Reply #23: You might be oversimplifying about Gore. [View All]

[bunkerbuster1]

In a way, you're probably right in retrospect--had he wholeheartedly denounced Clinton's behavior and worked the Dems to get Clinton convicted, then he could've ridden a wave of popular sentiment (after the Dems gained those seats in the '98 midterms, especially) to election in 2000. It's an interesting take, not heard often these days.

But that DOESN'T mean those who say Gore should have embraced Bill Clinton more are completely off base. Had Gore swung completely the other way--a much more "stay the course" kind of campaign featuring Billy-Jeff front and center--that, too could have worked.

If I've learned anything from these last two elections, it's that Americans don't do subtle. They don't do nuanced, or sensitive. They do big, stupid, all-encompassing. Gore didn't have that. Nor did Kerry. I love both those guys, but we were fighting big, stupid, all-encompassing with subtle, nuanced, sensitive (yes, much of that was defined by the MSM but it wasn't ALL their doing.)

If that makes any sense.