Gore spirit slumbers
February 19, 2007 at 6:08 pm by Web Editor in NewsLast Friday night at Manuel’s, Tom Webb had the microphone in the back room, exhorting the crowd to draft Al Gore for president in 2008.
"He’s the perfect candidate," Webb told an emptying barroom of patrons.
"You know Al Gore is the best-qualified person to be president," he added.
There was no objection to the statement, but neither was there a sense anyone took it seriously. Still, there was no rallying cry for "Hillary" or "Dodd" from the drooped heads up at the bar.
Between guitar and singing acts, Webb was a little more impassioned even as the crowd was a little smaller and a little more unimpassioned — or disoriented.
"Al Gore," came the words again, and the string of superlatives muffled by drunken laughter rising from the few tables scattered across the floor under Webb’s hardening gaze.
"Al Gore," Webb said, growing more animated and frustrated with the realization that the name was stirring little in the hearts of the room’s half-listeners.
He had collected some signatures, but they seemed the hasty, charitable kind of scrawl that might just as easily be found on a petition for Biden, for example, or Richardson.
There was a lack of overall affirmation.
And indeed a new Gallup poll, strangely and sadly given his views on Iraq and global warming, bears the same bad news for a Gore presidential run.
According to Gallup, Gore currently polls 52 percent favorable and 45 percent unfavorable. "His favorable rating is not significantly different from measurements in 2003 and late 2002," Gallup states. "Gore’s unfavorable rating has not changed at all over this time period."
Then there was Gore’s own statement to the BBC last week. "I have no intention to run for president," said the former vice president and winner of the popular vote for president in 2000. "I can’t imagine in any circumstance to run for office again."
But Webb, nobly if tragically insistent, went down to the end Friday night, calling after the evening’s last straggling, crosseyed-with-alcohol patrons, "Al Gore!"
I don’t know, Tom.
I used to think so.
And whoever that was, Joe Frazier-look-alike, singing "Up on a Roof" and "Save the Last Dance for Me," has a great voice.
But what about Obama?
February 19th, 2007 at 9:25 pm
…and yet, the “Draft Gore 2008″ petition has 35,000 signatures at this point. Maybe there is something to this Re-elect President Gore thing afterall.
February 20th, 2007 at 5:54 pm
MR.PIZZARRO: Thnak-you for reviewing the event on 2/16/07. MY SIN LIES IN NOT SCREAMING LOUD. (MAYA ANGELOU-MY GUILT) No one can deny that VP GORE is the most qualified and perfect candidate for the DEMOCRATIC PARTY-8 years in the House; 8 years in the Senate; an active VP and presider over the Senate 8 years. A daddy that was elected to Congress in 1938, and left the Senate in 1971! Who may compare? Not many of us can say in life they enjoy waking to a new morning-for their work. No one can ever take that gift away from TOM WEBB- ORGANIZER draftalgore.meetup.com/63
February 21st, 2007 at 11:04 am
YEA! FOR TOM WEBB AND AL GORE!
August 23rd, 2009 at 12:19 pm
I must say that I agree with Mr. Webb. I think what happen in 2000 was sad for all of us. Let’s ask ourselves if Mr. Gore was the sitting Pres. would we be at war now, would unemployment be so high, and would people be losing their homes? We will never know.