# Is Gore going nuts, or just enjoying himself? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [September 13, 2004, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-gore-going-nuts-or-just-enjoying-himself/264223 "2004-09-13T06:02:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2004, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-gore-going-nuts-or-just-enjoying-himself/264223/1 "2004-09-13T06:02:17Z")
[Gore Unleashes Fury on Democrats’ Behalf](http://asia.news.yahoo.com/040912/ap/d8529ktg1.html) > [@](#): > > 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. Just to cite a few examples. > > It’s red meat for loyal Democrats, to whom Gore is the embodiment of what is at stake on Nov. 2. > > “There’s a lot of emotion that’s wrapped up in the outcome of 2000, which I think he can use constructively in 2004,” says Democratic consultant Michael Feldman, a former Gore adviser. > > Just ask 76-year-old Jim McNeil, a retired steelworker who turned out to hear Gore speak at the United Steelworkers of America headquarters in downtown Pittsburgh last week. > > “There stands the real president,” said McNeil, who then made just the sought-after segue into support for Kerry on Election Day. > > Republicans, however, say Gore’s passion on the campaign path has reached an unhealthy fever pitch that could do Democrats more harm than good. > > GOP strategist Keith Appell likens him to “some kind of cheerleader on acid.” > > “Some of the things he has said have been outrageous and he says them in this high-pitched scream,” Appell said. “I really don’t know what to call that.” > > When Gore, in an interview with The New Yorker, compared Bush’s faith to “the same fundamentalist impulse that we see in Saudi Arabia” and elsewhere, the Bush campaign distributed a statement from GOP consultant Ralph Reed, a former leader of the Christian Coalition, calling the comments “reckless and irresponsible.” > > If Kerry’s advisers have any nervousness about Gore’s high-octane attacks, they’re not showing it in public. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2004, 6:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-gore-going-nuts-or-just-enjoying-himself/264223/2 "2004-09-13T06:21:40Z")
Consider the source. Ralph Reed? Isn’t he the one who said you should pray for a “wave of hate to come over you. Hate is good?” ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2004, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-gore-going-nuts-or-just-enjoying-himself/264223/3 "2004-09-13T06:24:51Z")
What a silly question. I think we’ve all heard hundreds of nuttier things said about Bush. Gore is not an elected official and never will be again, so he doesn’t have to worry about it hurting his chances. He can pretty much say what he likes, so he is. Doesn’t mean he’s not sane. Who was it on this board a while back who noted the knock on Gore in 2000 was that he was dull, and now that he’s being less restrained, it’s changed to “whoa, he’s craaaaazy?” 😛 He’s speaking to a partisan audience, so the extreme statements are to some degree expected. ---
**Author:** ![Gamaliel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b487fb/32.png) [@Gamaliel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gamaliel)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2004, 7:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-gore-going-nuts-or-just-enjoying-himself/264223/4 "2004-09-13T07:31:12Z")
It’s another meme the right-wingers are trying to pass around. They did the same to Dean and tried to do it to Kerry. Remember Scott McCllellan saying JK was “losing his cool” after he denounced the Swift Boat attacks? ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2004, 7:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-gore-going-nuts-or-just-enjoying-himself/264223/5 "2004-09-13T07:48:25Z")
Al Gore has given one of the greatest political speeches of modern times. [http://www.commondreams.org/views04/0624-15.htm](http://www.commondreams.org/views04/0624-15.htm) Governments always fear men with power and influence who are champions of freedom, and will do anything to silence them. ---
**Author:** ![Polerius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d78d45/32.png) [@Polerius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polerius)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2004, 11:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-gore-going-nuts-or-just-enjoying-himself/264223/6 "2004-09-13T11:23:27Z")
> [@astro](#): > > Is Gore going nuts, or just enjoying himself? Can you please clarify what it is about Gore’s behavior that you consider “nuts”? While you’re at it, define “nuts”, so that we won’t be talking about two different things. ---
**Author:** ![DoctorJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctorj/32/2904_2.png) [@DoctorJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DoctorJ)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2004, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-gore-going-nuts-or-just-enjoying-himself/264223/7 "2004-09-13T12:14:50Z")
Gore is far more interesting and appealing to me now than he was back in the 2000 election. His lucrative corporate board positions have given him the necessary funds to purchase a pair of testicles, and his lack of worry about getting elected anymore has allowed him to embrace politically difficult progressive solutions to problems, such as national health insurance. I also think his speeches are more well-received now because he’s doing smaller venues. I have seen him speak in both a small room (800 people or so) and a large crowd (many thousands). For some reason he just handled the smaller room better. He’d be a fantastic after-dinner speaker. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2004, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-gore-going-nuts-or-just-enjoying-himself/264223/8 "2004-09-13T13:54:33Z")
Wow, **Liberal**. That _is_ an impressive speech. I wish he’d found that voice in 2000. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2004, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-gore-going-nuts-or-just-enjoying-himself/264223/9 "2004-09-13T15:48:27Z")
> [@DoctorJ](#): > > Gore is far more interesting and appealing to me now than he was back in the 2000 election. His lucrative corporate board positions have given him the necessary funds to purchase a pair of testicles, and his lack of worry about getting elected anymore has allowed him to embrace politically difficult progressive solutions to problems, such as national health insurance. > > I also think his speeches are more well-received now because he’s doing smaller venues. I have seen him speak in both a small room (800 people or so) and a large crowd (many thousands). For some reason he just handled the smaller room better. He’d be a fantastic after-dinner speaker. I agree. Re the question of my “nuts” reference in the OP, that was a tongue in cheek reference to the Republican characterization of him being “on acid”. And thanks to Liberal for that speech link. That was quite a speech. ---
**Author:** ![jshore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b5e925/32.png) [@jshore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jshore)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2004, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-gore-going-nuts-or-just-enjoying-himself/264223/10 "2004-09-13T16:20:03Z")
Yeah…I would say there is more intelligent thought in each paragraph of these speeches that Gore has been giving lately than in a whole freakin’ speech by GW. ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2004, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-gore-going-nuts-or-just-enjoying-himself/264223/11 "2004-09-13T17:06:58Z")
Maybe he’s going nuts from the Deja Vu: He was a two-term vice president who was defeated in his own bid for president in a race so close that vote fraud was highly possible, but conceded for the professed good of the nation. His own party, with another candidate, loses the following election, and the winner grows more entangled in an increasingly unpopular war. So he knows presidential triumph awaits him, but he’s going nuts trying to figure out who among his closest friends will eventualy become his Deep Throat betrayor. ---
**Author:** ![blowero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/41988e/32.png) [@blowero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blowero)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2004, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-gore-going-nuts-or-just-enjoying-himself/264223/12 "2004-09-13T17:52:28Z")
> [@](#): > > GOP strategist Keith Appell likens him to “some kind of cheerleader on acid.” > > “Some of the things he has said have been outrageous and he says them in this > high-pitched scream,” Appell said. “I really don’t know what to call that.” Note: When accusing someone else of being over-the-top, you should probably avoid doing it _yourself_. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Tigers2B1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9fc29f/32.png) [@Tigers2B1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tigers2B1)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2004, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-gore-going-nuts-or-just-enjoying-himself/264223/13 "2004-09-13T18:43:51Z")
I say he’s nuts and finally enjoying himself. Picture this – you’re V.P. and plan on riding the coattails of a very popular President right into the White House. **THEN** — the Republicans misrepresented an innocent encounter in the Oval Office when an Intern had sexual relations with the President — yet the evil Republicans unfairly and illogically leap to the conclusion that they had sex with each other. This creates major problems and makes the ride on those coattails a tad bumpier. Insane yet Gore? **THEN** the Republicans had the audacity to claim the Intern - President sexual relations was REALLY about Clinton lying during a Federal Civil Rights trial. Was this done by Republicans to push Gore ever closer to insanity?? Can you say ‘road to insanity’ – step two? **THEN** , in 2000, the Republicans “stole the election” from Gore. Insanity yet? NO! Gore, being wooden, keep it all inside. Safe from the outside world ------ instead of going insane Gore overate himself to a robust 286 lbs. But NOW – it seems to all be coming out. IMO the evil Republicans finally drive Al Gore insane. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2004, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-gore-going-nuts-or-just-enjoying-himself/264223/14 "2004-09-13T19:25:39Z")
> [@Tigers2B1](#): > > – step two? **THEN** , in 2000, the Republicans “stole the election” from Gore. Insanity yet? NO! Gore, being wooden, keep it all inside. Safe from the outside world ------ instead of going insane Gore overate himself to a robust 286 lbs. But NOW – it seems to all be coming out. IMO the evil Republicans finally drive Al Gore insane. 286 lbs \* of raging fury!!!\* ---
**Author:** ![phouka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c5a1d2/32.png) [@phouka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phouka)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2004, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-gore-going-nuts-or-just-enjoying-himself/264223/15 "2004-09-13T21:06:59Z")
I don’t know about the rest of you guys, but at this point, I think I’d pay good money (a couple hundred bucks at least) to see this election settled as a cage match between Kerry and Bush. Kerry’s probably rip Bush’s lungs out, but even if Bush won, it’d be okay, as I’d finally have a reason to respect him. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2004, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-gore-going-nuts-or-just-enjoying-himself/264223/16 "2004-09-13T21:37:51Z")
Yup, a strategist for the party that made Zell Miller keynote speaker at their convention is calling Al Gore nuts. When Gore challenges someone to a duel, then we’ll talk. That’s what I love about the leadership of the Republican party - they’re lying hypocritical scum. ---
**Author:** ![Stoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stoid/32/272_2.png) [@Stoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stoid)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2004, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-gore-going-nuts-or-just-enjoying-himself/264223/17 "2004-09-14T01:42:57Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > That’s what I love about the leadership of the Republican party - they’re lying hypocritical scum. They sure are. Makes 'em downright cuddly, don’t it? And AL certainly does look as though he’s been enjoying quite a few home cooked meals these days, doesn’t he? The Porkification of Al Gore. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2004, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-gore-going-nuts-or-just-enjoying-himself/264223/18 "2004-09-14T02:14:03Z")
> [@](#): > > Picture this – you’re V.P. and plan on riding the coattails of a very popular President right into the White House. THEN — the Republicans misrepresented an innocent encounter in the Oval Office when an Intern had sexual relations with the President — yet the evil Republicans unfairly and illogically leap to the conclusion that they had sex with each other. This creates major problems and makes the ride on those coattails a tad bumpier. Insane yet Gore? THEN the Republicans had the audacity to claim the Intern - President sexual relations was REALLY about Clinton lying during a Federal Civil Rights trial. Was this done by Republicans to push Gore ever closer to insanity?? Can you say ‘road to insanity’ – step two? THEN, in 2000, the Republicans “stole the election” from Gore. Insanity yet? NO! Gore, being wooden, keep it all inside. Safe from the outside world ------ instead of going insane Gore overate himself to a robust 286 lbs. But NOW – it seems to all be coming out. IMO the evil Republicans finally drive Al Gore insane. As I recall, exit polls showed that 98% of the voters in 2000 said that the most important issue facing the nation was whether or not Bill Clinton got a blowjob from Monica Lewinsky and based their decision of whether to vote for Gore or Bush on that single issue. ---
**Author:** ![Tigers2B1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9fc29f/32.png) [@Tigers2B1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tigers2B1)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2004, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-gore-going-nuts-or-just-enjoying-himself/264223/19 "2004-09-14T02:25:40Z")
> [@phouka](#): > > …I think I’d pay good money (a couple hundred bucks at least) to see this election settled as a cage match between Kerry and Bush. Kerry’s probably rip Bush’s lungs out… Bush is from Texas, where men fart at the dinner table and it sounds like thunder!! Kerry probably comes from someplace like Massachusetts, where men had the ability to fart bred out of them. Kerry pull George’s lungs out? – Sorry. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2004, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-gore-going-nuts-or-just-enjoying-himself/264223/20 "2004-09-14T02:40:36Z")
From the article linked in the OP: > [@](#): > > 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.” > > \ > > 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. Just to cite a few examples. > > \ > > When Gore, in an interview with The New Yorker, compared Bush’s faith to “the same fundamentalist impulse that we see in Saudi Arabia” and elsewhere, the Bush campaign distributed a statement from GOP consultant Ralph Reed, a former leader of the Christian Coalition, calling the comments “reckless and irresponsible.” Nope. There’s nothing Gore has said here that is reckless, or irresponsible, or in any way inaccurate or undeserved. What’s the problem? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-gore-going-nuts-or-just-enjoying-himself/264223.md?page=2)