# Will Gore endorsement make any difference? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [June 17, 2008, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-gore-endorsement-make-any-difference/453188 "2008-06-17T03:50:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Oy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bc8723/32.png) [@Oy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oy)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2008, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-gore-endorsement-make-any-difference/453188/1 "2008-06-17T03:50:51Z")
Although if he stumps for Obama, that may be a factor. If he goes out speaking, I think he’ll be far more effective than he was in 2000. But the simple fact of endorsement - is there anyone who would have or did vote for Gore who would not have voted for Obama? Don’t get me wrong; I think the endorsement was great, and I thought his speech was outstanding. I’m delighted that he publically endorsed Obama, and he’ll almost certainly help in fund raising. But will the fact of this endorsement actually pull anyone into the Obama camp? Maybe this belongs in IMHO, but I thought I’d start here. Oops - mispelled Gore in heading. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2008, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-gore-endorsement-make-any-difference/453188/2 "2008-06-17T03:53:23Z")
Gore _not_ endorsing Obama would have made a difference. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2008, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-gore-endorsement-make-any-difference/453188/3 "2008-06-17T03:59:37Z")
I should elaborate. Everyone expected Gore to endorse so when he did it was no big deal. If he didn’t, it would have raised a lot of eye brows and probably cost Obama some votes. I could easily envision headlines leading up to the Democratic convention. “Why Doesn’t Al Endorse Barack?” ---
**Author:** ![magellan01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@magellan01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magellan01)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2008, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-gore-endorsement-make-any-difference/453188/4 "2008-06-17T04:01:08Z")
[QUOTE=Oy!] is there anyone who would have or did vote for Gore who would not have voted for Obama? [/QUOTE] I think not. anyway who likes Gore enough to be swayed will be voting for Obama anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Oy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bc8723/32.png) [@Oy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oy)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2008, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-gore-endorsement-make-any-difference/453188/5 "2008-06-17T04:26:46Z")
I hadn’t thought of turning it around as you did, **hajario**. And **magellan01** , that’s kind of what I was thinking. Thank you both. ---
**Author:** ![gravitycrash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@gravitycrash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gravitycrash)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2008, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-gore-endorsement-make-any-difference/453188/6 "2008-06-17T04:57:47Z")
Why is this even news? Who else is he going to support. No offense to the OP but really. ---
**Author:** ![mlees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@mlees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlees)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2008, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-gore-endorsement-make-any-difference/453188/7 "2008-06-17T05:04:04Z")
A Democrat (and a super delegate) endorsing the only Democratic candidate remaining in the race, after that candidate has already gathered the minimum delagates needed for a nomination? Not news worthy now. It would have been a month or more ago. ---
**Author:** ![rikc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c57346/32.png) [@rikc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rikc)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2008, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-gore-endorsement-make-any-difference/453188/8 "2008-06-17T05:10:28Z")
I was lucky enough to be in the arena for this. What a fantastic evening. As far as who will actually be swayed by this endorsement, I think it won’t really do much other than legitimize Obama with voters who were already voting for him simply because he’s a democrat. ---
**Author:** ![Greta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a698b9/32.png) [@Greta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greta)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2008, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-gore-endorsement-make-any-difference/453188/9 "2008-06-17T05:38:04Z")
When theysaid on the news, Obama will out to speak with Gore, it got my hopes up (that he would run with him). Sadly, no. I don’t think it will make a big difference. ---
**Author:** ![Spiny\_Norman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de0a6/32.png) [@Spiny\_Norman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiny_Norman)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2008, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-gore-endorsement-make-any-difference/453188/10 "2008-06-17T06:13:53Z")
The one place I think it may make a difference is in Florida. There are still a lot of little old Jewish people who are very angry that their votes accidentally went to Buchanan because of a poorly designed ballot. The love Al Gore and feel guilty that their mis-votes actually cost him the election. I think if he spent time in Broward County talking to the folks in that community, he could convert a lot of them to Obama. At the moment, they’re not supporting him, and this could be the _one_ thing that tips the scales and could turn Florida back around. Outside of that one, small demographic, I doubt it will have much, if any, effect. ---
**Author:** ![Shayna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shayna/32/17976_2.png) [@Shayna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shayna)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2008, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-gore-endorsement-make-any-difference/453188/11 "2008-06-17T06:14:49Z")
The above post was by me. Sorry. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2008, 11:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-gore-endorsement-make-any-difference/453188/12 "2008-06-17T11:47:12Z")
You mean he’s not endorsing Nader? A shock this is. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2008, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-gore-endorsement-make-any-difference/453188/13 "2008-06-17T12:40:35Z")
Gore managed to time his endorsement at the exact point when it would make the least possible amount of difference. He could not have picked a less relevant stance and time to announce that stance if he’d tried. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2008, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-gore-endorsement-make-any-difference/453188/14 "2008-06-17T13:24:14Z")
I guess I agree with the consensus - if Gore wanted to make a statement of some sort, he shouldn’t have waited until Obama had the nomination wrapped up. “Me too” rarely makes a difference. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Oy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bc8723/32.png) [@Oy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oy)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2008, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-gore-endorsement-make-any-difference/453188/15 "2008-06-17T14:26:57Z")
I think it’s quite possible that Gore waited until it would make a minimal difference, as he likes to think of himself (with some degree of justification) as beyond politics these days, kinda like Jimmy Carter. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2008, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-gore-endorsement-make-any-difference/453188/16 "2008-06-17T18:36:09Z")
I don’t think it’s going to sway many votes, but it helps to put the full _imprimatur_ of the Democratic party on Obama’s candidacy. Strangely, I think Bill Clinton making a strong statement in support of Obama would have a greater impact on the Hillary supporters. Even more so than Hillary herself. I’m not even sure why I think that. It’s just a gut feeling. ---
**Author:** ![Airblairxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Airblairxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airblairxxx)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2008, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-gore-endorsement-make-any-difference/453188/17 "2008-06-17T18:48:30Z")
I would think that getting the front page on [both of Detroit’s newspapers](http://tpmelectioncentral.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/06/gore_endorsement_of_obama_grab.php) would be worth a little something, no? Besides, for all disaffected Democrats who aren’t yet on board the Obama Express, Gore’s an excellent reminder of what can happen if the party doesn’t fully get behind its nominee. ---
**Author:** ![Oy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bc8723/32.png) [@Oy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oy)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2008, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-gore-endorsement-make-any-difference/453188/18 "2008-06-17T18:51:21Z")
**Dio** , it might be because Bill Clinton was more vociferous in his anti-Obama statements than Senator Clinton was. Which is actually quite understandable - most people who care about their spouses would be much more ‘in-your-face’ on the spouse’s behalf than on their own, I think. In part because people want the best for those they love, but also because speaking on one’s own behalf can be viewed as either bragging or whining, while speaking on behalf of one’s spouse feels more noble. Or at least that’s my guess. ---
**Author:** ![Oy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bc8723/32.png) [@Oy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oy)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2008, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-gore-endorsement-make-any-difference/453188/19 "2008-06-17T18:58:01Z")
[QUOTE=Airblairxxx] I would think that getting the front page on [both of Detroit’s newspapers](http://tpmelectioncentral.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/06/gore_endorsement_of_obama_grab.php) would be worth a little something, no? Besides, for all disaffected Democrats who aren’t yet on board the Obama Express, Gore’s an excellent reminder of what can happen if the party doesn’t fully get behind its nominee. [/QUOTE] From your link’s comments, **Airblair** : [Wow!](http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080617/MULTI/80617040) ---
**Author:** ![What\_the](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f4b2a3/32.png) [@What\_the](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_the)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2008, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-gore-endorsement-make-any-difference/453188/20 "2008-06-17T19:06:30Z")
[QUOTE=gravitycrash] Why is this even news? Who else is he going to support. No offense to the OP but really. [/QUOTE] Why is it news? Because it takes up space and time that might otherwise be used on things that might affect Obama negatively. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-gore-endorsement-make-any-difference/453188.md?page=2)