Gore in the News

August 27 & 28, 2007

Today's talk . . .

http://www.theolympian.com/southsound/story/200742.html
Supporters seek Gore for ballot
A formal effort is getting under way to put former vice president Al Gore's name on the Democratic ballot for the Washington presidential primary Feb. 19.

http://www.consortiumnews.com/2007/082607.html
Neck deep secret: Gore was right
Though there were a few other political leaders who made prophetic comments, such as Sen. Robert Byrd in his pre-Iraq War speeches on the Senate floor, none was as consistently on target as Al Gore.

http://news.aol.com/elections-blog/2007/08...loomberg-hagel/
Teasers: Gore, Thompson, Bloomberg, Hagel
If I were on the other side I could run effective (negative) campaigns against the current leading Dems and I think Gore knows that. He may not want in but he knows full well that with a Republican in the White House, the stalemate and partisanship, not to mention the endless war will be the order of the day. Climate change won't be on the agenda. Bottom line, I won't be shocked if Gore gets in this fall and I'll put $10 on the table to back it up.

http://adage.com/article?article_id=120088
Madison Ave. warms to climate change
. . . one of the most hotly contended pitches out there is for the Alliance for Climate Protection, the organization formed last year by Al Gore.

http://www.jckonline.com/article/CA6471728.html
Gore awarded first brand icon by Corum
Gore was chosen as the inaugural Brand Icon of the Year for "his unique and valuable contributions in the fields of media and the environment."

Today's related talk . . .

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/26/books/review/Brooks-t.html
Stop making sense
The best way to win votes — and this will be a shocker — is to offer people an accurate view of the world and a set of policies that seem likely to produce good results.

http://www.pollster.com/08-US-Dem-Pres-Primary.php
National Polls Summary
Summary of Dem Primary National Polls

That's an interesting piece called "Stop Making Sense".

Off the top of my head I would say that while both emotion and reason impact people's choices, one of the major factors is group identity. There are folks kind of in the middle, but most people tend to identify themselves as part of a group. And as part of that group it's expected to favor one party or the other.

If you're a white, gun-owning male living in a rural area you are very likely to see yourself and people who are like you as Republicans. If you are an lesbian African-American living in a big city you almost surely think of yourself and your peers as Democrats.

It follows that the challenge for the Democratic party is to make it OK again for white guys (like me) to identify themselves as Democrats again without losing support among our current backers. How to do that -- well, isn't that the question? :read: :good: