Al Gore and politics

Posted by David Roberts at 4:40 PM on 31 May 2007

Read more about: Al Gore | politics

When the inevitable question came -- his intentions about 2008 -- he said politics "rewards a tolerance for artifice, repetition, triviality that I don't have in as great supply as I might have had when I was younger."

...

"I think there are a lot of things about politics as it has evolved that I'm not really that good at," he said. "Some people find out earlier in their lives that they're not good at what they've chosen to do." He interjected a self-deprecating laugh. Then he turned serious again. "And I'm not being falsely humble. I think there are some things I do quite well. ... There are a lot of things about the political system that I don't enjoy, and I think those are mostly the same things that I don't think I'm necessarily good at."

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Meet the New Gore...

I hate to be a cynic. Gore has almost single-handedly brought GW to world attention.

But ... I had a quick look at the "Assault on Reason". I could find nothing critical about corporations. (It's not mentioned in the Index.) There was the occassional platitude about growing concentration of power and money.

I did find out he is chairman of a sustainable investing firm, on the board of Apple, and a senior advisor to Google.

Me thinks, this is all very consistent with his time in office (and thus things would be barely different today, environmental-wise, if he was President). I think he actually believes in corporations as the only economic form worth considering.

Please tell me I'm wrong.

by Colin Wright at 8:50 PM on 31 May 2007

Gore re-visited

I am not sure about whether you are right or wrong about Al Gore being excessively pro-business. However... how many visible leaders speak coherently about both the scientific issues and risks involved with global warming, but also about the personal side, the sacrifice or changes needed? I don't know any others.

I heard Mr. Gore on the radio yesterday, talking about his new book. Aside from chuckling too much (as if to diffuse his very serious words with humor, a touch I felt was very unnecessary), his words ring true. It seems to me that the fact he respects businesses as players in creating the future is a good thing. Al Gore is capable of talking to all parties, and while keeping his eyes opened does not immediately reject one side or the other. To build the future, we do need everyone's participation, after all.

David Alexander
PlanetThoughts.org
Love your Planet.

by planetthoughts at 3:15 AM on 01 Jun 2007

Is Al Gore muddy?

From John F. Harris's Politico piece:
<<
Democrats plainly like the current incarnation of Al Gore.

That was evident minutes after the Tuesday night interview, when he received a roaring ovation from a full house at George Washington University's Lisner Auditorium, where the popular Washington bookstore Politics & Prose was hosting a lecture and signing for "The Assault on Reason."

But if Gore is more intriguing and more sympathetic to many liberals than he was in 2000, that may in part be because he remains tantalizingly out of reach. Gore is most fluent when the conversation is most abstract. When it comes to particulars of contemporary politics -- the push and shove of daily news -- he turns vague and muddy.
>>

That may be true, but I think it is unfair to expect more of Al right now.

On the other hand, the conservative columnist Howard Fineman writes in the June 4 Newsweek:
<<
Gore is a deep-dyed Democrat [the context is his refusing to consider an independent campaign with Michael Bloomberg as his running-mate]; the real question is whether he will be a late entrant for the party nomination. He is "50-50," according to one of his closest friends and financial backers. ... Gore is all the rage among corporate executives, who see wisdom -- and profits -- in going green, and who appreciate Gore's prescience. "Al has set this up so he can jump either way in the fall," said the close friend. "If there is an opening, I say he goes."
>>

So are the corporate executives the ones whose voice matters most to Al?

Chickens deserve our true friendship! So do fish! So do other sentient beings! Let us learn to be kind.

by caniscandida at 7:12 AM on 01 Jun 2007

iron stomach

How can a good man/woman stomach the rotten meat that is politics? Money rules our system of government, and anyone who speaks contrary to the ideals of unlimited growth and profit motive will be ruthlessly attacked and beaten into the ground. If the system is to change, it will have to happen slowly, and in the face of clear and present danger. This is why there is so much denial of climate change- it is a big enough threat to force change. Now if only we can find a good candidate with an iron gut- Al's reluctance tells me he's too good for the job.

a liberal in redsville

by birdboy at 10:58 AM on 01 Jun 2007

Energy Industry Executives have paid good money

Energy Industry Executives have paid good money to smear Al Gore. While Al says he is not good at politics, he is way better than his critics. Al came out of the wilderness last Spring with his movie, and he has been as hot as a pistol since. The Right hates Al because he has a rational voice. The Left has Al because he is practical in the way he wants to find solutions to our problems. The American people like Al because he is a rare politician who actually says what he thinks without worrying about the political consequences. like Winston Churchill, Al is a leader for a crisis. He articulates a profound concern, and could probide leadership through the resolution of the crisis. Once the crisis is over, A;'s flaws will come into play, and the voters won't want him around, just as the British turned Churchill out of office in 1945, as soon as the war was over.

Charles Barton

by Charles Barton at 11:07 AM on 01 Jun 2007
[ Parent ]

The Persistence of Memory

Interesting man.

I wonder - why don't people believe the same things Albert does?

Albert obviously believes that human caused global warming ideas are meaningless and without validity. This is evident from his behavior, of course, not his words. It is obvious he doesn't believe the idea at all, and maybe you shouldn't either!

If you admire him, why not follow his lead? I do.

by MilesDuvalier at 7:02 PM on 01 Jun 2007

ADVERTISING POLICY

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