So Al, You Gonna Run?

[MelissaB]

So Al, You Gonna Run?

Al Gore gave a great speech.

It was the speech of his life. He made the case against the administration and for America. He spoke simply and boldly. He took positions that were clear and without equivocation.

It was a speech that everyone should have heard but few did. It was a speech that should have been widely covered, well reported, and repeated via the media everywhere it could go.

It was not widely broadcast, it was not well covered, it was not widely reported.

...snip

How do does Gore achieve standing? The answer is obvious. He must start running for president.

A person credibly and seriously running for president is someone who will, if he wins, get to implement the things he has spoken of. Therefore, he is someone who needs to be listened to, whose words need to be reported.

Al Gore may not want to run for president. He is among the few people on earth who knows how hard it is and how heartbreaking it is to lose – and worse – to win and have it stolen from him.

The last time he ran there was no apparent reason to do so, except that he had ambition and it was something he was more or less born to do, like a Kennedy, a Roosevelt and a Bush. Now there is a reason to run. Because he has enunciated a set of principles and ideas to run on. Because America needs to hear what he has to say. Because no one else of standing and stature has come forward to say it.

If he doesn’t have the stomach for it, well then, it was a nice speech, glad he made it, but I’m sorry he doesn’t really care enough to make a difference. But frankly, I hope he does care enough. We don’t need fence straddlers, we don’t need a Democan or Republicrat, we don’t need a more sensible Bush and a Cheney with compassion. Which is to say, we don’t need Hillary Clinton or John Kerry. We need a person of clear conviction. Who has reasons to run, besides, “I wanna be president.” Al Gore has just established himself as that man.


Link: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/larry-beinhart/so-al-you-gonna-run_b_14371.html

[MelissaB]

1. .

:patriot:

[Zinfandel]

5. Not a fucking chance! You get beat up with elec. voting machines, once...

...why in the fuck do it again?

Since they have at least ten times more of those republican machines all around the good old USA!!!!

[MelissaB]

11. I can't argue with that.

I'd just like to see this man or someone like him become president.

[madokie]

12. Me Too

the man just drips of honesty, integrity, common sense and intelligence not to mention leadership

[mdmc]

24. you fight the fights that need fighting

not just the ones that you know you can win. We need someone!

[Zinfandel]

30. I wish the spineless Dems would agree with what you say & FILIBUSTER!!!

[kurth]

2. This is one Democrat who deserves to be president

and who will be respected and admired throughout the world.

[PinkyisBlue]

3. He is the true President of the USA.

Compare his character to that of Bush's. There's no comparison.

[trogdor]

4. REc'd

Pleeeeeeeeeeeease, Al. Run for President again. I promise I'll work harder than ever before to help out. Need me in Ohio? I'm there. Just throw that hat in the ring.

[mdmc]

25. nice site...

I think that Gore got a lot of props when he backed Dean in 2004. Courage!

[Kurovski]

6. K&R.

In regard to running for president:

"If he doesn’t have the stomach for it, well then, it was a nice speech, glad he made it, but I’m sorry he doesn’t really care enough to make a difference."

Now there's a challenge for you.

[MelissaB]

10. I've got to think he's thinking about it.

How about it Mr. Gore? Want to be drafted?

[Admiral Loinpresser]

46. Gore is thinking about it, here's how we know...

Roy Neel is talking about it in positive terms. See the cite and quote below.

Why is this so significant? Because Neel was Gore's Chief of Staff in the White House and Congress. He is in his inner circle. Believe me when I say that if Gore were not considering a run, Neel definitely wouldn't give the New York Observer such a quote.

http://www.observer.com/20060130/20060130_Ben_Smith_pageone_coverstory1.asp

“What has happened in Hollywood and around the country is, everybody who sees his presentation on global warming is just blown away—and it isn’t a real reach to think that he represents real vision and leadership in the White House, as opposed to what we have now,” said Roy Neel, a longtime senior aide to Mr. Gore who is still close to the former Vice President. Mr. Neel added that Mr. Gore has told him he isn’t running for President now—though Mr. Neel also said that “he would certainly be my candidate if he ran, and I think he’d make a hell of a President.

“It’s no surprise that people spend a little time with him, get enthusiastic and say, ‘Damn! He’d make one fine President.’”

[milkyway]

7. Gore/Feingold '08.

[IronLionZion]

48. Yes! I support that ticket!

The only negative would be that we're losing Feingold as a terrific libertarian Senator.

[BigYawn]

8. Gore/Clark 2008

[druidity33]

13. Gore/Kerry '08

Would JK play second fiddle? How about a Co-Presidency?

[tinrobot]

16. I kinda like that...

Two people who've had the presidency stolen from them.

Hopefully, they'll have the spine to stand up for true election reform.

[BigYawn]

50. Clark brings a lot of gravitas in post 911 world than

anti-viet-nam hero Kerry.

[lukasahero]

18. I'll second that one! eom

[indie_voter]

19. Ditto!! n/t

[drfresh]

51. Brilliant! -nt

[OneBlueSky]

9. he should run, and renounce any and all corporate money . . .

then he'll be free to speak the truth, and concerned Americans will provide all the non-corporate money he needs . . .

[AuntiBush]

14. I Wish To God Gore Would Run

Please, someone... hammer this home to him. I'm with Larry Beinhart.

[meganmonkey]

15. As long as Lieberman isn't his running mate again

I am all for it!

[Mme. Defarge]

17. He HAS to run ...

because when I retire next year I plan to work on his campaign!

You just don't give a speech like the one he gave last week and then say "never mind".

[quiet.american]

20. Well, I don't think Gore used the phrase "recovering politician" this time

I've had the tremendous pleasure of attending most of the speeches Al Gore has given since 2001. At each of them, in some sense, he referred to himself as a "recovering politician." I haven't reviewed the footage of his latest speech again, but I don't recall him using those words this time around. So.... who knows!

[Uncle Joe]

37. "Recovering politician"

is a good sign to me. It just means he will be passionate about politics for life and could be tempted to fall off the wagon. It is too early now to commit, before the 2006 elections.

[quiet.american]

39. Aye. :) n/t

[Javaman]

21. I would love to hear Al say after he is reelected, ...

"what was those last 8 years about", then shrug comically.

Please run Mr. Gore, the nation needs you.

[unschooler]

53. The WORLD needs you, Al!

Or should I say "Mr. President"? :kick:

[byronius]

22. HELP US AL! Gore/Boxer? Gore/Clark? Gore? Just Gore?

Pleeeeeeeeeezzzzzzzzzzzzz!!!!!

[babsbunny]

36. Gore/Clinton

[mdmc]

23. Gore 2008

let me read that article, Willis!

[samhsarah]

26. He HAS to run....

As of this moment in time, he is this torn, divided, tattered once great nation's only hope and he knows it. Whether it was on his list of things to do or not, he will do it. If my son gets sick and needs to go to the hospital, I may have other things that I had planned to do, but it doesn't matter anymore. What matters is that he needs me, and I need to come through for him. Al Gore will come through for this country. However painful 2000 was, all the people that worked their butts off for him, protested for him, cried for him, he will never forget that. That's just my gut feeling. I hope my gut is right.

[Uncle Joe]

38. I agree samhsarah and New Orleans

was one of the latest and greatest examples of his commitment and caring for the American People. Al Gore is only human, but he is one of the best on the planet.

[crispini]

27. It would be a beautiful, poetic thing

to see Al Gore reinvent himself as the firey believer we know he is and run and WIN in a landslide.

[Max Cherry]

28. RUN AL RUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I think he could win in '06

[NYCGirl]

29. Uh, the presidential race is in '08. NT

[leftstreet]

31. Maybe Al should run in 08 as an Independent.

Show the anti-filibuster Dems what's really happening.

http://www.fairvote.org/irv/end_majority_rule.htm

Polls reveal a steadily rising growth in independent voters and support for creation of a third party. A Gallup poll in August 1995 showed that 62% of Americans favored "formation of a third political party that would run candidates for President, Congress and state offices against the Republican and Democratic candidates." The support for such a third party increased steadily the younger the voting age group, with 18-29-year-olds favoring formation of a third party by a lopsided 72%-18% margin. Gallup also found that the proportion of voters calling themselves independents had doubled since 1940 to its current 39%

[bunkerbuster1]

32. forget it--an incumbent VP who loses, and comes back 8 yrs later?

America would NEVER elect a man under those circumstances. So just give up, Al.

[ronnykmarshall]

33. Uh ...... Richard Nixon did it.

Lost in 1960 and ran in 1968 and won.

[bunkerbuster1]

44. I guess people aren't in the mood for a little levity

obviously, we DID wind up having Nixon "to kick around."

I'm hoping Gore thinks about how put-a-fork-in-him-done Nixon was thought to be, before he geared up and won in 1968. But then maybe that's not the most wonderful role model for a guy to have.

Anyway, it's been done, and Gore can most certainly do it as well.

[Fenris]

34. Wow.

:wow:

[ronnykmarshall]

35. I hear ya,

:smoke:

[WI_DEM]

40. Nixon is the obvious case

And Gore did even better than Nixon did. Nixon lost the popular vote where Gore won the popular vote (and electoral vote, if all the votes were counted). Even if Illinois had switched from Kennedy to Nixon--JFK still would have had the electoral vote.

[bunkerbuster1]

43. Jeez, do I gotta use the sarcasm emotithingie?

come on people. give a brotha a little credit...

[ThomWV]

41. Al Gore - Once and Future President

He has my vote in the Election, but more importantly he will have my full support - to any extent necessary including full time work - during his campaign.

[autorank]

42. So Al, Please Run

http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0601/S00122.htm

" But no President since the Civil War has been accused by a former Vice President or President of deliberately trying to end Constitutional rule through the unlawful accumulation of power; trying to impose tyranny on the people of the United States.

It was a remarkable speech that will send shockwaves across the political spectrum for years to come."

[Usrename]

45. Yes, he should run now.

For a house seat on an impeachment platform. Take back the house, elect him speaker, impeach, and voila, Gore for President 2006. I like it. He bleeds red, white, and blue.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=2113039&mesg_id=2113427

[IronLionZion]

47. Al Gore is the worst president in the history of the United States.

The nerve of that guy. The people of this country elected him to be our president but he hasn't shown up for work yet. ;)

j/k

oh man, do you know how much better our nation would be if he was our pres. instead of *. Damn!

[Borgnine]

49. Al Gore is the most inspiring politician out there today.

Kerry, Clinton, and others can make me cheer from time to time... but Al Gore is the only one I think I'd trust with my life.

He's grown into something else entirely since getting screwed in 2000, and god DAMN does he get it. I was heartbroken when he didn't run in 2004, but I understand why he didn't. 2008? I'll understand again if he chooses not to, but he's still light years ahead of any of the other possible contenders.

Within Al Gore are all the best traits of latter-day RFK (empathy and understanding), Howard Dean (firey passion), and now even Bill Clinton (a captivating speaker). He has the experience, he has the drive, and he has a purpose besides a sense of entitlement.

I can't think of anybody else better suited to rescue us from the grip of fascism.

[autorank]

52. I like this thread so much, I can't stand it!

http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0601/S00122.htm
Do it Al!

Great Post....already RECOMMENDED