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

[Karl]

Please be certain, I am not a Gore fan, but his endorsement was exciting enough for you to write about it. Your article was the yawn.

[Adrian]

These pundits are a yawn, spinning their crap under the banner of the L.A. Times. They contribute nothing.

But they attract some hardcore Bushies, lovely and expansive people all, like the guy above who says: "I still can't believe people seriously thought this guy should be Prez."

Wow, some of these people need to leave their mini-mansions more often. Yeah, we are so much better off with Dubya Gump and The Dick than we'd have been with Gore. Right.

[Laird Popkin]

This article is a nice example of a reporter trying to fit the news into their pre-conceived story and failing.

Endorsements can either be used during the primaries to try to support one candidate over the other, or at the end of the primaries, to rally the party around the winner. Gore has been saying for a year that he wanted to stay neutral in the primaries, and was going to use his endorsement to bring the party together to win the general election. Last night he did exactly what he said that he would do. The fact that you prefer drama over party unity, and Gore cars more about winning the general election, is illuminating.

[rachel]

Well I take what I said back if anyone can help Obama its the person that "created" the internet.

[whitehousewatcher]

Al Gore is a great man. The inventor of the internet, the founder of a cure for cancer and many, many more accomplishments that have cured most of the ills of civilization. Be easy on this gentle giant of a man. The world needs him.

[Scarlete]

Al Gore endorsed Obama! Yippee!

Al, the big time eviromentalist who's home cost thousands of dollars for energy. Liberals, compare Al's home with the Bush ranch -- the energy saving are astronomical at the ranch -- eat on it! Same old liberal slop: talk big, walk not! Do as I say, not as I do is the mantra of Al and others akin to him. Consequently, his endorsement of Obama simply adds another "give me" politician to the Obama camp -- Al is hoping for a hand out from the other politician: Obama.

Read the truth about the so-called environmentalist: http://wizbangblog.com/content/2007/02/26/al-gores-own-inconvenient-trut.phpnd

[Wolfgang]

Who is Sam Patel?
Was he even around when Clinton run first time?
At that time, I remember well, Al Gore was at least as known as Clinton. And a few weeks earlier, Al Gore was much kore know as Mr Clinton.
IMO, Al Gore now is a Nobel Prize winner which I personally like much better than any US president!
W.

[Allison]

I think Barack Obama should tap Al Gore's shoulder as his running mate. He has the VP experience and he should have been honed for the Presidency...

[jesse]

You like him or hate him it does not matter. Al Gore is a World Leader. He has a universal audience. He is rare, credible, smart, disciplined, thoughtful, unselfish and with lots of innovative ideas for the future. In my book of world leaders, Al Gore is one of the top five. He is an Asset to the Democratic Party, the Nation and the World. Do you know any one who is or has been a Senator, Vice President of the US, an Oscar Winner and Noble Prize Winner among our current or past crop of leaders?
The only one I know is Al Gore.

[John W]

Yeah... it's true... Al's a little late. He should have thrown his support behind one of the Democratic candidates sooner... that is, of course, if he still gave a good gosh darn about Washington politics... which he clearly doesn't. It's not as though he hasn't stated numerous times how done he is with Washington. The man's life is focused on educating people about global climate change now (which we've all experienced recently). Cut him some slack.

[John W]

Yeah... it's true... Al's a little late. He should have thrown his support behind one of the Democratic candidates sooner... that is, of course, if he still gave a good gosh darn about Washington politics... which he clearly doesn't. It's not as though he hasn't stated numerous times how done he is with Washington. The man's life is focused on educating people about global climate change now (which we've all experienced recently). Cut him some slack.

[jesse]

You like him or hate him it does not matter. Al Gore is a World Leader. He has a universal audience. He is rare, credible, smart, disciplined, thoughtful, unselfish and with lots of innovative ideas for the future. In my book of world leaders, Al Gore is one of the top five. He is an Asset to the Democratic Party, the Nation and the World. Do you know any one who is or has been a Senator, Vice President of the US, an Oscar Winner and Noble Prize Winner among our current or past crop of leaders?
The only one I know is Al Gore.

[William Snyder]

The Nobel Peace Prize is a pathetic joke..and Al gore is still a celebrated clown..

[Jake]

Martin:

I think we can all agree, you defintely are not a class act.

[Russ S]

I guess every article has to have a angle.

I think Gore's timing is pretty good. He's of such stature that he shoudn't be playing around in the primaries anyway.

That said, it's not clear which voters this will bring to Obama that weren't already with him.

[Mr. Unite Us]

Both the L.A. Times and Al Gore endorsed Barack Obama.

However, yesterday I get the feeling Andrew Malcolm and the L.A Times were more into the gay marriage thingy.

[JayMar]

Comrade Gore is a great politician.

[Nathaniel]

Amazing. A few hours after an endorsement is made is NOT enough time to "read" the reaction of the general public.

Noble Peace Price = Class act. Stop fighting against facts you ignorant haters.

And Gore did not win the 2000 election. But to say he straight up lost is to forget the true history of that event. Not to mention he had more votes.

Some of you have nothing but hate.... NOTHING ... stop waisting the information age and find a fact or two.

[Hatshepsut]

What would have been classy is if Gore had had the integrity to come out some weeks ago (as Hillory was being pilloried) to declare that, however popular Obama was with youth, Hillory Clinton was the most electable, and as a superdelegate, his one and only charge being to vote in accordance with which candidate was most electible. he therefore was endorsing Hillary!!!!

That simple honest statement was too much for him! But the truth is that Gore had teamed with Donna Brazile long ago to help SELECT rather than ELECT Obama and allowed the same sort of shenanigans within the DNC that he experienced in running for Prez!

[sybredeth]

"I invented endorsements!" - Al Gore

[Tony]

Class act all the way. The pundits once again don't have their finger on the American pulse.

[Mark Gary Blumenthal, MD, MPH]

President Gore has more brains and makes more sense than all of you pundits put together. He doesn't need your approval any more. Where's the Nobel Prize in any of your pockets? I'd guess that Gore and Obama discussed the content and timing of his speech before he presented it. Gore correctly said nothing about the Clintons. That's not his mission. Gore's mission has chiefly to do with keeping the Earth livable, and I'd wager that's a role he'll play in Obama's admininistration.

[Frederick]

Big Al is beginning to look like Commander Doe of Heaven's Gate lore, standing in front of all those meteorological images. By the way, what did Tipper do with all that film she took on the campaign trail back in 2000?

[Rae Duval]

Al Gore is a class act. And performed yet another one.
Would love to see Obama/Gore ticket.

[hereandthere]

Al Gore id for Gore and not for anyone or any cause or any other principle. His scurrilous financial dealings, including a 48 million gain on a faltering cable tv deal that diverts merely a few million to the cable venture itself should be subjects of a federal investigation.