Al Gore: The Voice of Reality, 2006 (from Huffington Post)

[NYCGirl]

Good article from Bob Cesca:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bob-cesca/al-gore-the-voice-of-rea_b_36756.html



In 2004, the honor went to Richard Clarke for being the first former White House official to apologize for 9/11 and speak out about the administration's failure to prevent the attack. In 2005, it was Keith Olbermann for, among other things, being the only reporter to cover the irregularities of the 2004 election; for standing his ground against his corporate bosses; for taking on Bill O'Reilly, Ann Coulter and Rush Limbaugh; and for delivering what was a truly historic special comment about the Katrina disaster.

This year's Voice of Reality is former Vice President Al Gore for An Inconvenient Truth and for elevating the urgency of global warming to a position close -- close -- to where it should be on our collective national roster of vital issues.

-snipped-

And here's why. During the 2006 elections, the global warming issue was almost entirely ignored in the national discourse. Of course, ending the Iraq War was, and deservedly so, the issue. But despite it's actual degree of national and global urgency, I can't remember a single congressional debate or campaign commercial or pundit roundtable in which global warming held the position of importance it requires. For most of the Summer, Iraq aside, global warming seemed poised to become, for the first time ever, a major campaign issue due in large part to Mr. Gore's documentary as well as, you know, the melt-your-dog's-brain heat. Yet as soon as Labor Day rolled around and the campaign season kicked into high gear, it vanished from the traditional media headlines and political stump speeches.

The candidates, incumbents and challengers alike, all but ignored Mr. Gore's historic theatrical warnings at their own peril -- peril, not just because this issue impacts all of humanity, but also peril in terms of votes.

[chimpymustgo]

1. Al Gore IS the MAN! Thanks for posting. K & R.

nt

[pennylane100]

2. Thank you for a great post.

I just hope and pray he runs in 2008.

[kiteinthewind]

3. We need him to run for President again, only this time he GOES to the WH!

:kick:

[greenman3610]

4. If Gore runs, he immediately becomes the 800 pound gorilla

There is no one with his moral authority or
stature, and for an America reeling with
buyer's remorse from 2000 and 2004,
he offers redemption.

That's why all the talk shows are Hillary, Hillary,
Obama, Obama. No one wants to talk about Gore because
they are scared shitless of him.

[Seabiscuit]

18. That's also why the corporate media ignores global warming - they're

scared shitless of Al Gore!

[Le Taz Hot]

5. These are dark times for our

country and only a great leader can help us climb out of the abyss. Though not an enthusiastic supporter in 2000 (I hated all that "handling), I'm convinced he is the only one who can successfully call on all factions of the party, of the country, and bring them together.

He is our Washington.
He is our Lincoln.
He is our Roosevelt.

Without him America is almost certainly lost and gone with it the hope of The Great Experiment -- done in by the same factions that brought down all the other great civilizations -- the predator class with the help of the religious class. That age-old unholy alliance.

[tavalon]

17. He will run

I just hope the electorate will rally around him to keep the skanks from stealing it away from him again. I figured out by watching An Inconvenient Truth that he will run. He understands the moral imperative.

[dpbrown]

6. Al Gore, we need you now.

This time, let's make sure he takes the office he won already once.

[Canuckistanian]

7. America needs Al Gore

It's that simple.

[flaminbats]

8. Al Gore or Phil Bredesen in 2008?

I believe one of these two will run in the primaries, but I doubt both will run.

I voted for Al Gore in 2000, and will probably support him if nominated in 2008. but even I don't know whether or not he will get my vote in the primaries. One candidate I will never support is Phil Bredesen, and I would actively oppose him..even if nominated!

I think Gore is an honest person with allot of potential and who lives by his morals. I wish he would fight for what he believes in, because if he did I think Gore would go down in history as one of our greatest Presidents.

[NYCGirl]

9. "I wish he would fight for what he believes in"? What the hell do you think he's

doing NOW?

[flaminbats]

10. I was extremely disappointed with Gore in 2000..

universal coverage and healthcare reform are issues which usually determine who I support in the Democratic primary. Although I voted for Al Gore in November, I supported Bill Bradley in the primaries because of his position on healthcare reform.

When I backed Gore in the nineties, I thought he backed Clinton's position on healthcare reform. But when Bradley took the more progressive stance on this in 2000, even I was surprised that Gore lost my primary vote! Too many workers have medical problems they can't afford for our party to play games on this issue. Voters should either support universal healthcare like Harry Truman did, or find another party!

And please don't misunderstand me, I want to back Al Gore...but being a Democratic Vice President isn't enough to win my support.

[SCDem]

12. That's the thing he's not just "a Democratic Vice President"

Al Gore is also initiating massive grassroots efforts through www.theclimateproject.com He is training 1,000 people on the content of "An Inconvenient Truth" and each person pledges to conduct at least 10 presentations in the next year. That's 10,000 presentations on global warming going on across the US in just one year.

The man is a true American!

Whether he runs or not (I hope he does) America is a better place because of Al Gore.

[NYCGirl]

11. KICK.

[AtomicKitten]

13. K&R

Great post, NYCGirl.

[Uncle Joe]

14. This part is interesting

"Shortly after the election, Zogby released a poll which received very little attention but ought to be required reading for every candidate and pundit as we careen towards 2008:

...a solid majority (58%) of voters agreed their elected officials "should make combating global warming a high priority." Three-quarters (75%) of Americans who voted in the mid-term elections say the "U.S. Congress should pass legislation promoting renewable and alternative energy sources as an effective way to reduce global warming pollution." <...> Global warming may have contributed to the erosion of support for Republicans among religious voters - 50 percent of Catholics identified global warming as important in their 2006 vote.

"Solid majority"? Religious voters abandoned the GOP partly over global warming? 75-percent of voters want global warming legislation?

Comparatively, "only" 54 percent of Americans want the U.S. to withdraw from Iraq (CNN poll here. Note the photo of the president's creepy black eyeballs). Imagine if the candidates had capitalized on the voter enthusiasm for global warming legislation and said just a little more about the issue in their literature and commercials. Global warming, given a little more attention, could very well have meant the difference between winning and losing.

More importantly, however, the numbers tell us that Americans gave the new Congress more than just a mandate to end the war, but also a mandate to end global warming. And much of the credit for this level of voter awareness and concern has to be given to Mr. Gore. And it goes without saying, the poll numbers seem to indicate that if Al Gore were to run for president on this issue, he'd win."

Thanks for the post NYCGirl

Kicked and recommended

[blm]

15. Any time I hear the issue brought up by a guest the corpmedia ignores it as if they

are charged with the task of keeping the discussion at a minimum. And there are too few Dems speaking to the subject and giving Gore the backup I would like to see from a united party that cares that ALL its leaders do well in the public arena. Too many just out there for their own cliques.

[Uncle Joe]

16. I believe this will change as we approach 2008

The ground has been set and time is on our side, ironically it's also against us. I believe the American People are becoming increasingly aware about this looming catastrophe and they will not be lulled to sleep by the mass corporate media again, too much water under the bridge.