Al Gore and the Internet

[DanM]

First post. Woo-hoo. :rolleyes:

Some people, not to accuse but mostly "Republicans," claim that Al Gore claimed to invent the internet.

So, what did he actually say? Did he really say "I invented the internet?" Or did he say something that some people spin-doctored into sounding stupid?

Independent, non-partisan (if there is such a thing anymore) evidence/proof of your response would be appreciated.

[RM Mentock]

John S. Quarterman (http://www.mids.org/mn/904/large.html) has it that he said "During my service in the United States Congress, I took the initiative in creating the Internet." That sounds pretty stupid, by itself, if you know anything about the development of the Internet.

Quarterman, at one point, asks, does a mayor ever build a bridge?

[Phobos]

He had nothing to do with the technology itself. (try some search engines for "internet history"...you'll see its precepts date back to the 1940s/1950s and the first network connection around 1969...certainly before Gore had any political teeth)

I'm not too familiar with his involvement, but my impression is that he helped get some government support behind it. (perhaps accelerated the growth of the web? I'd be interested to know too)

[tomndebb]

The text of Gore's actual statement indicates that he was probably trying to maximize his contribution, and that he probably stumbled over the syntax. It was an off-the-cuff remark, not a prepared statement and (to me) it tracks like a guy talking as the words occur to him, not someone actually boasting about imagined accomplishments.

A partisan, pro-Gore commentary can be found here. (I offer it only because there are a couple of dozen anti-Gore posters who will follow with the "real" truth about his "lies.") I doubt that the author of this piece is any more accurate than the people who claim that Gore tried to take credit for "inventing" the internet, but he does show that there is another side to the story:
Red Rock Eater Digest - Al Gore and the Internet (http://commons.somewhere.com/rre/2000/RRE.Al.Gore.and.the.Inte.html)

Gore's actual words were:
BLITZER: "I want to get to some of those substantive domestic and international questions in a bit, but let's just wrap up a bit of the politics right now. Why should Democrats, looks at the Democratic nomination, the process, support you instead of Bill Bradley -- a friend of yours, a former colleague in the Senate -- what do you have to bring to this that he doesn't necessarily bring to this process?"

GORE: "Well, I will -- I'll be offering my vision when my campaign begins, and it'll be comprehensive and sweeping, and I hope that it'll be compelling enough to draw people toward it. I feel that it will be. But it will emerge from my dialogue with the American people. I've traveled to every part of this country during the last six years. During my service in the United States Congress, I took the initiative in creating the Internet.

I took the initiative in moving forward a whole range of initiatives that have proven to be important to our country's economic growth, environmental protection, improvements in our educational system. During a quarter century of public service, including most of it long before I came into my current job, I have worked to try to improve the quality of life in our country and in our world. And what I've seen during that experience is an emerging future that's very exciting, about which I'm very optimistic and toward which I'm -- I want to lead."

Had he said "I took the iniative to help fund the Internet." he would have suffered less abuse on the subject.

[Arnold Winkelried]

You may also be interested in reading this "General Questions" thread on the same topic:

Al Gore and the Internet (http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=14325)

I'll repeat a post of mine from that previous thread:

In this (unflattering) article about Albert Gore's contributions to technology-related legislation from Wired magazine (http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/7.12/gorecard.html)
High-Performance Computing and Communications Act (1991)
Before major political figures, or even most everyday people, cared about the Net, then-Senator Gore pushed the development of a first-of-its-kind high-bandwidth network intended to carry 3-D graphic images and large data files generated by supercomputers. Three billion dollars flooded the program, and by 1996 the National Research and Education Network was able to transfer 1 gigabyte of data. NREN is a web of federal networks that exists as part of what is now known as the Internet. After appropriations ran out in 1996, the 1998 Next-Generation Internet Research Act was signed into law to update HPCC and authorize additional funds to build a terabyte-capable network for governmental and academic research and technology development.
You can read the article and make up your own mind. My personal opinion is that Albert Gore's statement was misleading, but he did have some influence in passing legislation that helped make the Internet what it is today.

[RM Mentock]

Arnold

Shouldn't there be a data rate in that quote? Or is one gigabyte now assumed to be "per second" or such?
===
rocks
and how come nobody told me?

[Arnold Winkelried]

RM Mentock - I am sure there should be a data rate, I assumed the article meant "1 GB per second". But hey, that's the way it's phrased in the original article! You would think that the people from Wired would be more precise.

[JimboDaMan]

I don't think there's any knowledgeable person who believes Al Gore tried to claim he invented Internet technology. It makes good political ammunition to mock him with, though. Although it was awkwardly worded, it is in a sense true that he 'took the initiative in creating' - note: NOT 'inventing' - the Internet. Its all in the semantics - I have a friend who's a home builder, although he rarely actually swings a hammer himself. At the time Gore said this it apparently raised no eyebrows, everyone seemed to understand what he had said. It wasn't until later that the Republican National Committee saw this as an opportunity. I don't know the validity of his intended claim - that he took the lead in facilitating the development of the Internet might have been a better choice of words. But I do know he's been talking about the 'information superhighway' since back in the days when everyone would scratch their head and wonder what the hell he was talking about.

[yabob]

One aspect of American politics which always irritates me is that a public figure winds up taking it on the chin not for their policies or actual opinions, but for a brief quote taken out of context, in an unguarded moment, or badly worded. In many cases, there a substantive things to question said public official about, but it gets lost in a flap over a sound bite.

This is such a case. It's clear that Gore was simply trying to toot his horn about legislation facilitating adoption of the internet, perhaps with some justification.

It happens on both sides of the spectrum. Remember James Watt? As Secretary of the Interior, there was plenty to question concerning his policies, but what he caught major flak for was being very inelegant about making statements concerning the racial makeup of his department. Had he said something like "I am proud to note that my department has provided opportunities in senior positions for women and minorities.", nobody would have thought twice about it.

There was plenty to hold Reagan's feet to the fire over. Instead, people had to try to make a big deal about him joking around before a speech started with the "we bomb in 5 minutes" remark.

Carter "lusted in his heart" ... well, if that's the only organ he employed, so what. But, in those pre-Clinton days, it got a lot of play.

[jwg]

"I created the Internet." Unfortunately, that is what he said. Does Al Gore mean what he says, or someting else? He could have said " I supported the development of the Internet, or encouraged, or helped, but he said "created." Does he really think that the internet would not exist without him personally? Maybe he does. How many other people in Congress and the Senate were in on those bills? Was it him only? Why not "we"?

Some people say that are no such things as accidental slips of the tongue - and I think that is the case here. Does this sort of thing fit in with other of his statements - unfortunately yes. My favorite is that his father lost his seat because of his stand on civil rights. Quite true, except that his father opposed the civil rights legislation. I expect all politicians to exagerate and lie, but I am personally insulted that he does bother to make much of an effort.

[MinkMan]

You are doing exactly what yabob was complaining about. Before this thread turns into a Pit rant or something meant for GD perhaps you should look at the facts.

He did not say "I created the Internet." He said that while in Congress, he "took the initiative in creating the Internet." He was speaking in a off-the-cuff manner, not a scripted campaign speach. And although his words were a bit clumsy, everyone understood that he was talking about his record of supporting the development of the ARPAnet and NSFnet into what we know of today as the Internet.
Here's a qoute about Gore's involvement from Vinton Cerf, who can probably claim as well as anyone that he did invent the Internet: "I think it is very fair to say that the Internet would not be where it is in the United States without the strong support given to it and related research areas by the Vice President in his current role and in his earlier role as Senator."

[sailor]

Yes, I do not think he seriously believed we would believe he invented the Internet. It was just a clumsy and dumb thing to say. But when you are in a public position like his you have to watch what you say.

It is even worse when things are invented. Like Dan Quayle saying he believed they spoke Latin in Latin America. He never said it and yet it has been repeated as fact many times.

That's why I am not running for dogcatcher this year.

[jwg]

He said what he said. And he wanted the audience to believe him. I saw it on tv (the replay). It was on the spur of the moment, but it was a deliberate response to a challenge (to his leadership abilities). It certainly did not seem like he was tongue tied, or tired, or simply confused two words, or even just lost his train of thought. What is he going to do when he has to talk to someone like Putin? Why don't we simply have the politicians say "blah blah blah" and have their stooges explain what they mean? This way it can change according to circumstances - just like he does it with his version of his father's civil rights stand.

What is scarier:

- he really thinks he created the internet?
- he delibertly lied about creating the internet?
- he doesn't know what he is saying?

What was Bill Bradley's comment about the vice president and the truth? It was deliberate, not clumsy. Was was clumsy was he thought everyone would believe him. At least Bush sound dumb when he mangles a sentence, not deceptive. Gore knew the impression he wanted to leave and acted accordingly - he lied. This thread is probably have to go the BBQ Pit or So So Debates soon.

[Arnold Winkelried]

Originally posted by sailor
It is even worse when things are invented. Like Dan Quayle saying he believed they spoke Latin in Latin America. He never said it and yet it has been repeated as fact many times.

Well, you can rest easy, sailor! ;) People are now repeating the "Latin spoken in Latin America" quote and attributing it to Al Gore. see it here: "The Reagan Information Interchange (http://www.reagan.com/HotTopics.main/HotMike/document-6.11.1999.1.html)"

[johnson]

But let's not forget Maryland's Lt. Governor Kathleen Kennedy Townsend (don't forget the Kennedy, please), who recently discussed how important it was for those who speak Hispanish (http://www.americanpatrol.org/ENGLISHLANGUAGE/MD_reachoutwets991208.html) to be counted in the Census...

[AWB]

But let's not forget Maryland's Lt. Governor Kathleen Kennedy Townsend (don't forget the Kennedy, please), who recently discussed how important it was for those who speak Hispanish to be counted in the Census...

At least she didn't say Spicanese. :D:D

[Surgoshan]

I seriously doubt Dan Quayle's as much of a moron as everyone (Democrats and the Press) make him out to be. I also doubt that Gore is a liar and megalomaniac as everyone (Republicans and the Press) make him out to be.

I just think that most people (politicians included) are bad at speaking off-the-cuff. Gore here, Quayle many times, Regan, too. It takes either an incredible speaking ability to speak well without preparation or a ready collection of catch-phrases.

[MovieMogul]

I'm surprised nobody's listed this link yet, as it covers in good detail the lengths to which this and other "Goreisms" have been taken out of context and blown out of proportion

http://www.tompaine.com/news/2000/05/25/1.html

[Una Persson]

I was savaged recently in SDMB chat for even asking about this, by several "RP's" (you know who you are) who complained most bitterly that Gore was so badly misquoted. I said nothing, not knowing the actual words.

I just now saw the actual words - in context - for the first time in this thread, having skipped or missed the others.

If what tomndebb has posted is a true, in-context representation of his words, then I can't possibly see how one could interpret them as anything but a lie intended to be used for political gain. I say it is a lie for 2 reasons - because he knows he did not "(take) the initiative in creating the Internet", and because he did not retract it. If he retracted it openly, then I would have agreed it was a mis-statement.

Anyone can say something they don't mean, make a slip of the tongue, or a mistake. But afterwards to not retract what you said, not admit your mistake, or just blow it off as politics, is dishonest. Gore has plenty of good points about him for his supporters to praise - there is no need for him to invent accomplishments.

I see no ambiguity about it - he lied, and if he was truly as honerable as his supporters claim he is, then he should have retracted it, and moved on.