Good thing sorta that I was unemployed or I would have never gotten a seat to this event.
I arrived at 9am and took a right side front row seat next to the middle row reserved for the VIP’s. Congressman Bart Gordon sat next to me across the aisle.
Fascinating talk by Cass Sunstein on how Federal judges vote according to whether or not it is a Republican, Republican, Republican appeals court or a Democrat, Democrat, Democrat, Or to go on a R, R, D---D, D, R, etc. He had the story on that info. But back to Gore.
They turned away people all day long. News reports here state that 300 were watching in the lobby on TV monitors. I can tell you that that many every hour were turned away as they changed speakers! MTSU as usual dropped the ball and booked a room with seats for only 300 when they had much bigger arenas. (However, at the reception afterwards I must admit they had the best food layout ever since I have been going to those receptions with Gore! Desserts never stopped coming and they were just outstanding!).
I also know vividly that just 2 years ago, less than 75 people showed up for the same topic in that larger room!
Gore was Gore! He didn’t say anything I don’t have memorized totally but then I am a Gore groupie aren’t I? For me when my son bought An Assault on Reason I challenged him to ask me something I didn’t already know that was contained in the book and he could not! Recall, that Gore states on the first day he got his PowerPoint slides on the Climate Change stuff that becomes An Inconvenient Truth he tells how it was loaded backwards into the viewer. I was there that day and those that followed and he recovered well from that mistake when it occurred then! It must be like being at any movie with the director from conception and through the editing process till finished. I recall also telling him later how much better it had gotten during its evolution! (Yeah, Like I am a VIP or something, Ha).
Let me provide a link to the local story write-up that is decent reporting of 40 percent of what went on.
http://www.dnj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?A.../803280315/1002There is a video link on that page but it plays on my computer in color clouded and loaded slow???? By the way, I am wrc2d in the posts section at the bottom.
It is at the end of the article but let me quote the joke of the day that was really funny!
“Wales, during the forum, shared a humorous moment with Gore, who was once jabbed by critics for claiming too much credit for the emergence of the Internet. When returning from an overseas trip, Wales said he was quizzed by Customs officials about the nature of his business.
I invented Wikipedia, he told the officer. Yeah, you and Al Gore, was the reply. Gore laughed the loudest in the room.
I know Prof Gore and his sense of humor about himself is larger than his sense of humor about the world. He is a real person and well I just adore the man!
Now the real observation I wished to make on Prof Gore! Had he changed from the “good ole days” of no attention, no Oscar etc? Would he greet the people, spend time with them in the same manner, etc?
Oh, Oh let me also report, I have not seen so much security since the Secret Service in February 2001! Gore let go of the Secret Service after 4 months and he could have kept them 6 months or longer, but he did not and he has not had Secret Service since that time!
However, I know MTSU security and this time they had 4 of their very best agents and the head of security himself was there and they never left Gore more than 3 feet! Makes me wonder????
Well, there were no questions taken at the event! Damn it, I had this great joke I told Gore later that made him scream and I know the crowd would have licked it up but no questions taken!
SHORT ANSWER to has Gore changed NO, NO, NO!!!!!!!
He stated that he had left home the day before at 9:30 am and had not returned home yet when he arrived at 1pm to MTSU! He had that glazed tired response that you have to be older to discern. He shook every hand, he took every photo, he listened to every young person tell how they work for Climate Issues, he greeted the elderly that supported his family for 50 years, he hugged women he knew, He gave any and everyone who had the nerve the time to approach him and say whatever and he listened and he looked them in the eye and he cared!
I know!!! I am an expert on this man for a little poor person! I first thought that only one thing was different? He seemed to pose the Hollywood pose for Pics or he seemed to be slower or mechanical BUT. BUT BUT-----Then I recalled he was dog tired! That was all that was! Any other person would have went back home and to bed! He dog tired gave his all to the people with the courage to approach him!
Now as for his response to me, it was the same ole friend I have been forced to come to accept as the fact that this very important man is indeed a friend of mine! He cares about me personally! Now call me name dropper or call me conceited, or whatever, BUT I mean to only report that he is a true human being that should he have a moment to know you, will warm to you!
We talked about Bon Jovi, he asked twice about my wife whom he adores! I told him my joke and he guffawed! I can’t tell you how good it feels to lean against a column in a room watching him go from one group to another as they do the celebrity meet thingy and he works them but ya see he knows exactly where Rodney is waiting to meet him! I know to let him meet and greet the folks and wait till near the end so that the time he spends with me does not seem to be at the expense of others waiting!
Now the worst thing for me personally about meeting my friend this time!
This is personal so here?
He asked me, “What is the matter with your leg Rodney?” Caring, concerned, what an observer.
I was pumped up on Pain Pills to hide my back pain that cause me to limp! I was very careful to lean on columns for support. I made certain that I did not have to take more than 3 steps to approach him in his line of vision to hide my current physical state!
He had observed me more than I knew from across the room, at the event. I always see him making eye contact with me at speeches because I assume I am a friendly face that is always close? But he had been watching me move about the room to allow him to talk to others and waiting my turn to have his precious time!
This man had not seen me in 2 years and He ousted me instantly as different than the last time he saw me. He knows we have a lot in common? Our long marriage to almost the same type and definitely the same kind of looking woman! Our intelligence ranking by the numbers on tests, Our Vietnam service down to getting out early because we were smart enough to figure out how to do so! Our having obtained a drivers license at age 14 and wrecking the car in a month right after our fathers told us we would do so!
I surmise that he knows what has happened to Rodney could happen to me? Except he know also I have hard miles on me!
Point being that he cared on a personal level to voice concern! I saw it all over his face!
This has been a long post, but I thought most of all I wished to convey the humanity of this man! That he is real! I was blessed to be in his face for 2 years in classes! He cares about the issues that affect all people!
I want you to take away from my name dropping or whatever
that your faith in Al Gore is well placed!!!!!!!
Should he have had the opportunity to know many of you in the manner that I do, he would be your loyal friend as well. He is very sought after, but yet manages to remain true to those he has found a relationship with regardless of race, creed, economic standing or what freaking planet they are from!
He is a better person than you can ever discern from any media! I wish I could introduce all of you to him! Just know, that he is worthy of your loyalty!