Obama wants Gore to help him

Zedtom

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Nov 23, 2001
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Obama: I'd Hire Gore

By DEVLIN BARRETT
Associated Press Writer


WALLINGFORD, Pa. (AP) -- Democrat Barack Obama said Wednesday he talks regularly with former vice president Al Gore and would consider putting him in a Cabinet-level position or higher.

A woman at a town hall asked the Illinois senator if elected president would he consider tapping the former vice president for his Cabinet, or an even higher level office, to address global warming.

"I would," Obama said. "Not only will I, but I will make a commitment that Al Gore will be at the table and play a central part in us figuring out how we solve this problem. He's somebody I talk to on a regular basis. I'm already consulting with him in terms of these issues, but climate change is real. It is something we have to deal with now, not 10 years from now, not 20 years from now."

The only position higher than a Cabinet post is vice president. While Obama seemed to dangle that possibility in his answer Wednesday, he has repeatedly said it is far too early to discuss potential vice presidents because the nomination has not been won.

It is also not clear that Gore, who had the job for eight years under Bill Clinton, would even want to be a vice president again.

Since leaving the White House, Gore has gone on to become one of the world's leading voices for combating the greenhouse gases blamed for global warming. His work earned him a shared Nobel Prize.

Now very popular among Democrats, Gore is perhaps the single most coveted endorsement up for grabs in the long-running competition between Obama and rival Hillary Rodham Clinton.

The relationship between Gore and the Clintons became strained after Gore limited Bill Clinton's campaigning on his behalf in the 2000 presidential race which elected George W. Bush.

Obama said he would use Gore to help forge a cap-and-trade system for carbon emissions designed to lower pollution.

The Illinois senator cautioned that such a system could mean an increase in electricity bills from power companies that rely on coal-burning, and that some of the money generated from a cap-and-trade system may be used in the beginning to help lower income or fixed income customers with those bills.

He also called on individuals to do their part to lower energy consumption.

"All of us are going to have to change our habits. We are a wasteful culture," he said.

Using compact fluorescent light bulbs, energy efficient appliances, and unplugging power chargers when they're not in use are relatively simple solutions, he said.

"Those kinds of simple steps, if everybody takes them, can drastically reduce our energy consumption."

© 2008 The Associated Press


Al Gore has the power to change the focus of this campaign. If the Democratic party wants to beat McCain, they better bring Al on board.
 

m1ldslide1

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Feb 20, 2006
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Hard to say what the effect would be of a Gore endorsement, or even an Obama/Gore ticket. It would surely seem to galvanize the democratic base after the whole fiasco with the primaries, but it's hard to know how it would play in the general.

Because remember? Global warming is alarmist BS and my pastor even told me so. ;)
 

Craig234

Lifer
May 1, 2006
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Considering that Gore won the popular vote in 2000, that he's far more attractive as a candidate now, that there's a feeling for many that it would right a wrong, and that the nation has so turned against the Republicans compared to 2000, and finally that global warming is much more of an issue, it'd seem to be a great ticket.

But I doubt Gore would take it. What could he do as VP that he can't do consulting with a friendly administration?

He's long been the first choice for president for 2008 if I understand correctly, and he turned that down.

On another note, I notice how the article plays the questioner saying cabinet 'or higher' into a claim that Obama was dangling out the possibility of VP.
 

Lemon law

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Nov 6, 2005
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We must note that this is in response to a direct question. And Obama gave the politically correct answer. And if Hillary was asked the same question first, she probably would have said the same politically correct thing.

Once in the white house, the next POTUS is going to have to weigh the political pros and cons on addressing global warming beyond the mere support Mom and apple pie. Because there are real trade offs involved.

What Hillary and Obama say to Al Gore in private may well be more telling. Both would give their eye teeth to have Al's endorsement that can only go to one.

And if we can believe the Gore public statements, Gore is not with holding his endorsement to gain some what of an auction to the highest bidder.

And whomever is to be the next President, they will have to somewhat tell Gore no, you can't get all of what you want. And Al Gore knows that also, its going to be a very long term battle of ideas and practical economic realities. And also an international battle where losing welcome in the competing tents is fatal.
 

Zedtom

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Nov 23, 2001
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Originally posted by: Lemon law
We must note that this is in response to a direct question. And Obama gave the politically correct answer. And if Hillary was asked the same question first, she probably would have said the same politically correct thing.

Once in the white house, the next POTUS is going to have to weigh the political pros and cons on addressing global warming beyond the mere support Mom and apple pie. Because there are real trade offs involved.

What Hillary and Obama say to Al Gore in private may well be more telling. Both would give their eye teeth to have Al's endorsement that can only go to one.

And if we can believe the Gore public statements, Gore is not with holding his endorsement to gain some what of an auction to the highest bidder.

Hillary indeed would love to have Gore's endorsement, but that ain't gonna happen. If you recall Gore's campaign in 2000, Hil's husband was reluctant to help the Gore bid with fund raising and rallies. This was due to Bill Clinton's tarnished reputation. BC has since undergone an extreme makeover, but Gore doesn't want to be associated with the past.

If Obama falters, for whatever reason- Gore is the logical choice.
 

Craig234

Lifer
May 1, 2006
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Originally posted by: Zedtom
Originally posted by: Lemon law
We must note that this is in response to a direct question. And Obama gave the politically correct answer. And if Hillary was asked the same question first, she probably would have said the same politically correct thing.

Once in the white house, the next POTUS is going to have to weigh the political pros and cons on addressing global warming beyond the mere support Mom and apple pie. Because there are real trade offs involved.

What Hillary and Obama say to Al Gore in private may well be more telling. Both would give their eye teeth to have Al's endorsement that can only go to one.

And if we can believe the Gore public statements, Gore is not with holding his endorsement to gain some what of an auction to the highest bidder.

Hillary indeed would love to have Gore's endorsement, but that ain't gonna happen. If you recall Gore's campaign in 2000, Hil's husband was reluctant to help the Gore bid with fund raising and rallies. This was due to Bill Clinton's tarnished reputation. BC has since undergone an extreme makeover, but Gore doesn't want to be associated with the past.

If Obama falters, for whatever reason- Gore is the logical choice.

My recollection was that Bill Clinton wanted to help, and Gore wouldn't let him. However, you're right that Gore resented Bill Clinton, for the Lewinski scandal harming his campaign.
 

Lemon law

Lifer
Nov 6, 2005
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Now the thread lurches into tenuous territory. Speculating about either Bill's or Gore's lack of mutual co operation in the 2000 election. And those old wounds will prevent Hillary from ever getting Gore's support. Which is just a backhanded way of saying Gore will be petty.

Maybe those who viewed the recent Gore piece of 60 minutes might better be able to answer that question. I watched it and the question came up in several tangential ways.
Gore admitted being bitter about losing the election, he seems to have moved past that now, and in many ways he blames himself for allowing political consultants rather than his own gut feelings to dictate campaign strategy.

But still its going to be a one of three ways decision by Gore the super delegate. He can endorse Obama, he can endorse Hillary, or he can wait so late into the game that the nomination is already decided. And even if Gore endorses Obama, there is about a zero probability that Gore will cite Hillary payback revenge as the reason. Making speculation on the petty revenge issue almost unconformable or testable.

And if we can't ever test some given hypothesis, its somewhat fruitless to speculate about it.
 

Arkaign

Lifer
Oct 27, 2006
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Obama + Gore = ????

I think the combo would win at the polls, but I'm not so sure I'd be happy. Oh well.
 

Zedtom

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Nov 23, 2001
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Originally posted by: Arkaign
Obama + Gore = ????

I think the combo would win at the polls, but I'm not so sure I'd be happy. Oh well.

Maybe it should be: Gore + Obama= Victory
 

Arkaign

Lifer
Oct 27, 2006
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Originally posted by: Zedtom
Originally posted by: Arkaign
Obama + Gore = ????

I think the combo would win at the polls, but I'm not so sure I'd be happy. Oh well.

Maybe it should be: Gore + Obama= Victory

Yeah, Gore would amount to a considerable boost in 'experience' as far as that goes. Just don't know if it jibes well with the message of an 'outsider' political revolution though.
 

nageov3t

Lifer
Feb 18, 2004
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Originally posted by: Arkaign
Obama + Gore = ????

I think the combo would win at the polls, but I'm not so sure I'd be happy. Oh well.

hah. can you really see a former VP riding bitch again under a 2-year senator?
 

Arkaign

Lifer
Oct 27, 2006
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Originally posted by: loki8481
Originally posted by: Arkaign
Obama + Gore = ????

I think the combo would win at the polls, but I'm not so sure I'd be happy. Oh well.

hah. can you really see a former VP riding bitch again under a 2-year senator?

Not really. I see Gore as rather tired of politics in any committed form. He could have easily announced candidacy a long time ago and seriously made a run for it, but he didn't.
 

conehead433

Diamond Member
Dec 4, 2002
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We can solve the global warming problem. Everyone just empty a few ice trays outside every day.
 

IGBT

Lifer
Jul 16, 2001
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Originally posted by: m1ldslide1
Hard to say what the effect would be of a Gore endorsement, or even an Obama/Gore ticket. It would surely seem to galvanize the democratic base after the whole fiasco with the primaries, but it's hard to know how it would play in the general.

Because remember? Global warming is alarmist BS and my pastor even told me so. ;)


..it's the carbon-con and will make ya a ton of money if you have the correct eco-theists connections.

 

Jhhnn

IN MEMORIAM
Nov 11, 1999
62,365
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Yeh, Riiight, IGBT. taking hundreds of millions of years accumulation of carbon in the earth's crust and releasing it into the atmosphere as CO2 over a few hundred years will have no effect on the climate- none whatsoever. If you believe that, you'll believe in the tooth fairy.

If nothing else, much of the whole initiative is in the direction of greater efficiency, of doing more with less expenditure on raw materials and infrastructure, and is pretty much a good idea on the basis of that alone... the era of oil, of cheap energy, is coming to a close, and one way to offset that is to be more efficient...

Al Gore holding a position as secretary of the interior, commerce, energy or whatever is fine by me...