As someone who votes Democratic (but who often feels I should be voting for a party or person more liberal or left of mainstream Democrat politics), I would like to offer my comments on Al Gore's possible entrance into the Democratic candidates' race for President. Al Gore strikes me as a decent man who should have been our President if not for the interference of our very flawed Supreme Court and Al Gore himself who stated recently that he did not want the American people to lose confidence in their government which was the reason he did not contest the election results.(I am paraphrasing what I heard some reporter mention Gore wrote.) I am not sure I understand his reasoning on this; however, if Hillary somehow flounders and Gore actually enters the race, picking up speed, I think many people would be more than happy to cast their vote for Gore feeling he would be getting "what he was owed" meaning he should have been the President anyway not G. W. Bush.
Many of us also know Gore was against going into Iraq in the first place and, in addition, his work to educate people and get us to fight against Global Warming is more than admirable as Gore may soon receive a Nobel Peace Prize for that work. He already has an Oscar for his blockbuster movie,"An Inconvenient Truth", probably the first of its kind to receive such an award on a movie that showed facts and figures and purely science based. I feel Al Gore may be slightly more liberal than Clinton or Obama, the frontrunners; yet in terms of public opinion he has the experience as a former very active Vice-President to be seen as a very solid contender both in terms of international and at home expertise. The real question this time is does Gore have "the stomach" to be President. He may be "too moral" and also "in a contradictory sense "too easily compromised" for the job. There is no way Gore could possibly go out full force against global warming as President without losing certain "entrenched interests"both business and labor eventhough both groups are talking Pro environment of late; thus if Gore were to compromise down the line, many would be very disappointed in him. Gore would go down a notch in world opinion no longer an enviromental hero but as a "cowardly compromiser". I hope I would be wrong as it may be that people begin to realize it is almost too late already to save our planet. I hope I would be wrong but it seems that the Democrats have let us down innumerablel times when it comes to the bottomline on "moral issues" i.e. The Environment, The Iraq War, and Gay Marriage. By the way, neither Gore nor Clinton support Gay Marriage at least not on the record.
On the positive side, The Dems do seem to have a great caste of characters running. The Dems also have an advantage over the Republican contestants in the race-better issues. Giuliani is running on fear mongering, McCain has thrown his lot in with the already "lost cause" "and wrong way" George W., Romney is just a pretty face trying to please the corrupt and the so called "moral non-majority", and that actor guy, Thompson, who may run has no steam or traction yet. I am not impressed. The Dems are another story. Hillary's story is still to be written and as far as I can tell she is the most poised and articulate when the going gets tough. It has always been like this, for a woman to be a boss, she has to be tough as nails and we usually don't like it; yet it can be good for us. When it gets down to the wire, I wonder how I really would want to caste my vote. For a woman tough as nails but with great focus and common sense, for a man who wants to save the world but probably can't. This poses an interesting dilemma that probably will not come to pass.
May the Best Dem Win Whoever That Is!!!!
Sharon Raphael
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