An Internet hub with domestic and international news, analysis, original reporting, and popular features from the left, center, indies, centrists, moderates, and right
Albert Gore Will Endorse Obama Tonight
Breaking news on MSNBC that former VP Albert Gore will endorse Barack Obama at a rally tonight. I’m not sure this is as big a coup now as it would have been a few months ago. Gore is one of the leaders of the hard left in the Democratic party and Obama is pretty solid with that faction.
I suspect Gore has timed his endorsement to make sure Obama stays ‘in line’ on the war issue rather than temper his views for the general election.
Had Clinton won the nomination a Gore endorsement would have helped solidify those upset over her views on the Iraq war but I am not sure it will really help Obama.
opinions powered by SendLove.to
7 Responses to “Albert Gore Will Endorse Obama Tonight”
Albert?!
Hard left?
We're not all speaking the same English language.
runasim, if there is one thing I've learned on a couple years of TMV, it's that we all think we are moderate no matter what our political views are, right, left, or loony. Everyone else is judged with ourselves as the standard. This is not a knock on Patrick as virtually everyone seems to think this way (including myself).
I agree with Patrick that the Gore endorsement will have little impact outside of self-confessed progressives. However, as a continuing bid to unify the Democratic Party, it helps. There are likely many Clinton supporters who respect Gore, and it might influence a few of those who remain tepid about Obama.
Gore's opinion also does have an impact on people who are not generally left but who feel strongly about environmental issues, of which there are many. Younger evangelicals come to mind. This might have a slight impact on that group, but probably most would have gone for Obama anyway if the environment is their primary voting issue.
Well perhaps I should have phrased it better but what I meant was that Gore is pretty far to the left with the anti-war crowd. I define hard left in the Democratic party as being the Kos/D Underground/Huffington Post crowd.
Note it is hard left wing of the Democrats, not neccesarily the hard left of the overall spectrum.
It comes close at times to the hard left (true radical fringe).
With Gore you have someone notorious for extremism who isn't anti-war like the anti-war nuts but appeals to the same kind of extremism and lunacy demonstrated so often about environmentalism as we've seen with the anti-war “another Vietnam, another glorious [sic], honorable [sic], morally superior [sic], righteous [sic] anti-US agitation.” We see similar lunacy with global warming, “climate change,” or whatever the next buzz phrase will be.
Gore endorses Obama — Sinatra gives a testimonial for Elvis on a stage surrounded by groupies. The starry-eyed celebrity-and-smile-and-razzle-dazzle crowd and the hard-core anti-war and nuttier enviros will go crazy over this.
What's more interesting is to speculate what role Gore would have in an Obama administration. (Same for Edwards.) VP? Probably not. Secretary of the Interior? Could be. A new Cabinet-level Department of the Environment [gag] to be filled by none other than (older-than-Obama, and bringing celebrity political EXPERIENCE to the administration) PC celebrity Al Global Warming Gore? Why not?
“Albert?!”
That's the official name that we'll start seeing and hearing, of the new Cabinet-level Secretary of the Environment if idealism combines with utility.
Patrick,
It would really be helpful if people of one politicial persuasion would mingle a little with those of another.
You mention 'hard left' and Daily Kos as if they were synonyms and then, as if those terms described a bloc of people in agreement across a broad spectrum of issues.
I've opposed the war since before it was launched, adjust my opinion or am unsure about it as I go along, but I assure you, I read Kos no more than once or twice a year. Most people I know on the 'left' only know what Daily Kos is up to by reading right-wing blogs. .
We, on the left, are not a many bodied monster with one head., not even when it comes to the war.
i read quite a few right-wing blogs, and among them, I discern differences. The one thing they all seem to share, however, is a passion for labeling. Far left, Hard left Few people on the left know what those terms mean.
And I'm not atypical. Every single person I know who is not-conservative feels the same way. We don't rah-rah every decision by the Democrats in Congress; We argue about it. We vote across party lines at times I wouldn't even know I was 'left' if I weren't so labeled every time I disagree with a conservative. Not everyone thinks in terms of labels or cares to group masses of individuals under those labels.
The trouble is, when you say so-and-so is 'hard left' I have to do a lot of homework: chechikng out that person's history, figuring out to what policies that might pertain, trying to figure out how the Right might label his opinions.
It would make my life,much easier if I knew what it is about Gore that makes him 'hard left in your opinion. '. The war? Climate change? .Those are pretty centrist these days, even among some Republicans.
For the sake of communicating, could you be so kind as to be more specific about what you mean by your labels? Otherwise, it's hard to understand your posts.