The character assassination of Al Gore disgusts me

No one, and I mean no one that I have heard when discussing Gore's speech to the moveon.org PAC has said anything in regards to the CONTEXT of Gore's speech, just the delivery.

No right-wing pundit has said he was inaccurate, all they have done is try to portray Gore as some insane nut preaching to a bunch of left-wing lunatics. No one has assailed the MESSAGE, just the MESSENGER for how he delivered said message. Classic character assassination--someone says he's insane, everyone parrots it, so it must be true, and the message is discredited.

Has anyone else noticed that, too?

And no, I don't think he's nuts. He's right on, and I hope he keeps it up. The only thing unhinged is our foreign policy, along with our domestic policy.

ON EDIT: Spelling error fixed

Thank you.

of the conservative media only character assassinating as well and never getting to any facts or substance of concerns. I'm tired of the media pandering to the special interest and Bush supporters. Bush is a flunky in every sense of the word. He is surrounded by evil men with evil intentions and he will never be anything more than the president who was appointed president under corruption, perpetuated more corruption that almost destroyed America and will always be the blackest mark on American history. I hardly recognize my country any longer and it's the absurd and jingoism of the Bush supporters that stand for the ugliest part of humanity.

"...But this was a speech in which the former vice president said: "What makes the United States special in the history of nations is our commitment to the rule of law and our carefully constructed system of checks and balances. Our natural distrust of concentrated power and our devotion to openness and democracy are what have led us as a people to consistently choose good over evil in our collective aspirations, more than the people of any other nation."

This is a time to remember the principles that made this a great nation, and to reaffirm them. I don't know what will happen in the election in November. What I know is that the nation is facing a crisis now. The Bush administration needs to step back from the abyss its ideology has dragged us to.

It may be that the president never understood what made the U.S. great. In that case, he'd be among those who could benefit most from a reading of Mr. Gore's speech. If he followed that up with a look at the Bill of Rights (it would only take a few minutes), he'd have a better understanding of what this country, at its best, is about.  

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/05/28/opinion/28HERB.html?hp

Last paragraph:

"It may be that the president never understood what made the U.S. great. In that case, he'd be among those who could benefit most from a reading of Mr. Gore's speech. If he followed that up with a look at the Bill of Rights (it would only take a few minutes), he'd have a better understanding of what this country, at its best, is about."

Yup- He's never really had to work, or worry about his financial well-being. He's lived the life of a country club loser, insulated from life's hard knocks. Deluded!

and to a certain extent, they will probably succeed

They'll succeed because this country is full of fucking morons... Fuck em!

they attack the messenger's credibility. I'm sad to read the commentary that dismisses Gore's criticism as merely personal attacks on Bush.

he has PERSONALLY fucked up everything. He rides the personal morality wave (which I NEVER understood--the man is a drunk, an addict and a fool, as well as a terrible parent and illiterate) and his supporters refer to his character all the time. They opened the door to that kind of attack.

Kerry has been trying desperately to get the conversation to be about the issues, but since they refuse to/cannot discuss the issues, they go after his character. Kerry should remain on the high ground but, in the words of C. Montgomery Burns, "release the hounds."

Only Democrats are subject to the personal scrutiny that is totally off-limits to GW. If we gave him half the hell they gave Clinton, he wouldn't be able to handle it.

Discredit....we must discredit! Do Gore and Dean at the same time....quicker that way.

Go Al!! :thumbsup:

http://www.moveon.org/pac/gore/

yesterday on CNN...played a clip of the Gore speech at his most fired-up...followed immediately by a clip of *the Dean scream*...:grr:

And I meant to put it in my original post...many media outlets (especially radio) are rolling Dean, Gore, and other "screams and rants" into one "The Democrats are all nuts" subliminal message. Hannity did that when he had JD Hayworth and Charlie Rangel on debating Gore's speech.

Rangel chewed them up and spit them out, by the way.

CNN whores at it again.

But, you're right. If RW'ers can't deal with the substance, then all they'll talk about it style and whether the deliverer is sane.

on something...anything. I will support and vote for Kerry, but at times he seems so....disinterested, if that's an accurate word.

And I also wish he would say something to the effect that what Gore said is right on, and he agrees with it.

And if Gore had spoken with this much passion during the 2000 campaign, he would have won, hands down.

headedness.

With some creativity, the RW spin can be spun right back in Kerry's favor.

What is there to say to that?

right wingers say, "Gore is mad", "Dean is mad" and respond with, "I'm so sick of that."

Respond with, "so, you're endorsing Kerry -- he's very calm and levelheaded."

I will challenge anyone who says Kerry has the raw talent that Gore does as a speaker.

Hopefully Kerry will learn from this.

logical inconsistency in saying Gore is too animated and Kerry isn't animated enough.

Clearly, nothing satisfies the RW, and the fact is Kerry has everything you need to be a great president today.

bobherb@nytimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/05/28/opinion/28HERB.html?hp
thanks to Trumad for posting this above.

It has always been easy to make fun of Al Gore. But if there's any truth to the thunderous criticism he's turned loose on the Bush administration this week, it's time to dispense with the jokes and listen seriously to what the man is saying.

Thank you Mr. Herbert for writing about the substance of former Vice President Gores speech instead of focusing on the character of the speaker. It has become discouraging to pay attention to newspapers and the media when the focal points of news is based on entertainment value of someone's mannerisms. Although I'm sure this appeals to the masses who do not bother to read, research and form their own opinions, it does not appeal to me. I've always found former Vice President Gore an articulate, intelligent and prolific person, worthy of my attention. It's unfortunate that the Republicans cannot even take a moment away from their insecure ego's to contemplate any thinking outside of the narrow, bigoted box they find their home. I remain to believe, ignorance is bliss, confirming my belief that Republicans should be at the apex of joy from what I have witnessed these last three years. Sincerely, thanks again for the article.

They can't comment on the content, that would require thinking and actual analysis. Waaah, the news cycle is too compressed, waaah, we don't have time for activities like actually listening to the words, waaah.

If I hear the word rant one more time, they'll find out what that word really means.

I was really moved by his speech. It was fabulous. I hope he continues to speak thusly.

Keep drilling the word incompetent into the sheeple's minds. Eventually, they'll get it. Every time the name Bush comes up, it should be within two words of the word incompetent or bumbling or bungling. Every time.

edit for spelling.

good meta critique! :)

the more I am assured I'm telling the truth." - Malcolm X

Actually, I think the general public was electrified by what Gore said. This is the first time since 1968 that someone at his level has spoken with such candor, and I get a feeling we are going to be hearing a lot more of this! And every time our enemy keeps opening their big mouthes, we need to keep popping in this medicine that Gore has prescribed, because that is the only cure to the illness that the bush administration has caused.

they say he's dull and wooden. Fuck the right wing media.

When shit like this, straight from the Joe Stalin Playbook of Dicreditation by Mental Insanity Playbook.

I guess Gore should be happy Bunnypants* hasn't sent a squad of MPs to cart Gore and perhaps the Clitnons also off to a well-guarded Insane Asylum in the Arizona Desert.

But they know better than that, don't they? They know what Free America would say to THAT and to THEM if they tried it.

Thus, they must settle for this "Stalin Lite".

You are correct, it is disgusting, odious, low, and Totalitarian. In short, everything I have come to expect from the Imperial Family, their Stooges, and assorted Minions.

Breznhev/Khruschev Era thing.

You are correct. As I said, the Busheviks are at least better (for the monent, anyway) than Stalin and Hitler.

The same archetype, really, but "kinder and gentler".

They haven't come right out and called him unstable, but I think it's only a matter of time.

But essentially, they are the same strategies.

And the Busheviks have been rewriting some very old strategies for the Internet Age.

But we're onto them now and they shall NEVER have an unopposed playing field AGAIN!

Bastards.

You're offending us ex-Reagan Republicans who happen to agree with a majority of George W. Bush's platform... ease up dude.

any scrutiny at all. Well, the whore cable channels have all lost a lot of their market in the last year, and network doesn't seem nearly as slanted. So this isn't going to work.

My guess: Theresa Kerry is the next target of this crap.

and therefore above reproach.

Okay, my sarcasm switch is now turned off.

- Many won't be willing to admit it...but it could be that operatives in the DLC and Kerry camp are 'encouraging' these kinds of stories.

Anytime there's a liberal politician or commentator who shows the slightest bit of emotion in a public speech, it is COMMON practice for the Repuke spin machine to paint the individual as unhinged, crazy, and out-of-control. Also, you can count on at least one or two pictures showing the target of their Repuke assassination attempt with his/her mouth open in mid-stride or scowling to the camera.

REPUKES SUCK. And, if there were a Hell (which there isn't), they would reside there after their death. Preferably with a nice big hot poker up their ass or forced into an eternity of giving away their possessions to the poor in Heaven.

JB

The reason Soros gave them so much money and regular people like us are too, is because they are effective. The powers that be HATE all this grassroots internet organizing.

Good point. Any democratic organization, for that matter.

This was trancribed after I asked for clarification:

SNIP.."WENDY: Yesterday, Vice President Gore was expressing the frustration of all of those folks in the MoveOn audience who just don't know what to do with themselves.

TUCKER: Should he do it at home locked in the bathroom?

They both laugh somewhat uncomfortably..."

Wendy is the Kerry spokeswoman who in effect managed to dis both Gore and MoveOn without actually insulting.

The GOP guy then called Gore's passion a Dean moment. In effect they won that round....the Republican Noise Machine won because the Democrats did not speak out.