Pros and cons of Al Gore?

[amadeus]

How else do you expect him to get there, swim?!?

You don't see the hypocracy in him burning up over 65,000 gallons of fuel to go and condemn average Americans, who wouldn't in their lifetimes consume that much gasoline?

 

[Che Guava]

You don't see the hypocracy in him burning up over 65,000 gallons of fuel to go and condemn average Americans, who wouldn't in their lifetimes consume that much gasoline?

If it saves even more fuel and emissions by going, then no.

 

[amadeus]

Isn't that strikingly similar to the moral code of the leadership of the old Soviet Union?

"He needs to have a big car, a large apartment, and a color television, because without them, he cannot represent the interests of the people!"

I'm not falling for it.

 

[El_Machinae]

You don't see the hypocracy in him burning up over 65,000 gallons of fuel to go and condemn average Americans, who wouldn't in their lifetimes consume that much gasoline?

America is burning, what?, 3 billion barrels of oil year? If he can reduce that number, then the investments are worth it.

Or are you saying that I'm a hypocrit, because I published a pamphlet on how to reduce paper use?

 

[jameson]

I'm confident Democrats will take back control of the House or Senate in 2006. My biggest concern is whether or not they will establish fiscal responsibility that the Republicans used to stand for.

I hope you're right, but it looks like at some point, fiscal responsibility will no longer be facultative. Looking at the state of the US national debt, the Republican past reputation for fiscal responsibility seems like a rather sick joke to me now. Anyway, I wouldn't be surprised if President Bush suddenly discovered his ability to actually veto spending bills once they're passed by a Democratic Congress.

I don't agree that any particular Bush policy can really be credited with getting the US out of the 2000 recession; I'm more inclined to support the view that the Fed's policy of low interest rates and the consequent rise in housing prices led to the strong consumer spending that's kept the US economy going.

That's getting OT though; more to the point, I think Gore would have grabbed that bullhorn after 9/11 too, though he might not have gone into Iraq. But that's entirely too much speculation.

 

[covok48]

"How else do you expect him to get there, swim?!?"

No, he can run.

"America is burning, what?, 3 billion barrels of oil year? If he can reduce that number, then the investments are worth it. Or are you saying that I'm a hypocrit, because I published a pamphlet on how to reduce paper use?"

No, it's implied that Gore needs to burn vast amount of fossil fuels to "get his message out" of social responsibility instead of doing his part by reducing it. Then he has the gaul to lecture us wasteful uncaring fat Americans for doing things like commuting to work.

 

[cgannon64]

You don't see the hypocracy in him burning up over 65,000 gallons of fuel to go and condemn average Americans, who wouldn't in their lifetimes consume that much gasoline?

And how many gallons of fuel are you burning right now, by surfing this thread?

Or is it all worth it, since you're making fun of Al Gore?

No, it's implied that Gore needs to burn vast amount of fossil fuels to "get his message out" of social responsibility instead of doing his part by reducing it. Then he has the gaul to lecture us wasteful uncaring fat Americans for doing things like commuting to work.

Hell yes! In fact, what a bastard that Al Gore is, producing carbon dioxide with his mouth! If he really cared about the enviroment, he would go out to a forest - by a solar powered car - and hang himself, with a biodegradable noose!

Al Gore has made many, many people aware of the problem of the enviroment, even more so now with his film. That you all argue he is wasting fuel with his campaign proves that he has, on some level, won, and you know he's right. You just find sniping easier than caring.

 

[bhsup]

...even more so now with his film.

He made a film?

 

[cgannon64]

Yes, "An Inconvenient Truth," about the environment. Opened today or yesterday, or something like that.

 

[amadeus]

And how many gallons of fuel are you burning right now, by surfing this thread?

Zero.

This stuff is straight out of Animal Farm. I should cut down on my consumption of energy, but Gore shouldn't, because he's "too important" or the fact that he's "spreading the message" is supposed to compensate for his poor (by his own standards) environmental stewardship.

Have you ever heard the old saying "practice what you preach?" I guess we've changed it to "practice what I preach, because I know what's best for you numbskulls."

 

[A'AbarachAmadan]

@rmsharpe

While I agree Gore is an idiot, I disagree with your analogy. One could see it that in order to make money one has to spend money. Same in this case, but he is 'spending' fuel to save fuel.

Of course, I fly economy when I do fly.

 

[bhsup]

Like I said before, I can't really begrudge Gore flying to Japan in that instance. He was our Veep at the time and visits like that carry other benefits than just the speech he gave. They maintain and reinforce visible ties between allies for one thing.

What tans my hide are celebrities who whine about people not keeping their thermostat kept at 78-80 during the summer, and then it comes out that the same celebrity keeps their own home at 72 (just an example....babs!) and so forth.

So let's all let Gore off the hook for the Air Force Two usage. It's fair and legitimate (ugh, as a conservative, it pains me to even type this) use by a sitting Vice President.

 

[The Yankee]

Zero.

This stuff is straight out of Animal Farm. I should cut down on my consumption of energy, but Gore shouldn't, because he's "too important" or the fact that he's "spreading the message" is supposed to compensate for his poor (by his own standards) environmental stewardship.

Have you ever heard the old saying "practice what you preach?" I guess we've changed it to "practice what I preach, because I know what's best for you numbskulls."

Considering that I have no idea what he does when he's home or going to speeches stateside, I can't tell whether or not his usage for the things he needs is lower than what someone else would use to accomplish the same tasks (getting from point A to point B and back or to point C, regulating their home temperature, etc.).

 

[amadeus]

While I agree Gore is an idiot, I disagree with your analogy. One could see it that in order to make money one has to spend money. Same in this case, but he is 'spending' fuel to save fuel.

Unlike the fact of spending money to make money, the fuel he is supposedly saving by attending these conferences was never his to burn. He's condemning others for a certain behavior when he engages in that same behavior himself. I don't see him any differently than I do Jimmy Swaggart.

Of course, I fly economy when I do fly.

I'm not here to harp on your environmental record, of course. I certainly don't object to you flying at all, whether you're in first class or coach. Regardless of whether you purchase the ticket or not, the seat will still be there.

Like I said before, I can't really begrudge Gore flying to Japan in that instance. He was our Veep at the time and visits like that carry other benefits than just the speech he gave. They maintain and reinforce visible ties between allies for one thing.

Just a passing thought, but when Al Gore badmouths the policies/environment of the United States when he's overseas, I don't think he's doing a service to the nation.

I don't object to Al Gore flying anywhere, the problem is that once the plane touches ground, he's the first one out there condemning my consumption of energy.

Mr. Gore should use constructive criticism, rather than trying to tear down the lives of average Americans.

 

[GeorgeOP]

Gore isn't a boring drab man the same way W isn't a liar and an idiot. Both are gross over-generalizations.

Gore would have increased taxes (even my taxes while I was in college would have gone up), increased restrictions on buisnesses, and mandated buisnesses supply more expensive healthcare which would have led to less efficient healthcare. The economy started to slip 6-9 months before the election plus we had a major terrorist attack on the most important building in our economy, yet people seem to think that Bush caused the crash and the economy would have been better off with Gore than Bush. And Gore probably would have done nothing more than launch a couple of cruise missles somewhere and say that it took care of the terrorist problem. I shudder to think what our economy would look like with Gore for the last 8 years. Of course, with how far it would have sunk, there would have been no way for Gore to win a second term.

Don't forget the Gore adage: it's better to put hundreds of American out of a job than hurt a couple of owls.

 

[covok48]

"Hell yes! In fact, what a bastard that Al Gore is, producing carbon dioxide with his mouth! If he really cared about the enviroment, he would go out to a forest - by a solar powered car - and hang himself, with a biodegradable noose!"

Stop putting words in my mouth. I don't hate Gore, but he's like and other limosuine liberal who lectures us about our wastful habits from his private gaz guzzling jet or stretch limo. I liken this to Modonna who tells us to refrain from our sinful ways of eccess & promisuity and repent while she built an entire career on on such things. To put it another way, actions speak louder than words.

If he turned into a hippie, rode his bike to work, and only used biodegradable products, I may not agree with him, but he'd be sincere and believable.

"Al Gore has made many, many people aware of the problem of the enviroment, even more so now with his film. That you all argue he is wasting fuel with his campaign proves that he has, on some level, won, and you know he's right. You just find sniping easier than caring."

Oh please, you give him way too much credit. He simply latched onto a cause that had fallen out of favor among celebrities in the early 90's in an effort to pospone his fall into obscurity. That South Park parody relects on Gore pretty well, that he takes all the credit for environmental progress that has been made in the last 15 years (that he did nothing to contribute to) in order to stretch out his 15 minutes of fame.

 

[Narz]

Of course, I fly economy when I do fly.

Does the plane burn more fuel when you fly first class?

 

[VoodooAce]

Isn't that strikingly similar to the moral code of the leadership of the old Soviet Union?

"He needs to have a big car, a large apartment, and a color television, because without them, he cannot represent the interests of the people!"

I'm not falling for it.

I actually agree with RM on this one. He should have maybe known that right wing nuts all over would attack him for this, regardless of how little sense the attacks make.

Besides, it is kind of like, oh I don't know, starting a bogus war from scratch, causing thousands and thousands of deaths....in the name of peace and democracy.

As far as Al Gore goes, he screwed the pooch in 2000. He was VP under a very, very, very popular president and couldn't manage to utilize the built-in advantage that it was.

I actually blame him for subjecting us to eight years of the village idiot.

BTW, a lot of you joke about Al Gore inventing the internet. This is one of those myths like Jane Fonda ratting out the POW's in Nam that a lot of people still believe to this day. Some people will believe anything, I guess.

 

[bhsup]

BTW, a lot of you joke about Al Gore inventing the internet. This is one of those myths like Jane Fonda ratting out the POW's in Nam that a lot of people still believe to this day. Some people will believe anything, I guess.

Okay, forget the ratting out accusations. She purposely visited a nation we were at war with, giving encouragement to enemy troops. Traitor any way you slice it.

 

[Neomega]

technically, Al Gore never said he "invented the internet"... that was actually the spin put on his statements about how he was supposedly the motivating factor behind the internet.

It still showed the arrogance of a politician who takes credit for the work of tens of thousands of people and the money of taxpayers.