Gore has quite a decade

October 12, 2007

Al Gore is enjoying a very good press day, and I couldn’t be more pleased. He’s not only earned a Nobel Peace Prize, he’s also established himself as a global leader. Today is, I’m sure, an amazing honor for the former Vice President, but today is also a reminder of an amazing series of accomplishments.

As Noam Scheiber noted, that sets up an interesting contrast between the two men who vied for the presidency seven years ago.

Watching Al Gore take a well-deserved victory lap this afternoon, I couldn’t help wondering what George W. Bush must be thinking. I mean, I know the guy still believes history will vindicate him and all, but, really, this has got to be pretty painful. Bush, according to various accounts of the 2000 campaign, absolutely despised Gore. He regarded him as a preening, self-righteous phony.

So Bush somehow manages to avenge his father’s defeat and vanquish the vice president of the United States. And yet, seven years later, it’s Gore who’s being hailed around the world as a prophet and a savior and Bush who, if he’s still being discussed at all, is mentioned only as the punchline to some joke, or when his poll numbers reach some new historic low. It must eat him up.

That sounds about right. The NYT’s Jim Rutenberg takes a look at how Gore has spent the last several years, and all of his efforts have been impressive. He argued against the war in Iraq, and predicted the ensuing disaster perfectly. He created an Emmy-award winning cable network. He was the focus of an Oscar-winning documentary. He’s won a Nobel Peace Prize. He’s done more than anyone on the planet to wake people up to the environmental crisis posed by global warming. And on the political front, Gore became perhaps the strongest and most articulate progressive leader in the United States.

Everything Bush touched led to disaster. Everything Gore focused on turned out to be right.

Not bad for a guy who Chris Matthews said “went off and grew that beard and got weird” after his defeat in the 2000 presidential election.

Josh Marshall also highlights the “irony and poetic justice” of Gore’s Nobel.

The first is that the greatest step for world peace would simply have been for Gore not to have had the presidency stolen from him in November 2000. By every just measure, Gore won the presidency in 2000 only to have George W. Bush steal it from him with the critical assistance of the US Supreme Court. It’s worth taking a few moments today to consider where the country and world would be without that original sin of this corrupt presidency.

And yet this is a fitting bookend, with Gore receiving this accolade while the sitting president grows daily an object of greater disapproval, disapprobation and collective shame. And let’s not discount another benefit: watching the rump of the American right detail the liberal bias of the Nobel Committee and at this point I guess the entire world. Fox News vs. the world.

And not to forget what this award is about even more than Gore. If half of what we think we know about global warming is true, people will look back fifty years from now on the claims that “War on Terror” was the defining challenge of this century and see it as a very sick, sad joke — which rather sums up the Bush presidency.

That’s true; Gore’s public responses today haven’t been about him, they’ve been about his message. The media is preoccupied with horserace nonsense, but Gore continues to do what he always has, emphasize his public education campaign and the need for action.

The world is lucky to have him.

So when do we bomb Denmark and Sweden? Seriously, as bat shite crazy and vindicitive as Dubya is, dontcha think that this might actually push him closer to war with Iran? I can hear him thinking ” If those mfers over there want peace, I’ll give them peace. This is the true meaning of the word Pecae Fu&^ers! Let’s get out the nukes!

And I bet old Wormtongue Cheney is right there, even now, leading him on in these thoughts.

Seriously congratulations to Mr Gore. He’s truly done the world a great service in his lonely leadership on this issue.

  • Like Mr Etablishment-pundit-boy-blunder-who-got-intellectually-pummeled-by-a-comedian would know?

    Oh Tweety, please.

    I found it rather scary that it was summer till the middle of Oct where I lived. Part of me wanted to punch out everyone who wanted it to be like this every fall. They really don’t understand the price we are all going to pay for this.

    Humanity is going to need Al Gore more now than ever.

  • While George Bush keeps chanting that history will eventually like him better “after I’m dead,” history is already looking favorably at Al Gore — and that must really chap Bush’s behind.

    In order for history to smile on W, either the entire rest of the world will have to dramatically change or revisionists will have to get awfully busy at their keyboards (and a lot of man-sized safes will have to remain hermetically sealed.) Bush won the battle at the Supreme Court in 2000, but it looks like this is the third war he’s lost so far since then.

  • I’m sorry, but I seriously doubt that the Nobel committee, or any other manifestation of world opinion, is the kind of approval George W. Bush has ever craved. He’s never been interested in accomplishments per se; it’s all about power and stature, and for those two things you just can’t beat being President of the United States for eight years. I’m sure he sleeps smugly easy tonight. Remember, this is the guy who *revels* in the fact that he’s a C student who’s advised by Ph.D.’s. Gore winning the Nobel is just the sort of thing to confirm Bush’s belief that the opinions of rest of the world aren’t worth listening to, because foreigners are loony. And that’s not sour grapes on his part — he really believes it.

  • Among the many differences between Gore and Bush, the years since 2000 have made one quite clear: one is competent in the minds of others and the one is clueless except in his own mind.

  • Being the token moderate in the comment section, I will point out one other thing.

    Gore has become filthy rich. He owns well over $100,000,000 in Google stock and probably has another $30,000,000 in Apple stock.

    Not to shabby for a liberal.

    Bush likes the idea of getting $50,000 a speech. Bush must know that he will never be as rich as Gore.

  • While I would like for The Decider to experience some normal human emotions (shame, chagrin, embarassment), I doubt that that’s happening. Commander Codpiece is a small man, I would believe he envys Gore, but feeling bad because of Gore’s accolades? No.
    Remember, the Regal Moron has sent thousands, perhaps hundreds of thousands of people to their deaths. His actions have ripped apart families and communities, caused millions to become refugees, and severely affected the lives of the surviving wounded. And I don’t think he gives a shit about these “little people.”
    And every idiot out there with a “W” sticker on their car/SUV/truck has this blood on their hands, too. And I don’t think that they give a shit about what they have done, either.
    Congrats, President Gore. You deserve this honor.
    And I am hoping that someday, hopefully soon,the other side gets what they deserve, too.

  • Since Bush has only recently been able to say the words “global warming” without sneering, you bet this chaps his ass.

    When Al Gore’s the Democratic nominee and the polls keep saying the mother of all thumpin’s is coming for the Republicrooks, I can see the petulent Bush starting a war with Iran, just to fuck up Gore’s presidency.

    You watch.

    And what kind of asshole says “they’ll appreciate me long after I’m dead”???

    Is that sociopathic or WHAT?

  • Al Gore made it clear in his press conference that he is going to continue what he’s doing. Sadly, I think I am coming to the conclusion that he is too good a man to waste on politics in the United States. We don’t seem to have governance anymore – just smear and grind partisan warfare, and the good guys are still losing.

    CNN didn’t even show the beginning of his modest and short speech – they had cut away for a commercial. They had ample notice it was coming. Even Fox showed it in its entirety. In the few times I tuned into the three networks today, I heard zero serious talk about global warming, pointless prattle about his running for president, a lot of sniping at his film and global warming as an issue, and plenty of celebrity frolics and the latest on the hottest crimes of the day.

    Pretty damn sad.

    Not a scientific sample, but I think indicative.

  • Neil,

    So what! What’s the point of all that money if all of humanity dies a slow and painful extinction that rapid climate change will bring?

  • … he is too good a man to waste on politics in the United States.

    Sadly, that’s all too true. The guy is simply too good a human being to get mired in the disgusting filth of modern politics as done by the GOP.

    And let’s be kind on neil — I mean, we all know that someone who almost always criticizes Democrats, while almost never chiding Republicans, is the very definition of a “moderate.”

    Just ask David Broder.

  • Gore has become filthy rich. … Not too shabby for a liberal.

    What does that even mean? You seem to imply there’s some logical or principled contradiction between the two. But liberals aren’t opposed to individuals getting rich. They just believe the opportunity to prosper should be as widely available as possible, and that sometimes this requires state intervention.

    Your statement would be roughly akin to saying: ‘Mitt Romney has raised five kids. Not too shabby for a conservative.’ Nonsensical.

  • “went off and grew that beard and got weird”

    It’s a great illustrration of how their propaganda-ploys work. They don’t want people to see that after the 2000 election, Al Gore went off and did a bunch of good, positive things. They’d rather have people see him as a petty sore-loser and a crank (because of how it will reflect on liberals and Democrats in general). So if Al Gore goes and does a bunch of good, positive things, they’ll have someone say that he “went off and grew that beard and got weird.”

    If I write something really sensible and realistic about war, they’ll try to find some way to call me a starry-eyed idealist as soon as possible, because they want people to only look to the dunces for opinions on war. If I write something that sounds positive and optimistic, they’ll call me a pessimist and a misanthrope.

  • Bush’s ambitions…refill the old coffers. There are those who are dedicated to helping the world and its people and then there are those who are just plain selfish and screw everybody else.
    Good on gore, who went for his highest ideals and has blessed the world by his initiative and courage to face the very real challenges to our survival. We honor a great man who has so honored us.

    Meanwhile look what has happened to the republican party…so filled with hate and condemnation because of their inability to admit to the massive blunders they have made in the selfish pursuit of self interests. War, destruction, chaos, murder, corruption, economic collapse all pushed by fear and hatred. America has paid a dear price for the SC’s decision to appoint Bush president. and congress’ decision to block impeachment allowing Bush to continue implementing the collapse of our society. Still the right ‘s answer is to attack Gore while standing with Bush to attack a 12 y/o boy for political reasons.

    btw…can people still be arrested for sedition? And if there is a citizens arrest and the suspect tries to escape by violent means, can the citizen be prosecuted for accidental homicide of the Malkin..er I mean suspect?

  • Neil just might be implying that this is further proof how much smarter Gore is than Bush.
    And Neil, as a fellow moderate – who in today’s republican circles would be considered a flaming liberal – and dedicated CB reader, this site truly is one of the most reasonable and thoughtful, both in terms of the editorials and the commentors, than the other left or right sites I visit. I’m sure that’s why you come back (as does JRS)

  • After being the lone dissent in a 27-1 vote against MLB realignment and a new wild-card system in 1993:

    “I made my arguments and went down in flames. History will prove me right,”
    — Texas Rangers owner George W. Bush

    The “gut” is never wrong.

  • Gore has become filthy rich. He owns well over $100,000,000 in Google stock and probably has another $30,000,000 in Apple stock. — Neil Wilson, @7

    Yeah, and he’s probably taxed on it at some ridiculously low rate, too. Oh, *if only* we could get fair taxes: none for the Republicans, and double for Democrats…

  • Both Bush and Gore started from wealth. Bush bankrupted any company he touched. Gore has increased his wealth by being a good businessman. By this standard, who should be the darling of the conservatives?

  • Like Mr Establishment-pundit-boy-blunder-who-got-intellectually-pummeled-by-a-comedian would know?

    That invokes a seriously outdated attitude. In the hands of Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert, “comedian” has been revealed to be a far nobler, far smarter calling than “talk show host”.

  • one is competent in the minds of others and the one is clueless except in his own mind.

    Hey, since when do Laura and Barney not count any more?

  • Here’s one more thing that will drive Bush crazy: In a few years Al Gore will still be a force in American life. Bush will be a cipher and a complete afterthought.

    If Bush thinks he’s going to “refill the old coffers” on the lecture circuit he’s crazy. No one, not even the nuttiest right winger, will pay to hear him speak after he leaves the White House.

  • I can’t stand the thought of what this country would be like today had the Supreme Court not appointed Bu$h as president. Talk about karma. What the hell did we do for providence to sentence us to 8 years of this bufoon and his handlers?

    And just think, it was the new millenium, we were poised to have a man in a position of power that actually cared about the well being of his country and the world…

    Maybe there is a silver lining, often you have to hit rock bottom before you bounce back up. If anything positive comes of Bu$h’s immediate legacy, it’s that he has once and for all exposed republican conservatism for what it is: FRAUD.

  • Amusingly, neil wilson pointed out what I was going to point out:

    Gore more respected than Bush in the court of public opinion. He has more respect from the world than Bush will ever achieve. Everything he’s said about the environment over the last few decades been proven prophetic. He won an Academy Award and a Nobel Prize –

    All of that is true, and an awesome bit of karma, but the kicker for Bush has got to be that Gore now runs a successful investment company of his own. In his 7 years out of public service he’s been more successful at business than our “MBA President” ever was. Every business he touched turned to ash in Bush’s fingers – every time he was given a chance he screwed it up and his Daddy’s buddies had to come rescue him. Al Gore – who was educated as a lawyer and groomed as a politician by his father since the day he was born – Al Gore manages to upstage him even as a businessman.

    Gore was a better politician, a better public servant, and a better human being than Bush. Bush thought he’d “won” by managing to “beat” Gore through the intervention of the SCOTUS. But Gore gets the last laugh – he proved that he’s not only the better man, he’s also the better BUSINESSMAN. That’s really, really gotta chap Bush’s ass.

    I mean, I’d exchange it all to have had Gore as the president for the last 7 years instead of the Boy Prince. But as a consolation prize that’s some nice karma.

  • I dont know what all this fuss is about re Gore and Bush – after all, there really isn’t a dime’s worth of different between them.

    Right Ralphie?

  • ‘He’s done more than anyone on the planet to wake people up to the environmental crisis posed by global warming.”

    As well as personally contributed to the problem with his private jet rides and oversized manisons. If it’s such a crisis, why hasn’t the man changed his lifestyle?

  • Given that Gore has $130 million, climatic warming is not his problem any more than is the end of the era of cheap oil. Gore seems to be focussed on it because it looks like being many other people’s problem, and he seems to be concerned about other people.

    • Comments are closed.