Posted on 11/15/2002 6:58:23 AM PST by alisasny
Excerpt from Barbara Walters interview with Al Gore and family, which airs tonight on 20/20 at 10:00 p.m. ET/9:00 p.m. CT (check your local listings).
The following exchanges, while sure to interest Note readers and historians, actually won't be part of tonight's 20/20 broadcast, so you can read them only here and now:
WALTERS: I'm not sure that people realize that while you were in the residence of the Vice President [during the Florida recount] there were crowds of people outside screaming at you. What was that all about?
AL GORE: Well, this was the Republican response to what was happening during that 36-day period, and they organized busloads of people that came and stood outside the house all day and all night screaming at the top of their lungs.
WALTERS: What, "Get out!"?
TIPPER GORE: Things like that, yes, and, and sometimes … things that we don't want to say on your program, and, some people saw that they were buses from "churches," but it was organized. The one thing that, that they did mainly was reach the bedrooms of our children, and Albert was still in school locally, and trying to study, so we rearranged, you know, they … kids moved to a different part of the house, and I was trying to think of a way that we could kind of laugh about this since obviously it was out of our control, there wasn't anything anybody could do so I got all the boom boxes in the house and … I remember sort of what the government did with Noriega … I thought we'd try that, and I aimed them at, toward, you know, where the crowd …
WALTERS: The crowd?
TIPPER GORE: … And I put nature sounds on and turned it all the way up. And at least the kids laughed.
AL GORE: There were a few, more than a few who supported us and were offended by the organized chanting round the clock who came out on the other street corner during the day to express their support with signs, and … You know, emotions were running high throughout the country and it was just an unprecedented time.
KARENNA GORE: Well, when we were in the Vice President's house during the recount, it was it was very intense. And one of the things I remember is that there was a … an organized effort by, I don't know whether it was the RNC or it was … it was right-wing groups, it was definitely Bush-campaign-oriented effort to bus in people to have a sort of siege at the Vice President's house, and, so, they were all lining there, screaming, and it was kind of an assortment of groups. I mean, some of them were anti, um, were anti-abortion groups, and some of them were pro-gun groups, and some of them … they all had their different signs. But they were all screaming, "Get out of Cheney's house," the whole time. And I just remember being there next to my dad, because I went for a run, and I ran back through them, and I was very upset when I came into the house. And my whole attitude was, like, "We've got to fight back harder. And where are our crowds?" And my dad, I'll never forget his response. He said, "We have to do what's best for the country, and it is not good for the country to have this kind of divisiveness. And he was on the phone, really calling off the dogs. There were people who wanted to fan the … the flames of the racial issue and have real unrest. And he was on the phone asking them not to, because of what was best for the country not because of what was best for him politically. And that's really who he is.
WALTERS: Do you remember the crowds outside screaming?
KRISTEN GORE: The crowds that were screaming outside our house, you know, "Get out of Cheney's house." And other things … of that nature, were really upsetting. It was difficult … It was just very … upsetting that someone would … yell those things at us. It felt … we felt sort of like … trapped in this … you know, little house with all these people yelling mean things. It's no fun. You know, whether you're a child of the person who they're directed at, or anyone else. It … it wasn't a good situation.
WALTERS: Were you scared?
KRISTEN GORE: I was scared that the truth was not going to come out. That's what I was.
After 20/20 and a break for your local news, you can catch Gore on Letterman.
LOL!!
This thread keeps getting better.
Live thread of the DNC where we talk about the odious FILM
deport, you are a prince!!!
I suspect this feeling contributed to the Nov.5 rout. Too many of us remembered the aftermath of Nov 2000 and went out and voted. I think deep down many of us all across the country vowed to ourselves this fiasco wouldn't happen again if we could help it.
Keep dwelling on the past Al. Keep reminding us of your election fraud. Nov 2004 looks better all the time.
So now we see the liberal pundits, media, and politicians in a snit over the organized rallies in support of George W. Bush. But why are the Democrats- the party of free speech and historically bitter protests- coming down so hard on the Republicans?
I'll tell you why.
Since the activism of the 60's, protests, rallies, sit-ins, etc. have been the exclusive domain of the left. Whether it's a rally against the World Trade Organization or a demonstration for bra burning, political demonstrations have been a defining characteristic for the Democratic Party. We have been saturated for years with images of flag burning, peace signs and no blood for oil signs... but all of that has disappeared. And a new kind of demonstrator has been born.
Enter Generation W. In the year 2000, young and old, rich and poor, black and white, men and women have joined together in protests against the 2000 Presidential election. For so many years, Republicans have sat silently by their radios and televisions, protesting in the safety of their own homes always hoping from afar that they could organize and be heard, but, in the end, accepting the 'whatever is meant to be is meant to be' line.
But no more.
Generation W now represents a growing tide of conservatism in the United States- especially among 20-40 year olds. Traditionally, this has been a demographic group that has been either staunch leftists, or silent conservatives. But something has happened in recent history to ignite a flame of activism- a flame that basically says, 'we are mad as hell and we're not going to take it anymore.'
What triggered such a strong rise in patriotism and conservatism? One guess. Eight years of Clinton.
Not only will Clinton's legacy be that of scandal, but also will be credited in years to come for the rise of Generation W.
Generation W is the new generation of activist Republicans who will use the amendment that Republicans for so many years have been accused of trying to take away from everyone else- the 1st amendment. Those of us in Generation W have stolen the thunder of the left and turned it into lightning a million times brighter than any Democrat ever expected.
In demonstrations across the nation, Republican demonstrators have significantly outnumbered those on the left. Yet we see Liberals like Joe Lieberman saying that the peaceful protests of Bush/Cheney supports have intimidated Democratic canvassing board members.
My, my, my, how the tables have turned.
The bottom line is that the left was counting on us to be silent. They were counting on us to sit in front of our televisions and cry foul. They were counting on their supporters to be in the streets. They were counting on history to repeat itself.
We I've got news for all of you Democrats. We are organized, and we are growing.
We are Generation W- and we are here to stay.
Whoa, the BS meter just pegged...
Thanks. Don't remember ever seeing a picture of the house itself but I didn't picture a 3 bedroom, one bath, one car garage either.
Notice he didn't mention the entire day he tried to get hold of the union guy so he could 'bus in' some gore supporters.
Thank you DC FReepers for all your hard work.
Search for Goon Squad and you'll find some threads.
Many also think that we never landed on the moon. Many others think that we did land on the moon but that NASA has held back the photos of the fabulous "martian" cities.
Good thing is that the tinfoil those knobs are wearing helps them to pull in the radio signal on their fillings, permitting them to hear this radio spot!
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