'Run, Al, run!'

Former Vice President Al Gore was named a co-winner of the Nobel Peace Prize this morning for his work on global warming, capping 24 hours of speculation driven in part by his role in a San Francisco fundraiser for Sen. Barbara Boxer's 2010 reelection bid.

Gore was the scheduled headliner for the Thursday afternoon event, but canceled late Wednesday to attend a hastily scheduled global warming conference with top government officials in China.  Boxer's campaign scuttled the event, e-mailed supporters who had bought tickets and began making plans to reschedule it for next month.

But about 8 a.m. Thursday, Gore called Boxer to say he was still in the country.  The fundraiser was back on, as was the speculation that Gore might have received an inkling of the pending announcement and decided he'd rather be on home ground than in China when the word came (which regular Ticket readers knew yesterday).

Speaking before more than 400 Boxer supporters in an ornate ballroom of the Westin St. Francis Hotel, Gore reprised his now-familiar call for a new bipartisan and international approach to attacking global warming, as well as humanitarian crises such as Darfur.  Calling such issues "a moral imperative," Gore said the world needed to change its consciousness and work to end such vast threats to human life.

The appearance also sparked -- no surprise -- an impromptu crowd chant of "Run, Al, run!," which he sought to cut off by waving his arms like a baseball umpire calling a runner safe.  Gore, of course, has maintained he has no intention of joining the already crowded Democratic field of presidential contenders despite the persistent urging of a loyal band of supporters.

Many Democrats still believe that Gore won the 2000 election decided by the Supreme Court.  And he was greeted by the liberal Democrats in San Francisco as something of a conquering hero.

On stage, Gore followed a short musical set by pop performers Bonnie Raitt and Jackson Browne.  While talk of a possible Nobel swirled in the crowd, Gore did not mention it from the stage.

But the work that earned him the honor was front and center.  Gore argued that half a century ago concerns that an unsettled Europe might spawn another world war led to the development of the Marshall Plan -- and the result is a much different world perception of Europe.  Gore said:

"Europe saw things differently after they had the opportunity to work together.  Consciousness has changed.  Thinking has changed.  It hasn't been that long ago that it wouldn't have been ... absurd to ask how likely is it that Germany will invade France or France will invade Germany.  But now, thank goodness, because of the political changes in consciousness of the last 50 years, that ... is utterly absurd.  We need to create a future in which when people say, 'How likely is it we'll have a genocide in Africa this year?' people will say, 'That's absurd.'  Right now, it's not absurd."

-- Scott Martelle

Comments

[Steph]

No wonder Al wonj the Nobel Prize.
He loves Bin Laden and thinks communisim is peachy.

It says it all about this POS lying communist terror lover that OBL said he really wishes Gore had won in 2000 so does Saddam.

SO if you support Gore YOU DANCED ON 9/11 and think mass genocide is peachy.

[Jack Wyatt]

I now have little to no respect for the Nobel Peace Prize organization.
The global warming caused by man theory is bunk. We are polluting our air and water, but man has little to no impact on the warming of the earth.
The causes are solar and cosmic and atre not in our control!. Similar bunk went around in the early to mid 70's concerning the little ice age we are in and are now experiencing a warming blip. The same or similar folks at that time proposed carbon blacking the poles to warm the earth.
Seems most of the world is occupied by the chicken little types who want the nanny state to make them safe and happy. Why do most people think they can do nothing about their government, but gan change the climate?
People in America need to wake up before it is too late and their freedoms and happiness will be a forgotten memory in the hands of the 'Global Elite'.
Vote for Ron Paul for President if you want a real positive change.

[Dyanne]

Congratulations to Al Gore, a true visionary that the whole world honors today for his efforts on waking people up to the environmental problems on our planet. His passion for the environment isnt recent, it spans over 25 years. He is a rare man of vision and Peace that we can all be proud of today.

[Christine Beatty]

Yes, Jack, it's very clear that the Nobel organization is all a sham. That foundation's 116 year history of recognizing the efforts of people to better our planet and our lives means nothing. We should instead heed the opinions of politicians and other non-scientists who want to "stay the course" into a worldwide ecologic disaster. So bury your head in the sand, gas up your SUV, turn on every light in the house and revel in your happiness. And pray your grandchildren's world is as happy as yours.

[Jordan]

Oh, Jack Wyatt. People believe that they can both change the climate AND change the government, which is why intelligent, compassionate people across the country today are praying for Mr. Gore to enter the Presidential race.

[Fleiter]

Can Al Gore tell me what the temperature should be? Can Al Gore tell me how much polar ice there should be? Can Al Gore tell me if Greenland should be green as it was in the Medieval days or white with ice as it is now? If he and the IPCC can't answer these basic questions, then their science is specious. Which, of course, is why the IPCC was given the ultrapolitical peace prize and not a prize for science. Congrats, Al, you now have reached the status of Arafat. Now fly off on your Gulfstream jet and let the rest of us peons live in peace.

[John in Sherman Oaks]

Al Gore will not run; does he know he'll be assassinated? Assassination would be either physical or of the character, by the political Christian Right or their lackies. Failing that, the now stacked deck courts would once again step in. Sadly, we may have lost America to these dark forces. God knows how we can restore the Republic of Thomas Jefferson and our Founding Fathers.

[Legal Girl]

How unfortunate that The Los Angeles Times was unable to marshal its resources in time to put a picture of Al Gore on its front page. I actually paid the 50 cents and bought a paper today, only to disccover that the only topic I wanted to read about was not included; e.g., the fact that Al Gore won the Nobel Peace prize for his work on global climate change. Guess that event doesn't comport with the the paper's agenda, or perhaps, it's not considered important enough to warrant a front page article (I know, it's finally on the net now) or Al maybe is just not good enough? Is that it? I really hope you people find your soul before it's way, way, way, too late.

(Ans: The Nobel announcement came in Oslo shortly before dawn LA time. So too late for the Friday printed paper. But it was up on the web last night obviously before you were. And had details no one else did because we were with Gore yesterday. Good thing the web is here.)

[Nick]

It does not really matter. Global warming that is. It's too late to undo the consequences. We will just have to wait and see how bad things will get. If only I didn't have any kids to worry about, it could be fun for me to watch. Sure I will live long enough to see that.

[Steve Eix]

heartfelt congratulations to al gore! like fellow laureate jimmy carter, he represents the type of u.s. that so very many in other parts of the world have missed for many years, namely since the high court of the u.s. simply broke off the year 2000 election when the rigged g.w.bush votes in florida evaporated in thin air during the recount. shame, shame, shame.

mr. gore's resolve and long term stamina in environmental issues is highly respected, but his shock at the deceit of 2000 unfortunately paralyzed him to the extent that he did not begin a gritty fight to insist that the recount be finalized and the truly elected presiden gore be in the position to pursue climate related issues from the white house.

instead, the vietnam war dodger and national guard idler bush manipulated today's young soldiers (and paradoxically, even national guards) into death service in iraq and afghanistan on falsified 'evidence' presented to the u.n. for which mr. powell is now admitedly ashamed.

mr. gore was not cheated by bush as happened during the election 2004 with the diebold systems 'votergate' (touch screen votes without paper trace), but rather did not pressurize the high court enough to allow the recount it's due course. but if he had done so, the twice not elected bush would not have squandered 8 years of preparations for the future, not to speak of hundreds of thousands of dead iraqi civilians.

[Schedule Diva]

Let's see....Al Gore won a Nobel...Jimmy Carter won a Nobel.....Al Gore wants to be president......Jimmy Carter was president.......Jimmy Carter gave us 16% interest rates. Please run, Al Gore. I'm retired and need more than the single digit interest I am earning in a robust Republican economy!

[Oscar]

I pray that Gore enters the race.

[Steve Eix]

re. 16% interest rates... yes, retired 'schedule diva', even jimmy carter couldn't prevent interest rates hiking up all over the world. who preceded jimmy carter? was it perhaps this tricky dick republican nixon (saved from jail by interregnum pres. ford)?

nixon kicked off that disastrous inflation - by simply printing money in gigantic amounts to payroll the balooning vietnam fiasko and the purge of the twice democratically elected allende govt. in chile: the typically simplistic republican approach to financing.

the economy in the u.s. is (still) relatively robust due to bill clinton's administration working off the gargantuan debt left behind by republican reagan and bringing down inflation. so no thanks to bush that you momentarily still enjoy one digit inflation like the rest of the western world nowadays.

in carter's times, double digit inflation reigned all over the world. bush is so close to devastating the economy of the u.s. by ruining clinton's economic achievements that bush and cronies had to resort to the desperate measure of raising the official amount of debt signalling national bankruptcy!!!

so far, the rest of the world is - just - keeping the u.s. economy afloat by still buying the u.s. dollar as a reserve currency and thus payrolling your ever increasing debt since bush took office. read federal reserve bank's alan greenspan re. the incompetency of republican economic performance of the 'posing' bush. posing and sending people into their deaths while staying out of harm's way is what bush was and always is good at.

one reason for the bush admin. to lie to the u.n. about iraq to justify their war: iraq was about to switch to the euro for oil transactions, a very dangerous signal. when the euro continues it's overtaking of the u.s. dollar as reserve currency, you will realize what really poses an interest threat to your retirement income: republican navel gazing and hoping that the world will balance out their fiscal adventurism.

[G A Reece]

I was reading something on another site. Both of the people that put Bush in the White House are losers. Had Gore gotten in in 2000 we would not be in this mess we are in now. I do not believe 9/11 would have happened. Our econemy would be strong. The world would not hate us. The Repbulians do not jnow how to budget money. They do not care about the working class or the poor , becase we can not donate hugh sums of money to them. Bush and Cheney should have never gotten into to office

[evelyn]

Just do it, Al. We need you...We haven't had an inspiring President since JFK............I am so happy for you as you win this award. Take care.

[Lynn]

Just a cautionary note the the draft Gore movement: remember that Gore nominated Joe Lieberman to be his VP candidate. What kind of judgment is that?