Poll: Al Gore and the Internet?

[4824guy]

Al Gore later stated that is used the wrong word during the speach that he said he 'invented' the internet. He was trying to say 'spured' on the internet. Which he did when he was in office IMHO. He just used the wrong word, just like the current President does often during speaking events.

 

[Ferocious]

Maybe not Gore.

But surely some liberal or moderate.

Definately not a conservative.

 

[Lucian]

I keep hearing how Al Gore "single handedly" brought the internet around and made it what it is today. First I seriously doubt ONE congressman had that much authority or even ability. And I doubt the VP of the U.S. even had that much influence. Liberals like to distort the truth just a wee bit don't they?

Anyhow to my question. Does ANYONE have a list of actual, not imaginary, bills, programs, or acts that Al Gore did to promote the internet. With the rare feel good pointing of "he supported the expanding of internet into schools and other places" I have seen nothing solid. No bills no nothing. There are more than one congressman or congresswoman in Washington that has supported technology, and that is from BOTH parties. There where many people that helped foster the internet along. I seriously doubt that Al Gore is really that much of a contributing factor to the wonders of the internet compared to everyone else who supported it.

As for the Reagan/Bush years, lets look at a little fact that gets in Clinton/Gore's way. If it was not for the determination of former President Reagan and his policies the Soviet Union would not of fallen so quickly. Probably would of taken another 10-20 years before it collapsed on itself. Reagan/Bush gave Clinton the BIGGEST peace time boon of ANY administration. This allowed Clinton to gut the military, expand federal powers, expand federal largess. All the while the Republicans where trying to curb the growing appetite of the federal government's spending programs and brought about REAL reform in the way of Welfare reform, which got people off the couch and into work.

 

[colossus]

I'm not going into a Rep vs Dem debate because that's just futile and fuel for fodder. You kids can munch on that.

What I would like to know is why Al Gore is singled out as promoting the internet. In fact, if any man was against the expansion of internet it was in fact Al Gore. Look at the HR bills in Congress and the proposed taxes.

Back when most of you kids were in diapers (early 90's) Gore wanted to put a tax on modem usage. I don't have the documents of the bill, but I thoroughly read it back then (it was a hell of a download on my Hayes 2400 modem). His belief was that those users who tax the phone system infrastructure by using it for computer networking should pay for the burden of its maintenance and development.

Now somebody explain to me how a tax on modem usage would help a school or small business expand its internet usage. Big businesses could easily pay off the tax, but the smaller guys wouldn't be able to. Would they exempt schools? Why not exempt the Congressman's grandmother? When laws are written full of loopholes and deviation they become what is commonly know as pork. That's why nothing of substance really gets done in Congress. It's both a downfall and a blessing of our government.

This is the single biggest point I inform people about when I tell them why I refuse to vote for Gore. I can't expect him to support the country's economic expansion when he taxes its core avenues of growth!!! It was sheer hypocrisy on his part and many BBS users in the early 90s went nuts about this. If you used local dial-up BBS or newsgroups at the time you would know what I am talking about. It was as controversial as Napster is currently.

On a personal level, I knew Gore would benefit my family in the middle class tax bracket more so than Bush could ever do. My $165K of med school debt would be tax deductible under Gore while Bush would not support such a plan. For me, that matters a lot.

Yet when I think about Gore continually shoving a blatant lie such as that down the throats of people who think the internet is about visiting buy.com or "you've got mail", I have to reason that I cannot vote for Bush. Bush Jr has pulled some hypocritical crap as well, but that belongs in another thread.



<< It just shows how infantile they are. Republicans are simpletons. And the people &quot;quoting&quot; that fake phrase should just grow up. But they are Republicans, and are beyond help. >>



Funny, I've voted Republican in the last 3 elections even though I'm an independent. Are YOU calling me a simpleton soapdish? Grow up? I was making stock picks for my dad at age 11 (I can't do any better than that!) BTW, it's the conservative media who puts the spin on the afore mentioned phrase and the liberal media who keeps pushing the phrase, so perhaps you should reassess your stance. The media will do or say anything in the name of corporate profits or have the latest &quot;buzz&quot;. Watch news from a foreign country about the US if you want to remove some bias. Yes, I am beyond help. Deal with it

I think GHWB is probably the best president since JFK. If you think he's inarticulate, perhaps you would like to elect a man who prefers to let his &quot;third leg&quot; do his talking instead of his mouth? I don't need an Oxford scholar to tell me everything is going to be cozy. I need a president who will do what needs to be done without looking at the polls. GHWB, Carter, and JFK were such presidents.

 

[Lucian]

Thank you colossus for that very inciteful bill that just shows Al Gore's &quot;backing&quot; of the internet.

Hey that just goes along with the liberal philosophy of &quot;more taxes you take from people the better off they will be.&quot;

 

[AaronP]

for those who said that he helped it alot, what did he do? About all did was have a photo op while in front of a computer once in awhile. He did ZIP for the net.

The net would be exactly the same today if Corey Haim was VP during the 90's.