My Left Winger Nonpartisan posted an article today called The Greatest Environmental Politician in the History of the World in which (s)he posited the idea that Al Gore should be our next President.
I do not exactly “oppose” that idea. Mr. Gore’s own tendencies…positive AND negative…already do that well enough to free me from that task.
But I DO oppose the left blogosphere’s ongoing meme that he would make a good presidential candidate. It is simply a waste of precious energy and time.
I make my case below.
Read on.
Al Gore has a problem.
And here it is:
Yup.
Al Gore himself.
He is unelectable.
More unelectable than he was in 2000, when he almost won against the worst presidential candidate in the history of American politics. He SHOULD have beaten Butchie Boy so badly that no amount of vote theft whatsoever short of an armed coup could have put BushCo in power, but he didn’t.
And why didn’t he? He is apparently a decent man, an honorable man as politicians go, an intelligent man. Why didn’t he win, besides the semen stained albatross of a little blue dress that was tied around his already going-to-fat neck?
Because HE POSES.
JUST like that goddamned picture.
His silver spoon just sticks out all over him.
And he got out-imaged as a result.
I am sorry. I really am. But he is unelectable in this day and age.
This Information age.
An age where image is more important than content.
Every time he opens his mouth, every time he strikes a pose he turns off about 38% on the undecided electorate.
Newt Gingrich would EAT HIM UP in a presidential campaign.
Bet on it.
He’d come across as Cousin Newtie, Brother Newt, the spokesman for the simple people, and he would make Al look like the stuffed shirt he really is.
A largely CORRECT stuffed shirt, but like I said…image wins.
Bill Clinton did not win on content…he won on IMAGE.
He is a good looking, sexy, smart man and he LOOKS it. It didn’t take much buffing to present that image. He is a media natural.
The fact that he was also politically and tactically correct was beside the point. (“They” were politically correct. As Hillary Clinton so correctly pointed out in 2000, “We are the president.”)
He won on sex appeal.
He appealed to both men and women.
On a basic, visceral level.
Good on him.
You use whatcha got.
If only he hadn’t used it quite so often…
So has Butch won on image.
Twice now.
It is a painstakingly crafted image, built by master adverting guys…Rove, et al…but he is the right dumb fuck for the task.
Gore?
I am sorry, but Bill Clinton couldn’t take a picture this bad 12 days after he was DEAD.
I am talking contemporary political reality, here, Nonpartisan. Nothing else. It’s not about “right” or “wrong”. It’s just about winning. And if you are going to win in America today on the national stage no matter WHAT your beliefs, you MUST have someone who looks good. Sorry. There it is. I leave it up to posterity…if indeed we HAVE much of a posterity…to judge the justice and relative effectiveness of that reality. But reality it is.
Hillary understands this.
So does Barack Obama.
That’s why they are going to come together.
Obama will be Hillary’s good lookin’, smooth-talkin’ front man…Bill C. v.2… while she becomes the wise and well settled Mother-Of-Us-All who has survived all adversity and come out on top.
Watch.
And Al?
If we are lucky, he will be the first U.S. Green Ambassador To The World. Maybe in the U.N., where a stuffed shirt is considered proper dress. De rigeur unless you are Nikolai Khrushchev.
Gore will end up somewhere in a Clinton administration.
Somewhere…
Over the Green Rainbow.
But not in the White House.
Bet on it.
AG
And by the way…if you want to tip this post…TIP IT ON OVER TO THE RECOMMENDED LIST, POR FAVOR.
I spend hours on some of these things, and then four or five people lay a high tip on the post but do not recommend it.
I’m just sayin’…
It’s FRUSTRATIN’!!!
Help share the joy this holiday season.
The Recommend button is right over there somewhere. ——–>
Y’know what I mean?
Thanx, and a Merry Whatever to y’all.
AG
In Gallup poll, fully 1/3 of Americans have never heard of Obama. The right wingnuts already are demonizing him ‘a Muslim, always a Muslim’ (Hussien is his middle name).
As for Hillary, she’s the establishment and media candidate weighed down by baggage-42% say they don’t like her. Looks like the media and elites have a hunkering for the GOP to keep the White House.
Al Gore has the edge with environment issues, ahead of its time in U.S. Elswhere in the world, the Brits, the Canadians are positioning their leaders on Green issues for the next election, likely early 2007.
Al Gore, he’s my first choice. The man has the smarts and is seasoned. He was robbed of the presidency in 2000. But I wouldn’t blame him if he chooses not to run – given what’s ahead for the bankrupt economy and the Middle East blow up – ongoing in Iraq, Lebanon, Palestine and Iran.
Why would he want to clean up the shit left by the guy who stole his election?
Your analysis has to be one of the shallowest pieces I’ve read. Did you even consider the recent polling done by CNN that shows Gore beating McCain and Romney, while being tied with Giuliani?
In 2008, people won’t give half a damn about what people look like. Give them a candidate who will inspire and has good ideas. Al Gore does that.
The society upon which it is COMMENTING is shallow.
Bet on it.
Do not blame the messenger.
AG
Interesting and intriguing way of looking at it. And I think you’re right. I like Gore a lot, but I think you’re right.
In the next Democratic Administration I’m hoping to see Gore as UN Ambassador or even as a Supreme Court Justice.
So what do you think the deal is: Obama-Clinton or Clinton-Obama?
Think there’s any possibility for the grassroots to break the deal?
I can’t call which way this one will go yet: too much time between now and elections for things to drastically change. I agree with AG in that way too many Americans depend on sound bites and image, and also agree with Psi that by election time, Americans might be ready to vote in somebody with two heads and six arms if they looked honest and trustworthy enough.
I don’t know how anyone could watch “An Inconvenient Truth” (just saw it) and not come away filled with genuine respect and admiration for Gore. There is a politician who truly “walks his talk” and cares deeply for the common good. This is the man we really elected to the Presidency in 2000. I wonder how different a world we’d be sharing now had he served.
Hay, if looks are the ultimate determinant, then I would be the premier candidate in 2008. Surely there must be something beyond appearance at work here.
beyond appearance at work here?”
If only…
AG
1. “unelectable”
After 2004 and everyone voting for Kerry because he was <ahem> “electable” I’m rather shocked that some of us have yet to learn our lesson.
If Bush can be elected, I am not sure anyone, in fact, any living creature, cannot be “electable” given the proper circumstances.
Plus. Al Gore WAS elected. In 2000.
2. Looks.
I think Al Gore is HOT. Is there anything sexier than that speech he gave at NYU? It there anything more appealing than a man who cares deeply about the environment? Is there anything more attractive than passion? Dude. He made a film which was basically a powerpoint presentation and people LOVE it. I don’t know when was the last time you had to sit through a powerpoint presentation, but they must exist somewhere in one of Dante’s circles of hell.
Al Gore is HOT. He didn’t used to be. He used to be lame and boring. But now he is. In fact, Al Gore is bringing sexy back. So there! ;D
I plan to vote for a President.
The tactics to which Obama supporters are resorting are frankly egregious. And no, Obama is not photogenic. In fact, I do not find him attractive at all.
Schwarzeneggermobiles of all sorts are absolutely hideous looking.
Let ALONE criminally wasteful.
But massive advertising budgets have sold them. In the millions. To the same goddamned fools who vote.
They could NOT have sold Kucinichmoblies.
Not over the last several years. Too wimpy looking, given the red alert terror scam.
But Schwarzeneggermobiles???
No problem.
Now, however, they are selling slicker looking cars.
Smoooooother.
Red alert’s almost over.
Time for the slicksters to do their thang.
Thus…Obamamobiles.
They sell what they can sell.
That’s the art of advertising.
So it goes.
Time for a NEW scam.
So it goes.
AG
My last word on the Gore-Hillary-Obama thing. With pictures.
AG