This article about Gore from the NYTimes reduced me to tears

[baby_bear]

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/10/26/politics/campaign/26gore.html

For Al Gore, a Return to Where 2000 Ended
By JIM DWYER

Published: October 26, 2004

I'll provide a couple snips, but you just have to read the whole thing.

<snip>
COCONUT CREEK, Fla., Oct. 25 - For a long moment after the question, Al Gore said nothing. He stood in the baking noontime heat on Monday outside a library here in Broward County, taking his own good time to think about his answer.
...
Now a reporter had asked him how undecided voters should work out their calculus of hope and fear, change and constancy. Finally, pulling thoughts and themes from old speeches, he drew a deep breath and began.

"By any objective reading - and it's almost impossible at this point to get partisanship out of the analysis, and I am the most biased observer of all - this is a failed presidency," Mr. Gore said. "Not only is it a failed presidency," Mr. Gore continued, "but it is a catastrophically failed presidency."
...
It was here that Mr. Gore's candidacy came to an end in 2000, even though he won more votes nationally for president than any other Democrat in history, and ran second only to Ronald Reagan for the most votes ever received. No one else could stand here and so fully evoke the tattered ending of that election, with its Lilliputian strands of hanging chads, butterfly ballots and overvotes that helped shape history.
...
Then Mr. Gore spoke about the decision by Chief Justice Rehnquist and four other members of the Supreme Court in December 2000 that ordered an end to the recount of votes in Florida, giving the presidency to Mr. Bush. "I don't want the Supreme Court to pick the next president," Mr. Gore said, "and I don't want this president to pick the next Supreme Court."

</snip>

It'll make you cry.

what woulda, coulda, shoulda happened.

s_m

Mods: sorry for the extra paragraph. It was just too damned important...

[glitch]

1. Heartbreaking - thanks for posting.

I hope the Kerry admin has an important place for Al Gore.

[Pig_Latin_Lover]

2. Al Gore is awesome

It's amazing how he's become such a powerful voice since losing the 2000 election. If he were running against Bush this year (biggest rematch of all time!), I think he would be doing great in the polls. I'm still quite happy with Kerry.

Even if he never becomes President, he'll still be a prominent American figure in my mind.

[NEOBuckeye]

3. It doesn't make me sad. Just very angry.

That we allowed these arrogant, self-serving bastards a chance to destroy everything good about our country, all of the progress that we've made over years and generations, and threaten the entire world with narrow-minded neo-imperialist ambitions. I don't think even Gore, in his worst nightmares, could've imagined how the Bush-Rove-Cheney machine would shred the Constitution and destroy so many lives, all in the name of human weakness in insecurity. That's all that greed and lust for power really are. But if he knew then how the past four years would've turned out under Bush, he never would've conceded the fight, and neither would we.

[countmyvote4real]

9. Agree. The SCOTUS screwed us big time.

Personally, I don't think 9/11 could or would have happened on Gore's watch. And to by cynical, it wasn’t in his best or alternative interests for it to happen. But if it did, our subsequent efforts in Afghanistan would have yielded something far better than the pretense of reform and democracy we see now under *.

And there is SO much more that could have been, but instead it was squandered by this selected administration.

That’s when the 2nd Civil War began for me. Before that election, I knew politics could be nasty, but it also seemed they could be resolved by representatives of the people who were held responsible to and by the people.

That SC decision suddenly made it clear to all parties that the will of the people could be overturned by a branch of government that has no checks and balances other than the party that nominated them. The majority ruling excused themselves by saying the decision could not set a precedent, but it hasn’t quite turned out that way.

So, if Al Gore knew then what he knows now, I don’t think he would have acquiesced so easily. I’m sure he regrets it and that is partially why he has been so fervent in his support for Kerry, Dean or any Democratic champion. And we all know it should have been him because it was him. Gore was elected to be the POTUS by popular vote of the people.

I can get sad, angry or bittersweet. More importantly, I’m glad Al Gore is still out there fighting for us.

[Gildor Inglorion]

4. Al Gore is right up there with Daniel Webster, Henry Clay...

Benjamin Franklin, Dean Rusk, and other amazing public servants who never were elected President but whose names will endure forever. The Chimp* is right up there with Millard Fillmore, Rutherford B. Hayes, Chester A. Arthur, Warren G. Harding, Calvin Coolidge, Herbert Hoover...Presidents not even worth a footnote in history except for the harm they caused. God bless and keep Al Gore. His place in history is secure, whatever he decides to do with the rest of his life.

[saracat]

5. I'm still angry that Gore didn't fight. He accepted the Scotus

position. We should have had a revolution then if we had to. He should have demanded a recount of the entire state. I thought so then and I think so now. The only people in this whole situation that had any ball were the black caucus and they couldn't get one Senator, including K/E to side with them. I am glad Gore is speaking out but he needed to do it earlier. Even after wimping out on the fight he licked his wounds for over two years before he said anything.

[ochazuke]

7. Hold that thought

Now that the internet has matured, if another 2000-election happens, people like you and me will get hooked up, orgainized, and very, very angry.

[SharonAnn]

8. Picture millions surrounding the White House chanting "Get out

of Kerry's house!"

"Get out of Kerry's house."

And I do definitely mean millions (and millions) of people.

[Larkspur]

14. I won't be there if it comes to that, but

if Kerry pays me $6.4 million, I'll go and chant those words.

[T Bone]

10. The busloads are already booked

and manned for wherever they need to go brother. We will leave a note here for you to follow us.

[LiberalAndProud]

12. Count me in on that

I'm thinking maybe it won't happen (more now than before). But I'm also thinking if it does ...

[superblah]

15. +1

[baby_bear]

11. saracat, I agree, but I feel guilty myself

I sat in my house, I went to work, I felt miserable, I railed, I cried, I screamed...but I didn't take to the streets and neither did most of us. I heard later that there were quite a few in Florida who did, but the media didn't cover them, at least nationally.

I don't blame Gore as much as I blame myself as an individual. It was OUR election that was stolen, not HIS. WE were the ones who were robbed. Maybe Gore was waiting for us to take back our government, because only the people can do that, and I think we failed him, and ourselves.

Let's just make sure it doesn't happen again. I am ready to take to the streets this time, if the GOP poll creeps intimidate election officials and potential voters in Ohio or Florida, or if the many other tricks up their sleeves work this time. No more passivity. We can't afford it!

s_m

[saracat]

13. Don't feel guilty. He didn't lead us.

When Gore caved we had nothing left to fight for.But not this time.Kerry will never cave to these people and we will watch his back!

[ochazuke]

6. Al Gore will continue to be a great public servant

With bunnypants back on his toy ranch, Gore will come forth to serve again.

But nothing can make up for the damage that has been done to our country over the past four years.