Whatever happened to Al Gore?

Authored by Michael Pate on May 31st, 2004 at 5:32 PM

I still remember my disappointment watching C-Span in 1991 when Al Gore announced that he would not run for President. I thought he was the most credible Democratic candidate. And I thought he was a good choice when Bill Clinton chose his Vice-Presidential candidate.

In 1998, at the height of the Monica Lewinsky Furor, I thought the most logical choice was for Bill Clinton to resign and Al Gore take the Presidency. I was much less pleased with him by this point than I once had been, but I thought he should have the opportunity and I thought Clinton was no longer effective in office.

On Election Day, 2000, I voted for George W. Bush. But by the time I got home that night, all the networks were reporting that Gore had won Florida and it seemed like the contest was likely over. I can remember thinking that Gore was still fully capable of being a good President. Of course, things worked out a little differently. And even though I grew frustrated with him over the next few weeks, I thought he handled the eventual outcome with class. I expected he would be the Democratic Nominee in 2004.

Soon after September 11th, more than one person remarked to me that they were glad it was Bush rather than Gore in office. A lack of decisive action against terrorism was a hallmark of the Clinton Administration and there is no reason to believe that Gore would have acted with the decisiveness needed then. I sort of felt that confirmed when he chose not to run for President again.

Then came this.

He betrayed this country! He played on our fears. He took America on an ill-conceived foreign adventure dangerous to our troops, an adventure preordained and planned before 9/11 ever took place. - Al Gore

And now this.

We are less safe because of his policies. He has created more anger and righteous indignation against us as Americans than any leader of our country in the 228 years of our existence as a nation because of his attitude of contempt for any person, institution or nation who disagrees with him. He has exposed Americans abroad and Americans in every U.S. town and city to a greater danger of attack by terrorists because of his arrogance, willfulness, and bungling at stirring up hornet’s nests that pose no threat whatsoever to us. - Al Gore

I just don’t recognize this man anymore.

Links in this entry:

Full text of Al Gore's speech at New York University
Gore Says Bush Betrayed the U.S. by Using 9/11 as a Reason for War in Iraq

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