GORE'S SUICIDE

November 20, 2002 --

UNNOTICED in the Republican victory in the Congressional elections is the rapid fall in the fortunes of former Vice President Al Gore.

According to the Fox News/Opinion Dynamics Poll, Gore has dropped from a 51 percent favorable rating on Aug. 6-7, 2002, to a mere 37 percent on Oct. 22-23. This 15 point fall comes after the Democratic nominee of 2002 had succeeded at keeping his popularity in the low 50s throughout the first eight months of 2002.

Will Al Gore run in 2004? Not if he won't even get nominated, he won't.

Why has Gore fallen on hard times? The singular event which likely demarked his fall was his untimely speech, on Sept. 24, 2002, attacking Bush's Iraq policy. Demanding Bush work with the United Nations, he declared, "If you are going after Jesse James, you ought to organize the posse first."

Gore criticized Bush in that speech saying: "We've squandered that [the goodwill after 9/11], and in one year we've replaced that with fear, anxiety and uncertainty, not at what the terrorists are going to do but at what we are going to do."

That Gore would choose an occasion two weeks after the anniversary of Sept. 11 to criticize Bush on terrorism is a feat of political mismanagement which only his reliance on his daughter for political guidance can excuse. But, beyond that, why would Gore - who would have enormous credibility on Bush's many environmental sins and could center his attack on the president's dismal economic record - choose to hit Bush, as his first shot out of the box, on Iraq?

Did Gore forget his elevation to the vice presidency by Clinton in 1992 was a direct consequence of his foresight and courage in being one of the few Democrats to back military action against Saddam Hussein in 2001? Flipping from center to left, the former VP alienated his old base without convincing the new one he seeks to rally to his side.

Remember that in 2004, there will be no Republican primary, since Bush's renomination is clearly assured. With only a Democratic contest, all the independents, who divided their votes between McCain and Bradley last time, will be in the Democratic primary. If they didn't support Gore then, why should they back him now?

Go through any state where independents could vote in either party primary, add up the McCain and the Bradley votes, and it will dwarf the Gore total. The influx into the Democratic primary of these moderates, who rejected both Gore and Bush in 2000 during the primaries, will further undermine Gore's chances of victory.

Gore has a clear mandate from the voters to speak out on the areas and subjects on which he is highly credible like the environment, the economy, health care for seniors, Medicare and Social Security. To stray to the left on Iraq is to enter a briar patch from which no Democrat can emerge intact.

Was Gore inspired to do so by the speeches one month earlier of former Presidents Clinton and Carter criticizing Bush on Iraq? If he was, perhaps he should realize two things:

1. He doesn't want to be a former yet.

2. Hillary thought so much of her husband's comments that she voted for the war resolution.

-- Anonymous, November 20, 2002

Answers

Gore has a clear mandate from the voters to speak out on the areas and subjects on which he is highly credible.....

like things he invented. since he hasn't actually invented anything, he should just shut up.

-- Anonymous, November 20, 2002

"Gore - who would have enormous credibility on Bush's many environmental sins..."

Fortunately, I learned in the nick of time (before the 11/00 elections) that Gore is NOT an environmentalist. Made it a whole lot easier to not support him from that point on.

-- Anonymous, November 20, 2002