Huff Post: Al Gore Overcomes the Fear Factor, Hillary Succumbs

[Pirate Smile]

Al Gore Overcomes the Fear Factor, Hillary Succumbs

by Arianna Huffington

READ MORE: 2006, Hillary Clinton, 2008, Al Gore, Global Warming

Last night, I attended the premiere of An Inconvenient Truth, the powerful new global warming documentary featuring an impassioned and surprisingly humorous Al Gore.

After the screening, as I watched him interact with well-wishers, accepting congratulations and answering questions, he radiated commitment and confidence. Here was a man truly comfortable in his own skin.

And it got me thinking how unlike his old self -- and the vast majority of our would-be leaders -- he has become. I'm talking about the timid, walking-on-eggshells, pusillanimous poltroons that dominate modern politics.

They are Beltway versions of the Cowardly Lion of Oz, driven by the fear of saying the wrong thing (wouldn't want to give the other side ammo for the inevitable attack ad), of offending someone (anyone!), of going out on a limb (the branches of government get a little shaky out there). And, the Wickedest Bitch of them all, the fear of having a giant red "Loser" stamped on their foreheads and their resumes.

Just before I'd left for the screening, I'd read about a new ad campaign timed to coincide with the Gore film, calling into question the message of the film and, by extension, the messenger. The ads were put together by the Competitive Enterprise Institute, a group funded by ExxonMobil, General Motors, and Ford. No discernable corporate agenda there! (I'm well acquainted with the attack dog nature of the CEI; they're the ones who also tried to undermine The Detroit Project).

Gore isn't running for office, and already the negative campaigning has begun. This is what anyone who takes a stand faces these days -- politics as demolition derby -- and why so many politicians operate out of fear. But when I asked Gore about it, he was unfazed.

More at link:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/arianna-huffington/al-gore-overcomes-the-fea_b_21191.html

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[BrklynLiberal]

1. Great article. Thanks for posting.

[durrrty libby]

2. I hope Al gets the calling for 08.

His film is already getting plenty of attention.

Big Oil spending bucks to poo poo global warming claims.

This link shows their ad campaign. A must see.

“Carbon dioxide…they call it pollution…we call it life”

http://streams.cei.org/

[Uncle Joe]

3. Thanks for posting Pirate Smile, but it would be nice,

if some of these pundits might come out and also acknowledge their own complicity in deceiving the American People as to the type of man Al Gore was. I guess the best they can do is just say Al Gore has changed and this alleviates their own conscious.

The Daily Howler has been running a nice series on their behavior toward Al.

[durrrty libby]

4. Uncle Joe....................What is The Howler? n/t

[Uncle Joe]

5. Thanks for asking durrrty libby, here is a link.

http://dailyhowler.com/

When you go to their site, you can google "War Against Gore" or "2000 debates" for a nice comprehensive refresher on our press corps conduct in enabling Bush to power.

Take care and have a good night.

:hi:

[calmblueocean]

7. Gosh, this Howler piece is excellent.

Thanks for posting it.

[IndyOp]

6. DU Your DUty - Watch "Unseen Al Gore Campaign Video" at Youtube

It is *wonderful* -- :bounce:

Unseen Al Gore Campaign Video

[lildreamer316]

8. Exactly EXACTLY.

Thanks for posting. Nailhead; meet hammer.

[Usrename]

9. I guess I never drank the kool-aide.

”And it got me thinking how unlike his old self -- and the vast majority of our would-be leaders -- he has become. I'm talking about the timid, walking-on-eggshells, pusillanimous poltroons that dominate modern politics.”

“I couldn't help but flash on the stiff, robotic Gore of the 2000 campaign. You could smell the fear on the Gore of 2000.”

I always saw Big Al as the smartest guy in the pack, and the strongest. It is amazing how effective the Rove machine was in turning him into a caricature of a human being. They are very good at that.