Today, the man who should have been (and many argue was) elected President in 2000 won the Nobel Peace Prize. This may serve as only small consolation seeing as though seven years later we find ourselves in an endless, poorly executed war. A war that has cost the tax payers hundreds of billions of dollars and has been orchestrated by our dim-witted hill billy President and the former CEO of Halliburton. The President, his administration and their war have spent such an unbelievable amount of money for their "crusade" (despite the fact that they are "conservatives") that us scientists are hardly getting any money to research alternative energy sources to wean ourselves off the Arabian oil teat. The same usual suspects along with their incompetent cohorts managed to botch the government response to the single most devastating natural disaster in the nation's history. The irony of this whole debacle would be delicious if it were in the pages of a Philip Roth novel rather the reality of 21st century America. It leaves a person to wonder what the world would have been like if an environmentalist would have become President.
Of course.... it isn't too late. Mr. Gore has said time and again that he isn't throwing his hat in the ring for another presidential bid. He seems so happy in his role as environmental activist, and more comfortable in that skin than when he was Vice President. His argument is that he thinks he is getting things done this way. Raising awareness. You know, getting people to use compact fluorescent light bulbs and recycle and keep their houses two degrees cooler in the summer. I believe in these things. I drive a fuel efficient car and take mass transportation to and from work.
But the problem of global warming is bigger than that. And the government has the power to change things. It has the power to invest in our future through science and education and to end the dependence on oil. Yes, oil is insanely profitable to the most influential people in our nation, but an administration with a conscience can cut the cord. And I think an environmentalist President could do that.
Okay, I'm a little drunk and still slightly giddy but think about this. A Gore-Obama ticket. So far the democrats' biggest complaint about Obama is his lack of experience (to clarify, it isn't my complaint, just people in general). A couple terms in the White House as Vice President and he'd be perfectly primed for his own presidency. He could still execute his vision of unifying the country through hope while working under the first President to be elected after winning a Nobel Prize (and an Oscar). The best part is, they'd be almost guaranteed to win. If everyone who voted for Gore in 2000 did so again and all the people who voted for W and later came to regret it, they could get nearly every vote in the country. It would be the greatest story of vindication ever told. Not likely, but a girl can dream.
Of course.... it isn't too late. Mr. Gore has said time and again that he isn't throwing his hat in the ring for another presidential bid. He seems so happy in his role as environmental activist, and more comfortable in that skin than when he was Vice President. His argument is that he thinks he is getting things done this way. Raising awareness. You know, getting people to use compact fluorescent light bulbs and recycle and keep their houses two degrees cooler in the summer. I believe in these things. I drive a fuel efficient car and take mass transportation to and from work.
But the problem of global warming is bigger than that. And the government has the power to change things. It has the power to invest in our future through science and education and to end the dependence on oil. Yes, oil is insanely profitable to the most influential people in our nation, but an administration with a conscience can cut the cord. And I think an environmentalist President could do that.
Okay, I'm a little drunk and still slightly giddy but think about this. A Gore-Obama ticket. So far the democrats' biggest complaint about Obama is his lack of experience (to clarify, it isn't my complaint, just people in general). A couple terms in the White House as Vice President and he'd be perfectly primed for his own presidency. He could still execute his vision of unifying the country through hope while working under the first President to be elected after winning a Nobel Prize (and an Oscar). The best part is, they'd be almost guaranteed to win. If everyone who voted for Gore in 2000 did so again and all the people who voted for W and later came to regret it, they could get nearly every vote in the country. It would be the greatest story of vindication ever told. Not likely, but a girl can dream.
12 comments:
I think it's wonderful that Al Gore won the Nobel Peace Prize. He has done so much to increase the awareness of global warming and the dangers of continuing on the same path. I know that this is his mission in life and also know that he will continue the mission. He warned of the danger years ago and has proven to be right. He is a man who well deserved the honor he has recieved.
Al is the man. But I don't think he will change his mind about running. And a third party bid would once again divide the liberal vote and guarantee a loss.
This has been a strange presidential race so far. No clear frontrunners (I refuse to believe that Hillary is a done deal), and a lot of uncertainty about the primary process with the race to have an early primary and "matter". I still hope that Obama gets the D nomination. Out of all of the Republicans, I still like McCain the best, even though I disagree totally with his position on the war. He is the one that I trust. But it doesn't seem likely that he will get the nod. Too bad he wasn't able to beat Bush way back when. We would have been so much better off with a principled person in the white house. Who knows what would have happened? Probably, that person would have listened to the folks that knew better and stuck to just Afghanistan, and not invaded Iraq.
Yes, I know he repeatedly stated his position on running again. But my argument is that he could get the most done (for us and for this most important cause) as President and he'd be a shoe-in. Unfortunately I agree that I don't think it will happen and it's a shame. And I absolutely agree, no third parties in the election. Al knows that better than anyone and I can't see him running as an Independent, especially against Hillary.
Hillary isn't my top choice and I too am convinced she hasn't got this thing tied up. For awhile I was conflicted about whether I should vote Obama, the candidate I like best and who I could realistically see as president, or Kucinich, who my views most align with but hasn't got a snowball's chance. Ultimately, if Hillary gets the nod I'll of course vote for her and even be excited about the historical implications. Unfortunately seeing as though I'm registered in Florida my primary vote likely won't count at all so I'm not sure I'll even do it. Sucks.
I used to like McCain and sympathize with him until he decided to align himself more with Bush's positions. Why he did that at this point is beyond me. The net effect is distrust now. The only person on the Republican side that doesn't seem completely incompetent at this point is Ron Paul, who like Kucinich hasn't got a chance simply because he tells the truth.
Unless the Republicans could come up with some truly fantastic candidate - fat chance of that happening - I will be the loyal, true-blue, democrat I've always been and vote for whoever the Dems put forth. I'm not crazy about Hilary and feel bad about that as I do think she is one really smart, savvy woman but...and I can't put a finger on why I say that "but..." either. Obama though, for the most part, I do like. I like John Edwards too but I think there maybe I like his wife better than him. Sometimes, he's just too smiley.
Right now, although I don't like how McCain has flipped on the Iraq thing, he is probably the only Republican that would have a snowball's chance in Hell of ever getting my vote.
First, I think you mean that Gore has convinced people to keep their homes two degrees warmer in the summer, cooler in the winter.
Sadly, Gore won't run. He's the ideal candidate. Unfortunately, the Dems have two strong candidates already (at least for 08) and I think adding Gore to the mix would confuse people and be divisive.
I think people are reticent about Hilary because she's (a) a woman, (b) a woman who plays politics so shrewdly, (c) not very likable. But you know what? Gore was considered unlikable in 2000, and that was all anyone talked about, about how GWB is the kind of guy you'd want to go to the game with, etc. At this point, I don't give a shit about personality. I don't care if Hilary is abrasive (a reputation she has because she's a powerful woman). I care that she's willing to be thoughtful, to be diplomatic, to push for health care, probably harder than anyone else, and to get things turned around in this country. Besides, she's got her ace in the hole in Bill, who will be in the shadows, wheeling and dealing to make things happen.
I think Hilary will be way more liberal once she's in office. I think her approach to her entire Senate career was to make it a primer for the presidency. She's more liberal than Bill. It's bound to show through. She'll do what GWB did and revert to her true ways once she's built up some political capital as GWB put it. I, for one, cannot wait.
I like Obama, but he seems a little whiny sometimes. It's annoying. Some people think this is a practice run for him and that a true candidacy would be down the road.
Magnetbabe cuts loose - hillbillies in the White House indeed!
Gore-Obama sounds like a dream ticket, but it ain't happenin'. I don't think Al Gore will ever run for political office again. As you've pointed out, Gore seems happy for the first time in years, and the global warming crusade is his true calling. The next President is going to be spending most of his/her time at the negotiating table with Middle Eastern leaders, and my feeling is that Gore would rather be spreading the word about global warming than trying to talk our way out of Captain Dubya's mess.
I don't think Hilary Clinton would be a disaster in the White House. At the very least, she'd sponsor a favorable domestic agenda for most Americans. But I feel that the Middle East is a big blind spot for her. I believe she's been convinced that it's necessary to continue the Middle East war, at least until progress has been made in negotiations. In turn, the Republicans will try to hang the Middle East around her neck like they hung Vietnam on Lyndon Johnson, which will make Hillary a less effective President than she would be if she had a solid plan for withdrawing the troops.
jeni-
For me, it doesn't matter who the Republicans put forth. Whereas in other years I might have been willing to listen, the upcoming election year is too crucial. We cannot afford to have another Republican in the White House. Besides the war, (which it is likely neither candidate will be very supportive of) there are too many domestic issues that need government intervention (health care, education, infrastructure, energy crisis, etc) that I don't trust Republicans to address effectively right now.
lefty-
We are still lucky that the Dems have a couple strong candidates. We thought we could win in 2004 with the "Not Bush" candidate and that clearly didn't work. I like Hillary and I'd be thrilled to have a woman get elected. Unfortunately, what worries me most about her is that she's a Clinton. The Republicans spit the same venom at the Clintons that we spit at the Bushes though I don't really get why. I'm not sure how the middle (where most of the country resides) feels, but I recently heard someone say, "the Bushes and the Clintons are passing the presidency around like a party joint." Sadly, I'm afraid this mentality will only hurt Hillary. With enough of the Republicans turning against Bush, running against Hillary might just hand them the "face of change" argument. You may balk at this, but look at some of the other shit they've managed to pull and it's not so off the wall.
dr. s-
That was a much tamer version of what I had originally written. I had intended to just hint at the irony of the situation, but my emotions won out and it took a different turn. I think Hillary would be fantastic in the White House. It's just getting there that is the scary part and I'm frankly more concerned about getting a candidate on this side that can actually win. There are moments when I think she can, but almost just as many when I fear she can't. So many people just don't like her. And with the war most certainly carrying over to the next presidency, what implications will that have for any meaningful change domestically? The Democrats will likely nominate someone with a relatively conservative Middle East plan just because they are afraid someone with an aggressive plan won't get the support of the middle. Really, Hillary is trying to appeal to the moderates as if she has already won the nomination. If lefty_grrrl is right, it might change once she gets into office. Most importantly, I think Hillary will listen. She'll listen to advisers, generals, the VP, congress and Bill. Despite what this country has turned into, we are still a democracy at heart and not a dictatorship.
Only a total meltdown will keep the Democrats from winning the White House next year, so I'm not worried about that. The Democrats continually anger me by hedging their bets on the war to try to attract support from people who won't vote for a Democrat no matter what, instead of concentrating their efforts on the majority of Americans who want to see the Middle East war ended as soon as it is feasible.
Only a total meltdown will keep the Democrats from winning the White House next year
You're right. However, the Democrats have shown themselves to be fully capable of a total meltdown so I still worry.
When I think of a Gore-Obama ticket, I think of a Gore-Diane-Obama sandwich. I know, stop mixing politics w/ pleasure...
Just kidding. I think it'd rock, but my hopes for Gore actually running are a mere trickle. So, I'm just hoping to avoid the Dems going nuclear and blowing themselves up with some stupid something or another b/w now and election day, and HOPEFULLY we'll get the White House back.
God, I can't wait.
I'm just surprised that G.W. hasn't taken Al to the supreme court to claim he won the Nobel Prize. Al deserved it, hope he keeps bringing attention to this ultra important issue.
Di-
Wow. I can't believe you went there. I probably wouldn't kick Barack out of bed. But Al? I love the man, but he is boring as hell. I'm fairly certain that would extend to other areas.
complaint manager-
Welcome! That's funny. If there were an anti-peace prize I'm pretty sure W would get it without even having to do a recount. I'll be sure to stop by the Complaint Department.
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