Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Al Gore, America's only hope ...

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Al Gore, America's only hope ...

    of beating Hilary Clinton. At least that's what Dick Morris thinks (today).

    "As we look toward 2008, it is obvious Republicans would like to see their GOP nominee triumph. Democrats clearly want one of their own in the White House. But there are many who want to see ABH -- "anybody but Hillary" -- get elected.

    The former first lady's unique brand of transparently phony moderation, heartfelt inner socialism, Nixonian disregard for the norms of civilized politics and governance, and her well-documented tin ear on ethical issues make her the most dangerous aspirant for president since George Wallace (and he never had a chance of winning).

    The more John McCain runs and Rudy Giuliani tests the waters, the clearer it gets that neither of these good men can command the Republican nomination.

    McCain is too independent and Rudy too liberal. Republicans will not forgive the Arizona senator for his anti-torture bill, his backing for campaign finance reform, his support of major reforms in corporate governance, his opposition to big tobacco, his antipathy toward making the tax cuts permanent and his backing for citizenship for illegal immigrants. Nor will they overlook Rudy's support for abortion choice, gun control, affirmative action or gay rights.

    Condoleezza Rice, long the object of our affections, has not moved any closer to running despite our ceaseless prodding.

    That leaves no Republican who can beat Hillary. George Allen, of confederate flag/tobacco spitting fame, is not likely to win over any female votes from the Democrats. Allen can get his usual complement of gun-toting white males but the female vote is the swing one in our politics.

    Governor Mitt Romney is sinking fast in the Massachusetts polls. And Senator Bill Frist can't get out of his own way to even be an effective majority leader.

    As for Governor George Pataki, fleeing your home state because you wouldn't get re-elected is hardly a springboard to national office.

    Al Gore - poor benighted Al Gore - offers the best chance to stop Hillary, albeit in the Democratic primary.

    History is repeating itself. In 1960 and 2000, a popular president (Eisenhower/Clinton) prompted his vice president (Nixon/Gore) to run for president. Each lost very, very narrowly. Each was sharply attacked within his own party for not using the popular incumbent more to campaign on his behalf.

    After their defeats, neither seemed likely to get another presidential nomination. But then the party blew the next election by a considerably larger margin (Goldwater/Kerry) and the former VP's defeat didn't look so bad in retrospect. Each rode opposition to a current war into renewed popularity. And Nixon got elected.

    Gore has several key advantages over Hillary. He has always strongly opposed the war, while she and the other possible Democratic candidates - Kerry, Edwards, Bayh and Biden - all voted for it. His historic warnings about the dangers of climate change seem to be coming true all around us. The major national issue - energy prices - is right up his alley. Gore has been advocating alternative fuels and major conservation for decades.

    Gore would exploit a soft-core negative against Hillary that is sweeping the ranks of Democrats. Hungry for victory and suspicious of Hillary's ability to win, they whisper to one another: "I like her but isn't she too divisive to win?"

    Gore has become personally wealthy with the appreciation of his Google stock and his equity position in his Current TV network. And he has access to much of the donor base that he used in 2000 for his run for the presidency. Hillary will take many of these supporters with her, but the truly left-wing Democrats who are turned off by her moderation and backing for the war will likely provide a sufficiently wealthy and enraged base for funding an Al Gore campaign.

    John Kerry and John Edwards both lack the purism of Gore on the Iraq War. Both backed it and voted for the resolution. Former Virginia Governor Mark Warner, the current fair-haired boy being touted in the Democratic Party, probably will not be able to get a word in edgewise as the two giants - Hillary and Al - square off with each other.

    Any bad blood between Gore and Hillary? I once asked the vice president if there was any friction between Tipper and the first lady. "There is no friction between Tipper and Hillary" came the deadpan, earnest reply.

    "Well," I rephrased my question "at the convention how do you think Hillary would react to Tipper introducing her?"

    "There is no friction between Tipper and Hillary" came the automaton answer.

    "So neither one would mind?" I ventured.

    "There is no friction . . ." You get the point. There wouldn't be any friction between Al and Hillary were they to run against each other.

    None at all.


    from Newsmax.com
    http://tools.wikimedia.de/~gmaxwell/jorbis/JOrbisPlayer.php?path=John+Williams+The+Imperial+M arch+from+The+Empire+Strikes+Back.ogg&wiki=en

  • #2
    But what does Ned think (today)?
    ~ If Tehben spits eggs at you, jump on them and throw them back. ~ Eventis ~ Eventis Dungeons & Dragons 6th Age Campaign: Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4: (Unspeakable) Horror on the Hill ~

    Comment


    • #3
      He's probably right. Either Hilary or Gore beat the likely Republican nominee as neither McCain or Giuliani can win the nomination. That means the real contest for the presidency is in the Dem party.

      But ask me to choose between Gore and Hilary? Ugh!
      http://tools.wikimedia.de/~gmaxwell/jorbis/JOrbisPlayer.php?path=John+Williams+The+Imperial+M arch+from+The+Empire+Strikes+Back.ogg&wiki=en

      Comment


      • #4
        After reading the original post... it reminds me of a song which starts... "Dear Mr. Fantasy, play me a tune... "

        Keep on Civin'
        RIP rah, Tony Bogey & Baron O

        Comment


        • #5
          if I were an American, with the current slate of presidential hopefuls (from both parties), yeah, Gore looks like the best option.

          But...
          I've never liked Hiliary that much,
          Giuliani I wouldn't trust with foreign policy,
          McCain seems like he'll do anyone a favour if they'll be his friend (not saying others are different though).

          Gore seems right.
          Resident Filipina Lady Boy Expert.

          Comment


          • #6
            I've been saying for months that Gore could easily pull a Nixon in 2008. Other thoughts, some of which I've said before:

            The Dems will do best with a candidate who hasn't been in Washington, compromising with the Bushies for the last 8 years. That favors Gore.

            If, in 2008, Gore gets the votes of everyone who voted for him in 2000, everyone who wanted to vote for him but got confused by butterfly ballots, everyone who wanted to vote for him but got disenfranchised, and everyone who didn't vote for him but now wishes he had -- Gore wins in the biggest landslide in U.S. history.

            Gore beating Hilary in the primaries will force him to choose a female vice president. The obvious choice (since current female senators are sure losers) is Gov. Janet Napolitano of Arizona. Gore running with the popular, female, Catholic governor of a Western state is actually a pretty good ticket.

            I've been watching Gore lately, and he seems genuinely pissed off. His public pronouncements no longer seem measured and calculated, but heartfelt. A genuine Gore, with fire in the belly, would have creamed Bush in 2000 -- and in 2008, unless McCain gets the nod, the GOP will be in more dire straits than they were in 2000.

            Frankly, I'm still pissed at how badly Gore blew the 2000 election (what kind of idiot distances himself from his party's overwhelmingly popular president?), but I do think he'd make a good president. It'll be interesting.
            "I have as much authority as the pope. I just don't have as many people who believe it." — George Carlin

            Comment


            • #7
              I've been saying for months that Gore could easily pull a Nixon in 2008.


              Does Gore have any of Nixon's good parts?

              The Dems will do best with a candidate who hasn't been in Washington, compromising with the Bushies for the last 8 years. That favors Gore.


              Or a governor.

              Comment


              • #8
                Originally posted by Ninot
                if I were an American...
                More to the point, if I were Ned then I'd immediately end my posting career at Apolyton, because clearly the bastards here aren't ready to recognize his brilliance by electing him to the Apolyton Hall of Fame. Ned, please stop doing us this disservice -- you mock us with your posts, as if to say "I'm Ned, I could be posting at FreeRepublic where all of the intelligent uber-Republicans already agree with my idiotic opinions, but instead I deign to post amongst the likes of you..."
                <p style="font-size:1024px">HTML is disabled in signatures </p>

                Comment


                • #9
                  Originally posted by Rufus T. Firefly


                  Frankly, I'm still pissed at how badly Gore blew the 2000 election (what kind of idiot distances himself from his party's overwhelmingly popular president?), but I do think he'd make a good president. It'll be interesting.
                  Clinton was overwhelmingly popular? I don't remember that. I wonder if there is a web site that graphs the approval ratings of the various presidents at several points of their terms. It would be interesting to see where the ups and downs were most extreme.

                  edit:

                  this

                  wasn't as good as I was hoping for. I wanted something that would show more than one approval rating per presidency. But at least it does show that Clinton had the highest end of first term popularity of the last 9 presidents. I wonder why he never seemed very popular at the time. Must've been the unusual level of noisy vitriol directed his way in comparison to what previous presidents endured.
                  Last edited by Geronimo; May 23, 2006, 21:39.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Originally posted by Kuciwalker
                    I've been saying for months that Gore could easily pull a Nixon in 2008.


                    Does Gore have any of Nixon's good parts?
                    As an inveterate Nixon-hater -- and I lived through that Administration, sonny -- I reject the very premise of teh question. Nixon had no good parts. Nixon did have some good policies, though, especially when it came to diplomacy with other superpowers and to the environment. Gore actually shares these.

                    The Dems will do best with a candidate who hasn't been in Washington, compromising with the Bushies for the last 8 years. That favors Gore.


                    Or a governor.
                    Of which there are maybe 3 viable options:
                    Warner - who only served one term as gov (by law, I know)
                    Vilsack - who's from a state no one cares about
                    Bayh - who has DLC cred, but as a senator has been in DC playing footsie with the Bushies

                    Warner's the likliest of the lot. But here's my hunch: after 8 years of Bush's deadly incompetence, the electorate in 2008 is not going to be hungering for a fresh face as mush as hungering for someone who can be trusted to actually know what he's doing. Using that criteria, the former vice president from an administration Americans are now remembering nostalgically trumps a one-term governor with little name recognition outside the beltway.
                    "I have as much authority as the pope. I just don't have as many people who believe it." — George Carlin

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Originally posted by Geronimo


                      Clinton was overwhelmingly popular? I don't remember that. I wonder if there is a web site that graphs the approval ratings of the various presidents at several points of their terms. It would be interesting to see where the ups and downs were most extreme.
                      Clinton's approval rating upon leaving office was the highest of any post-war president, including Reagan.

                      Here are the numbers.
                      "I have as much authority as the pope. I just don't have as many people who believe it." — George Carlin

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        I can confirm that George Allen is not likely to win over any female votes from the Democrats. He's grotesque.

                        Really, Al Gore has a lot to recommend him. He's already demonstrated that he can win a presidential election; and in 2008 he'll be able to exploit the Clinton nostalgia factor. As I've posted elsewhere, I believe that by 2008 a lot of people will be nostalgic for the peace and prosperity of the Clinton era, and either Gore or Hillary could ride that nostalgia into the White House.
                        ACOL owner/administrator

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Originally posted by AnnC
                          Really, Al Gore has a lot to recommend him. He's already demonstrated that he can win a presidential election; and in 2008 he'll be able to exploit the Clinton nostalgia factor. As I've posted elsewhere, I believe that by 2008 a lot of people will be nostalgic for the peace and prosperity of the Clinton era, and either Gore or Hillary could ride that nostalgia into the White House.
                          Exactly. Particularly with Clinton himself stumping for the candidate.
                          "I have as much authority as the pope. I just don't have as many people who believe it." — George Carlin

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            I can confirm that George Allen is not likely to win over any female votes from the Democrats. He's grotesque.


                            While in DC last week, my class met with him to "talk" to him and for him to have a photo op. He was kind of creepy, actually. He was all like "yeah I support technology blah blah (I go to a technology magnet)" which we found out meant "increase the number of H1B visas" which, while nice, isn't quite the same.

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Really, Al Gore has a lot to recommend him. He's already demonstrated that he can win a presidential election;


                              What?

                              Comment

                              Working...
                              X