# Has Al Gore's time come? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [May 16, 2006, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-al-gores-time-come/356905 "2006-05-16T00:42:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2006, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-al-gores-time-come/356905/81 "2006-05-17T22:54:44Z")
> [@bup](#): > > I honestly can’t see how the “stain of cheater” could realistically hurt Gore if it didn’t hurt Bush in 2004. It didn’t hurt W on 04 becasue he won in 04, but it most likely cost W votes then. There were even some people who had bumperstickers that had phrases like ‘lets not elect W again in 04 also’. The appearence of cheating did influence some in 04. But Bush had a lot going for him, and his competition was lacking (real or manufactured)… Remember that W had the resuorces of the presidency to help out. Remember when Chaney took a trip to Hawaii, forcing Kerry to do the same - which one do you think wasted more time on that trip, and which one had access to a hypersonic military aircraft? Also look at the image, Bush came off as one who was willing to accept the recounts of Gore till it got rediculious and he put a stop to it. Gore came off as the one who lost but just couldn’t admit it. Because Bush one and Gore lost just reinforces it. ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2006, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-al-gores-time-come/356905/82 "2006-05-17T23:52:47Z")
So, we’re disputing the outcomes of the last few elections for what reason? How’s that getting us closer to saying that Gore’s time is/isn’t coming/going to come (or has already come)? ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2006, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-al-gores-time-come/356905/83 "2006-05-18T00:05:34Z")
> [@Least Original User Name Ever](#): > > So, we’re disputing the outcomes of the last few elections for what reason? > > How’s that getting us closer to saying that Gore’s time is/isn’t coming/going to come (or has already come)? Because how he didn’t win the presidency affects how he is perceived now. Nobody’s disputing the outcome _per se_, just how it affects Gore’s standing and viability. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2006, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-al-gores-time-come/356905/84 "2006-05-18T00:29:16Z")
> [@spoke-](#): > > I can’t see Gore picking HRC as a running mate (should he prevail in the primaries). > > > [@BrainGlutton](#): > > > > Why not? In 2000 he seemed eager to establish his own legacy, independent of the Clintons. I don’t think that has changed. He would need a non-Clinton VP to clearly signal that _he_ is the one in charge. (That, plus he is smart enough not to want HRC’s high negatives dragging him down.) Sorry, **Brain**. I know you are a Hillary fan, but I do not share your enthusiasm and I doubt Gore does. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2006, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-al-gores-time-come/356905/85 "2006-05-18T00:32:23Z")
> [@Least Original User Name Ever](#): > > So, we’re disputing the outcomes of the last few elections for what reason? > > How’s that getting us closer to saying that Gore’s time is/isn’t coming/going to come (or has already come)? See post #70. ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2006, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-al-gores-time-come/356905/86 "2006-05-18T00:45:04Z")
> [@Hung Mung](#): > > The stain of cheating isn’t affixed to one man. It’s on both _parties_. It wasn’t just Gore who tried to finagle some ballot counting, it was a lot of people ideologically in step with him. It wasn’t Bush who push-polled McCain out of his candidacy, it was people loyal to him and his beliefs. > That’s why people are talking about the possibility of a third party candidate with less derision than usual. > The idea of “Sore Loser” (note that there is one “o” in “lose”) is stuck on Gore. I think if he does run, and I’ll believe that when I see it, that will be one of the sludgesticks frequently used by the conservative media to disparage him. In spite of that, it feels like its been a lot longer than 6 years since the 2000 election. If people are catching the “Clinton Nostalgia” it may be difficult to rouse those “poor loser” feelings to a fervor sufficient to counter said nostalgia. > > BTW, Gore has no honor? Compared to whom? None of it works for me. Wherever Bush goes, Rove goes. Rove is known as the dirty tricks guy, the attack dog. It’s no secret. So I have to say to myself, if Bush or any Republican fails to dump Rove, it must be because they think Rove’s tricks will work (and they do). So, since Rove is still their go to guy, the Brain, they assume guilt because they allowed it to happen (over and over and over). Plausible deniability (in theory) has a limited shelf life. ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2006, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-al-gores-time-come/356905/87 "2006-05-18T00:56:59Z")
:smack: > [@BrainGlutton](#): > > See post #70. That’s two of those today. Thanks again, **BrainGlutton**. ---
**Author:** ![CaveMike](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cavemike/32/16379_2.png) [@CaveMike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaveMike)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2006, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-al-gores-time-come/356905/88 "2006-05-18T03:56:05Z")
I thought Gore emptied his war chest in 2004, around the time he announced his youth network. Am I remembering incorrectly? Either way, I would expect the state of his war chest to be a leading indicator of whether he is still considering a run or not. ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2006, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-al-gores-time-come/356905/89 "2006-05-18T04:53:25Z")
Gore is now independently wealthy, I understand. Invested in internet stocks. Not joking. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2006, 10:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-al-gores-time-come/356905/90 "2006-05-18T10:28:02Z")
Gore and Hillary on one ticket? No way. I think there was enough bad blood between the Clinton and Gore people during the 2000 campaign that such a reconciliation ain’t gonna happen. W not on ballot in 2008? Yes, but the Dems will run against him anyway. Recall that the Republicans ran against Carter in 1980. And 1984. And 1988. Regarding Gore’s 2000 conduct: I wish he had been more aggressive in contesting the result. I don’t think he understood the full depth of the Florida election fraud or he was patriotic enough to refuse to believe it. I believe that he now understands just how badly he got screwed in 2000 and I hope he comes back and reclaims his rightful place in the Oval Office. Gore more years! ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2006, 11:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-al-gores-time-come/356905/91 "2006-05-18T11:39:28Z")
> [@Weirddave](#): > > As to the subject of Gore running, I’d like to see that. I voted for the man in '00, I might do so again. I certainly think he’s the strongest Democratic candidate I’ve heard proposed yet, We _agree_ on something?! Holy shit. > [@](#): > > and represents a movement back towards the middle that many of the hard line Democrats have been vocally loath to make. Right there might be his biggest problem, just getting the nomination in the primaries where the spectrum of Democratic voters swings harder left. Like many erstwhile ‘centrist Dems’, I think you misanalyze the divide in the party. Other than Iraq, there’s no division ideologically that I can discern. The ‘lefty’ netroots simply want the Dems in Congress to stand up for the things that Dems have been claiming to believe in all along: preservation and expansion of the safety net, a decent life for those who ‘work hard and play by the rules’, educational opportunity, protection of the environment, abortion and contraception rights, a reasonably expansive interpretation of the Bill of Rights, and so forth. That’s traditional Democracy, and it’s what the Kossacks want: pols who’ll stand up for stuff like that, rather than rolling over at every turn. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2006, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-al-gores-time-come/356905/92 "2006-05-18T12:31:23Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > Regarding Gore’s 2000 conduct: I wish he had been more aggressive in contesting the result. I don’t think he understood the full depth of the Florida election fraud or he was patriotic enough to refuse to believe it. Odd, isn’t it, that the GOP partisans who condemn Gore’s conduct in 2000 applaud Nixon’s in 1960, but without being able to explain the difference. I don’t think their views need to be considered seriously. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2006, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-al-gores-time-come/356905/93 "2006-05-18T12:52:43Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > Odd, isn’t it, that the GOP partisans who condemn Gore’s conduct in 2000 applaud Nixon’s in 1960, but without being able to explain the difference. So, you don’t see any difference between a graceful concession for the good of the country, and the Sore-Loserman debacle? How astonishing. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2006, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-al-gores-time-come/356905/94 "2006-05-18T13:04:56Z")
Thanks for providing my cite for me. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2006, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-al-gores-time-come/356905/95 "2006-05-18T13:42:11Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > So, you don’t see any difference between a graceful concession for the good of the country, and the Sore-Loserman debacle? Wish I had a more universally recognized site, but [Gerald Posner](http://archive.salon.com/politics/feature/2000/11/10/nixon/index.html) says otherwise: > [@](#): > > One of the most oft-repeated myths in the aftermath of the current presidential election disputes is the claim that Vice President Al Gore should behave more like Richard Nixon, who is cited frequently for having graciously decided not to pursue legal remedies in response to possible voter fraud that might have cost him the 1960 election with John Kennedy. But the notion that Nixon graciously exited is just false… > > The Republicans obtained recounts, involved U.S. Attorneys and the FBI, and even impaneled grand juries in their quest to get a different election result. A slew of lawsuits were filed by Republicans, and unsuccessful appeals to state election commissions routinely followed. However, all their efforts failed to uncover any significant wrongdoing. > > In Illinois, for instance, the final recount showed that Nixon’s votes had been undercounted by 943 – yet, in 40 percent of the rechecked precincts, it turned out that Nixon’s vote had been overcounted. Again, I don’t have a great source here but if this is true, then the moral outrage over Gore contesting the result is misplaced. ---
**Author:** ![UncleBeer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/977dab/32.png) [@UncleBeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBeer)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2006, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-al-gores-time-come/356905/96 "2006-05-18T14:34:40Z")
> [@E-Sabbath](#): > > Gore is now independently wealthy, I understand. Invested in internet stocks. Not joking. Heh. He’s also been hired by Google to lobby Washington. ---
**Author:** ![Menocchio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de053/32.png) [@Menocchio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Menocchio)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2006, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-al-gores-time-come/356905/97 "2006-05-18T14:34:58Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Why not? Becuase it would be a boneheaded move. [ol] [li]Gore/Clinton is just too cutesy and transparent a “remember how miuch better things were?” strategy. [/li][li]New York is already a foregone conclusion to go Democratic[/li][li]Hillary would appear to make the ticket swing left, which is a bad thing after the primaries are over.[/li][/ol] Gore would go for a Southerner or Midwesterner with solid centrist/near-right cred. Warner or Bayh. The only reason he’d choose Hillary would be as a desparation measure if the GOP chooses a woman first and he’s afraid of losing the female vote. ---
**Author:** ![UncleBeer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/977dab/32.png) [@UncleBeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBeer)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2006, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-al-gores-time-come/356905/98 "2006-05-18T14:38:15Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > The ‘lefty’ netroots simply want the Dems in Congress to stand up for the things that Dems have been claiming to believe in all along: a reasonably expansive interpretation of the Bill of Rights Except that pesky 2nd amendment of course. Lotsa “centrist” Democrats would like to see that thing disappear. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2006, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-al-gores-time-come/356905/99 "2006-05-18T14:42:13Z")
> [@UncleBeer](#): > > Except that pesky 2nd amendment of course. Lotsa “centrist” Democrats would like to see that thing disappear. Really? Which centrist Democrats do you mean? ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2006, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-al-gores-time-come/356905/100 "2006-05-18T14:55:28Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > Wish I had a more universally recognized site, but [Gerald Posner](http://archive.salon.com/politics/feature/2000/11/10/nixon/index.html) says otherwise: > > Again, I don’t have a great source here but if this is true, then the moral outrage over Gore contesting the result is misplaced. The BBC gives a rather [different description](http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/1015074.stm) of Nixon’s reaction - > [@](#): > > The Republican conditionally conceded to John Kennedy shortly after midnight on 9 November. > In a Los Angeles hotel, the vice-president thanked his supporters for their help and said: “If the present trend continues, Senator Kennedy will be the next president of the US.” > > The announcement was greeted by cries of dissent from the crowd, and chants of, “We want Nixon, We want Nixon.” > > Kennedy refused to accept the speech as a concession of defeat, and Nixon later sent a telegram congratulating his rival. > > By 0600 the race had tightened even more. But Nixon said a recount could have taken six months and branded him a “sore loser” forever. Regards, Shodan [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-al-gores-time-come/356905.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-al-gores-time-come/356905.md?page=6)