Early reaction to Al Gore's Obama endorsement: Yawn

Some early overnight reaction to the belated endorsement of Barack Obama by Al Gore. And it might disappoint the former vice president and loser in the 2000 White House race.

Exactly what Gore was waiting for in the past two weeks since Obama sewed up his party's nomination is unclear. Maybe he just wanted to go to Michigan where his prize-winning environmental pitch is so very less welcome than other places that don't make so many large cars.

Or maybe he was waiting until his endorsement meant absolutely nothing.

Anyway, as The Ticket reported, Gore said all the right things in his endorsement speech, except he noticeably left out the last Democratic president, the one who chose to elevate Gore from has-been senator to his running mate and has been the only Democrat elected president twice since World War II, which is like the Middle Ages for today's voters.

But within minutes online reaction was underwhelming. Joe Gandelman, editor in chief over at the Moderate Voice, who is usually, well, very moderate, posted an item titled "Obama Gets 'the' Endorsement: The Lousy Timing of Al Gore."

He had this to say:

"Perhaps one day someone will write a chapter in a new book about Al Gore titled 'Profiles in Uncourage.' ... But it came so late in the game that the person who'll be most impressed with it will be Tipper Gore."

After that the item went downhill. Gandelman said the endorsement so long sought by Obama and Hillary Clinton was by now such an anti-climax that it resembled the ponderings about whether Ralph Nader would run yet again.

Ouch, how'd you like to be compared to the 21st century's Harold Stassen?

Or as Jay Leno described the Gore endorsement: “You could feel the excitement in the room. It was unbelievable. And then Al Gore walked in.”

"Not exactly 'Man bites dog' news. Who is Gore going to endorse? John McCain?" asked John Mariner in The Ticket's comments section.

Sam Patel added: "It's a sad day to see one of the Clinton's most loyal supporters essentially dis-own them! Like Bill Richardson, Al Gore was a complete nobody had it not been for Bill Clinton's risky generosity. I bet he now regrets some of those appointments."

Up at the San Francisco Chronicle's politics blog, Joe Garofoli wrote: "We know this will never happen, but hopefully Al will tell us tonight why he didn't endorse somebody when it WOULD HAVE MEANT SOMETHING. Like in February.

"Then again, think of it from his perspective. In his foreseeable role as Captain Planet, he's going to need to work with whoever would be president, so why burn a bridge with a nomination. But isn't Al big enough now (is that a Nobel in your pocket?) that he doesn't have to worry about such petty political matters."

Guess not.

--Andrew Malcolm

Photo credit: AP

Comments

[Jaye Ramsey Sutter]

Al Gore is a class act. He could not jump into the fray and endorse anyone if he couldn't endorse Hillary Clinton. He was in the Clinton kitchen the morning after 9/11 because he and the president were working the phones trying to help people. Al Gore couldn't get home because he was out of the country so President Clinton sent a car to Montreal to get Vice President Gore.

Please. They have history. Sure Gore was mad at Clinton--we were all disappointed by the scandal but he is a good, honest and decent man who is loyal to his political allies and friends. Clinton didn't help Gore as much as he could have and it was because Gore didn't ask. A lot of tension and a lot of friendship. Loyalty means something to good people.

Gore did the classy thing. He stayed out of it so he would not embarrass the Clintons and hurt Clinton supporters' feelings, too. Class is really odd now since it has been missing from this campaign all along. Obama wasn't particularly gracious to Hillary. We saw it and we still feel it. Don't piss us off over Al Gore--who is the Clark Kent of American politics. He is so decent. This is decent. Learn from it.

[gerrrg]

Pundits are a bunch of idiots given the bully pulpit to air their grievances aided by a gratuitous press; who the hell cares why Al Gore waited for so long? Oh yeah, idiots with nothing else to say but whatever is on their tiny minds.

[daniel]

Well, it didn't mean anything, but he did give quite an excellent speech tonight. I was impressed. Although, some of it was overly repetitive, it was pretty powerful and persuasive overall.

Just too bad he didn't do it a couple months ago..

[rachel]

Al is a wuss, he waited until it meant nothing. Obama is the worst kind of politican he saying that clinton will be in the forefront praising her in public to make himself look good while stabbing her in the back all the while by hiring someone she let go to be cheif of staff. Obama needs to come down off his high horse. I love the fact that some clinton donors arent donating the dnc, let their money machine obama get them their money after all he controls them now.

[J.N.]

Why is this news? Since when isn't an Al Gore speech a big yawn?

He is better speaker than he was in 2000 thought thats for sure.

BUt expecting AL Gore to make a speech anmd hit it out of the park is like watching a little league pitcher pitch to Barry Bonds in the bottom of the 9th and saying, "I cant believe how far he hit that ball! I expected much more!"

[Health savings accounts]

I still can't believe people seriously thought this guy should be Prez.

[mj]

The opinion making class on Al Gore. The true meaning of tedium. Yawn is right, but more appropriately for this blog.

[Iuliu Vasilescu]

There are many possible motivations for this late endorsement, some of which you mentioned without noticing! For example respect for the Clintons! It was nice to wait until Hillary was out of the race before endorsing her opponent... Or keeping the focus on Obama - it's always good to spread out the good news over time, as people forget very quickly.. and the list can go on. Maybe analyzing such possible motivations would have been more useful than writing a silly article like this?

[Pete]

"He is a third-generation Washingtonian, so watching the political world comes naturally to him"

Silly rabbit. Gore has waited until the perfect moment to endorse Obama -- when the passions from the primary election are cooling. His endorsement cools them further. Maybe you bloggers should have studied some psychology. And -- do you think the endorsement wasn't carefully timed by the Obama campaign for best political effect? If so, you guys are REAL amatuers.

So -- YAWN right back at you.

[Wise1@soapblox.com]

How can reactions be underwhelming when all that was expected was Al Gore to get up, give a quick speech that would endorse Obama with a few sound bytes thrown in to begin with. What were you (or any of the other commentators trapped in the bubble of politics) expecting? A "day that would live in infamy" speech? A JFK "ask not what your country can do for you" speech? Why not Al Gore jumping out of a flaming hoop, juggling while singing the Star Spangled Banner while we're at it?

It's just a political endorsement. Something we won't even be talking about in a week, other than the fact that Al Gore endorsed Obama. Who speaks now of how good Bill RIchardson's speech was? John Edwards? Even Hillary Clinton's speech is disappearing like a castle made of sand on a windy day. It is the nature of timely news inside a bubble of "experts" that analyze every move like a Super Bowl blitz, except we're 1st Quarter, mid-season, and none of this will matter by the end of next Sunday.

Besides if Gore hit it out of the park, you guys would all be saying he's trying to out-do Obama, which likely wouldn't have happened anyhow, since Gore was NEVER a great orator to begin with!

Lastly, Gore's failure to mention Clinton sounds like drama building, as if it were intended to drum up a clever headline that would grab some attention. Sadly it worked as I am here, if even, largely to rebuke your claims. More importantly, is it helpful to the American discourse?

I'll field this one: "no".

[A Reagan Conservative]

Wow, I can't wait until Obama is president. Al Gore says he can fix everything.

I wonder how he plans to get all those Chinese and Indians to stop buying gas so that it is affordable again?

Yawn is right.

[Atiq]

It's ok even though Al has been delayed.

Support Obama is crucial for a change in the world - at least in faith - though actions are not so easy sometimes due to multi-pressure from various forums. but still Obama has shown some guts that he is different and he can give something.

Clinton-supporters should support him without any hesitation due to the fact that he is from Democrate and ultimately, we need a change in policy - no doubt.

[Dave]

Come on, how long have you been covering politics? This is purely political to show the that the Dems are uniting to get a Dem in the White House.

[Mark Jepson]

"..go to Michigan where his prize-winning environmental pitch is so very less welcome than other places that don't make so many large cars."

Are you kidding? Detroiter's are probably very anxious to have the cars they make wanted by Americans over imports. Why don't the GM execs start making fuel efficient cars? Like yesterday even! If they did then Detroit would be a thriving modern beautiful city again bc they would be selling cars to all Americans instead of only those that need pick up trucks or SUV's to carry the kids.

[Bob]

Who is All Bore, oops, I mean Al Gore? Oh yea, he is the Carbon Credit King who lives in a McMansion and streams a trail of smoke everywhere he flies!

http://klintons.com

[Dick]

Excuse me, Gore a class act? What on earth have you been smoking. This guy is a complete and total living anus.

[Martin]

Perhaps if you'd all stop slobbering over Russert and actually report some news for a change, people might take notice.

[Dave McCracken]

You can download Al Gore's patents for free in PDF format from Patent Retriever - http:/www.patentretriever.com

[Thomas]

Could you have written a more cynical article? Actually, if anyone is a "has-been" these days its the Clintons rather than Gore.

[julia]

Now, pete. That's not fair.

Surely you've read Mr. Malcolm's bio. He's hardly an amateur. He's one of the Republican campaign operatives who brought us our current remarkably successful president.

Why wouldn't you listen to him now with a track record like that?

[Stray]

"Al Gore is a class act. He could not jump into the fray and endorse anyone if he couldn't endorse Hillary Clinton. He was in the Clinton kitchen the morning after 9/11 because he and the president were working the phones trying to help people. Al Gore couldn't get home because he was out of the country so President Clinton sent a car to Montreal to get Vice President Gore."

That's interesting. I didn't know Clinton and Gore were in charge the day after 9/11. I guess Michael Moore got it all wrong...

People forget that Al Gore made the mistake of endorsing early with Howard Dean who then promptly screamed himself into oblivion. Gore's support was considered the kiss of death after that...

[Tom Thrailkil]

Smart campaign tactics for Gore to "now " join the Obama camp. More front page headlines for Obama means less exposure for McCain. And like Dave commented, this is political show, but this is the season from now until November.

[ann]

Wow, you don't know much about Michigan, that is obvious. And thanks for the nasty comment that we don't care about the environment. The Los Angeles Times has told me the way it is, so I guess I will go crank up my Ford 350 and drive the 1/8 mile to work now.

Al Gore won this state in 2000. His popularity has increased even more. And Obama needs to win Michigan. So why wouldn't he bring this announcement and attention to Michigan by letting Gore endorse him here? It got ALOT of attention here, whether or not those on the coasts noticed.

[Bob]

That's what politics is all about; also why nothing ever get accomplished in Washington. Everybody is always worried about what the next guy is thinking instead of doing what is right. Who decides what is right? Lobbyists. The group with the most money chooses the agenda for the political parties to follow. The founding fathers wanted this republic to be by the people and for the people, but the years have caused a few people to be allowed to decide what is right for our country. The people have little to say. Dick Cheney is the actual president of the United States- not George Bush.

[jean jaques]

yawn! another wanna be pretty smart blog blurb...