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ANDREW SULLIVAN: Al, the long-running man, finally gets the message
The Times ^ | December 15, 2002 | Andrew Sullivan

Posted on 12/14/2002 3:39:53 PM PST by MadIvan

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To: Cookie123
He might have been better off turning down Clinton's '92 offer of the VP slot.

If Gore had done that, he probably would have carried his own state when he did run for President. But probably whoever Clinton picked as VP would have been front runner for the nomination.

He had trouble getting support in '88, and the same thing is true now. Winning the nomination in 2000 was really not a reflection of his own skills as a candidate.

True, enough. Gore was sort of a "resume candidate." True, it turns out his actual resume really wasn't that good (crummy grades in college, failure to complete various graduate programs, make-work jobs in journalism fit in around his pot smoking, "farming" on paper), but in 1988 he was the candidate the less liberal democrats would have supported. The problem was that aside from that perception, there wasn't that much else to Gore. He was the right package for many Democrats, but they concluded that there wasn't much of anything inside.

It was back-room politics and payback time because of his support for Clinton during impeachment.

Not necessarily. Every VP or former VP now has first dibs on the Presidential nomination: Nixon, Humphrey, Mondale, Bush, Gore. And LBJ and Ford, though they succeeded to the Presidency without an election. Agnew, Rockefeller, and Quayle are exceptions which prove the rule: maybe if the VP is perceived as too old or too young or too corrupt it doesn't apply. Curiously, too, defeated VP candidates don't get a break: Dole won his party's Presidential nomination, but had to wait 20 years after Ford picked him as his running mate.

Right now, he's back where he was in February of '88.

That's an interesting way to look at it. This time, though, he doesn't have his Senate seat. But he will have been on Saturday Night Live, and with some voters that may count for more.

21 posted on 12/14/2002 7:35:53 PM PST by x
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To: MadIvan
the American public have bonded with this president, like him, trust him and feel immensely relieved that he won the presidency two years ago.

It's time to pull out my "Thank me, I voted for George W. Bush" bumper sticker. I'm certainly thankful he won!

22 posted on 12/14/2002 7:43:36 PM PST by mombonn
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To: wideawake
According to him, 60% of people polled now regularly claim they voted for W in 2000.

I was ROFL when I read that.

But seriously, folks, what purpose did Al Gore serve? Nothing more than a flunky to the klintons, in my opinion. He's been an empty suit all his life, so he could tolerate the bullshit he must have gotten from Bill and Hitlery for a chance at a shot at the presidency on his own.

Except, even that was not "on his own". The 34 days of electoral hell, when the democRATS attempted a coup by stealing the votes in Florida, came not from Al's tiny brain, but started with a page from the White House after Gore had already phoned Bush and conceded. Never expressing a shred of human decency, Gore was offended when he called Bush back to go back on his word, and Bush "got snippy about it."

But all the dirty deals in the post-election vote-stealing were done by klintonites, and all Al had to do was keep his mouth shut. It is now apparent that Bill and Hitlery were hoping to steal the election for Gore, who would then continue as their sock puppet until Hitlery was ready to steal the election in her own name.

Some freeper a few days ago characterized Algore perfectly: "the Manchurian moron".

23 posted on 12/14/2002 8:10:59 PM PST by 300winmag
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To: MadIvan
This is indeed good news before bed-time!

I'm thinking of watching SNL, but then Gore is hosting tonite, I think.

Thanks MadIvan.....A good turn.

24 posted on 12/14/2002 8:21:27 PM PST by FixitGuy
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To: MadIvan
Great post. Thanks.
25 posted on 12/14/2002 8:42:44 PM PST by GOPJ
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To: GOPJ
Thanks for the ping Ivan!
26 posted on 12/15/2002 1:15:37 AM PST by lainde
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To: Cookie123; MadIvan
Ivan, a bump for a good opinion piece.

Cookie, actually the reason Clinton selected Gore was for his "foreign policy expertise." I know it's a shocker, but it's true. Understanding other cultures enables one to do important things such as visit Budhist Temples for a little campaign dough.

Unfortunately, it didn't help Clinton with any actual foreigh policy -- or maybe it did. With any other President, I would have said it couldn't have been worse, but with Clinton . . .

Gore is an unprincipled loser, but at the time he was an unprincipled loser with some supposed foreign policy knowledge. If you don't think Clinton was short on international policy experts, just look at the Carter retreads in his administration.
27 posted on 12/15/2002 1:34:41 AM PST by Ken in Eastman
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To: patricia
Your theory is crap.
28 posted on 12/15/2002 2:02:37 AM PST by xm177e2
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