I Heart Al Gore

http://www.advocate.com/exclusive_detail_ektid50359.asp

November 09, 2007
I Heart Al Gore

While listening to the former vice president discuss climate change in the backyard of a Los Angeles estate on a chilly Friday night, Advocate deputy editor Rachel Dowd suddenly realizes why the world is better off without Al Gore as president of the United States.

By Rachel Dowd
An Advocate.com exclusive posted November 9, 2007

The evening of October 5, 2007, was unseasonably cold in Los Angeles, forcing the well-heeled crowd gathering in the backyard of Michael and Jena King’s Pacific Palisades home to huddle under heat lamps. Paper lanterns swung wildly from the tree branches with every gust of ocean breeze; the lights of downtown twinkled in the distance like a Christmas village in Sweden. From time to time some brave soul would duck her head out from under the fiery halo to snatch a full glass of champagne or a crab cake. That a fund-raiser to benefit Oceana -- an organization dedicated to protecting the world’s oceans and marine life from, among other things, overfishing -- would choose seafood as an appetizer is a discussion for another time. Nourishment staves off hypothermia.

Inside, clearly the smarter place to be, the flat-screen television above the mantle showed the Boston Red Sox in the early innings of their eventual win against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim -- a win which would propel the Sox to the American League Championship Series and, ultimately, to their second World Series title. Stick with me here: After an 86-year dry spell that had marked the team as “cursed” (or for those of us who grew up in the Nation, “godforsaken losers that’ll break your heart year after year”), the Red Sox have finally unleashed the potential we always suspected they had. Much the same can be said about Al Gore, who two weeks after accepting the Partners Award at Oceana’s chilly soiree would be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in Stockholm.

Let me start by saying that I never really knew what to make of Al Gore. The vice president is by definition something of an afterthought, but VP to Bill Clinton? You may as well be the wallpaper. And then there was the 2000 election, which was punctuated with Gore's strange claims to have invented the Internet, a painfully bad makeup job during at least one debate, and an awkward attempt at a passionate kiss with Tipper. Even so, I voted for him. I threw my fists in the air when the White House was handed over to a dimwit in his place. I’ve imagined -- innumerable times -- what this country might have been under his leadership. But seeing Al Gore take the microphone seven years later confirmed that he has hit his stride outside of politics, and that’s no mistake.

Of course, it began with An Inconvenient Truth . Standing in those classrooms with his PowerPoint presentation, Al Gore taught the world to care about global warming, and in the process became his own man. Suddenly, he was a force: intelligent, charming, respectable, relaxed, someone you wanted to listen to. Without the pressure of poll numbers and party lines, he could focus on what he really wanted to do -- save the world.

snip

Bottom line is, outside of the political petri dish, Al Gore can be himself and really change the world. Thankfully for us, he’s doing just that.
~~~~~~~
He sure is. And for that, I heart him too.

I appreciated it.

:hi:

I have no problem with people wanting Gore to run, but I wish they'd at least try to be just a little substantive when an opinion that doesn't conform to "RUN AL, RUN!" is aired.

especially those who think the man a failure unless he does what they want.

"Let me start by saying that I never really knew what to make of Al Gore. The vice president is by definition something of an afterthought, but VP to Bill Clinton? You may as well be the wallpaper. And then there was the 2000 election, which was punctuated with Gore's strange claims to have invented the Internet, a painfully bad makeup job during at least one debate, and an awkward attempt at a passionate kiss with Tipper. Even so, I voted for him. I threw my fists in the air when the White House was handed over to a dimwit in his place. I’ve imagined -- innumerable times -- what this country might have been under his leadership. But seeing Al Gore take the microphone seven years later confirmed that he has hit his stride outside of politics, and that’s no mistake."

I just wonder if Rachel Dowd is related to Maureen Dowd; who did nothing but trash and slander Al Gore as well.

Someone should give Rachel a clue in to the fact that Al Gore never claimed to have invented the Internet and if you graduated from Junior High and had a grain of common sense, or integrity you would know it. Of course these "concerned journalists" don't give a rat's ass about the truth.

My observations of the 2000 race goes like this.

1. Ralph Nader attacked Al Gore from the left, often with untruth, but he had a legal right to run.

2. George Bush attacked Al Gore from the right, but so long as he didn't kill a puppy or drool on the podium, he was given a free pass by the "inbred journalists" that covered him, in spite of his obvious mistakes, lies and shortcomings as Presidential material.

3. The Clinton's shived Al Gore in the back, even though Al stood up for Bill when Bill needed him the most. Either the Clintons didn't believe in global warming or they didn't care as they would never have done this otherwise.

4. The corporate media slandered Al Gore relentlessly with the lies such as the one Miss Dowd repeats here precisely because he was the primary political champion of the Internet and who the hell likes competition when they have the whole market to themselves? They also magnified Nader's impact, and largely ignored Buchanan because they knew Nader would draw more votes from the Democratic Party and Buchanan would primarily draw from the Republicans, they were intent on enabling Bush to power by all means necessary.

P.S. Actually the kiss was a big hit and Al Gore's approval rating shot up after the Convention.

Even though I don't agree either nor do I care to spend my time rehashing the past, but I do agree about his work now which I presume is why she hearts him now after seeing him outside the system that made him put on that make up in the first place. Which was the point.

If she truly "hearts" Al Gore, good for her, but repeating slander doesn't reflect that to me. Surely you don't believe Al Gore actually claimed to have invented the Internet do you?

Or are you deliberately trying to subvert this thread from the main point that many people actually support the man's work now? So sorry it isn't the usual 'Run Al Run' recycled sound bite meme that gets to the front page here. You also know DAMN WELL I don't agree, but again, FOR ME the main point is that the more who see his passion regarding this urgent message realize that they were hoodwinked in part by a media that didn't show who he really was and a political system that didn't do him justice. Perhaps that is what this author was driving at, but of course you would never look at it that way because you and others are now intent on moving this in a totally different direction, because God forbid anyone who respects this man even think not to shake poms poms here. This is the main reason I no longer post here as much as I used to. This diversionary fingerpointing BS that is done to the op while the main point is flushed away.

whether they wanted him to run for President or not.

And stop subtly questioning my loyalty to the man. I don't appreciate it.

You did say you didn't agree with her down thread, but nothing to that effect in the O.P. I just found the title as totally misleading to it's content with no disclaimer in the O.P. to the contrary.

But then, unlike you and the rest of the groupies here I'm not here to "campaign." Perhaps when you and the others here who live in the past actually take a look at where Mr. Gore is at NOW instead of living in your timewarp you will understand that as well. And really, I don't see you and others defending him now against attacks. So just what your point? I defended it when it was revelant. But oh yes, I know, I posted this so you or some other self appointed detractor must jump on it to show that you are a better supporter because I chose to focus on the present and didn't consider it worthy at this point of arguing over the past. Maybe you should all just stick to your "polls" and leave the conversation about his current work then to those who actually support it without a political agenda attached. :eyes:

slander against Al Gore or bore false witness if you prefer.

"You may as well be the wallpaper. And then there was the 2000 election, which was punctuated with Gore's strange claims to have invented the Internet,"

I don't understand how you can believe a slanderous attack on Al Gore's credibility with the potential to brain wash a new generation of people regarding his integrity waged on Nov. 9th of this year can have any positive impact on the critical issue of global warming? Again, this has nothing to do with supporting Al Gore for President and everything to do with the truth. But if you don't give a damn about the truth so be it.

Al Gore never even remotely claimed to have invented the Internet and any mature adult familiar with the facts and common sense knows it.

http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?NewsID=1123180

dnaindia.com | India | ReportFor the latest India news on mobile sms NAT to

Al Gore to make Indians aware of climate change
Seema Guha
Monday, September 24, 2007 05:22 IST

NEW DELHI: Ex-US vice-president Al Gore will be in India in the first week of December to conduct a two-day training programme on climate change.

His aim: To educate young Indians on environment and the dangers of global warming. Al Gore hopes these youngsters will sensitise people about the dangers of climate change.

He wants the youth to carry his message to dusty towns and villages of India and make corporates aware of their responsibilities. Al Gore Foundation has tied up with The Energy Research Institute (Teri) for the programme.

Teri executive director RK Pachauri is in New York to tie up the details. “The dates have not been finalised, though it will be in the first week of December,” he said.

http://www.current.com


I'll be back with many more.