2000 AND TWO [The New Yorker magazine slams Al Gore in its current Election Week issue]

The New Yorker Magazine ^ | Issue dated 11-04-02 | Hendrik Hertzberg

[summer]

Talk of the Town

COMMENT

2000 AND TWO

Issue of 2002-11-04
Posted 2002-10-28

Excerpt:

Seven weeks ago, the first anniversary of the World Trade Center and Pentagon attacks was commemorated with appropriately solemn ceremony. November 7th marks another anniversary....

In terms of national and international upheaval, geopolitical importance, and, above all, human suffering, there is, of course, no comparison between the events of September 11, 2001, and those accompanying the Presidential election of 2000. No evil conspiracy planned the latter; no one died on account of it; no children's dreams are haunted by it. ...

How one feels about this [Nov 2000] depends at least partly on one's own political preference. But not even the most complacent Bush supporters could deny that their man was taking office under unusual circumstances.

The new President's response to all this was to ignore it…. Bush's intransigence demanded a response, and it must be said that Gore did not provide one.

What might Gore have done? By a plurality of half a million, the voters had expressed a preference for his ideas (though not, one guesses, his personality) over Bush's. If you include the net third-party vote, the plurality becomes a clear center-left majority. Early on—even before the Inauguration, perhaps—Gore could have said, first, that he did not question the legitimacy of Bush's claim to the office and would support him when possible; second, that the national popular vote, while constitutionally irrelevant, was the opposite of a political mandate for wrenching the country to the right; and, third, that he, Gore, believed that the popular vote had imposed upon him an obligation to speak for those whose interests and values would now be shut out of the executive branch of government. Then, perhaps in a series of monthly speeches, he should have spoken out, politely but firmly, on the issues of the moment.

Instead, he fell silent. He did not accept—and apparently did not perceive—the responsibility that his popular-vote victory had laid upon him. The other day, a Fox News poll had twice as many people saying that they would have felt "less safe" with Gore in the White House than they do with Bush. Does this reflect a belief (almost certainly incorrect) that Gore would have been less than vigorous in going after the terrorists? Maybe. But perhaps it also reflects a recognition that at a crucial moment he essentially left voiceless those who had placed their trust in him.

As for Bush, he is now spending the last days before the midterm election campaigning almost continuously to retain his party's control over the House of Representatives, recapture the Senate, and, by extension, consolidate the conservative Supreme Court majority that made him President in the first place. Trent Lott, the Senate Republican leader, explained the other day what would follow. "We will come out of the gate next year fast," he said, and listed these legislative priorities: confirming some fifty conservative nominees to the federal judiciary; expanding tax cuts, which go overwhelmingly to the very rich; enacting a prescription-drug plan that, bypassing Medicare, would require the elderly to buy coverage from private insurers; banning certain late-term abortions; and squelching any strengthening of gun control. …

— Hendrik Hertzberg

[summer]

Instead, he [Al Gore] fell silent....

It seems to me McMumble's campaign people here in FL are in a conspiracy to ensure McMumble's loss on Tuesday.

The reason I think this is because they see McMumble slipping in the polls, unable to attract the crucial swing vote; and, so, what do they do? They bring in AL GORE to speak in three FL cities -- for what purpose?

I guess they want FL voters to remember how Al Gore fell SILENT in FL in Election 2000 on an important federal and local environmental issue in So FL, about whether an airport should be built in the Everglades at the old Homestead Airforce Base. 90,000 FL voters remembered Gore's silence -- and voted for Nader in Nov 2000. Is this what McMumble's people really want FL voters to recall??? Apparently, yes.

Meanwhile, the New Yorker Magazine timely casts Al Gore as "the silent one." Hmmm....This label is the same Al Gore FL independent and swing voters know - the "silent one."

If I was McMumble's campaign manager and I actually wanted to win this election, I would have (a) kept Al Gore busy somewhere else, like maybe in Alaska, and (b) prepared McMumble better for the debates, so that maybe voters would have been impressed with a straight answer instead of nonstop mumbling.

But, that's just me. McMumble's campaign manager calls in Al Gore at the last minute.

In short, I think McMumble's current campaign manager must be working for Jeb! :)

[summer]

Re: November 2000, and the silent AL GORE known to FL voters --

'The Jeb Bush Nobody Knows' - Part 8: Why Some FL Dem Voters May "Never Forget" - and, Vote for Jeb!

[summer]

Make that: JEB!

[summer]

I just feel this one line has come to accurately sum up the entire Dem Party Leadership:

...at a crucial moment [they] essentially left voiceless those who had placed their trust in [them].

And, to me, those crucial moments included times they held the power in policial office. How can my problems as a teacher possibly compete with Monica's sexy thong, or the allure of an illegal Buddist fundraising event? IMO, voters basically are forced to spend their time in a cave when Dems are in power.

[paul51]

Does this reflect a belief (almost certainly incorrect) that Gore would have been less than vigorous in going after the terrorists?

Oh yeah. Right. We can assume the gore would have done a great job

[summer]

LOL...yes, I noticed that slant too. LOL... let's see, Mr. Environment Gore could not even voice an opinion on an environmental issue in an election year in the state that would determine the election, but, we should all assume he would certainly have been able to rally the entire world against Osama. Uh -- I doubt it.

[summer]

Nevertheless, despite that slant there - this is quite a slam on Al Gore, especially from the usually sedate and always very liberal NYer mag.

[summer]

FYI.

[summer]

FYI.

[summer]

policial = political

[summer]

Here's a ping for you guys, Dems in sheep clothing, IMO, in case you missed this great article on your party's non-existent leadership.

[raybbr]

Of course, they are going to slam him. They can sense Hildabeast waiting at gate of the pig pen known as the democratic leadershhip.

[summer]

LOL...well, I still think McMumble's staff made a horrible decision to invite Al Gore to FL. Unless, of course, losing the election is actually part of this master plan...

[Darksheare]

Why, Yes! ALGone would have done a GREAT job.....
..for the enemy.

[raybbr]

Perhaps they don't intend to pay attention to the actual vote. I am sure they several briefs written up to suit any outcome of the vote.

[Cicero]

The way I read this strange little piece of fantasy is that Al Gore betrayed the liberal cause because he didn't take up the role of ALTERNATIVE PRESIDENT after the chad count. As the person with the most popular votes, he should have continued to speak out and give the liberal view on every matter that came up. He should have continued to say to Bush through the press, "No, no, you're wrong, this is what should be done, not that!"

Instead, Gore went off, taught a journalism class, grew a beard, and dropped off the radar screen. Thank God.

That's all we would have needed: two presidents.

[summer]

Cicero, You make a valid, but I can tell you this article does truthfuly express the views of Dem voters, as I have read post after post n Dem sites asking "Where's AL GORE??" So, why they think hauling him out NOW is going to help remains beyond me! :)

[summer]

I meant: a valid point

[KsSunflower]

This article is such hooey!! Al Bore was honestly supposed to make monthly "speaking for the people" updates and commentaries?? That is stinking ridiculous.


Bottom line is that, by Sept. 11, 2001, the entire country was thanking the good Lord that Al Gore was nowhere to be seen and other than hardcore lefties, it still feels the same! I believe that the only ones still wishing Gore had won was the terrorists. One bomb to one tent and his retaliation would have been complete!

[hinckley buzzard]

Yes, an amazing example of sick denial on the writer's part. Fact is, we have no need for belief or assumption. We have eight years of historical record indicating the level of Gore's efficacy and competence, there for all who would see.