Al Gore Now Transcends Party Politics
Wed Mar 21, 2007 at 04:02:58 PM PDT
I was not able to watch for more than five minutes Al Gore's appearance in the House committee this morning, but I was able to watch the entirety of Al Gore's testimony in the Senate Environmental and Public Works Committee chaired by the very distinguished and eloquent Barbara Boxer. At the end of the whole two and a half hour hearing, I was left speechless with how much of a class act Vice President Gore was as he handled the barrage of nasty and delusional attacks from Sen. Inhofe (Craziest Fucker-Oklahoma) and how much he has now transcended party politics.
First off, Al Gore could not have been more classy in both his presentation and his gracefulness in answering questions. For being a member of the Republican-detested Clinton Administration, he handled the questioning by the very same people who tried to bring down his administration extremely well. His demeanor is a lesson to anyone on how they ought to conduct themselves in these types of circumstances. That kind of humility was exactly what this country needed over these last six years and it is unfortunate that we ended up with a nasty little frat boy in the person of George W. Bush.
But the more important aspect of the testimony was just how much more intelligent he is than a lot of us. This country has had a chance to experiment with a stupid guy as president as Bill Maher has said, and it is about time we picked someone better than us, not average like us. The talent and intellect Al Gore possesses is unrivaled by most people, and it was a huge loss that he was robbed in 2000, though that doesn't really need to be said here. The way in which he has exposed the country to this vital issue has been phenomenal. Al Gore has managed to present an issue in a way in which the vast majority of people can agree with (except the likes of Inhofe) and taken politics out of the equation. Even since An Inconvenient Truth came out, he has become a non-partisan figurehead for a cause that needs desperate attention. We don't think of George Washington these days as a Federalist, we don't even much think of Lincoln as a Republican, and for more enlightened people, FDR transcended the fact that he was a Democrat. Al Gore is now in the same category--not necessarily in the sense of personal greatness achieved (he never got the chance), but certainly with the way in which he has brought the most pressing issue of out time into the spotlight.
Al Gore's brilliance and strength go beyond party label at this point. I see him now as a statesman and an American with universal admiration. His testimony today truly showed me how much of a great man he really is. Yes, we are extremely lucky to have him as a member of the Democratic Party, but beyond that, we are even luckier that he is an American.
If Al Gore runs for president, I will do anything I can to get him elected and I hope the vast majority of us would pledge that as well. If he doesn't run for president however, I will always be greatful for his service to the country and I will support any ventures he may undertake in tackling the issue of global warming.
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