September 12, 2004

A BIGTIME SQUANDER (via David Hill, The Bronx):

Consider Al Gore, private citizen. Unleashed. (Nancy Benac, September 12, 2004, Associated Press)

When Gore delivered his latest-in-a-series slam at the Republicans last week, faulting Vice President Dick Cheney for "sleazy and despicable" criticism of the Democrats, a White House spokesman dismissively responded: "Consider the source."

Consider Al Gore.

Well, he used to be the vice president.

And, as he likes to say, he used to be the next president of the United States.

Now, he is Al Gore private citizen. Al Gore unleashed.

Speaking with a freedom and passion less frequently seen in his own political campaigns, Gore is happily making speeches, raking in money and generally raising hell for John Kerry and the Democratic Party these days. In his spare time, he's also teaching at three universities and raising money for himself through various business ventures.

In recent weeks and months, as an uncensored voice for the Democratic cause, Gore has skewered President Bush's team for moral cowardice, the "lowest sort of politics imaginable," aligning itself with "digital brownshirts" who intimidate the press, and political tactics as craven as those of Richard Nixon.


It's kind of sad that Mr. Gore, who indeed was almost our president, can be so devastatingly dismissed with one line by the White House.

Posted by Orrin Judd at September 12, 2004 9:48 PM
Comments

He's the Ramsey Clark of this generation.

Posted by: Fred Jacobsen (San Fran) at September 13, 2004 12:23 AM

Someone at AP must have it in for Gore because that is by far the worst picture that I have seen of him, or any major politician, in a news story in a long, long, time. Maybe ever...

Posted by: brian at September 13, 2004 1:33 AM

If they had really had it in for Al, they would have changed "unleashed" to "unhinged" in the story.

Posted by: John at September 13, 2004 2:47 AM

Just thank your lucky stars that he wasn't elected.

Posted by: Robert Schwartz at September 13, 2004 3:10 AM

it's scarily transparent, first, what a bloated, mean-spirited lunatic he's become, but even moreso is how he is being open-armed by the democratic party.

Posted by: neil at September 13, 2004 7:31 AM

Looks more like Rip Torn or John Heard than Al Gore.

Posted by: jim hamlen at September 13, 2004 10:55 AM


I suspect the American electorate always suspected him of being personability challenged. Something was veiled there that glimmered through during the debates. The real Al gore. The effects of the Florida recounts have finally revealed the flaws.

His greatest moment in time, was his concession speech ... a pleasant suprise; Presidential in nature and forward looking to 2004. What a disillusioned disappointment that he didn't get the nod after the seven dwarfs emerged. I'm certain he expected it. Is his current persona his revenge on the party? Is this a developing Greek tragedy? Stay tuned.

Posted by: genecis at September 13, 2004 11:19 AM

Why didn't Gore run again in 2004? No money, no respect, and a bored constituency. A repeat of 1956, when even RFK voted for Ike.

Posted by: ratbert at September 13, 2004 1:39 PM
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