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

[political observer]

Why is algore considered a yawn?!? Come on people, he invented the internet! He's also a global climatologist! He... he won the nobel prize! He.. He's from Tennessee! A big yawn! You just wait! He will invent the no-gas car that can fold up in your pocket so you don't have to pay for parking! You just wait! You'll be sorry you called algore a big yawn!

[HippyHawk]

I like Both the Men alot but alas Washington will be Washington and nice speeches while nice are really just alot of hot air that is killing the ozone!

[Jody]

Martin...Excellent thought about all this slobbering over Russert. Enough is enough. As far as Gore, who cares.

[HippyHawk]

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!

Now that is funny right there no matter who you are!

[Andree]

I thought his endorsement was fabulous and I was glued to the TV. His timing is perfect. Just in time for McCain. Obama did just fine in the primaries. Now he needs the big guns. Plus it's not like Gore has gobs of extra time on his hands. His travel schedule related to his climate work is fairly intense. Let's just look at mid-March through mid-May. 7 global destinations, and 15 trips total. That's like a trip every four days. I think he's amazing.

May 19, 2008--Israel
May 18, 2008--Pittsburgh
May 4, 2008--Ohio
May 3, 2008--Philadelphia
May 2, 2008--New York
April 18, 2008--Nashville
April 15, 2008--Geneva
April 11, 2008--San Francisco
April 8, 2008--Iceland
April 7, 2008--Faroe Islands
April 5, 2008--Montreal
March 18, 2008--New York
March 15, 2008--India
March 12, 2008--Poland
March 11, 2008--Geneva

[RM]

It takes a loser to know (endorse) a loser.

[Doug]

Why should Gore be any different now than he's always been?

He kept the Clintons conveniently at a distance so as to help his campaign in 2000, effectively abandoning them. Had he stuck by them and asked for their help, he might well have won in 2000. I for one am glad he did what he did as a Gore presidency would have redefined the meaning of disastrous.

But then in 2004, he turned his back on Joe Lieberman, his erstwhile running mate from 2000, to endorse the flavor of the month, Howard Dean, who was a very questionable candidate very much to the far left of his party. Scary that Dean is now head of that party as DNC Chairman.

So then when that didn't work out and he was cast into the political wilderness, he got lucky that Kerry lost in 2004 so he could redeem himself. He then cooks up some fictional account of climate change that makes himself look real good - again! He gets a hyper-political IPCC behind him which him look even more plausible. Only this time fortune finally smiles upon him and the Bush Administration is so distracted by Iraq, they don't notice the nonsense that's floating around about climate change until it's too late......by then the public has been buffaloed into thinking Al is a real genius over this climate change thing.......which is unfortunately where we find ourselves today.

But ever since he was out soliciting funds and support from the National Soft Drink Association in the early 1980s for his Senate run at the time, it's all been about Al......it's always been about Al.

I'm a grown-up and as a former Wasingtonian am used to the fictioanl nonsense that surrounds such people and their careers and ambitions. But DON'T for a minute try to fantasize that Al Gore of all people is some kind of class act for the 21st Century!

[sailhardy]

To those of you who think an Al Bore endorsement is trivial, remember his glowing endorsement of Howard Dean's abortive candidacy on the eve of the Iowa caucus in 2004. That endorsement of Howard Dean propelled John Kerry seamlessly to the Democratic nomination for the presidency, and the American electorate's endorsement of George W. Bush's presidency.

'Way to go, Big Al.

[Jason]

If Gore wasn't going to endorse someone when it mattered, he shouldn't have bothered officially endorsing anyone at all.

[Deanna]

I wrote Little Al off months ago as did most Democrats, both Clinton and Obama supporters.
His failing in this election will go hand in hand with his inability to handle the mess that was the 2002 election in Florida. He hung back there and got handed a loss. In hind sight? I am not certain that even if he had won that things would be much different. He has shown his true colors and inability to take the hard course which is what is so needed in a President.
Then again perhaps he was acting like an errant child who had his toy taken away and he was not going to help the "pretenders in his mind" gain what he had so publicly given up.

[Historian1956]

To Wise1:

If, as you state, speeches are not important, then the following people would never have been considered presidential material, based initially on great speeches given at the Democratic National Conventions:

Barack Obama
William Jefferson Clinton
Mario Cuomo
Ann Richards

just to name a few.

Giving good speech gives relatively unknown politicians national forums and notice, which can be utilized later if they have further and grander ambitions. Great inaugural speeches set the tenor of administrations and healing speeches at times of crisis can calm a country's nerves. Don't underestimate the power of a great speech, with catch phrases that remain long after the situation in which they were given has been forgotten.

[Deanna]

To the idiot who stated that Al did not endorse and that it was classy based on his past friendship with the Clintons...YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING RIGHT?
People should NEVER take the friendship roade when the life blood of this country are fighting for the right to govertn it. THAT is when true meddle is shown and one has to make a hard choice. Al FAILED as a commander in chief wanna be.

[Organizer]

Oh yeah, Al Gore is a nobody. A nobody with a Nobel, Oscar, Grammy and who was actually elected President of the United States. A man who, thanks to the ham-handed mis-steps of Bill Clinton during the recent campaign, was the leader of the Democratic Party until Barack Obama secured the nomination. A man whose endorsement was considered the most important "get" by every Democratic candidate.

Come on, people - get real. If Al Gore campaigns extensively in FL this Fall, every currently angry Democratic voter would flock to Barack Obama. His endorsement was the most desired for a reason.

I'm a strong Obama man and while I would have liked to see him endorse the Senator earlier, I'm sure the timing was Obama's choice. He needed a splash in Michigan. Anyone notice that the last big endorsement by Edwards was also in Michigan? Grow up, people. The pre-season is over. We're in the finals now.

By the way, if you ever want to make money betting on politics, assess the conventional wisdom of pundits and put your money on the exact opposite of their "informed" opinions.

[Linda]

I really wish he was running for Prez. I would vote for him in a heart beat! He should have had it last time, and if he did our country would not be where it is today in a mess.

[Stan Marsh]

Leave the guy alone. He's got too much on his plate to be worrying about which Democratic candidate to support. Without Al Gore, who would lead the hunt for Man-Bear-Pig? Nobody, that's who! He's doing his part to protect us all!

[American Reader]

What a biased, lousy article! If you can't give an honest accounting of the facts, devoid of PERSONAL bias, then stop writing. Nobody has time to waste on crap like this.

[Patrick, Ohio]

Much time has passed since Gore found his calling in saving the planet, but as a politician, Gore is a loser. For one, he couldn't even keep his own home-state to support him in his election.

In any case, yawn is the definitely right word. Endorsements never works for me. Why would I or anyone care what Ted or Caroline Kennedy thinks. I know what *I* want. That's what matters. And I DO NOT want Obama. Period.

For those who says Obama is about Change? Sure, he changes. Whatever you voters want to hear, he'll change his lines to something you want to hear. That's what Obama is about. Obama can't pull wool over my eyes (and the 18 million strong fellow voters). That says a lot.

And let me tell you something, however Obama might want to spin it, being young and inexperienced does NOT qualify him to be the president.

[Scott]

Too little, too late.

[Don Eskridge]

Al Gore is a complete idiot. How else to characterize a man who lost the presidency to someone who has been widely described as a buffoon? While his movie may have played well to psuedo-scientists, in 20 years people will look back at those who worshipped the Goracle as complete and total wastes of brainpower.

Quote Bugs Bunny: "What a Maroon!!"

[Reagan Democrat]

reagan conservative..

Just to keep Republicans from revising history and rallying around another lie. Your screen name reminded me - I just would like to remind people.

Reagan was not a neo-conservative like the current batch. He won by atrtacting some (Reagan) Democrats to his side because he was more moderate.

It seems Republicans want to rally around Reagan and act as if HE would approve of the current rediculous spending, economic suicide that republicans now appear to bless and rationalize.

Unless of course they plan on solving the energy crisis by capturing the power generated from him SPINNING IN HIS GRAVE!

Proof that even after you die Republicans can still steal your reputation.

[Jerry]

Can anyone tell me why we should care about Al Gore's endorsement. He's a has been loser! By the way there's a tree that needs a hug in far northern Canada. That should keep Al Gore busy for a couple years.

[EarthIsMelting]

AlBot Gore is required to cheer up ObamaBots who keep getting their legs shaken by Obama speeches. Find more of Dems drama of people coming up and endorsing Osama and all these morons getting to hear their messiah again. What a country.....

[william]

Al who?

[Ted Pendergrass]

Early reaction to your article: Double Yawn

[Adam]

Yawn? Are you kidding? Gore gave a great speech and he showed a lot of class in the timing of his endorsement. We can only hope that he'll agree to be Obama's running mate. The two seemed to be genuinely comfortable on stage together.