By Roger J. Stone Jr.
February 22, 2006
Mr. Gore may be positioning himself to be the one Democrat who can defeat Hillary Rodham Clinton in the 2008 Presidential primaries.
As a Republican, I could never back Mr. Gore’s election as President. But as a Nixonite, I see some uncanny parallels in the careers of the two former Vice Presidents. In fact, if Mr. Gore looks at Nixon’s strategy in 1968, he could end up in the White House after all.
Nixon’s book Six Crises was a cathartic exercise that Nixon wrote after he lost the 1960 Presidential election—one that maintained his place on the national stage. Mr. Gore’s new documentary on global warming, An Inconvenient Truth, thrusts him back to the center of the political life.
Like Mr. Gore, Nixon lost a Presidential election in a photo finish, and many felt the Presidency was stolen from him. Later, both men withdrew gracefully when further challenge to the result was fruitless. The grace with which each withdrew and accepted defeat was considered an act of statesmanship amid partisan furor.
Mr. Gore’s early endorsement of Howard Dean in the 2004 primaries earned him a new and growing anti-war constituency. Despite Dr. Dean’s collapse as a candidate and his weekly gaffes as the Democratic National Committee chairman, one fact remains clear: Mr. Gore was an early and articulate critic of the war in Iraq and supported the most anti-war candidate in 2004. He has since made notable speeches questioning the war, becoming the darling of the MoveOn.com crowd, and is now best positioned to be the “peace” candidate in 2008.
To win, Mr. Gore must run on a simple proposition that puts him at direct odds with Mrs. Clinton: Within 24 hours of taking office, he would withdraw all troops from Iraq and redirect national resources to crush Al Qaeda. The election of 2008 may become like 1968, with war protests wracking the country and the President sticking to his guns.
Mr. Gore must again borrow from the Nixon playbook and reinvent himself. The “New Gore” is more relaxed: He’s had time to think and reflect on the great challenges facing America. In his wilderness years, he has found himself. He is more self-effacing, funnier, cooler, easier-going, yet articulate and firm. The Al Gore who appeared on Jay Leno’s show after the 2004 Presidential election is the Al Gore that voters could find attractive, just as the “New Nixon” who emerged on Jack Paar after the 1960 election was far more palatable than the pale, sweaty, shifty-eyed Nixon of the Nixon-Kennedy debates.
It wasn’t until Watergate that we saw the other side of 1968’s relaxed and affable Nixon, whose political acumen I admired. But in 1968, his persistence, drive and shrewdness—coupled with a divisive war—drove the most remarkable political comeback in American history.
Sound familiar? It should, because the stage is set for Al Gore, the winner of the popular vote in 2000, to do the same.
Roger J. Stone Jr. is a veteran of eight Republican Presidential campaigns.
http://www.observer.com/20060227/20060227_Roger_J._Stone_Jr._politics_wiseguys-2.asp
Gore withdrew gracefully?
If that is not the most insane statement I have seen since the 2000 election, I don't know what is.
This ugly result would actually be the Presidents fault. You cannot go against your main support time and again (immigration/summer '05 transportation bill) without consequences.
the Port fiasco is the only the latest. Why threaten a veto now when he hasn't use it yet?
Were truer words ever spoken?
Gore is no Nixon. Nixon was a brilliant man, Gore is a nut. Nixon got the '68 nomination because he campaigned all across the country and built up enough favors. Otherwise, Reagan might have taken it. And also, Nixon never, never bad-mouthed America. He was a red, white and blue patriot and the people remembered when he passed away.
I do not remember Gore showing any kind of grace at any time.....especially when he lost in 2000 and tried to change the result. Nixon did show grace (in 1960) to avoid a national crisis, while the Dems spend their time trying to create one.
It is never going to happen.
Watching Al Gore on live TV in Nov-Dec 2000, in horrified fascination and relief about what might have been (but wasn't), turned more people into Republicans or independents (and committed voters) than the RNC has done with millions in donations.
Morris says the hurricane was evidence of global warming and is implying that Gore withdrew gracefully?? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Is he NUTS?!
Yeah.
These guys are smoking crack. Gore is generally perceived as a lunatic and there are plenty of sound bites to prove it.
Please let AlGore run again. Morris is reaching with this piece.
Dick Morris forgets one key point. Algore is a certifiable nut.
1) The Democrats are like a person hanging on a outcropping atop the Grand Canyon by their fingernails, begging for Divine intervention.
2) When the American public looks at the "nine dwarves" the Democrat Party fielded in the 2004 election, Al Gore looks somewhat sane.
And 3) There are plenty of morons in the MSM that will portray AL Gore as electable, and wacky Americans that will think it possible.
And to think there is over two more years of this tripe to come.
The "cathartic" value of Six Crises, may have been because the events that shaped Nixon's core politics were real. The Hiss case and his HUAC experience were classically formative. He knew he was right and the rejection of the truth of this case was naturally confusing. Gore has no such formative experience. His political and personal belief foundation is rife with psycho-babble and errant thinking. He is basically a crazy person. If he "comes back", there will be nothing "Nixonian" about it. The two have nothing in common from the standpoint of stature.
Nixon was a patriot
Gore is a traitor and a bum!
I don't see the republicans abandoning the war but the real dems have and as much as the left loves Hill she voted for and although I expect her to claim she only did because she was fooled ... well you see where we are going.
Listen Al and let me make this perfectly clear! I didn't climb out the grave just to whistle "Dixie." So, first, announce to the press that you will be making an important statement. Get that Micheal Moore to film the whole thing. Have the press meet you on top of the Empire State Building. Then when they have all assembled and are at the peak of anticipation, take a deep breath, grab Micheal Moore and jump over the rail with him, you sorry heap of dung!
Geeze, Dick! And I thought I was hard on the Dems...
Well, I'm not a good shot like you...
Would the American public be foolish (stupid) enough to vote for algore on the basis of one issue - global warming?
Gore constantly shows he's too clever-by-half to be as dyed-in-the-wool evil as the witch.
His ilk of treason is born out of a need to get funds for his political runs, while Hitlery's treason would purposely sell us all out so she and Bill could rule the world.
Run, Al, Run! ...and be sure to let Bob Schrum help you! It'll be great to see all that Democrat money go *poof* in the primary season and to hear all the otherwise-unaired Demo-laundry be used to slime both these two leviathans!
HF
I wouldn't vote for that clod if he were running for city pooper scooper. He's a fringe lunatic!