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

[abiyman]

None of you cynical, big mouth pundits can win thousands of votes if you run for an election. Al is loved by many people because he is a decent human being. Get real, and stop fussing about Al's timing. His endorsement still matters.

[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.

[aaron]

DAH; Obviously Mr Gore delayed his endorsment of Mr Obama because Obama was not his first choice for President, but being a devout democrat, who else could he endorse, (Mr Mccain?)
As far as how important his endorsment is (as ted kennedy's was) not a whole lot.

[Cliff]

Who did you expect him to endorse, John McCain. I am convinced that if Satan was a Dem and Jesus himself was a Republican that fool would have endorsed Satan. The reason why he did not want to endorse him sooner is because he did not want to tie his rope to a sinking ship if he would have lost. If this idiot could not make a decision on who to endorse when it was crucial, what makes anyone think he could have made the hard decisions as the President.

[Steve]

I didn't think Gore's endorsement was particularly big news, either. But what are you doing here -- trying to make news out of something that isn't news? Summarizing other peoples' quotes about how much it isn't news, just in case we hadn't already read about the astounding extent to which the endorsement is not news?

I'll break the cycle by not including any quotes about how your own article is a yawner, though it appears there are many to choose from.

[Steve]

You elected Bush two times and anyone that is not nasty to your standards is un American.

If the Republicans and the Democrats were separated by north and south we would have a civil war.

[saint peter II]

the idea that elected and appointed officials owe each other loyalty is hopelessly skewered, they owe loyalty to the people and they owe the one who advanced them their best efforts on the job. they don't owe political loyalty. owing political loyalty in such cases makes for a closed old boy type of system that overrides the public interest. ps, they also don't owe their first born no matter how much such characters as james caraville may think so www.saintpeterii.com

[Hairinmyhiney]

Al Gore...wasn't he a politician once or something?

[PATRICIA]

Al Gore is not only a classy man, he is a man who not only TALKS about his truths, but LIVES them, inconvenient or not, and does not change them on a daily or weekly basis as some do their suits.

If that's yawn material, then give me a HUGE yawn ... the collective brain is obviously in dire need of oxygen.

[the anti-gerrrg]

"You think this is a worthless endorsement you must all be dumb or stupid" - gerrrg

[Greg in TX]

I think following the Kiss of Death(when he endorsed Howard Dean in 2004) Gore decided to chill out on the whole endorsement thing. The most politically savvy thing he's ever done is to be a senator from a southern state and to be handsome.

That's nothing to shake a stick at.

However, he is neither of those now, so that leaves him more or less a good crowd draw, but not much of a political powerhouse. He certainly didn't have the gall to turn against the Clintons.

[BrianK]

Thanks Al... for the meaningless endorsement of Obama. Why not wait until October? Oh - And Thanks for creating the Internet. I wouldn't be able to post this if it weren't for your efforts. Bwah! Hah! Hah!

[bryan berg]

Al Gore lies... wins nobel prize.

[cARLOS cALDERON]

Gore may not be a class act but compared to George Bush. No doubt Al Gore IS A CLASS ACT.

[ronjazz]

Yes, the usual rightwing crapola from the ignorant side of America. Fortunately, you people are finished screwing up the country,and the adults will take over in January, once again leaning up your messes. This column is stereotypical of the emotional immaturity that passes for political thought in the conservative press, and is another indication of why the right is swirling the bowl. America says "good riddance".

[Scarletej]

Al Gore is another empty suit endorsing the same.

Read about Al, the great environmentalist -- he's a joke! Follow the legitimate link and realize the truth about him:
http://www.practicalenvironmentalist.com/energy-efficiency/perhaps-al-gore-should-ask-george-w-bush-for-help-in-making-his-house-more-energy-efficient.htm

[San Diego Reader]

Early reaction? I think the writer means his editor.

The LA Times is becoming as Republican as the Union Tribune.

http://www.imvotingrepublican.com

[ainnj]

Al Gore, a day late and a dollar short once again. Al Gore, still holding a grudge, what else is new? He wows 'em in a hall chock a block full of obamabots, preaching to the choir. Dig the "Heil Obama" salute he gives on the Obama web site...it's just plain old creepy. Al Gore, the perfect Obama team player! Yeah, elections DO count Al, too bad you were so vindictive and stubborn in 2000 that you dissed the support of the one man that could have gotten you into the White House despite Florida. Al Gore, vindictive loser once again.

McCain 2008
Hillary 2012!!

[hulga]

This is silly.

Gore obviously waited to throw his support behind the nominee, whoever that turned out to be. Nothing wrong with that. Only those who wanted favors from Lord Obama (like Richardson) deserted the Clinton's repeatedly-torpedoed-by-the-media-and-the-DNC ship.

Gore did the right thing.

[Harry Coverston]

Early reaction to Top of the Ticket's blog on Al Gore's Obama endorsement: Yawn

[Karen]

Gore is Pathetic! It's not enough that he has raped the american public pocketbook with his global warming dribble, now he comes out and endorses the biggest carpet bagger ever! Obama is not CHANGE, he is Chicago corrupt manipulative politics at it's finest, selling the american public a bill of goods. He panders to the masses who are being led like sheep to the slaughter...don't come crying to me when you don't have milk for your children...just go get in line at the welfare office for the redistribution of wealth that Obama and the rest of the dems want to see. Gore needs to go home to Tipper, put his apron on and quit flying around buring up all the carbon credits with his hot air. What a joke...get out your 10 speed bike all you environmental wacko's and trot yourself to work...and while your at it, you better plant a garden and start raising some chickens because the price of gas and food will be a luxury that only the Al Gores of this world will be able to afford!

[captain obvious]

I am not a writer but is it considered journalism when you just cut and paste quotes from other people's articles? How about an original thought, bozo. I had this to say about your article; "snore".

[John]

A Inconvenient truth; Al Gore means nothing to the campaign.

[Drifter]

Yawn?

Former Vice President and Nobel Piece Price Winner Al Gore is cofounder and Chairman of Generation Investment Management, a firm that is focused on a new approach to Sustainable Investing.

Gore is also cofounder and Chairman of Current TV, an independently owned cable and satellite television network for young people based on viewer-created content and citizen journalism. A member of the Board of Directors of Apple Computer, Inc. and a Senior Advisor to Google, Inc. Gore is also Visiting Professor at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.

AND WHO ARE YOU, YAWNER? A COMPLETE IDOT, JUST LIKE SOME POSTERS HERE!

[kate bradley]

What an obvious right-wing hack piece this is. And half the responses read as if they are written by KArl Rove's understudies. YAWN is right - same, tired old smears on Al Gore, who by the way won, not lost, the 2000 election.