Al Gore’s Comments: Does This Mean He’s REALLY Running Or REALLY Not Running?
Has Al Gore stuck his foot in his mouth or has he articulated a view that even some Republicans may be privately saying? YOU decide:
Al Gore has made his sharpest attack yet on the George Bush presidency, describing the current US administration as “a renegade band of rightwing extremists”.In an interview with the Guardian today, the former vice-president clls himself a “recovering politician”, but launches into the political fray more explicitly than he has previously done during his high-profile campaigning on the threat of global warming.
Denying that his politics have shifted to the left since he lost the court battle for the 2000 election, Mr Gore says: “If you have a renegade band of rightwing extremists who get hold of power, the whole thing goes to the right.”
But he claims he does not “expect to be a candidate” for president again, while refusing explicitly to rule out another run. Asked if any event could change his mind, he says: “Not that I can see.”
He made the comments while promoting his critically acclaimed movie “An Inconvenient Truth” at something called the “Guardian Hay Festival” but it doesn’t sound like he was horsing around. So now the questions become:
Was he making such an unusually blunt statement because he truly DOES want to run (despite what he says) or because he knows he isn’t? Was it smart — or political crazy?
Various reports say he truly does not want to run. And, certainly, the bluntness of these comments would slice off many cross-over votes he might need if he decides to run.
On the other hand, you do (despite what some commentors on this site may say) find many Republicans as you travel this country that are concerned over this administration. They feel it has has focused on pleasing the “new” conservative base versus the older Goldwater/Reagan conservatives. Just as many Democrats on the left feel alienated by the DLC’s strong influence on the direction of their party, there are some Republicans who feel their party has veered either too far to the right or away from traditional conservative tenets.
So Gore may be saying aloud what others are whispering….which, as refreshing as it is, still may not be a plus for someone who needs broad-based support if they wish to run for the highest office in the land. If that’s what he really wants to do…
13 Responses to “Al Gore’s Comments: Does This Mean He’s REALLY Running Or REALLY Not Running?”
Dailyhowler.com
would be the destination of anyone interested in the media smear of
Gore. Huge archive on this topic since 1999,
I stumbled across it recently, and it is funny, informative, and insightful.
So Medicare Part D and No Child Left Behind are extreme right wing programs? Has Al forgotten that his administration reformed Welfare? Who needs to smear this guy when all you have to do is quote him?
I didn’t think the whole medicare Part D was particularly successful. Costs to seniors, implementation. A maze of choices, costs to taxpayers. I thought, and I could be wrong here, but the arm twisting required to get the bill through, I’d question how good it was for the masses that use it.
I can’t comment on No Child left behind, its a good idea, but from what I’ve seen so far, its impacts won’t really be known for another few years.
But those are only two items, how about some additional ones that are broad and the whole country gets a benefit from?
I think our party is most effective as the outsiders fighting for the rights of our people and flag from the lefties, however i dont think that al gore is a liberal, i believe he will serve our interests better than george bush or the other likley candidates on the 08 ticket. Global warming is real and is an incredible threat to humanity which george bush has ignored because he is trying to protect “big oil” this gives our party a bad name is not helping the rest of us middle class americans. IF Alren Specter runs ill sure vote for him, he will stand up to anyone and has tonnes of integrity
Whether they were successful or not is completely beside the point. Medicare D and NCLB are both populist, classic left programs. Reforming Welfare was a classic right, individual responsibility move.
Yet, according to Al, the Bush administration are the “renegade band of right-wing extremists.” Pay no attention to the ‘inconvenient truth’ of their record vs. his record.
I would say that trying to amend the Constitution to ban gay marriage, cutting taxes without reducing spending, and interfering in a private legal matter over the right to die are fairly extreme positions on the right side of the political spectrum.
Brian, that after almost six years Medicare D and NCLB are the only two things you can bring up to counter Gore’s comment speaks for itself. And they both have major problems. Medicare D has that $3,600 gap coverage and NCLB doesn’t make sure that children are learning, it makes sure children’s scores are high enough. My teacher friends, both liberal and conservatives, tell me that NCLB is more of a hindrance than help.
But more on point, I don’t think Gore’s going to run. Or if he does, it won’t be a conventional campaign. Stategically, an ambiguous response at this time helps bring more attention to his documentary and book.
“Yet, according to Al, the Bush administration are the “renegade band of right-wing extremists.” Pay no attention to the ‘inconvenient truth’ of their record vs. his record.”
His record doesn’t anger the average american, but Bush’s seems to anger many people now doesn’t it? Why you ask? Because Bush has been running the country into a black hole of stupidity for the last 5+ years, so there is no cover for him anymore by saying “look at so and so’s record”, there is no comparison to Bush’s record it’s so bad now.
I prefer logic based ideas, and with that in mind, yes the Bush administration is a band of far-right extremists with a major authoritarian bent, running cover for corporate interests. The medicare mess they have made is cover for big pharma, and insurance companies to reap major profit, and taxpayers expense. Otherwise we’d be allowed to buy obviously safe drugs from Canada, and insurance companies wouldn’t be jacking up their prices at the level we currently see.
And btw, Canadian drugs are safe, otherwise we’d be hearing how they are dying from them by now. It’s just cover for big campaign donors.
NCLB is an ill-conceived disaster.
NCLB is an underfunded mandate-more of a way to bully teachers and administrators into raising scores. Even special ed students’ scores are counted. I think the gov’t needs to consult teachers on the best way to educate our kids, instead of imposing mandates.
The Medicare drug benefit was too complicated and confusing for our seniors, and didn’t cover many medications that were direly necessary.
I agree with PYST-the GWB administration has been an unmitigated disaster. Unless you’re a recipient of his generous tax cuts or no bid contracts he’s done nothing for you but whittle away your civil rights and involve you in a Middle East quagmire that our children and grandchildren will still be fighting and paying for. Clinton and Gore ruled responsibly. But after all, they weren’t put into office by James Dobson, Pat Robertson, Jerry Falwell, and Ralph Reed
The fact that someone can come out with Medicare D and NCLB yet still be branded a right-wing extremist speaks much more loudly.
Right wing extremism as shown by Bush is correctly labeled Brian.
Since right wing extremism is often partied with corporate favortism, and Med-D is obviously corporate protectionism/kick backs. And NCLB is set up to allow for private relgious schooling to gain fed funding, yes this is right wing extremism in action at a high level.
My bad Brian, I forgot to add right wing extremism also parties itself with religious social engineers of the extreme right as well. And yes we are seeing that quite clearly with NCLB, and it’s underfunding, but funding for private religious groups with taxpayer money. A big no-no for a theocracy, but par for course in places like Iran.
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TITLE: Will He? Won’t He?
BLOG NAME: Pajamas Media
Joe Gandelman @ The Moderate Voice wonders whether Al Gore’s London comments on the Bush administration (“If you have a renegade band of rightwing extremists who get hold of power, the whole thing goes to the right”) means he wants…
PING:
TITLE: Fly him to the moon …
BLOG NAME: Sister Toldjah
Where he can join the rest of the enraged moonbats:
Al Gore has made his sharpest attack yet on the George Bush presidency, describing the current US administration as “a renegade band of rightwing extremists”.
In an interview with the Guar…