Al Gore apparently turned up at a meeting of Grover Norquist's "Wednesday Group" meeting to discuss Global Warning. The Corner @ National Review had surprisingly favorable coverage:
http://corner.nationalreview.com/06_01_01_corner-archive.asp#085951IS IT APRIL 1? (Kathryn Jean Lopez)
Blackberrys are buzzing from Grover Norquist's off-the-record weekly D.C. meeting. I'm hearing unconfirmed talk that Al Gore walked into the meeting moments ago.
I'm skeptical though because everytime I am at a D.C. right-wing event I think Ted Turner is in the room--of course it is always his right-wing look-a-like.
Posted at 10:30 AM
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GORE (John J. Miller)
For a moment, let's set aside the content of his speech on global warming. We can get to that later. Aren't you just a little bit impressed that Gore would try to talk to conservatives at the Wednesday meeting? I am. It shows guts, courage of convictions, and an optimism about how calm discussion among reasonable people can achieve good results.
Okay, now back to our regularly scheduled programming. I eagerly await a report on precisely what he said.
Posted at 11:36 AM
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GORE AT GROVER'S (Kathryn Jean Lopez)
I'm hearing postive things. A little surprise he would, in fact, meet with the VRWC. But also some seemed to genuinely like the guy--albeit having low expectations. As one put it in an e-mail to me just now, the Al Gore he expected was not the one he experienced: "The strutting, lecturing, bad combination of machismo and kindergarten teacher was entirely absent."
Posted at 01:14 PM
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BUT WE'VE ALWAYS HAD A THING FOR GORE (Kathryn Jean Lopez)
As one wag reminded me earlier: The Right did, essentially, work to make him president around 1998.
Posted at 01:15 PM
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A THING FOR GORE (Jonah Goldberg)
It's also worth remembering that Gore was essentially the Joe Lieberman of the Democrats in 1988. I remember having lunch with Bill Rusher back then (I was in college) and even he said that Gore was the most sensible of the lot (i.e. Democratic presidential candidates). Since then, of course, Gore went a little bonkers. But, it shouldn't surprise anyone that he can talk the talk when he needs to (and the cameras aren't on).
Posted at 01:37 PM
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GORE AT GROVER'S (Steve Hayward)
Indeed, the former Vice President did turn up at Grover's Wednesday Group meeting, apparently at his own request, to give an abbreviated version of his global warming presentation. As Grover's meetings are off-the-record, I won't relay any of Gore specific remarks (beyond repeating what I think he'd want Cornerites to hear--that global warming and the potential harm it may do to the planet should be recognized as a moral challenge by everyone, especially conservatives). But I think I can stay within the rules to make a few general observations about the experience.
First, Gore was funny, relaxed, and self-effacing, and he was received by the Group with the utmost politeness and courtesy, as it should be. John Miller is right to praise the guy for seeking to meet with a group of people not one of whom likely voted for him. His Powerpoint presentation on global warming was superbly done--the best I have ever seen either on this or any topic. (He has some dazzling graphics, and uses Powerpoint as it ought to be used.)
Gore took on all comers for about 25 minutes after the speech, and I thought most of his responses were not strong. He graciously acknowledged the merits of good points and some challenges put to him (including two from me, if I can boast a bit). But most of his answers, I thought, sounded like canned bits of the rest of his speech that he left out, and he didn't, with few exceptions, join the fundamental premises at the heart of the questions. He also is not up to date on a few aspects of the climate change debate, but this is entirely forgiveable in my mind because it is almost impossible to keep up with this fast-moving scene.
Above all, Gore the practical politician may have come to realize something the environmental movement is resolutely clueless about: there can be no serious progress on any environmental issues without the participation of conservatives, for the obvious reason that the conservative movement is a potent force that is not going away any time soon. And with most other foreign conservative parties having joined the green/global warming bandwagon to some extent, this leaves the American conservative movement as the most significant remaining holdout. Most environmentalists want to demonize conservatives; Gore says he wants to talk to us. Good for him.
One final observation: I got the impression, simply from body language and maybe even a facial tic, that Gore doesn't much like Hillary Clinton.
Posted at 01:39 PM
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GORE (Kathryn Jean Lopez)
My inbox is revolting at the Gore Lovefest. One guy who was there remarks: "as to John Miller's granting of courage, I'll give him a little I suppose, kind of like the base score everyone gets for signing their name on the SAT."
Posted at 01:52 PM
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FOR THE RECORD (Jonah Goldberg)
I do not believe any of my comments about Gore can be described as in the vicinity of a "lovefest." I cannot stand Al Gore. I think he's an arrogant demagogue who compounds his sins because he pretty clearly understands that much of his schtick is an act for the people he obviously considers rubes. It is inconceivable that Gore would treat an intellectually inconvenient question on global warming as a legitimate question if the cameras were on.
Posted at 02:06 PM
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MORE GORE (John J. Miller)
To anybody who thinks The Corner is engaged in a Gore lovefest: Geez o'Pete! I hereby challenge you to attend a NARAL meeting, deliver a speech on the sanctity of life, and take questions for 25 minutes. We can go on and on and on about Gore--I think he may yet run for president, trying to get to Hillary's left on the war--but I give the guy points for what he did this morning.
Posted at 02:11 PM
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Okay :crazy:
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