Al Gore
Barack Obama and the End of the Bubba Jinx
Over the course of 86 long and futile years, fans of the Boston Red Sox convinced themselves that they were victims of a curse, incapable of winning the World Series because of their franchise’s decision to trade Babe Ruth. But the Red Sox finally broke the curse in 2004 and followed it up with another world championship three years later, and now the Fenway Faithful no longer carry themselves like snake-bitten misanthropes.
Something similar is happening to Democrats, who have spent much of this decade wondering if it just might be impossible for them to win a national election without a Clinton on the ticket. read more »
McCain, Like Gore, Dukakis and Bush 41, Struggles in His Home State
Obviously, McCain should be faring better in a state that has elected him to the Senate four times, although it is worth noting that had McCain not been the G.O.P. nominee, Arizona would have been vigorously contested by Barack Obama this fall. read more »
Memo to Steve Schmidt: McCain Is Not Where Gore Was
In Adam Nagourney’s piece today on the McCain campaign's how-we-can-still-win scenario, McCain strategist Steve Schmidt made the following assertion:
"The McCain campaign is roughly in the position where Vice President Gore was running against President Bush one week before the election of 2000."
False.
Here are the results of the 10 most recent independent national polls:
Obama, 52-39 (CBS/New York Times)
Obama 52-45 (Rasmussen)
Obama, 50-43 (Hotline)
Obama, 54-43 (ABC/Washington Post)
Obama, 49-46 (Battleground)
Obama, 51-41 (Zogby)
Obama, 52-42 (NBC/Wall Street Journal)
Obama, 51-45 (Gallup)
Obama, 49-40 (Fox)
Obama, 44.8-43.7 (IBD/TIPP)
That last poll, from IBD/TIPP, has been pushed exhaustively by the McCain-leaning pundits, but there's good reason to discount it. As FiveThirtyEight.com points out, the 1-point race that they found is the result of a dubious 74-22 percent advantage for McCain among 18-to-24-year-olds. read more »
Report: Al Gore Not Buying Environmental Magazine
It looks like Al Gore won't be buying Plenty after all.
Last week, Media Mob picked up an item from Portfolio's Mixed Media blogger Jeff Bercovici that suggested the former vice president was kicking the tires on the environmental lifestyle magazine.
In an update today, Mr. Bercovici corrects the record:
In fact, it's not Gore but his Live Earth collaborator, media entrepreneur Kevin Wall, who is in negotiations with the environmental title. "He is looking into a few different opportunities with Plenty," confirmed a spokeswoman for Wall. "He's not position to be speaking about what those are just yet." Wall's spokeswoman said the range of possibilities "runs the gamut," but should be narrowed down within the next two to four weeks.
Mr. Bercovici received confirmation from Mr. Gore's people that he's not involved with the deal.
Al Gore, Magazine Mogul?
Portfolio's Jeff Bercovici is reporting that the former vice president and poster boy for eco-living may make an announcement that he's buying Plenty, the New York-based environmental lifestyle magazine.
Mr. Gore is on the cover of the current issue as part of their Plenty 20 list of environmental leaders and thinkers. Maybe Mr. Gore liked the magazine so much, he decided to pull a Victor Kiam and buy the whole company. Expect an update when something is officially announced.
The Vanity Fair 100: Some Rise, Some Fall, We Scratch Our Heads
Vanity Fair has come out with its list of 100 most powerful influentials, most of which—since they've already been covered by various lists in Time (the Time 100), Forbes (celebs and richest Americans) and elsewhere—come as no surprise.
Media mogul Rupert Murdoch, Apple CEO Steve Jobs, and Google boys Sergey Brin, Larry Page, and Eric Schmidt are all in the top 10, followed closely behind by David Geffen, Bill Clinton and billionaire Ronald Perelman.
But there do appear to be some changes from last year's list. Some powerful names have sunk or even disappeared to make room for names in fashion and entertainment. read more »
The Sentimental Zimmerman
DENVER—Former Hillary Clinton bundler Robert Zimmerman, one of Al Gore's biggest supporters, said last night on the floor of the Invesco Center that watching the former vice president "brings back many wonderful memories."
"I remember the first global warming lecture, reading the draft of his anti-war speech," Zimmerman said, as Gore delivered the line, "I know something about close elections."
"I think of the good times,"Zimmerman said.
The Gore Speech
Gore just finished, to the most raucous reception so far. Here's the prepared text of his speech:
One of the greatest gifts of our democracy is the opportunity it offers us every four years to change course. It¹s not a guarantee; it¹s only an opportunity. The question facing us is, simply put, will we seize this opportunity for change? That¹s why I came here tonight: to tell you why I feel so strongly that we must seize this opportunity to elect Barack Obama President of the United States. Eight years ago, some said there was not much difference between the nominees of the two major parties and it didn¹t really matter who became president. read more »
Less Drama for the Biden Nomination
Only one half of the Democratic ticket is actually set. With this afternoon's acclamation vote, Barack Obama is now officially the party's candidate for president. But Joe Biden, his handpicked running mate, must still win the convention's formal blessing. Technically, the party could go through another time-consuming roll call of the states to nominate Biden, but there's no need for that. Instead, Biden will be nominated just after 10 tonight (after Bill Clinton's speech) by Quincy Lucas, a Delaware woman and domestic violence activist. There will be no seconding speech; to save time, delegates will simply be asked if anyone seconds the nomination -- and hundreds of them will shout back "I do. read more »
Sweeps Night: Clinton Versus Biden
With Bill Clinton scheduled to speak shortly before Joe Biden tonight, it seems a logical question to ask: Will the former president upstage the party's vice-presidential nominee?
This is no small concern for Democrats, since Biden's speech is crucial on two levels. For one, Biden - even though he ran for president this year and has been a staple on Sunday morning newsmaker shows for years - is unknown to tens of millions of voters. A primetime speech carried live by every broadcast network and cable news channel represents his best chance to lock in a favorable impression with these voters. Plus, his speech read more »
At the 2008 Convention, Carter Wanes, Again
Some nominees treat Jimmy Carter better than others. This marks the seventh Democratic convention of Carter's decorated post-presidency, but he wasn't exactly shown a great deal of respect by Barack Obama and this year's planners.
Carter addressed the convention in a pre-taped video message that aired well before primetime, after a speech by a New Orleans jazz singer and before remarks by Obama's half-sister, Maya Soetoro-Ng. The video featured clips of Carter describing his personal observations of the devastation in New Orleans and footage of Carter surveying the damage and meeting with victims. Several times he praised Obama, saying that the Illinoisan would never fail disaster victims the way the Bush administration had. read more »
McCain Taking Page From Gore's Book With Pre-Announcement Announcement
John McCain isn’t the first presumptive presidential nominee to announce ahead of time when he will announce his running-mate.
Just as speculation over Barack Obama’s imminent V.P. selection reached fever pitch yesterday, McCain’s campaign not coincidentally leaked to the Politico news that the G.O.P. candidate will make his own choice public on August 29 – the day after Obama’s acceptance speech (and McCain’s 72nd birthday). The goal is to shift the focus away from Obama as soon as his speech ends, denying him (in theory, anyway) a post-convention bounce.
Actually, the announcement-of-an-announcement strategy has been used before – by Al Gore in 2000. Lagging behind George W. read more »
A Skeptic's Take on Biden's Chances
I can’t help but think of Bob Kerrey right now. In 1992, the then-Nebraska senator (and current New School president) was one of Bill Clinton’s two vice-presidential finalists, and conventional wisdom strongly suggested Kerrey would get the nod.
The reason was simple: Clinton was an inexperienced small-state governor whose Vietnam draft avoidance would be a major issue in the fall – especially since he was running against a World War II hero, George H.W. Bush. The presence of Kerrey, a decorated Vietnam combat veteran widely celebrated for his sacrifices, would inoculate Clinton against the G.O.P.’s ugly attacks, just as Kerrey’s Senate experience would complement Clinton’s gubernatorial resume. read more »
If Obama Picks Him, Biden Could Set a Longevity Record
The prospect of Joe Biden joining Barack Obama’s ticket, which seems to have grown more real in recent days, raises an interesting possibility: another Biden presidential campaign.
Given how his campaign turned out this year, the idea of Biden ever seeking the White House again seems (and probably is) unlikely. But, at least in theory, a tour de force performance as the VP nominee – think Lloyd Bentsen in 1988 – could spark popular interest in a future Biden presidential campaign that was missing in this past one. If Obama were to lose, Biden (again, theoretically) might then have a shot at the 2012 nomination (much the way the ’92 nomination was essentially Bentsen’s for the taking after his ’88 performance). read more »
Memo to Olbermann et al: Keynoters and V.P.'s From Same State Not That Uncommon
Tim Kaine’s stock as a potential running-mate for Barack Obama has dropped markedly in the last day, with the news that Mark Warner, Kaine’s predecessor as Virginia’s governor, will be the keynote speaker at the convention in Denver.
The thinking, widely repeated in the media yesterday and this morning, is that Warner’s selection effectively excludes Kaine from the V.P. hunt since the Obama campaign wouldn’t want two Virginians occupying the featured speaking roles on two consecutive convention nights. As Keith Olbermann put it on his MSNBC show last night:
Warner's rising star might actually dim the VP chances for Virginia's current governor, Tim Kaine on this simple theory.
VP Speculation Is Much Ado About Something
Every four years, just as the speculation over potential running mates reaches a fever pitch, contrarian voices speak up to dismiss it all as much ado about nothing. They are wrong.
Take, for example, this Sunday’s Meet the Press. After discussing this year’s usual VP suspects with the shows’ other two panelists, moderator Tom Brokaw turned to Judy Woodruff, cited the example of 1988 – when the Democratic ticket received no tangible Election Day boost from Lloyd Bentsen’s utter dominance of Dan Quayle in the VP matchup – and asked: “In the final analysis, Judy, how much difference does it make?”
Woodruff took the cue. read more »
Maybe Obama Was Just Dodging the Question
Barack Obama's response to one of Tom Brokaw's six attempts to engage him on his running-mate search on yesterday's Meet the Press, which I wrote about last night, is getting some attention today.
Asked by Brokaw whether geography will dictate his selection, Obama said:
"I'm going to want somebody with integrity. I'm going to want somebody with independence, who's willing to tell me where he thinks or she thinks I'm wrong. And I'm going to want somebody who shares a vision of the country where we need to go, that we've got to fundamentally change not only our policies, but how our politics works, how business is done in Washington. read more »
Nas on Colbert: 'I Think O'Reilly is Afraid of Me'
Yesterday, The Observer's Bharat Ayyar reported on MoveOn.org and rapper Nas' protest outside of Fox News headquarters in Manhattan.
Last night, Nas appeared on The Colbert Report to explain himself. When asked by Mr. Colbert why he thinks Fox is racist, Nas (real name Nasir Jones) said, "It's obvious. Everybody that has eyes and ears can see that this guy [Bill O'Reilly] is out of control. He knows what he's doing, you know what I mean? It's out of line. The things he's saying is worse than the worst rap lyrics I ever heard."
The rapper also told the host, "I think O'Reilly's afraid of me. read more »
Netroots Nation Reckons With Life After the Revolution
AUSTIN, Texas—By Sunday morning, most of the speakers and bloggers attending the Netroots Nation convention had gone home. In preparation for the convention's final key note—a plenary on "eco-equality"—volunteers in the convention center's gaping main exhibit hall distributed leaflets against various outrages ("No Forced Vaccination" or "Put Impeachment Back on the Table.") Ed Madej, a digital cartographer who blogs on the Daily Kos under the name Ed in Montana, sat alone at one of the tables blanketed with such fliers, checking weather maps on his laptop for any possible disturbances on his way home to Helena.
Under jumbo screens featuring freeze-framed poses of panelists talking about "marketing and monetizing your blog" or taking "online engagement to offline activism," or Howard Dean lecturing in an open-collared shirt and tan jacket, Madej offered his own impression of this year's convention. read more »
Energy and the Sinking Economy
Last Thursday, former Vice President Al Gore joined the many voices that have been calling for a crash program-a "moon-shot" national effort to get us off of fossil fuels. Senator Obama applauded the speech saying "For decades, Al Gore has challenged the skeptics in Washington on climate change and awakened the conscience of a nation to the urgency of this threat."
At the moment, neither Senator Obama nor Senator McCain are taking as aggressive a position as Gore is taking. The energy industry doesn't know how to deal with this newest energy crisis. At the heart of the discussion is the impact of our current energy practices on our economic well-being and on national security. read more »
Look Who's Back: It's Gore and Lieberman in '08
Consider, if only for fun, the theoretical possibility that Al Gore and Joe Lieberman – allies and running mates eight short years ago – end up running against each other this fall.
Gore, of course, is back in the news again this week after delivering a high-profile endorsement of Barack Obama in Michigan. The sight of the two of them together was enough to stir wishful thoughts of an Obama-Gore ticket among the Democratic grass roots. Some pundits had fun with the idea, too.
Lieberman, for his part, has taken an increasingly active and visible role in John McCain’s campaign. He clearly has McCain’s trust and friendship – the two have traveled together extensively this campaign season – and is a highly valued surrogate because of the authority with swing voters that his perceived independence supposedly gives him. read more »
The Gore Endorsement, Finally
The Al Gore endorsement, once the most talked about and speculated upon in Democratic politics, will go to Barack Obama tonight at the Joe Lewis Arena in Detroit.
Rowrrrrrr! Manhattan's Fat Cats Size Up Last Candidates Standing
At the Wildlife Conservation Society on June 3 at the Central Park Zoo, we found a creature with a steely gaze and a hefty, 235-pound-ish build: Al Gore.
The Transom imagined that the former vice president was thinking the following: What am I doing here again? read more »
Vice-Presidential Games: Who's This Year's Jack Kemp?
Theories abound about what qualities Barack Obama and John McCain should be looking for in a running mate. Does Obama need someone who'd bring instant credibility on national security and foreign policy to off-set McCain's charges of inexperience and naïveté? How important is it for McCain, 24 years Obama's senior, to fill out his ticket with someone considerably younger? read more »
Al Gore's Firm Clinches Lease in Durst's One Bryant Park
Al Gore's Generation Investment Management has finalized its lease inside Douglas Durst's One Bryant Park, the new office tower in Midtown that's among the nation's most environmentally friendly commercial buildings. (My colleague Eliot Brown broke the news of the pending lease in November.)
Generation, of which Mr. Gore is chairman, will relocate from Washington, D.C., into 5,500 square feet under the 10-year lease. read more »
Surely Not What Jim Baker Intended
Jim Baker was so tickled by his portrayal in the new HBO film Recount that he actually scheduled an advanced screening of the fictionalized Florida recount retrospective at the Houston public policy institute that bears his name.
In some ways, he should be. While the movie makes clear that the facts at the heart of the disputed election mostly favored Al Gore, it can’t suppress its respect for Baker’s shrewd and cutthroat pragmatism. read more »
A Rendition of Bush-Gore That's Long Overdue
So maybe history isn’t always written by the winners.
In the fall of 2001, after George W. Bush mounted a pile of debris at ground zero and came up with one brilliant rejoinder to a skeptic’s taunt, the prevailing public attitude toward the previous year’s disputed election was: So what? The guy who was supposed to win won, and there was probably more than enough malfeasance to go around anyway. read more »
White House Correspondents' Dinner: A Look Back in Laughter (hic!) [sic.]
Tomorrow night marks the annual White House Correspondents' Dinner in Washington, D.C. Members of the press corps (including some Media Mob contributors who are already on their way—note low posting rate today!) will have a chance to clink glasses with the president and his cabinet and remind themselves that despite five years of war, an economy some are already calling a Depression, and a painful slog of an election season, it's all in good fun. L'chaim! To us!
This year's event will be emceed by CBS Late Late Show host Craig Ferguson, whom the W.H.C.A.'s president (and ABC News correspondent), Ann Compton, is really excited about: "Craig Ferguson is a fresh take on late night TV. As a new citizen, a first-time uncommitted voter and someone who has looked at American politics from the outside, I am looking forward to his unique take on our system."
Green Gioia's Gift From Gore
Councilman and candidate for public advocate Eric Gioia, of Queens, held his 35th birthday celebration and “green” campaign kick off at the W Hotel’s Whiskey Bar in Times Square last night. His guest list included Morgan Spurlock, writer and director of Super Size Me (who appeared in an ad recently), and Karenna Gore Schiff, daughter of Al.
Gore Schiff was in charge of the birthday introduction, while Gioia spent most of the evening surrounded by supporters bouncing with American Idol enthusiasm. read more »
A Fitting Smear
In politics, what is accurate is not always fair and what is fair is not always accurate.
So it is that a deliberate distortion of a quotation from John McCain about Iraq—his supposed promise of a “100-year” war—may well sink his campaign in a way that the simple facts of his record and position should, but otherwise wouldn’t. read more »
Green Gioia Joined By Gore Child
Councilman Eric Gioia is throwing a "give what you can" fund-raiser birthday party with his "good friend, author and activist Karenna Gore Schiff," also the daughter of Al Gore.
Part of the (painfully?) colorful invitation that isn't picture here says, "We are proud to go green. The Gioia campaign is the first carbon neutral campaign in NYC history." read more »
Wherefore, Gore? Inconvenient Al Makes Party Wait
History may record that there were three distinct windows of opportunity for Al Gore to play a decisive role in this year’s Democratic primary contest.
The first was in the days leading up to Super Tuesday, on Feb. 5, when it seemed Barack Obama could do no wrong and a critical mass of establishment endorsements was piling up in his favor. read more »
Al Gore Has a Nobel! But Ralph Nader? Nada!
“I say to President-elect Bush that what remains of partisan rancor must now be put aside, and may God bless his stewardship of this country,” Al Gore said on December 13, 2000.
Well, George W. Bush didn’t listen to Al Gore’s advice, and neither so much did God. But Ralph Nader evidently took it as holy writ. read more »
How Barack Obama's S.C. Win Differs From Jesse Jackson's
When Bill Clinton pointed out yesterday, while talking about Barack Obama's South Carolina victory, that Jesse Jackson won the state in 1984 and 1988, the former President got plenty of attention.
Clinton seemed to be encouraging the perception that Obama won because of support from black voters, and that his victory was more about racial allegiances than substance.
He was also misrepresenting history.
It's true that Jackson won South Carolina in '84 and '88. But Clinton failed to mention several key points. For one, the state held caucuses back in those days, not primaries, and they attracted only a fraction of the participation that yesterday's primary did. Also, Jackson is a native of Greenville, South Carolina, which gave him an extra advantage. Finally, and most importantly, no one campaigned against Jackson either time, and the contests had nowhere near the same significance to the race. read more »
Extry! Extry! Al Gore Turns Local Kids Into CurrenTV Barkers
MANCHESTER, N.H. - Al Gore's Current TV is invading Manchester and they're employing local kids to spread the word.
A 24-year-old reporter with blonde pigtails and a 29-year-old video man with a cherub face were inside Merrimack Restaurant in downtown Manchester looking for other 20-somethings to interview. read more »
Shaheen Brings Up Obama's Drug Use, Didn't Care Much About Gore's
Some context might be helpful as Bill Shaheen, a prominent New Hampshire Democrat and the husband of former Governor (and 2008 Senate candidate) Jeanne Shaheen, does the Clinton campaign's bidding in an effort to raise doubts about Barack Obama's character.
Shaheen, a Hillary supporter who often accompanies the candidate on her trips to New Hampshire, is pointedly raising the issue of Obama's admissions of past drug use, according to the Washington Post: read more »
Can Uma Thurman and Kevin Spacey Save Planet Earth?
Tonight, Alicia Keys, Kylie Minogue, Annie Lennox and Melissa Etheridge are in Oslo, Norway, taking part in a concert honoring current Nobel Peace laureates Al Gore and the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Ms. Lennox, addressing a crowd at today’s event, asked: “Can celebrities save the world? It rankles. What kind of place are we in when people are looking to Hollywood or celebrities to save the world?”
Perhaps Uma Thurman and Kevin Spacey can help answer that question. After all, the two actors co-hosted the performance, which itself is meant to draw attention to what the former vice president calls a “planetary emergency.” Speaking at a press conference today, Ms. Thurman, 37, said, “The whole point is to raise awareness and communicate with everyone else in the world and share our concern for the planet.” She went on, “What we are hearing is that everyone needs to get very much involved with climate. It's coming to us. It's coming to a theater near us, very, very near us.” And Mr. Spacey, the cagey actor who currently oversees artistic affairs at London’s Old Vic theater, brought up an eco-friendly project that his playhouse is working on, called “Go for Green.” According to the 48-year-old thespian, the effort will culminate in a play that means to better educate young audiences on problems facing the environment. “I think that showing up at an event like this is important because there are going to be so many young people tuning in to this concert,” he said. read more »
Obama's Statement on Gore's Nobel
Barack Obama issued the following statement as Al Gore received the Nobel Peace Prize today in Norway:
"By having the courage to challenge the skeptics in Washington and lead on the climate crisis facing our planet, Al Gore has advanced the cause of peace and richly deserves the Nobel Prize he's receiving today. His voice and his vision have awakened the conscience of America to the urgency of this threat, and now we must take bold action so that our children inherit a planet that is cleaner, safer, and more peaceful for generations to come."
Which certainly won't do any harm to his relations with the former vice president, who has yet to make an endorsement for 2008.
Al Gore Receives Honor at International Emmy Awards
Former Vice President Al Gore called on television executives, producers and performers to help warn viewers about global warming as he accepted a special honor last night at the 35th International Emmy Awards at the Hilton New York. Robert De Niro introduced Gore as this year's recipient of the International Emmy Founders Award for his efforts to promote "our common humanity." read more »