Friday, September 23, 2005

More on Gore. The '60s Are Back



Yesterday I wrote about Al Gore possibly running for president in 2008. That touched quite a nerve. From the many comments I received, it's quite clear that Democrats are salivating at the prospect of a candidate like Gore rising up from the ashes to lead the country out of its current state of chaos and misery. Al Gore, whom many consider the president-in-exile, the true winner who got robbed of the White House in 2000 by Karl Rove, Jeb Bush and the GOP terror machine, is quickly becoming the underground frontrunner. And history is on his side...big time.

We've often heard young people, college students, lament that their parents had the turbulent 1960's to ignite their passion and take them to the streets in protest. That the 60's gave young people a sense of purpose and something to fight for. War, civil rights, political turmoil...sound familiar? Well guess what? The 60's are back, and people are taking to the streets once again.

The U.S. is embroiled in an extremely unpopular war in Iraq, just as we were in Vietnam. Two-thirds of the country now want an immediate pullout. Today in Washington there's a massive anti-war rally on the Mall. Demonstrations are taking place all over the country as well. Cindy Sheehan's become the face of the war, and the lightening rod for protest. People of all ages and party affiliation are part of this massive wave of discontent. This includes Republicans in the Senate and the House, with their eyes carefully trained on next year's mid-term elections, who are also demanding an exit strategy. And a growing chorus of Republican commentators and columnists including Bill O'Reilly, Michelle Malkin and Robert Novak have been highly critical of the president and his inept administration.

Just like the 60's, our country is embroiled in massive unrest. Besides Iraq, there's the chilling realization thanks to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita that we are woefully unprepared for natural disaster and major acts of terrorism. Then there's the struggling economy, with it's historically high national debt and gas and oil prices. Our leaders have been lying to us, and they've failed us miserably. Americans want change, and that's precisely why Al Gore could very well be our next president.

We've reached a critical turning point in America, and the Bushies know it. Their approval ratings are in the toilet, and the administration's a sinking ship. Quite simply, they're done. The Democrats can score decisive victories in '06 and '08 if they play their cards right. Back in 2000, to many, Al Gore was an uptight, wonkish bore. But the events of the last 5 1/2 years have greatly enhanced Gore's image. What Al Gore represents today is honesty, integrity and a continuance of the peace and prosperity of the 1990's that he and Bill Clinton masterminded. Bush may still be the guy some want to have a beer with, but Gore's the guy you want running the country.

So why is the prospect of an Al Gore candidacy so much more exciting, say, than Sen. Hillary Clinton's? Because Al Gore can win. Hillary may excite some on the Left, but she cannot and will not go beyond that core base. To the contrary, Gore will unite Democrats and Independents, and will appeal to the legions of moderate Republicans who supported Clinton/Gore back in '92 and '96. Imagine him on a ticket with someone like Fmr. Gen. Wesley Clark or Sen. Barack Obama (IL), together with the campaign dream-team of James Carville, Paul Begala and George Stephanopoulos, and it's easy to understand the excitement this candidacy generates. It's the 60's all over again, and Gore's the New Nixon. Andy

22 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hillary won't run so relax. Her husband may want her to run but she won't run because she realises that her chance of winning is slim and none.

If Gore runs, I would like to see Clark as his his mate. Obama won't work becuase he is so green.

Anonymous said...

Al Gore won in 2000, and then he conceded after a memorabaly lame recount fight in Florida. He's had his time.

Anonymous said...

Adore Hillary but love and need Gore AND idolize Clark! As I painfully change my cable station to that "other" network (in manipulating secret from my roommate for fear of a morals bashing – which, by the way, I check on the WesPac site to find the exact segment times as not to be disgusted by the likes of Hannity or O’Reilly or such after that particular channel has stayed its over welcomed and allotted time on my television), the one the General has contracted with as an advisor, my heart aches for his kind of leadership. With the brilliance of those two men, with their insight of the future, and with their appeal across the political boards; that is a ticket that might just march us back into the White House – Gore in his fuel efficient car with lofty visions of endangered owls, like the sugarplum fairy to the holiday child. And Clark, gallantly protecting his back on his trusty stallion with grandeur and class; both with their intelligent, well spoken and devoted wives (to them and to us!) by their sides! My thoughts and choices seem to be shifting each and every day, yearning for the beginnings of my own political interests full of volunteerism, full of hope, full of innocence. Oddly enough, although slightly older than I, it was a time of Hillary’s roller coaster of a life, her own ascent and interest, the seed of her germinating passion – those pesky Nixon years. I would hate to lose Hillary (sure bet that would never happen), but a Gore/Clark ticket seems to be a sell-out concert for virtual success!

Anonymous said...

I'd love to hear what Al Gore has in mind to fix all the damage the neocons have done. The Bushies and their cronies have had Christmas everyday for 5 years now. They better realize it has to end. The after-Christmas diet and paying for all those gifts they bought themselves are coming. Damn right the next president better tax the corporations and the rich--they're the ones who rang up the big debt!
Al, we need you. We need healthcare, decent pay scales, alternative energy, and peace. We need America to be America again.

Anonymous said...

I have been advocating Gore for a long time and my choice was confirmed by Gore's tour de force presentation on Global Warming. Anybody that can talk coherently for almost two hours without notes on a complex suject knows his stuff.

Why Gore in 08? Because he won the first time. Americans can tell the Supreme Court that they still won't have a king!

Anonymous said...

I've been hoping for Gore for awhile. I've never sent funds for a campaign but for him - you bet. There isn't one politically active Demo that I would vote for right now. Clark, yes as VP. They have not been strong enough in fighting the current administration re: Iraq, Roberts, Bolton, the list goes on. Too many have taken the middle road for too long to get my vote.

Rick said...

Gore is speaking to traditional Democratic values, AND he speaks with the authority of the rightfully elected president who was denied the White House by the machinations of the Republicans and their kangaroo Supreme Court.

Why is he more exciting than Hillary? Because she's as stiff as... well, as Al Gore... whereas Gore himself has turned into a firebrand. I hope he runs, and I hope he continues to tell it like it is.

Anonymous said...

Let's not carried away. Is this some kind of Al Gore 'stealth' blog? Anyone who tries to paint Al Gore as a reincarnation of Bobby Kennedy ought to go back and take another look at the '60s.

Al Gore deserves some credit for breaking out of the DLC mold, but his positions pale by comparison with the genuinely progressive movements of the 1960s. I'll wait to see if his new-found 'radicalism' is genuine before I jump on any Gore Bandwagon.

The few Democrats who have kept the faith even through the lean years of the '80s and '90s deserve first crack at any nomination. I confess to being particularly mystified by all the support (on this blog) for Wesley Clark. I've seen nothing from him to convince me that he's any kind of liberal or progressive. Just because he's photogenic and well-spoken, that's no reason to tout him as some kind of Great White Hope. We've already had one 'Democratic' President who was photogenic, well-spoken and smart...all that those qualities won for him was the (well-deserved) nickname 'Slick Willy'. Those who were charmed and dazzled by Willy need to go back and look at how far he set the Democratic Party back by accommodating the phoney Republican-Lite policies of the DLC. Bill Clinton is probably THE biggest reason for the Democratic Party's total lack of credibility...with a little additional erosion from John 'Reporting for Duty' Kerry.

These guys (and let's not forget the quintessentially phoney Hillary) have driven the once-great 'Party of Jefferson' into a ditch. I started looking elsewhere for credible leadership a long time ago....screw me once, your fault; screw me twice, my own damned fault.

I frankly don't see the Dem Party EVER recovering from the subversion it has suffered over the past 30 years from slick 'strategists' who have betrayed its roots in order to get selfish opportunists elected on whatever terms would allow them to win. Their only 'platform' is "Bamboozle Voters Into Voting for Us".

Call me a starry-eyed idealist; but I still believe that politics can be practiced honestly, and that elections can be won with character, integrity, and REAL concern for the American People.

Anonymous said...

To JosephHill:
You seem quite jaded. Democrats can and will recover, and have a great chance at winning back the House and/or Senate next year. The White House is a real target as well, as someone like Gore, who's already shown us he can wih an election when the country's doing well, could very well kick ass given the state we're now in. As for Clark, why does he have to be a true Lefty? Can't we as Democrats be inspired by, and vote for, somoeone at the center? How about doing away with all this right and left crap and just vote for someone of character who shares our views?

Anonymous said...

Hi Folks,

Although Hillary is my Senator - I think she's a bit scared - to put it mildly - scared to go out on a limb - even today.

GO Gore GO!

But I must admit, I voted for Nader. I'm sorry :-)

In the meantime - check out this link and have some fun -http://www.mediaambassador.pl/test/rocky2/

Love,
Leslie Gabriel aka Rocky Gabriel

call me crazy said...

I nominate Al Gore to run for prez in '08, and I move that we call it the "Cool Blue" campaign because: Al is "Cool" (now) and he's oh so TRUE "Blue".

Clark or Edwards would be good for VP, a black or female running-mate would hold Al back & blow his chances: this country ain't quite ready to vote a minority or woman into the W-House...ain't gonna happen (yet).

Anonymous said...

An old lady's perspective! (Sunset_Kisses from Arizona, and celebrating my 70th birthday today as a life long liberal.)

The drama of events beginning in 2000 has created a historical opening at center stage that only Al Gore can fill. 08 is Al Gore's year - the spotlight is his if he wants it. I truly believe that there is little that anyone could do to stop him, and we'd be lucky to have him as our president.

When Al Gore enters the race (and we can only hope he will), it will be clear that he is the right man for the moment. Don't worry so much about it because it will be clear as day to you when it happens. Trust an old lady on this one.

Sunset_Kisses

Anonymous said...

Anyone think Al's keeping up with all this talk and hopefully letting it influence his decision?

Anonymous said...

frankly no, i would not want to have a beer with george w. bush or any of the myriad of snake oil salesman who are like bush i have encounteed in the course of my jobs in the private sector for over three decades.

those sorts are guys who do not know their product line or the details of what they are trying to sell you. instead, they use a bit of bragadoccio, babbit-like back slapping and name dropping to make up for their inability to know what they are supposed to know...and all the time its their "connections" that let them slid by.

they are to be avoided like the Plague because they bring nothing to the table except a sense of entitlement.

al gore can lead this nation back from its worst executive leadership since the founding of the Republic.

I just hope that the damage is not so bad that even with someone as competent as gore it is too late to recover from the bushevik looting of our nation.

if george w bush had been an agent of an enemy power, he could not have screwed up this nation worse.

gore/clark is the ideal ticket to me... and this time if the right wing bitches about them being antiwar, i hope that unlike kerry gore/clark bluntly point out that both of them served in viet nam unlike those who are attacking them, and call their adversaries for what they are, blatant hypocrites.

this time the democrats are going to have to respond to bushevik attacks in a vigorous manner and let fly their own arrows.

The Ostroy Report said...

Sunset Kisses...I love ya!

Anonymous said...

I agree!!!! I think he could easily win and by 08 Barak Obama won't be so green. What a great ticket!

Gouda said...

Hi! I just found your blog from The Biomes Blog. It's nice. I like your bent, your writing, and the blog's simplicity.

A couple comments...

I disagree that "[Our leaders have] failed us miserably." There are quite a few people in this country who are very happy that intelligent design is being taught in biology classes, that their taxes have been cut, that they have not been asked to sacrifice for the cost of a "war on terror." ("Go shopping!"), etc. Our leaders have not failed their constituency. They have gone to bat for them.

I agree that Hillary cannot win. I personally respect her and would consider her in a field of Democratic hopefuls. But, sadly, I think some men just won't vote for a woman as president in this country. Not yet anyway.

Barack Obama has enormous potential. But I'd like to see him get more experience.

Clinton won by moving to the center, smaller government, etc. I like Gore, but I feel that for him to win, he'll have to convince some Bush-backers to vote for him. This is a difficulty any Democratic nominee will face.

Anonymous said...

Al Gore may be ale to get support from the anti-war protesters in DC and around the country but he definitely will not get support from the Carvilles, Begalas, and Bidens and Clintons of the DLC. Wake up Ostroy and smell the coffee. Al Gore has grown beyound these yahoos in the DLC. This group would oppose Gore to the limit. Wake up America and get rid of the RepugDemocrats in Congress today.

Ron Thomas said...

I too think Gore may be just the man to clean up the Augean stables of the Bush administration. But what's to keep the MSM from slamming him again with all that Love Story crap et al?

Anonymous said...

cwright said...
Al Gore may be ale to get support from the anti-war protesters in DC and around the country but he definitely will not get support from the Carvilles, Begalas, and Bidens and Clintons of the DLC. Wake up Ostroy and smell the coffee. Al Gore has grown beyound these yahoos in the DLC. This group would oppose Gore to the limit. Wake up America and get rid of the RepugDemocrats in Congress today.


absolutely true, as we saw during the recount in 2000.

but the reason was gore's populist rhtoric at the end of his campaign that was a direct threat to the money changers in the temples of democracy.

imagine, that they were willing to allow the GOP to win just to control the democratic party as a minority party rather than help a democrat win the white house.

It was some sort of sick twisted Luficer's dilemma.

the only way gore can get the nomination is to appeal to the grass roots and rank and file of the party outside of the Beltway, because those inside it know damn well that a gore presidency will destroy their power and rip away their feed bag of lobbyist money.

oddly enough, an old insider like gore would have to run an insurgent campaign against party leaders.. and with dean as head of the DMC, it could very well happen if dean remains above the fray and does not use the influence of the DNC to thwart Gore.

keep watching, things are getting curiouser and curiouser.

if regular folks do not want "bidness as usual" at the democratic party, they had better start now to get the word out that Al Gore is their choice, because those who would lose their influence in a gore administration are already trying to ensure he does not run.

Aikäne said...

Having Dean at the DNC may help Gore if he enters the primaries, since Gore endorsed Dean in 2004. The establishment didn't want Dean where he is either.

Anonymous said...

>>>
But I must admit, I voted for Nader. I'm sorry :-)
>>>

No reason to be sorry for that if you were voting your conscience. If more people had had the guts to vote for Nader, rather than succumbing to the 'politics of fear' promoted by the Democratic Party apparatchiks, we wouldn't be having a discussion about which right-of-center Democrats MIGHT have a chance of beating the Republicans in 2006 and 2008. Instead, we'd be in a position to force the Democratic Party to the left (where, believe it or not, most Americans' hearts are located on the political spectrum...think: 'universal healthcare', 'an end to the Iraq fiasco', 'equal rights for minorities', 'a woman's right to reproductive freedom', 'a living wage', 'environmental protection'....etc.).

The Democratic Party is afraid to go there. They are too busy trying to convince that mythical 'mainstream voter' that they are just as 'good' as the Republicans when it comes to being 'strong on defense', 'tough on the poor'and 'corporate friendly'. In the process of course, they instead prove that they are just as BAD as the Republicans when it comes to facing up to the real problems we face at home and around the world.

Dennis Kucinich (or somebody else from the progressive wing of the Dem Party) could be 'the man of the hour' IF the Democrats can be weaned away from their timid 'loser' attitude, and resolve to show some LEADERSHIP on the fundamental issues.