Al Gore we need you. This Clinton party-fratricide has got to end. It’s time for you to give your support to Barack Obama if for no other reason than because Hillary Clinton’s despicable, Bush-Rove behavior has disqualified her to have any legitimate claim to be a Democrat and a champion of progressive values.
The last seven years have been a nightmare in which too many of our party leaders have lacked all conviction, while the worst were filled with passionate intensity.
And yet, despite our lack of political power, we progressives knew that we were on the right side of things. It was perhaps a small consolation, but it’s all we had. We knew that we were better than the fear-mongering, the false patriotism, and the lies that have constituted the Bush years.
When this presidential campaign began, I was proud of our candidates, all of whom seemed to tower above anyone the other party had to offer. I was confident that regardless of who prevailed that candidate would fully rebuke the politics of Bush and Rove.
Hillary Clinton’s recent attacks on Barack Obama, her praise of John McCain, and her appeals to our fears have proved me wrong. Hillary Clinton does not want to beat Obama—she wants to destroy him. In the end, her tactics will not only hurt Obama’s or her chances for the presidency, but they will also help to prolong this nightmare from which we are trying desperately to awake.
Al Gore, you are one of the few national leaders to have stood against the lies of the last seven years and stood for progressive values. I respect the fact that you decided not to endorse a candidate. But the time for neutrality is over. When a game turns into a street fight, the referees have to step in to protect the players and the integrity of the sport itself. As one of the true leaders of the Democratic Party and a hero of all progressives, you can help bring this to an end and restore the country to what it could be.
Sincerely,
maki