# Preach it, Al! (Gore Speaks...and the truth shall set us free!) **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [August 7, 2003, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preach-it-al-gore-speaks-and-the-truth-shall-set-us-free/193665 "2003-08-07T20:46:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2003, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preach-it-al-gore-speaks-and-the-truth-shall-set-us-free/193665/81 "2003-08-08T22:38:53Z")
Heres my take, since I know you are all waiting breathlessly… Big Al doesn’t expect to be the candidate, so he is free to unleash full blast while others must tiptoe around even yet. Reflexive and unthinking patriotism is a _very_ powerful emotional force in America, hence a very powerful political force. He can front it face on without risk. If the reaction is negative, no hurt no foul, the Candidate (whomsoever) can disavow any knowledge of his actions. If the reaction is largely positive, the ground is broken, banzai!! And, of course, there are hints of a “Draft Al” movement, a notion that sends me into paroxysms of mixed emotions. But he is signalling by this that if he _is_ going to be the Candidate, it’s balls to the wall and take no prisoners. Lieberman will not be invited to dance again. ---
**Author:** ![New\_Iskander](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/db5fbb/32.png) [@New\_Iskander](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/New_Iskander)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2003, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preach-it-al-gore-speaks-and-the-truth-shall-set-us-free/193665/82 "2003-08-08T22:48:12Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by RedFury \* > \*\*Ah! I get it now. An _intelligent_ man, such as yourself of course, will simply refuse to read _facts_ that might put a damper on his ideology, throw a few baseless insults around and be done with it. Clever indeed – although, to be fair, I believe ostridges should get at least equal amount of credit for that particular maneuver. > > Funny thing is I’d never thought of ostridges as being either particularly intelligent or capable of debating. Doesn’t look like I’ll be changing my mind anytime soon… \*\* Whatever Al Gore will choose to say now, however brilliant, in reference to Bush adm. policies, will be taken as too little, too late and, moreover, always interpreted as an attempt to get even for losing 2000 election. There is an ample evidence of that reaction right here on this thread and in general public it is expressed far more clearly. Al Gore is stuck in the worst position: no matter how much damage he does to Bush, he damages himself 10 times more. That’s why I called any of his attempts to speak against Bush as extremely stupid. That way he only reinforces Bush. The only smart thing he can do now is to avoid direct attacks on Bush and build himself up as a wise and charitable colossus, who knows all the answers, who is above sordid political shenanigans and who is prepared to come and rescue his ungrateful countrymen at the time of real trouble. That would be smart. But he is too stupid to see that. That’s why I have no time for his attacks on Bush. ---
**Author:** ![Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hentor_the_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2003, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preach-it-al-gore-speaks-and-the-truth-shall-set-us-free/193665/83 "2003-08-08T23:36:17Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by New Iskander \* > \*\*Whatever Al Gore will choose to say now, however brilliant, in reference to Bush adm. policies, will be taken as too little, too late and, moreover, always interpreted as an attempt to get even for losing 2000 election. There is an ample evidence of that reaction right here on this thread and in general public it is expressed far more clearly. Al Gore is stuck in the worst position: no matter how much damage he does to Bush, he damages himself 10 times more. That’s why I called any of his attempts to speak against Bush as extremely stupid. That way he only reinforces Bush. The only smart thing he can do now is to avoid direct attacks on Bush and build himself up as a wise and charitable colossus, who knows all the answers, who is above sordid political shenanigans and who is prepared to come and rescue his ungrateful countrymen at the time of real trouble. That would be smart. But he is too stupid to see that. > > That’s why I have no time for his attacks on Bush. \*\* I’m sorry, I understood almost none of that. No matter how much he damages Bush, he damages himself 10 times more, yet he reinforces Bush, but he is too stupid to understand, so he should portray himself as a wise and charitable colossus?😕 How can he damage Bush (albeit at 10% of his own hit points) and yet reinforce Bush? How can he damage himself at a rate 10 times of the damage he does Bush if he is already in a position where he can only be regarded as a sore loser? I also really enjoy how concerned so many conservatives are for the appearance of Democrats and liberals. So many are counseling us to stop criticizing and speaking out and otherwise attacking Bush because we only look stupid doing so. Thanks! I appreciate your concern, but I can’t help but think it has more to do with the continually [dropping approval ratings](http://dailynews.att.net/cgi-bin/news?e=pri&dt=030807&cat=news&st=newsbushpolldc) Bush is enjoying. Considering that the Gore speech under discussion here is the first major recounting of the massive failures Bush has racked up, the already dropping numbers must be quite scary for y’uns Bush types. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2003, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preach-it-al-gore-speaks-and-the-truth-shall-set-us-free/193665/84 "2003-08-09T00:09:32Z")
The discontent is rising up from the “working class”, if you forgive the hackneyed Marxism. But it applies in the sense that so many soldiers became soldiers in the hope of improving thier station in life. Each of those soldiers has, say, 10 persons attached to his or her self, parents, spouse, children, close relations, that sort of thing. Thier focus is a soldier who is in danger, in a place that utterly sucks, for a cause at best nebulous, and fulfilling a role as occupier that they have no training for. No matter how they tell you to write the letters home, the truth will leak out. And they are not marching home, hurrah, hurrah. As the patience of each of those 10 people wears thin, they start talking. They don’t have political stickers on thier car, they wouldn’t dream of being caught dead at a protest… But they are getting sullen. This kind of “invisible class” discontent doesn’t show up directly, these people don’t talk to reporters. But they talk to their neighbors. For a while, they were flattered with platitudes about how patriotic they are, but it wears thin. They want thier loved ones home, or a good reason why not. GeeDubya can offer neither. ---
**Author:** ![ChaosGod](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ac91a4/32.png) [@ChaosGod](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChaosGod)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2003, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preach-it-al-gore-speaks-and-the-truth-shall-set-us-free/193665/85 "2003-08-09T00:48:22Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Roger\_Mexico \* > \*\*Be careful what you say: > > SIOUX FALLS, South Dakota (AP) --A man who made a remark about a “burning Bush” during the president’s March 2001 trip to Sioux Falls was sentenced Friday to 37 months in prison. > \*\* wow,… the US is becoming a scary place. ---
**Author:** ![New\_Iskander](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/db5fbb/32.png) [@New\_Iskander](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/New_Iskander)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2003, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preach-it-al-gore-speaks-and-the-truth-shall-set-us-free/193665/86 "2003-08-09T02:24:22Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Hentor the Barbarian \* > \*\*I also really enjoy how concerned so many conservatives are for the appearance of Democrats and liberals. So many are counseling us to stop criticizing and speaking out and otherwise attacking Bush because we only look stupid doing so. \*\* _You_ go right ahead and criticize, by all means. For Al Gore to do so is stupid. ---
**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:** [August 9, 2003, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preach-it-al-gore-speaks-and-the-truth-shall-set-us-free/193665/87 "2003-08-09T02:47:37Z")
NI… a couple of rightys calling Gore a loser is hardly ample evidence of much of anything besides their inability to refute the substance of his speech, which has yet to be done. Tilly ranted on for a bit, spewing the party line, (and making the thoroughly silly assertion regarding which party s/he ostensibly belongs to… a feeb attempt to lend legitimacy to the rant? No matter…) but not really directly addressing anything that I could see. One can only conclude that Al speaking up was anything BUT stupid. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2003, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preach-it-al-gore-speaks-and-the-truth-shall-set-us-free/193665/88 "2003-08-09T02:53:16Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Wake up call \* > \*\*You see **RickJay** , here is the dilemma: > > According to you, the plain truth and self-evidence is right there in front of the American people. But, somehow, [over 57%](http://www.pollingreport.com/BushJob.htm) of Americans are still fully behind Bush and his policies. > > Obviously what is true and self-evident to you and I is NOT evident to the majority of Americans. So, how do you suggest we, in the minority, get the truth across to those 57% Bushies without banging them on the head with the phone book? \*\* WUC, the issue here isn’t George Bush. It’s Al Gore. If Stoid wanted to discuss any issues she neglected to actually highlight one for discussion. 43% of all adults in the United States is at least eighty million people. I guess the question is, what’s so impressive about Al Gore that he’s on board with 80,000,000 other people? Sure, it’s all valid criticism, but… so what? Why is he a better candidate for President than, say, Stoid herself? Or you? The time to say stuff like this (well, not the exact details, but in a general sense) was October 2000. I mean, talk about a day late and a dollar short. Sheesh. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2003, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preach-it-al-gore-speaks-and-the-truth-shall-set-us-free/193665/89 "2003-08-09T03:24:26Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by elucidator \* > \*\*I’ll try to make it up to you, Natasha. > > [http://www.kbtoys.com/genProduct.html/PID/2431939/ctid/17/place/aguc?\_ts=n&ls=collect&\_e=3f32e&\_v=3F32E3A8FowJaD08874539E6&\_ts=y](http://www.kbtoys.com/genProduct.html/PID/2431939/ctid/17/place/aguc?_ts=n&ls=collect&_e=3f32e&_v=3F32E3A8FowJaD08874539E6&_ts=y) > > You’ll either laugh yourself silly or run screaming from the room. \*\* I wonder if it comes in a voodoo doll version? 😃 Stay a while, **Stoid** ---
**Author:** ![New\_Iskander](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/db5fbb/32.png) [@New\_Iskander](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/New_Iskander)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2003, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preach-it-al-gore-speaks-and-the-truth-shall-set-us-free/193665/90 "2003-08-09T05:43:15Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by elucidator \* > \*\*And, of course, there are hints of a “Draft Al” movement, a notion that sends me into paroxysms of mixed emotions. But he is signalling by this that if he _is_ going to be the Candidate, it’s balls to the wall and take no prisoners. Lieberman will not be invited to dance again. \*\* I think this is the first contribution to practical sense on behalf of all left-leaning posters in this thread. This actually make sense. Perhaps he did make a calculated political move here, in which case I’d be wrong and he won’t be stupid. I almost wish it was the case for once, considering that we are talking about a man who can bungle anything. However, it is extremely naive to discuss the speech per se. This speech is not a philosophical treatise or detached political analysis. It may be either a stupid outburst or political instrument, shrewdly employed to achieve certain political goals. If the latter, it makes sense to discuss the timing, the location, the points that were raised and that weren’t, and what the real objective might be (is he still playing with an idea to run in 04?) and so on. The “substance” of the speech is irrelevant. ---
**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:** [August 9, 2003, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preach-it-al-gore-speaks-and-the-truth-shall-set-us-free/193665/91 "2003-08-09T06:49:07Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by New Iskander \* > \*\* If the latter, it makes sense to discuss the timing, the location, the points that were raised and that weren’t, and what the real objective might be (is he still playing with an idea to run in 04?) and so on. The “substance” of the speech is irrelevant. \*\* How in god’s name do you arrive at that? In whose estimation is the substance of the speech irrelevant? Are you actually coming in here arguing that what is important here is to dissect possible political manueverings? That THAT is where import and meaning lie? Good god…talk about disconnect! This is a prime example of what I find so unendurable. God help us. ---
**Author:** ![blowero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/41988e/32.png) [@blowero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blowero)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2003, 6:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preach-it-al-gore-speaks-and-the-truth-shall-set-us-free/193665/92 "2003-08-09T06:52:10Z")
All Goar is much more stupider than Bush. You guys is just soar loosers cuz he was too stupid to win the election and now your crying like babees. who cares if Bush was given wrong info by the CIA? Sadamm was a evil trator who gassed his own people that’s the only important thing and we gots to stay & finish the job. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Brutus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@Brutus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brutus)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2003, 7:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preach-it-al-gore-speaks-and-the-truth-shall-set-us-free/193665/93 "2003-08-09T07:24:48Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Roger\_Mexico \* > \*\*Be careful what you say: > > SIOUX FALLS, South Dakota (AP) --A man who made a remark about a “burning Bush” during the president’s March 2001 trip to Sioux Falls was sentenced Friday to 37 months in prison. > > Richard Humphreys of Portland, Oregon was convicted in September of threatening to kill or harm the president and said he plans to appeal. He has said the comment was a prophecy protected under his right to free speech. > > [http://www.fpp.co.uk/online/02/12/CNN101202.html](http://www.fpp.co.uk/online/02/12/CNN101202.html) \*\* If you are going to waste space with that old story, at least post a link to the _complete_ story. Like [this](http://www.wweek.com/flatfiles/News3491.lasso) > [@](#): > > …a bartender reported Humphreys’ comment to local police, claiming that Humphreys alluded to the possibility of someone pouring a flammable liquid on the president and lighting it. Humphreys was a best a total nutjob, at worst. a total nutjob. He certainly _wasn’t_ some innocent victim of Big Brother, so don’t try to paint him as such. ---
**Author:** ![RedFury](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ec9cab/32.png) [@RedFury](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RedFury)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2003, 7:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preach-it-al-gore-speaks-and-the-truth-shall-set-us-free/193665/94 "2003-08-09T07:24:49Z")
> [@](#): > > **If the latter, it makes sense to discuss 1-the timing, 2-the location, 3-the points that were raised and 4-that weren’t, and 5-what the real objective might be (is he still playing with an idea to run in 04?) and so on. 6-The “substance” of the speech is irrelevant.** Numbering added by yours truly for ease of response. 1-8/7/2003 2-New York University, NY. Organized by the campus Democrats and [MoveOn.org](http://MoveOn.org). 3-Main thrust of the speech you refuse to read and continue to opine on: Dubya&Co have engaged in a “pattern of distortion” in foreign, economic and environmental policy. Of particular interest to me are the six “false impressions” concerning the Iraq invasion. Care to rebutt any of them? Or does it not bother you any that you were taken into a war under false premises and outright lies? 4-Amongst other things, he didn’t talk about the Bush doll. You heard that here. Or did you have something specific in mind you didn’t want him to mention? 5-Asked and aswered in the very post you quote. At any rate, as has also been mentioned upthread, what’s important is getting the message out. Where it leads, we can only speculate on at this point. And I might be totally wrong here, but I hardly think that was the point of the OP. In fact, she’s said as much in her ensuing posts. So how about it, care to[sub]finally[/sub] talk about the speech? 6-Huh? Come again? How do we “discuss the points that were raised” while keeping the “substance of the speech irrelevant”? BTW, if you don’t mind my asking, if not the speech, what is your continuing interest in this thread? Other than repeatedly calling Gore an idiot that is. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2003, 7:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preach-it-al-gore-speaks-and-the-truth-shall-set-us-free/193665/95 "2003-08-09T07:34:00Z")
> [@](#): > > 'Luci wrote: > This kind of “invisible class” discontent doesn’t show up directly, these people don’t talk to reporters. But they talk to their neighbors. For a while, they were flattered with platitudes about how patriotic they are, but it wears thin. They want thier loved ones home, or a good reason why not. GeeDubya can offer neither. Take comfort in these people who do not show up in polls. This vast army of silent Bush haters. They are there. I tell you, I saw them vividly in my dream. **They do exist!!** ---
**Author:** ![RedFury](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ec9cab/32.png) [@RedFury](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RedFury)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2003, 7:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preach-it-al-gore-speaks-and-the-truth-shall-set-us-free/193665/96 "2003-08-09T07:45:07Z")
> [@](#): > > They do exist!! Indeed, they do. And wouldn’t you know it, they _are_ showing up in the polls: > [@](#): > > \*\*8/7/03-Bush’s overall rating dropped from 58 percent last month to 53 percent while 37 percent of respondents said they disapproved of the way he was handling his job, according to a Pew Research Center survey of 2,528 Americans. > > The disapproval percentage is the highest negative rating the president has received since taking office nearly three years ago, the poll organizers said \*\* [**NYT**](http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/news/news-bush-poll.html) ---
**Author:** ![JRR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ecccb3/32.png) [@JRR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRR)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2003, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preach-it-al-gore-speaks-and-the-truth-shall-set-us-free/193665/97 "2003-08-09T12:28:19Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Stoid \* > \*\* I am utterly confounded and completely devastated by the collective cluelessness of a good chunk of the American public. When the studies showed that some ridiculous percentage of Americans had come to believe that Saddam and Iraq were somehow responsible for 9/11, my head very nearly exploded from the deafening “baaaa baaaaaa” in my ears, and I knew it was time to seek a little quiet. > \*\* Stoid, consider the fact that [a full third](http://boston.com/news/daily/23/911poll.htm) of young Germans believe that the US _staged_ the 9/11 attacks, and realize that crazy people are not in any way unique to America. And as for your repeated demands for a rebuttal to Gore’s speech (made _fifteen minutes apart_), I’ll leave that to folks that [have already done so.](http://brian.carnell.com/articles/2003/08/000010.html) ---
**Author:** ![Desmostylus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c57346/32.png) [@Desmostylus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Desmostylus)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2003, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preach-it-al-gore-speaks-and-the-truth-shall-set-us-free/193665/98 "2003-08-09T13:35:31Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by JRR \* > \*\*And as for your repeated demands for a rebuttal to Gore’s speech (made _fifteen minutes apart_), I’ll leave that to folks that [have already done so.](http://brian.carnell.com/articles/2003/08/000010.html) \*\* What a load of crap. You can’t refute Gore yourself, so you link to this: > [@](#): > > Al Gore gave a speech today hosted by [MoveOn.Org](http://MoveOn.Org) which included easily debunked claims about Saddam Hussein and 9/11, > > “_In any case, what we now know to have been false impressions include the following: > (1) Saddam Hussein was partly responsible for the attack against us on September 11th, 2001, so a good way to respond to that attack would be to invade his country and forcibly remove him from power._” > > That’s simply not true. The administration said there was evidence that Hussein had ties to Al Qaeda, and pointed out Hussein’s praise for the 9/11 hijackers and other terrorists. It did not say that it had evidence that Iraq played a role in 9/11. As Bush said in his State of the Union Address, > > “_Evidence from intelligence sources, secret communications, and statements by people now in custody reveal that Saddam Hussein aids and protects terrorists, including members of al Qaeda. Secretly, and without fingerprints, he could provide one of his hidden weapons to terrorists, or help them develop their own._” Here’s what Gore said: > [@](#): > > In any case, what we now know to have been false impressions include the following: > > (1) Saddam Hussein was partly responsible for the attack against us on September 11th, 2001, so a good way to respond to that attack would be to invade his country and forcibly remove him from power. > > (2) Saddam was working closely with Osama Bin Laden and was actively supporting members of the Al Qaeda terrorist group, giving them weapons and money and bases and training, so launching a war against Iraq would be a good way to stop Al Qaeda from attacking us again. > > (3) Saddam was about to give the terrorists poison gas and deadly germs that he had made into weapons which they could use to kill millions of Americans. Therefore common sense alone dictated that we should send our military into Iraq in order to protect our loved ones and ourselves against a grave threat. > > (4) Saddam was on the verge of building nuclear bombs and giving them to the terrorists. And since the only thing preventing Saddam from acquiring a nuclear arsenal was access to enriched uranium, once our spies found out that he had bought the enrichment technology he needed and was actively trying to buy uranium from Africa, we had very little time left. Therefore it seemed imperative during last Fall’s election campaign to set aside less urgent issues like the economy and instead focus on the congressional resolution approving war against Iraq. > > (5) Our GI’s would be welcomed with open arms by cheering Iraqis who would help them quickly establish public safety, free markets and Representative Democracy, so there wouldn’t be that much risk that US soldiers would get bogged down in a guerrilla war. > > (6) Even though the rest of the world was mostly opposed to the war, they would quickly fall in line after we won and then contribute lots of money and soldiers to help out, so there wouldn’t be that much risk that US taxpayers would get stuck with a huge bill. Now here’s the refutation again: > [@](#): > > That’s simply not true. The administration said there was evidence that Hussein had ties to Al Qaeda, and pointed out Hussein’s praise for the 9/11 hijackers and other terrorists. It did not say that it had evidence that Iraq played a role in 9/11. As Bush said in his State of the Union Address, > “_Evidence from intelligence sources, secret communications, and statements by people now in custody reveal that Saddam Hussein aids and protects terrorists, including members of al Qaeda. Secretly, and without fingerprints, he could provide one of his hidden weapons to terrorists, or help them develop their own_.” Excuse me? How is that a refutation? It’s simply a repetition of the lies. What evidence? What hidden weapons? ---
**Author:** ![New\_Iskander](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/db5fbb/32.png) [@New\_Iskander](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/New_Iskander)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2003, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preach-it-al-gore-speaks-and-the-truth-shall-set-us-free/193665/99 "2003-08-09T15:59:17Z")
Red Fury & Stoid, I didn’t “opine” on the speech. I opined around the speech. I stated that very clearly from the start. When presented with a reasonable argument by ‘elucidator’ I conceded that Mr. Gore may not be stupid after all. In all of these I remain consistent. “Don’t get snippy with me.” ---
**Author:** ![december](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/838e76/32.png) [@december](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/december)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2003, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preach-it-al-gore-speaks-and-the-truth-shall-set-us-free/193665/100 "2003-08-09T17:53:05Z")
> [@](#): > > Instead of creating jobs, for example, we are losing millions of jobs – net losses for three years in a row. That hasn’t happened since the Great Depression. Which three years is Gore referring to? The last three complete years are 2000, 2001, and 2002. Clinton was President through all of 2000. The 2001 economy is more a result of Clinton’s policies than Bush’s, since it takes many months for new economic policies to be adopted and to affect the economy. Ah, well. Some Dems now blame Reagan for the bad economy in 1980. Bush is in good company. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preach-it-al-gore-speaks-and-the-truth-shall-set-us-free/193665.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/preach-it-al-gore-speaks-and-the-truth-shall-set-us-free/193665.md?page=6)