Ahem.
No outrageous adventures to report at the moment, though I suppose I can provide a small amount of local colour by letting you all know that Charing Cross is the place to go in central London for an incredibly dense grouping of book stores (both chain and independent). I went there today to hunt for Al Gore's new book, "The Assault On Reason". At the third store I found it and have devoured half the introduction on the way home.
It's so strange to see a man we used to know mostly as "Bill Clinton's VP" and "The exceptionally boring man" turn into a savvy, entertaining and intriguing speaker who more than stands out from his old bosses shadow - which is more than Mrs. Clinton can say. The article I linked to in the last paragraph gives a nice sample, but I think his interview on The Daily Show (Parts one and two) is quite useful as well. My apologies for not embedding it, but the code which Comedy Central provides is, basically, poop. To sum up what the book is about in a sentence: Al Gore finally applies the analytical and problem solving skills he demonstrated an abundance of with An Inconvenient Truth to the troubles with political and public discourse as it relates to democracy in America.Though it is written with Americans in mind, even in just what I've read so far, you can easily apply it to Canada and Britain as well. My admiration for Mr. Gore is growing steadily - but of course I still had to find and use a picture of him where he looks like an absolute tit. Such are my fickle ways!
Addendum: BEARD. At the risk of getting stupid in that most internet of styles, may I suggest a Gore/Frakes 2008 ticket?
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7 comments:
Dude, he looks so much better with a beard.
Everyone looks so much better with a beard.
Do you really think Hillary is still stuck under Bill's shadow? And is it by choice or because the media figures she is and is choosing to portray her as such?
I think she's doing just fine and would actualy make a good President (not that I think people are actually ready to vote for her, but that's another story entirely)
Besides, it's nto like she can ever get that far from Bill, at least not without divorcing him :P Gore's had 7 years of distance.
Well, I suppose my remark could be fairly read as being derogatory.
I'd have to say that the fault, regarding Mrs. Clinton's position vis a vis shadows, is certainly much more the the fault of the media's fixation on Bill than it is her failure to say anything remarkable enough to shift their focus.
My thoughts on her as being the next president are few, becuase what I have read of her has said little about her politics that has had any staying power within my memory. The big thing with her is that she would be the first woman president (that would be pretty okay), that she would be continuing a legacy (sorta) and...largely I notice that she has views on the war in Iraq and national security which seem closer to the current fellow in power than the one before.
And yes, Gore certainly had a large edge in that he was not married to Bill! There was a handicap, no doubt.
But what Gore has done which seperated him from Bill, and what Barack Obama has done which has made him more than "the black guy who maybe should be voted for because it would be a radical blow for equality to have a black president", is to deliver an engaging body of ideas in an eloquent manner that have not only attracted people's attentions but directed and held them.
In this regard, with me, Hilary has failed and I don't think I'm the only one because if she had anything to say which was potent enough to deflect attention from "the Bill connection", then we wouldn't even be having this discussion now. I think Hilary is doing alright, but you need to be better than "alright" to be president - or, well, you should be!
When all is said and done, though, I'm actually not one of the many shouting individuals who wants Gore to run for office. Yeah, it would be pretty cool if he ran I guess - but it would further splintering the left wing voting base in an election where they need to be united more than ever. My lil' wet dream would be for Barack Obama, with his emphasis on unity and removing barriers of discourse from between the American people, to get into power and then have Gore bend his ear like a court wizard of sorts.
In terms of reputations ('A woman is running!' and 'A black dude is running!'), I have to agree with you. Barack is perhaps merely a better actor, but in that case damn is he a skilled actor.
Barack's message, delivered with emphasis and a challenging tone, is one of hope and healing within the United States. Cheesy perhaps, but the U.S. is in desperate need of a leader who will push the country into a proud new direction. This is what Obama hopes to accomplish, and he's smart to emphasize this unwavering belief that things will be right again because it offers stark contrast to the cynicism and fear that has gripped a nation.
On the other hand, Hillary has failed somewhat to come into her own because she is not gathering the support she needs. I think this is because everyone remembers her vehemence in supporting the Iraq invasion; she has been regarded as a militaristic individual. She also fumbled with health care reform, which was a blow to her image. When I think of Hillary, I think 'phony' and 'ambitious.'
I have to say, though, that I'd love to see Al Gore run. If he did so, he'd have a fantastic chance of winning an election (which has been covered throughout all sorts of news programs and magazines). His new demeanour, which is decidedly less-wooden, doesn't hurt. He'd be able to offer credibility and quite the track record in terms of a political résumé.
The thing I think we all (not just us, but the world in general) need to remember is that somebody who is skilled on the campaign trail is not necessarily skilled in the Oval Office. Heck, Bush should have taught us that!
My biggest concern about Obama is his almost complete lack of political experience. It's fine to say we want soembody fresh and hopeful and all that, but what happens when there's a very real crisis while he's in office? What happens when he finds himself in a senstive situation requiring a great deal of international diplomacy? Put simply, we don't know. He might make it out unscathed. And he might not.
His intense focus on the domestic political scene in the U.S. is also a concern to me. Sure, it's great to be preaching hope and all that jazz. G-d knows they need it. But I worry about what that's going to mean for the U.S. on the world stage. Stephen Harper's in the same boat- he campigned on domestic change, domestic change, domestic change. People were ready for that. But he's made a laughingstock out of Canada on the world stage, largely because he has virtually no international experience, and neither does most of his cabinet.
Clinton's no saint, but at least she's a great deal more experienced, and more practical.
International diplomacy requires more than somebody standing up and saying "have hope, guys! Don't bomb each other!"
While my post ignored Obama's political inexperience (I'll get to that in a moment), your post ignored my complaints with Hillary. The US doesn't need another dictator-in-chief.
That being said, Obama's inexperience is the only concern I really have with him right now. He's proven himself to be skilled as a Congressman though and his education/teaching experience is not to be overlooked. Still, I would rather that he had waited a few years too.
Still, someone fresh and outside of the rich-kids camp (the one that includes certain Democrats and Republicans alike), someone who can push through the apathy and the cynicism - I think there is a place for that right now. Call me naive, but Obama seems to be gathering the power to make people care. I find it tough to watch his speeches and not find myself getting goosebumps at his intensity and resolve. Hillary would feel like more of the same old, same old.
It's also worth noting that Barack Obama has the backing of so many urban Americans. That hasn't really happened since when Bill Clinton became 'a friend to black people,' and somehow actually pulled it off.
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