Article from Wired Magazine

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However, if it came down to it, what would a Hilary Clinton vs. Al Gore primary battle look like?

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"Only Al Gore could come up with the idea of criticizing Bush for not sucking up to the Saudis enough," sighed law professor Glenn Reynolds (Instapundit), who had been a volunteer on Mr. Gore's 1988 presidential campaign.

[ 15 May 2006: Message edited by: jester ]Al Gore

[ 15 May 2006: Message edited by: jester ]

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Originally posted by DrConway:
BTU AL GOER WUZ TOO POPULIST!!11111oneone

(Yes, the above was sarcasm. See here. )

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"Centrism is bogus," Reich argues. It's up to the Democrats to attract the largest political block in America -- the non-voters -- by defining an agenda that leads the nation, rather than one that tries to mirror the latest poll.

"The big differences in American politics today are between those with courage and those without it, those who can inspire and those who can't....On the other side is a large group of hard-boiled poll-watchers and ass-kissers who spend most of their time raising money from people and groups with a lot of it."

Conservatives and Republicans understand something. The way to build a winning coalition is not to be so bland that you don't offend anyone. It's to identify a combination of issues that you believe in and can speak strongly about such that each bloc in your prospective coalition will be inspired by something. This is the first thing. You manage objections and reservations after you've built up a desire for commitment. Kerryitis instead starts with removing people's reservations before you've bothered to inspire them. It's possible this approach will work in the US this time around, after 8 years of Bush fatigue and a mistrust of any grand rhetoric. Or not. But in general, it's a bad idea.

[ 15 May 2006: Message edited by: ceti ]

Is it taboo to quote right-wingers? I suggest that comfy preaching to the choir is a recipe for another drubbing from the right.

Robert Reich advocates a courageous candidate that reaches out to the non-voter.

The rest don't give a rats ass about Arab sensitivities. Appealling to the voter's sense of justice regarding Arab sensitivities won't win an election.

If all Conservatives can justify this assault on a free press, is it now only a matter of going through the motions of democracy because corporations now rule?

[ 15 May 2006: Message edited by: eau ]

Of course Republicans will go after him for that, but what will that reflect? That he's reflecting human concern for those that they have been busy bombing for the last 4 years? Tarring him as an Arab-lover is alright by me.

Your post can read as an endorsement of the Republican view that to show any sympathy for Arab peoples is treachery.

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Originally posted by ceti:
For me though and a lot of left-leaning Americans, Gore's comments reflect a genuine concern for the victims of US foreign policy, and true regret for what the country has done both to its own civil liberties and rights and freedoms of others.

Of course Republicans will go after him for that, but what will that reflect? That he's reflecting human concern for those that they have been busy bombing for the last 4 years? Tarring him as an Arab-lover is alright by me.

Your post can read as an endorsement of the Republican view that to show any sympathy for Arab peoples is treachery.

Know thine enemy, don't become your enemy.

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I spose one can read it eitherway.In my case,when I read "asskissers raising a lot of money" I got a vision of Dubya holding hands and swooning with Saudi prince whatchamacallit.

Even though Reich meant the quote from a right wing perspective,it holds true for the left as well.

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Originally posted by ceti:
wn to it, what would a Hilary Clinton vs. Al Gore primary battle look like?

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The final death ride of the Democratic Party.

rasmus wrote:

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Al Gore was in town for the showing of his movie at Hot Docs. I didn't know or I would have gone. Apparently, he was warm, engaging, passionate, lively, relaxed. Talking about what he believed in.

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Then or now?

Reich:

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"The big differences in American politics today are between those with courage and those without it, those who can inspire and those who can't....On the other side is a large group of hard-boiled poll-watchers and ass-kissers who spend most of their time raising money from people and groups with a lot of it."

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Try to win without raising that money for TV attack ads in the US. Go ahead. Ask Howard Dean how its done. Courage? American political organizations can't afford courage.

Jester:

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If the Democrats wish to entertain Arab sesitivities,they had better win the 2008 election first.Standing on principle and making Arab sensitivities an election issue is sure to win 49% of the vote again.

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Originally posted by 500_Apples:
An american friend said a good analogy for Al Gore would be Richard Nixon. JFK stole the election from Nixon in 1960, and Nixon came back and won in 1968 amid war fatigue and other problems. He went through a list of shitty things that happened in 1968 and called it the worst year in American history. (MLK and RFK assassinated, pueblo boat off north korea's coast, race riots everywhere except detroit where the detroit tigers were doing well, tet offensive, other things).

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