiful thrilling moment for you and your girls. This announcement makes it all the more special. And more importantly actually gives us parents HOPE for a better future for our kids. These past six years or so have been trying, to say the least. Come what may with the presidential race, this award is SUCH an inspiration! We can now show some sort of tangible proof that out well-meaning actions CAN get huge results. In 2000 I bundled my little guys up, took our hand-painted signs to the busy nearby corner ( VOTE GORE , I'M NO BUSH BABY, NO BUSH SUPREME COURT, VOTE DEMOCRAT, etc. ) and stood in the cold for hours. Same in 2004 ( with the addition of yet another son ). No need to explain my feelings at tonight's results.

So THIS ... now ... the re-emergence of my HOPE, is almost a strange, unrecognizable feeling. I can't WAIT to awake my boys with the news. Damn ... I'm happy now. Ecstatic even !! Over the moon ...


Again, cheers to you (us?) Pachamama !!

[daninthemoon]

2. Pretty cool. Sounds like it was a good time.

:applause: :patriot: :woohoo: :party: :) :-) :) :-) :)

[MedleyMisty]

3. So he showed up?

Because I remember earlier threads saying that he had canceled to go on a trip overseas.

[Lucinda]

4. Then there was another thread that cancelled his cancelling

:)
It's hard for me to keep up sometimes.

[saltpoint]

6. I sure do like the politicians at this event.

And they appear to attract some damned fine musicians, too.

[saltpoint]

7. As an aside, when Al Gore smiles it looks to me as if he means it. When Dubya

smiles that slimey little smirk of his, the phoniness of it wafts off him like a stench.

I also love it that Barbara Boxer can run any event she wants and do it with incredible sure-footed grace. What a class act.

[peacetalksforall]

12. When Al smiles it's a little like old America (this coming from an old

American).

When george or dick smiles it is as though the caption for their thoughts should read - 'you stupid imbecilic fools who believe any lie we tell you go xxxx yourself ' cuz we're coming for everything you have - your Bill of rights, your Social Security, your thoughts, your dreams for your children, the life you hoped for.'

[saltpoint]

36. Dubya & Dick are guilty as you charge them to be, and their mess is

thankfully remedied by the rest of us electing a Democratic ticket for 08.

It could start at noon today as far as I'm concerned!

[msongs]

8. wow look at all those wonderful LIBERALS!!! :-) nt

[il_lilac]

10. K&R

He sure looks presidential.

[calmblueocean]

11. I'm so frustrated with Al.

Everywhere he goes, people are begging him to run again. It's clear that this is his moment -- the nation and the world has never needed him more than it does right now.

If Al stepped into the ring, there'd be no contest. The election would be a cakewalk. Who's going to beat him -- Guiliani? Thompson? Get real. Compared to Al, they come off like shuffling, feeble old men.

Most importantly -- to me, anyway -- it would finally right the wrongs of the 2000 Election. All right, nothing can ever right those wrongs, but restoring Gore to the presidency would be a satisfying conclusion to these past 8 years of hell. I'd feel like America had finally come back to its senses.

Given all these factors, his not running is just... disappointing. Frustrating. Exasperating.

Why, Al? There will never be another election like this one.

Gore is the person I think is best qualified for the office of the presidency, and even the other Dems I like are distant seconds and thirds. Not being able to see his name on the ballot just feels wrong to me.

If he's not going to run, I wish he'd just endorse one of the other candidates and get it over with. His endorsement might make the difference for Obama or Edwards, or hell... why not Kucinich?

I just wish Al would put me out of my misery by making that "Shermanesque statement" he says he doesn't want to make. Anything else is just torture.

[gateley]

19. I was just watching an Olbermann show on YouTube (it was tonight's or last

night's show - watched them both so don't remember which) and the topic was Gore for President. Olbermann asked why he (Gore) always seemed to keep that 2% open - never closing the door completely.

The expert guy said that the situation could change dramatically in 6 months (referring to the current Dems contending for the spot) and maybe Gore wants to make sure everything is running okay before he makes a formal statement not to run. OR, conversely, step in if looks like the Dems need saving.

Just this guy's opinion.

I personally think he should make an announcement either way as a compassionate gesture to all you angst-filled Gore for Prez folks! :)

[SlowDownFast]

25. The only thing that is The Obstacle,

in every way, is HRC and her Ego.

I would imagine HRC might be Gore's one and only *serious* hesitation. The rest of the 'toxic' political system be damned, Gore's the wiser since and could deal with the other bullshit.

But butting heads with HRC would make it exponentially toxic for him.

This, when the timing would've been otherwise perfect for him to win in a landslide and take back what was stolen from him and us.

Leave it to the Clinton's to fuck shit up again...

[proud2BlibKansan]

13. Wait a minute - I thought I read here that this appearance had been canceled?

[Pachamama]

15. It had been and then at about 10AM this morning I got a call telling me that the event was on after

all! We went and it was wonderful... :hi:

[kster]

16. In a few hours, I'm gonna show you little gang banging punks

who are running my country "right now" a thing or two, I'm talking to the Democratic and the Republican supposed parties which are just two gangs that took over my country, its over!! Watch me.



Thats what I want to believe Al Gore is thinking in this photo.

[Freddie Stubbs]

18. Was that the event he supposedly cancelled becasue of an overseas trip?

:shrug:

[DesertRat]

21. Read reply #15

:hi:

[DesertRat]

22. Thanks for the post

and especially for the great pics! :loveya:

[JMDEM]

23. I'm sorry, but I have to be honest

Gore is asking us to do anything and everything possible to stop global warming.

But apparently he isn't willing to do anything and everything possible, which would be to run for, and win the Presidency of the United States.

Mr. Gore, Yes, I know that you don't want to run for President, but a lot of people don't want to give up their SUVs, recycle correctly, and spend hours of time pressing their representatives on this issue. Why don't you set a sterling example of making a sacrifice for the good of the Earth?

If you really can't stand it, then just run for 4 years, and hand the reigns over to someone else in 4 years?

[SlowDownFast]

26. Honesty appreciated.

And I can't agree more.

[ShortnFiery]

31. BS, Al Gore has paid the price in many ways - he owes us nothing more.

Bless Al Gore. He is, IMO, too compassionate and honest to become President of The United States.

What politicians must STOOP TO in order to be elected President is damn shameful. :(

[RestoreGore]

35. Yes, he transcends it and I respect that mmensely

[malaise]

33. Barbara pulled off her coup here

Timing is everything. Al Gore :yourock:

[RestoreGore]

34. How rude of them

But it looks like it was still a great time.

[Pachamama]

37. LOL! I wondered how long it was going to take for the party pooper to show up in these threads!

It's never any fun on the DU without "RestoreGore" to start slamming any suggestion that Al Gore run for the Presidency or that anybody God forbid actually wishes that and suggests otherwise. All one has to do is look at any thread that suggest such and there you are insulting any such suggestion. Yawn.

Got news for you - the event was fabulous, and Jackson Brown and Bonnie Raitt along with a whole group of us were standing cheering and chanting it with love! And Al Gore who I brought my kids to meet and introduced to him signed my daughters poster of him saving the world and with in big letters "Al Gore for Prez '08".

Whether he runs or not is not known, but your party pooper attitude has gotten boring and annoying. I suggest you find another outlet for slamming any body who hopes or dreams of this. You can start by changing your moniker "Restore Gore" - Restore to what? You certainly don't want his Presidency restored!!! :eyes:

[RestoreGore]

39. Then I suggest you mind you own business regarding my comments

because the anklebiting here is FAR ABOVE annoying and redundant.

[Pachamama]

40. Well aint' that the Kettle calling the Pot black...

Yawn....

[EFerrari]

38. Gore is going to give a press conference soon, this morning. nt

[LSK]

41. 1:30 EST

[cascadiance]

42. My guess is that he's not READY to announce yet... Doing so now would sound opportunistic!

On the other hand, if a lot of people over the next week say "Run, Al run!" every place he goes, it will eventually play right in to him announcing later saying that he is doing what the PEOPLE want, not necessarily what he himself wants, which I think would make his bid incredibly stronger! Everyone continue to chant this every place he goes!!! I think if he was solidly not running, he'd have told us that definitively by now, as Russ Feingold has done earlier, and would have endorsed someone like John Edwards (or whoever his choice would be, so that that candidate would be in a lot stronger position as we get closer to the primaries). The fact that he hasn't tells me he still has something up his sleeve, and I DON'T think it is any act of desperation. I think he and the people working with him likely know EXACTLY what he's doing, and know that they don't want to make the same mistakes that his former beltway advisors made in 2000, if in fact those advisors then were in fact making "mistakes" from their point of view when they "helped" him lose...

[baldguy]

43. Evil prevails only when good men do nothing.

His crusade against climate change is destined to fail as long as people who don't take it seriously - or have a vested interest in making it worse - remain in power.