Every now and then I come across an article that wipes everything else I wanted to write about off the table. In this case, it was an article from Time Magazine on Wednesday. Is Al Gore the Answer? by Joe Klein was too good to pass up. In his article, Mr. Klein makes the argument that with Obama and Clinton going at each other "with chainsaws" the Democratic Party may need a new hope. In his words, "…I'm rather embarrassed to admit that I'm slouching toward, well, a theory: if this race continues to slide downhill, the answer to the Democratic Party's dilemma may turn out to be Al Gore."
In the remainder of the article, Mr. Klein outlines a scenario where Al Gore could be offered the nomination at the convention if the super delegates don't give it to Obama or Clinton on the first run. Mr. Klein accepts how improbable this scenario is. For example, Obama would have to go along with it, and bring his delegates with him. With the bad blood between the Clintons and the Gores, I think a Gore – Clinton ticket is even further off in fairy land than a Gore – Obama ticket. Mr. Klein says this dream ticket may be the only way for the DNC to salvage what should have been an easy victory this year.
Before I point out the problems with this scenario, I want to say that Gore getting the nomination is my dream as well. I think any ticket with the ex-VP as a Presidential candidate is easier to defeat than one with Obama or Clinton. First, there is no question that race has now been injected into this campaign. The Democratic party has long claimed it is more in touch with minorities than the Republican party. What happens if the elders of the DNC decide the only way to salvage a win is to knock the first serious female candidate and the first serious black candidate out so they can put a white male in the race? There are already threats of rioting if Obama doesn't get the nomination. If Obama and Clinton were both cast aside for Gore, I think there would be real hell to pay.
Second, I believe most people misunderstand the nature of Mr. Gore's popularity. Sure there are plenty of environmentalists that think he is the second coming. However, most Democratic politicians like Gore right now because he isn't a threat. If he suddenly looks like he could be given the nomination, I think many high ranking Democrats would turn against him. The Clintons would surely attack him, and I feel confident Rev. Wright and his supporters would be very unhappy.
Finally, I would love a Gore nomination for one more reason. If Gore was to run, McCain and many Republicans (and possibly Hillary Clinton) would start pointing to Gore's inconsistencies on Global Warming over the years. Many of the little white lies he told in An Inconvenient Truth would be pointed out. He may continue to claim they were exaggerations used to make a point, but after Mrs. Clintons troubles with her memory and Kosovo, I don't think she would allow that to go unchallenged.
Let Gore get the nomination, I have popcorn and beer ready to watch the fireworks.
9 comments:
You have great writing skills. Seems you do a lot of research before writing your post.
What political magazines do you recommend?
If inconsistencies about climate change are at issue, I think it's clear that the republicans
(it's not warming, it is warming but not much, its warming but we didn't cause it, its the sun, its bad instruments, its cooling, its going to cool, warming is good, its biased scientists, warming is bad but too expensive to stop, warming has happened before, we can't predict the future, etc.)
will be the ones with the problems.
Syed,
Thanks for the compliment. I like to read The Weekly Standard and Human Events in print form. The best source I would recommend for Political writing is the website Real Clear Politics. I have a link in my sidebar. They publish links to many political articles daily. They don't seem to show a preference for ideology either.
Anon,
I welcome the honest debate. Currently anyone who advances an idea against global warming is attacked without any discussion of their actual theories.
Andy,
Good writing again on a very interesting point. One problem is that you had to bring up those dirty words, Global Warming. We might have been able to have a good discussion on an interesting topic but now we, as anonymous has graciously proved my point, are going to have one on the truthfulness of global warming. Again. Joy (note the sarcasm).
Now some thoughts on the post that do not involve global warming.
I have a thought and I will admit that it is out there.
Obama will win the nomination and the election for president due to political correctness.
I am going down this line because of one topic mentioned in the post. People have threatened to riot if he does not win the nomination. Are people so scared of Mr. Jackson and Rev. Sharpton that it is just easier to go along with Sen. Obama?
There was a skit on SNL last night (repeat) that I watched. Sen. Clinton and Sen. Obama were being questioned. Sen. Clinton was asked very difficult questions and Sen. Obama was not. Now SNL does stretch things some what but the basis is usually correct.
Are producers on news shows directing people to not go after Obama to hard because they are scared of protests, boycotts and having Mr. Jackson and Rev. Sharpton come around?
Questions asked of him are easier. Of course my wife points out that this could be just because she is a woman and getting grilled harder. Fair point and that is a very real possibility.
Yes people do go out and vote for him in primaries and such in large numbers but is that because nobody in mainstream media is willing to call him out on things and we only hear good things about him?
Pack, on this question you're right on the money.
Obama definitely gets an easy ride because of political correctness. Let's just go ahead and say it: because his skin is dark.
There's even a great book that tells this story, from a guy who actually dyed his skin black and found out first-hand how easy life in the U.S. is when your skin is black. You should check it out if you haven't read it. Its an outrage.
I would put it on hold at the library and read it except I am not sure how it will prove your point. It does appear to be an interesting book and but it is not high on my list at this moment. I mean if it was indeed 1960 and it was Clinton and Obama battling for the win at the DNC instead of Kennedy, Johnson and Humphrey I could see moving it up the list but it is 2008. Also we have come a long way since 1959 when the experiment was done so I am not completely sure of it's validity as to the current struggles of being a minority. That is a statement that some will agree with me on and some that won't. It is just an opinion I have.
At the present time in America you have to be extremely careful about what you say and who you say it too towards any minority group especially if you are not a minority. With that in mind, my question is, are Sen. Clinton and Sen. Obama, both minorities, not coming under "attack" with the full power of the media due to them being a minority?
I am not sure if the tough questions would matter with Obama. Many of his followers are finding excuses for him, no matter the evidence. I also believe today is a much different world from 1959. Many of those in minorities who claim to be oppressed haven't seen the type of oppression that Civil Rights leaders faced in the 50's. I think Obama is getting far to easy a pass. I also wonder if McCain will be willing to attack him in the genereal election.
(Not the same Anon from before)
All-
I welcome honest debate, and yes, I am black. I definitely DO NOT think that blacks get a free ride at all. The free ride you say that we get may be lower income that get nowhere in life, but choose to live off the system. But that occurs in more races than just black. So please don't pigeon-hole a race based on that fact. Actually, I have to prove myself much more because of that stereotype.
I hope that everyone comes to see that money is the major divider in this country, not race. That's why I believe that Republicans like McCain (many races make up the republican party), and I don't think Obama will win the Democratic nom. Upset the balance of wealth in this country, or hint at changing the system, and "Houston, we have a problem."
As for rioting, once again, that's a fear tactic used by the leftover dinosaurs of a useless voice. They do nothing to advance us as a people, or country. There are organizations that are helpful when the right people are at the helm, but sadly, they do not get the press.
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