http://www.news-leader.com/apps/pbcs.dll/a...6/1006/OPINIONS

Published October 29, 2007

Gore rattles right-wing cages

The best thing about Al Gore winning the Nobel Peace Prize is that it has driven the Right Wing Nut Farm, home of the Vast Right Wing Conspiracy, absolutely bonkers.

You thought they were whack-jobs before? Gore has sent them entirely over the edge. I don't listen to right wing radio myself — that stuff sounds ever so much better in the original German — but I'm told the Conservative Blather Machine is foaming at the dipstick over it.

I'm not sure why right-wingers hate Al Gore so much — maybe they can't forgive him for winning the 2000 election — but he sure rattles their cages.

Personally, I'm delighted he won and even more delighted that his crusade against global warming seems to be having some effect.

The nation, ever so slowly, like a giant grizzly rising from hibernation, is beginning to wake to the problem.

A telltale sign of the degree to which the issue has pierced the public consciousness is that even Republican presidential candidates have heard of it.

Sen. John McCain, for example, is saying things like "There's no doubt in my mind about the urgency of the issue of climate change."

And Rudy Giuliani says of the problem: "We need a project similar to putting a man on the moon."

Leave it to Mike Huckabee to put a religious twist on the issue: "Whether it's going to your home and tearing up your living room furniture or whether it's going to God's home and tearing up what He created... those of us who are believers would classify it as sinful behavior. It's evil. It's wrong."

The candidates have suggested a variety of solutions to the prospect of our planet slowly becoming a tropical swamp. McCain is calling for higher fuel standards and capping emissions; Mitt Romney and Giuliani think alternative fuels, nuclear power and hybrid vehicles are the answer. Huckabee wants to lower taxes.

These are all good proposals. They share a common trait with Democratic proposals, however. None of them would make much difference even if we implemented them, which we won't. It would be too inconvenient.

The problems of global warming are about to overwhelm us (and by "about" I mean in the next 100 years) and we're just going to stand there and watch it come, like a herd of cows mesmerized by an approaching tornado.

The word missing in the discussion is conservation. Candidates, generally speaking, don't use it, except in a vague context.

Yeah I don't get it either why they dislike him so much. I had a friend visit yesterday from out of state and she said the girl she trained to take her place (she just retired) said Gore is the devil he doesn't have pupils in his eyes...she said that people like that she doesn't bother talking to.

I said obviously one of the 22% people out there and I don't bother either.

We were trying to think if we felt that way about any republicans and I said Bush and cheney bring up those feelings in me.

But its because they do evil things....what has Gore done except help the world...they are nuts!!

That's a great piece.

When you have built your life on a foundation made of lies, it's very threatening to see anyone who seriously could make you re-examine your whole ideology. That must be part of the Right-Wing fear of Gore.

Just my opinion you know, I guess we should hear them explain themselves in the original German.

:spikey:

Exactly Mr. right winger. Congrats. No fools here so move along.