Gore ignores calls for '08 White House bid

Source: San Francisco Chronicle

18:12 PDT San Francisco -- Former Vice President Al Gore, urged by grassroots supporters to run for president, avoided all talk of the White House or a possible Nobel Peace prize during a Thursday appearance in San Francisco on behalf of U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer.

Instead, Gore focused on what has become his signature issue - global warming - telling the crowd at the Westin St. Francis that it is critical for citizens and leaders alike to be "coming to an agreement on how we can work together, quickly, to solve these moral imperatives and crisis."

... The hall erupted in thunderous chants of "Run, Al, Run" as Gore concluded his speech. He acknowledged the cheers, but made no comments.

"Oh my God, I didn't know it would take this kind of turn," laughed Boxer, the California Democrat who stood with the party's 2000 presidential candidate.

... Asked by reporters if she would support a Gore presidential run, Boxer said "the decision to run for president is not mine, it is his."

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/10/11/MNJ0SOP1L.DTL&tsp=1

Thank you San Francisco - you are speaking for me!!

:woohoo:

There will be "run Al run" goons everywhere he goes. They're probably following him.

What I fear is when he doesn't run, will they turn on him as some here at DU have expressed they would?

That is not me.

Whether it is Gore or whoever in the Oval Office it is up to US to make certain that we take bold action to address the climate crisis.

In my opinion, we owe Mr. Gore a tremendous debt no matter what he does from here on out.

We have a DU member who went to the SF event today - she said she would post when she got home - so we can hear from her how loud the chant really was.

Gore if he didn't run.

One of the posters went so far to say he wouldn't be doing his patriotic duty.

When I pointed out that they owed him gratitude instead of "disrespect" and "impudence", I was told he's just a man, not a king. The word "impudence" has royal connotations, I guess.

As you say, he deserves total respect and gratitude. He almost single-handedly put the issue of global warming on the map. It would have gotten there, but he advanced it's arrival by many months, if not years.

He owes people here nothing, and when I see posters proclaiming they will be "po'd" at him, it ruffles my feathers more than a little.

Here's why:

The office is his if he wants it. Global climate change will at once instigate a "resource war" mindset while at the same time making it progressively harder to fight those wars and survive as a society (wars are expensive). The current maladministration is a perfect example of that: they would be better off having experts in the playing of Civilization IV or Galactic Civilizations II in charge of our economic policy than the people they nepotized into place, because the gamers would at least know how to balance military, scientific, and cultural funding. :eyes:

I digress. If Gore didn't run for office, it will be possible for the people who do run to ignore or downplay the seriousness of the threat of climate change. And it isn't a threat to all life on Earth; our planet has been through numerous, sometimes almost overnight, changes in climate "norms" and will do so long after humanity ceases to exist on this planet. Global climate change is a threat to us as a modern, technological civilization, but the very people who are making the rules are the same people beholden to industries that are the biggest contributors to the climate change going on this time.

Hence all those conspiracies about "free energy" methods that float around and infect the credulous. At some level, society realizes they're being hoodwinked, but they don't know exactly how that's happening, so they water the weed of speculation over why that company bought this or that patent just to sit on it, and eventually a bountiful fruit of rumors bursts forth. In the process, real developments such as the research Dr. Bussard did into IEC fusion prior to his very recent death move to the sidelines both in terms of public awareness and political funding.

A Gore Presidency would end be cognizant of those problems. I very firmly believe, given everything he has said over the past several years, that Gore is closely attuned to what this nation's problems are. A Gore Presidency would very likely overhaul or eliminate outright NCLB and make it an effective program that actually provides funding for public schools rather than threaten to take it away "if". A Gore Presidency would increase NASA funding as well, specifically funding that studies or tests technologies designed to help us live offworld. A Gore administration would be in a position to propose, officially, very massive projects intended to generate power without the use of fossil fuels, and plug that project into the national grid.

And on and on. That's why I want a Gore Presidency- not because he's an icon, not because I'm a cheerleader, not because I'm specifically "for" the cause of reducing or reversing global climate change (even though I am that last), but because Al Gore is, very simply, the right person for the job- in ways none of the others are.

Period.

"...the seriousness of the threat of climate change."

What nonsense.

"And it isn't a threat to all life on Earth; our planet has been through numerous, sometimes almost overnight, changes in climate "norms" and will do so long after humanity ceases to exist on this planet. Global climate change is a threat to us as a modern, technological civilization, but the very people who are making the rules are the same people beholden to industries that are the biggest contributors to the climate change going on this time."

You are ignorant of the expected effects of global warming.


From reading your post, I don't believe you care one iota about Gore, and your understanding and concern about global warming is lacking also.

You're all about a Dem win, and you think Gore is your ticket to that.

all were shouting "Run Al, Run" -- it was not just a few people. I am hoping that we can have an impact and that he will become President. If he decides not too, then I will still support him, but I think we have time to make an impact on his thinking.


1. The entire room of about 500 chanted it....I was standing with Bonnie Raitt and Jackson Browne and they were shouting it too.....

2. everyone chanted...and it was after the take back our democracy statement...nt


It is in this thread: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=2029618&mesg_id=2030087

the time is getting ripe....

the skids are being greased....

the people wait......


Darn it AL...RUN!!!!!!

The article says he made no comments, not that he ignored calls. There is a big difference.

nonsense. let the others burn through their dough, while he just looks better and better to be our candidate, when the time comes. and the best of the current crop can be the VP nominee.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x2018932


I just got a call from Vice President Al Gore. He told me that he needs to travel abroad tomorrow for an exciting and urgent mission that could result in a major breakthrough in the fight against global warming.

Unfortunately, this means that we must postpone our Thursday, October 11th event with him until Friday, November 9th. I wanted to be sure to email you tonight in case you were planning on attending.

While I am really disappointed that we won't see Al Gore until next month, I am thrilled that he is continuing to provide critical leadership to address one of the most pressing issues of our time. You should know that only the most urgent global warming mission has called him out of the country.

I look forward to seeing you on November 9th so we can all hear first-hand about Al Gore's latest exciting initiatives. We will be back in touch in the coming days with more details about the rescheduled event.

Thank you so much for your continued friendship and support!

maybe because of the Nobel Prize?

Here is a post from around 1 p.m. this afternoon that says "GORE guest appearance in San Francisco is back on...trip to China cancelled"...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x2021295

I'm so wanting him to be awarded the Nobel and really wanting him to run! I like this thread: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x2025675

Well DU, I guess it's just us! :-)

Carla--the reporter--could have just as easily written "thousands".

Virtually everyone I've asked who is given a choice between their chosen candidate as of vs. Gore if he entered the race look and me and say something like "well, of COURSE I'd rather have Al Gore run".

I don't recall ever reading about a person being ASKED to run for President wherever he goes, at any time in all of American history (and really, much of world history- can anyone here please give international examples from any point in history of people who have been ASKED to take the highest office by the people they would be leading? Thanks in advance!), and honestly, if he announced WITHOUT the Nobel, the office would be his. It could well turn out to be the most inexpensive political campaign in history- all he would have to do is keep saying what he's been saying.

If we can pull together to repair the damage dome to our climate and keep it from ever happening again, we will be able to conclusively prove that we, as a species, CAN work together. That can be a jumping-off point for mitigating, preventing, or ending outright any future international conflicts.

After all- WHEN have all nations on Earth ever banded together to one cause?

Anyone? Bueller?

Global climate change is that cause. I think we must have a President dedicated to reversing or mitigating its effects if we are to succeed in that goal as a species. That President should be Gore.

I think we'll know for sure, one way or the other, in 24-48 hours.

the passion, nor the desire to run for president. If Gore wins the Nobel on Friday then I bet many in here will say Gore will run for president....uh huh YOU THINK? NO and here is the reason why he will not run. If he wins(or not) he will have a world wide stage to promote his ONE issue and that is global warming.....Now follow along here....Gore will not enter the race becasue there is a BIG and I mean BIG damn chance that HRC will defeat him, and instead of Gore beoing on the world stage as the person to seek on Global Warming he will then be known as the man who was beaten by Hillary Rodham Clinton and Gore will not take the chance....So there you have it....Whether or not Gore wins will not make a difference he will not run...No desire too..No passion. No fire...and the main thing, Gore does not want to be president.

Ben David

I can't imagine that would be the case.

I think people want an alternative to Hillary, one that candidates like Obama, Edwards or Kucinich don't present.

Nobody could compare to Al Gore, and he would certainly attract those who are concerned about the significant negatives Ms. Clinton carries in the General Election.

I couldn't imagine Al Gore losing the General Election, especially the way this country feels about the repubs now. The Democrats would realize this, and he would win the nomination, if he wants it that is.

and you're talking about passion and fire,
yet you support sHillary, the Queen of calculation and equivocation

I've seen more passion and fire from a Robot.

Are they TRULY that out of touch, or was she being facetious?

Can you explain why you're mocking Boxer over her comment?

Al Gore was raked over the coals by the Republicans once before. I doubt he'll set himself up for that a second time. Plus, he feels his work educating people about climate change is a lot more important than politics.

And now he's a Nobel laureate! Congratulations, Mr. Gore! I can hardly wait to read his book!

and only he can fight the DLC/Right Wing Noise Machine coalition to force the war supporter Senator Clinton down our collective throats.

he knows it. i know it. many others know it.

There were a few lines in that speech that sf gate ignored. Watch the video in the link.

lol