Herewith, the Top Ten reasons why Al Gore should be the Democrats’ nominee

[understandinglife]

... in 2008.

10: My dad, the Midwestern bellwether, thinks Al Gore can win.

9. Gore doesn’t pander to the religious vote, and he has forcefully and eloquently spoken out about separation of church and state.

8. He is courageous. Gore has consistently called the current administration out on its radical agenda, extremism and criminality.

7. By 2008, energy conservation will be an American obsession, not just with the so-called liberal “elite.” Gore, the public conservationist, drew ridicule talking about it in the days of petrol plenty, sounds pretty smart now.

<clip>

1 through 6, and further insights can be found in Nina Burleigh's

For additional context, I recommend everyone read the excellent essay by Steve Soto entitled

I've begun to think that Vice President Gore may be the one Democratic leader who can provide the creative guidance and passion needed to address the broad spectrum of challenges confronting America - not the least of which is coalescing those who are repulsed by both the Republican party and many "Beltway Dems."

I happen to have a very high regard for Senator Feingold, Gov Dean, Gen Clark, Rep Conyers, Senator Kerry, and others, as those of you who read my posts know.

So, my statement about VP Gore is not a denigration of any of those very fine folk. It is my simple-minded approach to the growing awareness among millions of Americans that their survival and their environment are nearing extinction because of big oil and their military-industrial corporate partners.

VP Gore will soon be addressing much of that reality in on the "big screen" and may will be able to build momentum not only for a House and Senate Democratic takeover in 2006, but the return of sane, intelligent and moral leadership to the White House in Jan., 2009.


Never Forget: George W. Bush willfully violated National Security to cover-up his willful launch of a war of aggression and illegal occupation of Iraq.

[understandinglife]

1. #1. He actually was elected President. If international election monitors

... had been running the show in 2000, imagine how different the world would look today.

I assure you, thousands of Iraqi citizens would have no difficulty with that imagining how different their world would look today - as well as the several thousand American families whose members are either dead or maimed because of Bush's illegal imperialism.


Peace.

[troubleinwinter]

23. Yes, he was. And #2, he is one of the very few

persons truly worthy and capable of serving us in the presidency in these times.

So much damage has been done over the last few years, that it will take a truly remarkable person to serve. President Al Gore is not only proven electable (having won the 2000 vote), he has what it takes and is the best hope for our nation and the world to try to climb out of this hideous mess.

[mod mom]

42. I hope this haunts the Supreme Court scoundrels who facilitated the BFEE.

[orleans]

2. no, no, no, no, no (in my opinion)

been there--done it

no gore, no kerry (no "losers"--they'll get smeared in a heartbeat and we won't recover from it. AGAIN.)

no hillary--(too controversial)
no female--(too controversial)
no minority candidates (too controversial)

we need a perfect candidate with no baggage, no negative history, no prior presidential-run losses, no convictions, never brought up on charges, etc.

[Cooley Hurd]

13. Gore didn't lose in 2000...

Fact.

[orleans]

17. neither did kerry

but that's beside the point.

[Vincardog]

18. We do not need a perfect candidate. We do need open fair elections. Paper

ballots hand counts NOW

[BurtWorm]

20. Are you running?

;)

[orleans]

32. haha. no. (too much history--and baggage)

maybe feingold? (don't know that much about him--but from what i do know he doesn't seem too smearable. other than being a dem & all)

[ktlyon]

41. no one

Is there is no one left after your restrictions?
No Warner he is too republican and pro war

[Peace Patriot]

3. Well, I've been proposing Gore/Kerry '08 for the simple reason that both

men were elected, and I want the will of the American people to be respected. I want democracy restored. I want order restored. I want peoples' votes to mean something. Gore's win is provable; Kerry's win is by overwhelming inference of the available data, in non-transparent conditions. I am satisfied in both cases that the will of the people was NOT implemented. Bush was not elected either time.

In addition, I think that this ticket may be the only one that can beat the machines. It has magic about it. It is a RESTORATION--a righting of things. A matter of justice. I call it the Poetic Justice ticket. The two men who won should now be re-confirmed by the people, and inaugurated. Gore should head the ticket. He was V-P for eight years, a heartbeat away. He won first. And he has turned into an amazing speaker--and thinker--in his time on the sidelines. People need inspiration. They need to have their energy and creativity and their American "let's get it done" attitude stirred up. He will do that. And Kerry is a good second to him--a highly intelligent man, with (not unimportantly) prosecutorial credentials (who will preside over the Senate). They will put together a fantastically talented team. Can you just imagine? A REAL 21st century administration.

It will be incredibly moving, when it happens--if not the revolution that so many of us feel is needed. But that will come. We need to dismantle the oil companies, and bust the corporate news monopolies and a few other corporate predators, to tame the beast. We need slash and burn in the military budget--I think a 90% reduction, down to a true defensive posture (no more wars of choice). And this needs to be combined with a new and intense initiative toward world peace and disarmament, and a well organized world effort to save our dying planet.* I doubt if Gore/Kerry will be revolutionary in this sense, but the restoration of order and democracy will open up the political dialogue and will make things possible which may seem impossible now. I don't know what Gore's thinking on globalization is these days (Clinton's biggest mistake); nor do I like Kerry's past political opportunism on war issues. But that is not the point--what *I* see as essential political reform is NOT the point. The point is that if you don't have democracy you don't have even the means for reform. Nothing can be done. And THIS restoration--the overwhelming vote of the American people to RESTORE what has been lost, to affirm the two presidencies that were stolen from us--will be the rebirth of American democracy. The symbolism of a Gore-Kerry ticket is as important as who these men are and what they might do for us.

And I think Americans will see it that way--as a matter of justice, as something that rises above normal politics. That's what I mean by a ticket that can beat the machines. I think they will win by a VERY big margin--my prediction, 20%--and that's what we need to overcome the 5% to 10% advantage to Bushites and warmongers that these corporate voting systems have been set up to provide.

-------

(*The World Wildlife Fund gives the planet 50 years, at present levels of pollution, consumption and natural resource destruction. 50 years to the death of the planet! I DO think that Gore may be revolutionary on this matter. We are at the point of no return, and revolutionary thinking--a big turnaround--is badly needed; and Gore seems to know this. I was also touched by his speech on the immorality of torture, and the violation of fundamental American principles, and his understanding and defense of constitutional government. He seems very focused, and on issues of global corporate predation, I think he will be open to dialogue. I am not naive about either Gore or Kerry. It's the American people and their votes that I am thinking of--our sovereignty as a people, our right to collectively decide who our leaders are, and the boost we need in restoring that rightful power. A Gore-Kerry ticket will settle that once and for all--who gets to decide.)

[OneBlueSky]

4. Gore/Kerry would be a killer ticket . . . but . . .

after we convince Gore to run for president, we'd then have to convince Kerry to take the second spot . . . and that will be no easy task, imo . . .

[Peace Patriot]

7. I think Gore would be the ONLY candidate that Kerry would take second

spot TO. Because it's rightful. It's just. It would not be a stepdown for Kerry. Gore won first.

I wouldn't want to see Kerry head the ticket. His vote on the war, and his early concession burned too many people. I don't think he could win on his own. But as SECOND spot on a MAGICAL Gore-Kerry RESTORATION ticket, that is a whole different matter. If it's restoration we're talking about; if it's JUSTICE; if that is the point--and that WOULD BE the point of a Gore-Kerry ticket--I would wholeheartedly support him for V-P. I don't think he could win on his own, but I think he could be president on his own--he could handle the job if needed, and he would furthermore bring a lot of intelligence and experience to the administration (especially recent Congressional experience, and past prosecutorial experience, both of which Gore lacks).

Gore is the one could never take second spot. He's been V-P--for eight years. But Kerry has never been president or vice-president. And he might agree to it, after the primaries, and during the convention period. Conditions will be different then. I doubt he will do all that well in the primaries. Even so, I think a Gore-Kerry ticket would be magnificent. And Kerry might do it, also, for patriotic reasons--if he is asked. The country is in a terrible mess. Finally, I sense a generous spirit in Gore. He would use a V-P well. He's been there. He know what it's about. He would share power, and permit Kerry to have wide and serious responsibilities. Kerry could re-organize the military and intelligence agencies, for instance--and straighten that Bush-Cheney-Rumsfeld disaster out. He would be a GREAT vice president--almost a co-president. There is so much to do--the country is facing disaster on so many fronts--that I'm sure Gore would recognize the need for a strong team with strong leaders, and wouldn't marginalize a man like Kerry, or any V-P.

[OneBlueSky]

8. what you say may be true, but . . .

that doesn't mean that Kerry will go along . . . and I don't think he will . . .

these guys have huge egos -- it's a prerequisite to what they do . . .

[glitch]

34. I love it. Gore could concentrate on cleaning up the mess Bush made

in the bureaucracies (a lot of firing and rehiring to do) and re-establishing relations with the world, and Kerry could concentrate on prosecuting all the criminals.

They can work together cleaning up the environment and re-establishing a pro-small business economy.

Cleaning up the bush mess will take two brilliant presidents working doubletime. We've got a lot of good people on our side, and we're going to need them.

[paparush]

21. NO NO NO NO - Kerry Voted for the WAR

and I know he regrets that vote but until he grows a pair and does a Colbert ala "I voted in favor of the use of force because I believed the LIES LIES LIES LIES LIES that the Bush administration passed off as fact."

Kerry has been a little more forceful of late, but I don't see him being nearly as tough on Bush as say a John Conyers.

[Donald Ian Rankin]

12. I think Gore-Kerry would be a bad idea.

Kerry/X or X/Kerry would be fine; Gore/X or X/Gore would be fine if Gore could be persuaded to stand (but I don't think he can be), but I think that putting together the men who stood at the last two elections would be a mistake - I think a Democratic ticket should probably have at least one fresh face on it (i.e. no Kerry/Edwards or Edwards/Kerry, either, probably).

[Peace Patriot]

5. A word to Orleans...I'm sorry, Orleans, but I find it offensive for you to

say "no women," and "no minority candidates." For one thing, dear, we women ARE the majority. And we can get really pissed off when someone says you have to have a penis and you have to be white-skinned to be acceptable to power-brokers. You sound like George Bush selecting who gets to be "raptured." Or the Pope (the former one) saying women don't have dicks like Jesus, so we aren't fit to to be priests. Really, REALLY offensive.

I'm proposing two white males--but not BECAUSE they're white males; rather because they were ELECTED! I don't care what color they are, and what they have between their legs. The American people WANTED them for president, and I think the American people will respond to them exactly that way--as the leaders we were unfairly deprived of, RESTORED.

No women. No minorities. No controversy of any kind. No "losers." Lord, can you hear yourself? We need to be audacious, not fearful; bold, not spooked at every corporate "swiftboating." The corporate media screwed us over so badly on the war, nobody listens to them any more. Haven't you been following the polls? Their dear little Napoleon Bush, and their murderous little war profiteering scheme in Iraq are in the toilet. They are discredited. The people are cheering Stephen Colbert and Jon Stewart. THAT's where people are getting their news! THAT's what people think of Bush and his ladpdog press. It's a time for courage, and breadth of vision, and CONTROVERSY--talking back, calling lies LIES, heartening people, stirring the cauldron, and throwing in some spice and fire! Gore HAS that quality NOW. Have you seen his speeches? Quite amazing. But even if that ticket--the Poetic Justice ticket--doesn't work out, it is NOT a time for simpering around, fearful of every shadow.

So, you go ahead and find yourself some quiet, colorless, uncontroversial, little white male hairdo, and run him for president. Jeez. Give me Clinton getting blowjobs in the Oval Office before you give me THAT. No "baggage." No guts. No life. No experience. No color. No fire. No anger. No commitment. Boo-oo-oo-oo-oo!

[kaygore]

6. I agree

however, I don't see a Gore-Kerry ticket. I think that the VP should be from the mid-west or west, like Texas, perhaps.

[Peace Patriot]

9. Well, what I see in Gore-Kerry '08 is that it transcends those kinds of

considerations. It transcends normal politics. It's a matter of JUSTICE. Also, the country is facing disaster in almost any direction you look. It needs a spark, a wake-up, encouragement, inspiration. A Gore-Kerry ticket is inherently inspiring. It's an "in your face, Bush" ticket! A defiant ticket! A "don't tread on me!" ticket. Even though neither of these men is particularly revolutionary, it is a revolutionary ticket. It says to the rightwing political and news establishment, which has nearly destroyed this country: WE. ARE. TAKING. OUR. COUNTRY. BACK.

And it's going to say that to people in the Mid-West, in Texas, in Louisiana and the Gulf Coast--all of whom the Bush junta has gravely harmed--as well as to the west and east coasts, where most people live. Take that, Bush--and your have's and your have-more's, and your godawful oil cartel, and your Saudi princes, and your $50 mil a year CEOs, and your toadies and your lapdogs, and liars, and master thieves, and election theft corporations! We, the people, are going to put OUR representatives in the White House! !@#$% you and your "beltway" media cabal!

It will be unifying. It won't matter where anybody is from. No red states/blue states. No ugly stirring up of hatreds, one against another--in regions, or colors, or sexes, or anything else. Just Americans, all of us, saying "Enough of this! We are going to inaugurate the people we elected!"

With this particular ticket, it's just not going to matter where either man is from. Normal political considerations won't enter into it. It is a RESTORATION ticket--and reminds me a lot of--has the feel of--the restoration of Charles II in England, which was greeted with joy by the populace, even though Charles had spent most of his life in France. That didn't matter to the English, who wanted to get rid of the grim Cromwellites, and wanted to have their theaters and pubs re-opened, and wanted the real life of the English people--with all of its creativity and rambunctiousness--to begin again, to be RESTORED.

Gore/Kerry is a better expression of us than Bush. And we CHOSE them--just as the English, who had beheaded Charles II's father, CHOSE Charles II to rule over them--invited him back, and put him on the throne with huge parades and celebrations. He WAS them. He had their spirit. The presidency is the closest thing we have to a monarchy here, in the sense of expressing the spirit of the people. Gore/Kerry IS that spirit. That's what I think people will perceive. Creative, intelligent, principled, caring for the common good, into good government, law-abiding, enterprising, large-minded, liberal-minded, open-handed--all the things that Bush ISN'T.

Bush has hurt us in our self-image. Gore/Kerry can heal that hurt.

Maybe some other leaders could, too. I'm not lashed to this idea. I just think it has magic--and can leap over a lot of obstacles that unknowns or lesser knowns will find difficult. I'm a leftist--and Gore/Kerry are not far left enough for me. And I think my far left views are more centrist than our corporate media will permit us to see. But that is not the issue right now. We have a crippled democracy--a shattered "Humpty-Dumpty" that needs to be put back together again. I think Gore-Kerry would be good medicine for that. Maybe some firebrand of a leftist will come along and unify the country, and make me think otherwise. But I don't think that's going to happen, nor will it be permitted to happen. The corporate news media are still too powerful. Gore-Kerry, however, can run right past them on name recognition alone. And the STABILITY that they represent might be appealing to the scared Republicans and their war profiteering lapdog press.

Anyway, those are my arguments. We'll see what happens. We still have to get through '06 and the Diebold/ES&S debacle that is brewing.

[kaygore]

15. Well said.....very cogent arguments

[Usrename]

31. I'd like to see big Al defeat Hillary and McCain as a independent.

I would support him in that endeavor.

If he wants to be President as a Democrat, he should be running for a House seat now on an impeachment platform. As Speaker, he would be in line after Cheney. I am sure that the crisis we are in now justifies such a move.

But I don't see how he could run at the top of the Democratic ticket in 08, and not be saddled with another Lieberman as a running mate.

Having ones eyes wide open to the crisis we are in, a very dark scenario is apparent, but overlooked. If big Al had been sworn in back in 2001, we would have been just one heartbeat away from Joe Lieberman as President. I can imagine our situation being much worse than it is now. Just saying, what would be different?

[XemaSab]

22. That would be the spot for a woman or minority

A Western or Southern woman or person of color.

Hasn't happened since Ferraro in 84, and I think it's time to see that again.

Though if there's a qualified white man willing to take the job... ;)

[CrazyForKucinich]

10. Right now I'm for Feingold but I would consider Gore if he did 2 things

1. Dropped his support of the death penalty.
2. Told Joe Lieberman off.

[Donald Ian Rankin]

11. And the top one why he shouldn't:

He doesn't want to be.

*I* think he'd make a perfectly good nominee, but if you want him to be so then you need to be working on convincing him, not us, and I think you'll have your work cut out for you.

I suppose you could simply adopt the old navy tactic of press-ganging him - get him drunk, and when he wakes up he's chained to a microphone...

Out of curiosity, are there any steps in the process to becoming president of America that require one to consent, or would it theoretically be possible to elect Gore against his will?

[calmblueocean]

28. How to elect Gore against his will :-)

Win back the Senate and House in 2006.

House Democrats nominate and confirm Gore as Speaker of the House. (Speaker of the House is not Constitutionally required to be a House member.)

Senate impeaches Cheney. Bush nominates replacement. Senate refuses to confirm Bush's nominee, so the office remains vacant.

Senate impeaches Bush. Office of the President is now vacant. Office of the Vice President is now vacant. Under the rules of succession, the Speaker of the House becomes the new president. Al Gore has now been drafted into the office of President against his will.

Of course, Gore could always resign. :-)

[ktlyon]

43. I hope he is playing it coy, cards to the chest and all

I hope he will announce after the nov. elections, he wants to see Dem strength. Hi Al hope your are hanging at DU today.

Gore/ Kerry sounds good to me

[Kahuna]

14. Because he is the best. That's why. Closely followed by..

Wes Clark. GORE/CLARK = the dynamic duo!!! :applause:

[Hubert Flottz]

16. I'd vote for Al Gore in a heartbeat!

I think he could have whipped the GOP in 04!

[NightOwwl]

19. He's got my vote!

Hillary - No
Kerry - No
Gore - A big Yes!

[Warren DeMontague]

24. I don't know which number it is, but his track record speaking out against

Iraq has to count for something, too.

I'm in. I have never so badly wanted anyone to be our nominee as I feel about Al Gore in 2008.

[understandinglife]

25. "5. The Iraq War will be universally understood to be a disaster by 2008.

Gore opposed the Iraq War first among his peers, and forcefully, in 2004."


Peace.

[Scout1071]

26. He has 100% of my support. Run, Al, run. nt

[skyblue]

27. F him but don't select him as your candidate unless he can win.

Ya like what he has to say but don't get all hot and bothered by that. I want a candidate who can win. Use your dang head. It's polls that matter. Why don't we just run Dukakis.

[ms liberty]

29. I agree 100%...

I believe Al Gore is the only potential candidate who has the vision, the experience, the intelligence, and the abilities to pull this country out of the effing mess * has put it in. He's a hands-on, multi-tasking thinker who wants all the information available when he makes his decisions. He's got the ability to absorb and analyze facts quickly; he's able to see the big picture at the same time he's looking at all the small details. He LIKES dealing with all the wonkish stuff; he LIKES nuance and diplomacy. He believes in protecting our civil liberties, and having transparency in our government. He's got a strong moral and ethical belief system, but he doesn't have to wrap himself in the Christian flag to prove it. He knows how our government functions, and he's seen it function badly and well. No one else has his experience: 8 years in the House, 8 years in the Senate, 8 years as VP - and in 2008 he will have had 8 years outside of government. And he's a known factor to Americans, there's not a lot that is secret about his life. The smear tactics have already been used on him, I don't think they'd work again. Could you imagine someone trying to mock him as "Ozone Man" now? Now that he's been proved right? And that's another thing; he was for public financing of campaigns a long time ago, he's been right on the global warming issue, he worked at making government work better and more efficiently back when we had an economy and we weren't borrowing money hand over fist. He understands the whole media issue now, in a way he didn't before the '00 campaign. He was in on the terror issue in the 90's BEFORE the whole 9/11 thing. I could go on, but you get the picture. He's probably the most qualified and best equipped potential President that has ever lived. No one who objectively looked at the qualifications on his resume could disagree.

Can you tell I love Al Gore, and would work 24/7/365 to get him in the WH?

I believe this is his time. I think the 2008 election will be one of those very rare moments in history: the person with the qualifications we need most will be there for us at the time of our greatest need. It could very well be our last chance, our final opportunity.

Fate, karma, syncronicity, and serendipity.

We can change the world; rearrange the world.

We can make it happen.

[fooj]

30. RE-elect Al Gore.

It is time that he takes his rightful place as the leader of our country.

Peace.

[Recursion]

40. Agreed

I want Gore just so I can have a "Re-elect Gore" sticker.

Ever since his MLK day speech I've been thinking he should be the next nominee. He's found his voice, and he's found the party's voice -- the only other "leader" who found that voice was Dean (ah, the Dean days...).

Gore/Dean would be a great ticket. It would be the "what if?" ticket. What if the court hadn't stopped the recount in 2000? What if the anti-Qaeda task force hadn't been stopped in the turnover? What if the President had listened to military and intelligence advice? What if we had a president since 2000 that was committed to energy independence? What if we still had a budget surplus? What if we still had allies? What if we still had credibility? What if we still had 2400 brave men and women who were willing to give their lives when we asked them? What if we had paid attention to North Korea before they got the bomb? What if this were all just an 8-year-long nightmare?

[Marr]

33. I consider myself a Green but I could happily vote for Al Gore again.

The best thing would be how bad it'd piss off the Bush morons. I'd love to use every nausseating line they've used about Bush right back, but in defense of Gore.

'You may not like him but he's YOUR president, too!'

'He won- get over it!'

Haha.

[Montagnard]

35. He won the presidency once

maybe this time the power elite would allow him to claim it after he wins.

[Dogmudgeon]

36. Just what we need! Headline-grabbing controversy over non-issues!

This is like a zombie that keeps getting brought back to life.

The next presidential election in 30 months away.

You can't say so much as "I feel a flu coming on" without people thinking that there's some conspiracy to distract the public from the latest GOP self-humiliation, but the wailing and gnashing of teeth over Hillary and Al is somehow okay.

Why do I have the feeling that we'll be doing this until one, or both, of them croak?

--p!

[wakemewhenitsover]

37. RE-ELECT PRESIDENT GORE!

[Dr Fate]

38. I like Kerry- but I'd love to see Gore throw in his hat too.

Al Gore is terrific- I want his opinions heard.

[Joe Chi Minh]

39. For the working man and woman, you couldn't do better than

Kerry/Edwards. In fact, from 10 and 11 Downing Street, what they could do for the UK would be beyond our wildest dreams, after this Gadarene plunge into corporatist anarchy, anomie and outright insanity.