I just returned home from hearing Al Gore speak to the Economic Club of Chicago (ECC). More than 2,000 people attended--enough to fill two ballrooms. The crowd, consisting primarily of business and civic leaders, was enthusiastic. Gore was, by turns, gracious, extremely funny, passionate and insightful. This was the first time I believe I ever saw the real Al Gore.
And, heartbroken though I am to admit it, tonight's speech made clear to me that Gore has no intentions of running for President. He was not asked THE question, but his presentation spoke volumes. I'll tell you why, after the flip.
The occasion for Gore's appearance before the Economic Club of Chicago was the ascension of his longtime friend and Florida recount advocate, Bill Daley (the Mayor's brother), to chairman of the ECC. This had apparently been scheduled for some time, and the fact that it was Gore's first major event after being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize was fortuitous.
Bill Daley gave a superb introduction of Gore, reciting what we all know: the man has always gotten it right before everyone else. Daley mentioned Desert Storm, when Gore had been one of the few Democratic senators to support what Daley termed "one of the most successful military campaigns in history." He then mentioned the Iraq war--"just the opposite." The familiar litany continued--the Internet, free trade/NAFTA (the pro-business crowd loved that), and of course, climate change.
Gore began by thanking and acknowledging many long time friends in the audience. He then told an hilarious story of what life was like for him and Tipper shortly after the 2000 election. There they were, driving a rented Taurus and eating at a Shoneys. He overheard someone at the next table saying "that's former vice-president Gore. Look how far he's fallen." The next day, he addressed an energy conference in Lagos, Nigeria, and told the same story. Somehow, the Nigerian press mistranslated it, and before Gore had returned to the United States, the MSM had reported that Al and Tipper had bought a Shoneys and were running it. It was on Letterman and Leno the first night he returned home.
This anecdote, and the passion and hope that filled the climate change discussion to follow, said everything. This man is at peace with himself. This is who he is and enjoys being. Here he was, speaking to more than 2,000 people attentive to his every word, laughing at his jokes, and paying attention to what he said.
Gore went on to talk about the climate crisis, and there was little there that hasn't been said before. What struck me most, though, was his optimism. Several times, he reiterated that he believes the American public has neared a tipping point. He spoke of politics as occurring in "non-linear" terms, saying that once every generation or two, a fundamental shift occurs and that things start happening quickly. He used the analogy of World War two as an example. In 1943, he said, no one believed it was possible to build 1,000 airplanes a week. By 1944, production had dwarfed this number. After the war, with the Marshall Plan, that generation set forth a positive change in the world that eliminated Europe's export of war and unified a continent.
Gore also spoke in terms of the world nearing a point in which it worked together to solve common problems, the climate crisis chief among them. And this is what sealed the deal for me. It was clear from his speech, and from the Q&A that followed, that Gore believes his greatest value is in leading the world toward common solutions to common problems, which will result in the betterment of humanity. Yes, the U.S. must lead, he reiterated several times. But to him, president appears to be the second most important job in the world. What he is doing now is first.
Never say never, of course. I walked out of that room slightly disappointed for our country, but inspired and humbled for our planet. I had the good fortune to be in the presence of the kind of rare greatness one experiences but a few times in his life.
Update 1: I remember a few other things from his speech and Q&A that are noteworthy. Some may be from his canned speech, and one has nothing to do with whether he will run or not. But they are all interesting.
First, Gore said he learned about the Nobel from CNN. He was in California with Tipper for Current TV. Gore said that usually the committee notified the winner with a phone call 15 minutes before the public announcement, which was to occur at 2 a.m. PDT. 1:45 came. No call. Five minutes later, Gore said he was sitting there, just watching the phone. Tipper said, "It's alright, honey. It's a great honor just to be nominated." Gore responded, "Yeah, but I've been through that before." Finally, at 1:58, they turned on CNN. Someone speaking in Norwegian was announcing the winner. A few minutes into it, Tipper, who is Swedish on her mother's side exclaimed "AL! YOU'VE WON." And that's how he found out.
Second, Gore quoted Gen. Omar Bradley, "At this point, we can either set our sights by the stars, or the lights of every passing ship." (This may be part of his "canned" speech). He asked, indignantly, "What are the lights of every passing ship? Are they daily opinion polls? Are they what the mainstream media tells us?" He recited that on Sep. 21, the day a group of climate change scientists announced that arctic melting had reduced the ice cap to one-fourth of its typical size, it should have been a clarion call that had alarm bells ringing. Instead, the lead story in the MSM was the Britney Spears had lost custody of her kids. His disgust with this is another reason why I believe he has no interest in re-entering politics at this time.
Third, Bill Daley asked Gore who his heroes are. The first, of course, was his father. The second is Nelson Mandela. Now, Mandela is a pretty stock answer, but Gore's explanation was illuminating. He told the story of how Mandela had befriended one of his jailers during his 27-year incarceration, and how the jailer, from time to time, had let Mandela out of prison on a pass. On Mandela's inauguration day, which Gore attended. Mandela asked the (white) jailer to share the stage with him, and they embraced. Gore said there wasn't a dry eye in the house. What impressed him so much about Mandela was not his resolve and eventual triumph, but the grace and magnanimity he displayed when he had won. And I thought--Gore is a healer. He is the planet's family doctor. The rough and tumble world of electoral politics doesn't treat such people kindly.
Finally, Gore talked about the role of the next president in addressing the climate crisis, using the phrase "whoever it is, Democrat or Republican." I think what he was re-emphasizing is that this is a bi-partisan issue, and implying that by re-entering politics, he would immediately polarize a significant minority of the electorate. Perhaps he can overcome this--as only he can--but I think he now views the presidency as the second most important job in the world.
So there can be no mistake, my admiration for Gore knows no bounds. He was the subject of my first comment on dKos, in which I discovered the thrill of mojo. Other examples are here and here. I believe it would have been a disservice to the reality-based community to report on Gore's speech with a title like: BREAKING: Gore doesn't rule out a run! even though the mojo would have been astronomical. As the title states, these are my impressions, and I agree that Gore has not ruled out a run. But I believe it will take something momentous or drastic to convince him to change his mind. Carry on.